Kristina Joanne Porco, a 16-year-old girl, disappeared from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, on the night of November 29, 1986. The evening began with a disagreement between Kristina, who was known as Krissi, and her mother concerning her curfew. Following the argument at their home in the Woodlake Villas condominium complex, Kristina left the residence around 10:30 p.m. She did not take any personal belongings or money with her.
Shortly after leaving, Kristina called a friend from a nearby payphone, asking if she could spend the night. When the friend's mother declined the request, Kristina mentioned she might sleep by the pool at her apartment complex. During this phone call, she also noted a taxi that kept driving by slowly. This was the last time anyone is known to have heard from her.
A short time later, Kristina's friend went to the condominium's pool area to check on her. Kristina was nowhere to be found, but her red sweater was discovered left behind, draped over a lawn chair. Her family grew worried when she didn't return home. The initial response from law enforcement treated her as a runaway, though her family felt this was out of character. Kristina was a student at Hilton Head High School and was involved in school activities; she had recently finished a book report for the upcoming week and was preparing for an audition with a school musical group. She left behind a savings account containing between $100 and $200, which has never been accessed.
Years have passed without any definitive answers in Kristina's case, which is now considered a non-family abduction and foul play is suspected. Over the years, investigators have explored various leads. A person of interest, Christopher J. Below, was identified as a possible suspect after one of Kristina's missing person flyers was found in his Ohio home in 1992. Below was known to be living in South Carolina during the late 1980s and has been linked to other cases of missing young women, but he has never been charged in connection with Kristina's disappearance. Kristina's mother, who tirelessly searched for her daughter for many years, believed her remains might be in the North Forest Beach area, but no evidence has ever been found to support this theory. The case remains an unsolved cold case with the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office, a painful and enduring mystery for her family and community.Last Seen: Nov 29, 1986
