Account
Oct 28, 2010
May 31, 2023
Shirley
Pullen
107
70
65 inches
125 lbs
150 lbs
White / Caucasian
Female
In the quiet community of Niles, Michigan, the last day of 1986 marked the unsettling disappearance of 70-year-old Shirley Gertrude Pullen. A woman of habit, Shirley was last seen by her hairdresser at a Save Mart store in South Bend, Indiana, on December 31st, where she mentioned plans for a New Year's Eve party at her home. Later that day, she returned to her residence in the Windward Village Mobile Home Park in Niles. Shirley, a widow who lived alone, was known to be insulin-dependent due to diabetes and may have been experiencing dementia. She was described as a white female, 5'5" tall, weighing between 125 and 150 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. She sometimes wore brown or blonde wigs. Concerns for Shirley's welfare arose in the new year when she failed to pay her lot rent on January 1st, an act that was out of character for her. On January 12, 1987, after not seeing her for nearly two weeks, the park manager and concerned relatives contacted the police. Upon entering her mobile home, investigators found a scene that suggested an abrupt departure. A half-eaten sandwich was left out, and a cigarette had burned down to its filter in an ashtray, with the television still on. There were no signs of a struggle, and all of her personal belongings, including her coat, luggage, and vehicle, were left behind. This led authorities to believe she had left her home willingly, with the intention of returning shortly. As the investigation unfolded, more troubling details emerged. Years after her disappearance, a neighbor came forward stating they had witnessed Shirley arguing with two men outside her mobile home on the night she was last seen. One of these men was identified as a former tenant who had rented another of Shirley's trailers and had a history of not paying rent. Investigators questioned this individual, who denied seeing Shirley on the day she vanished. It was also discovered that Shirley had written a $500 check to this man on December 30, 1986, which he claimed was a holiday gift. Furthermore, there were reports that this same individual had used her credit card after her disappearance and that Shirley's diary contained entries about him extorting money from her. The case remains unsolved, and foul play is strongly suspected. Shirley has not used her Social Security number or accessed her insulin medication since she vanished, and her body has never been found. Despite the passage of time and the death of all her siblings, the question of what happened to Shirley Pullen on that New Year's Eve continues to be a painful mystery for those who remember her.
Dec 31, 1986
Niles
Michigan
Berrien County
49120
9274
Michigan State Police - Niles Post
Niles
Michigan
Berrien County
49120
Jason Bailey
Detective Sergeant
1600 Silverbrook Avenue, Michigan
2696834411
State
Law Enforcement
53-3678-05
1987-01-12
Michigan State Police - Niles Post
Brown
Brown
Brown
06/27/2026
