In the spring of 1978, Judy Martins was a 22-year-old junior at Kent State University, thoughtfully pursuing a major in art with a minor in women's studies, with aspirations of becoming a therapist. Described as a responsible and dependable individual, she was actively involved in campus life, serving as a resident assistant in her dormitory, Engleman Hall, and volunteering as a counselor at the campus's Pregnancy Information Center.
In the early morning hours of May 24, 1978, with the spring semester wrapping up and final exams just a week away, Judy was at a friend's dormitory, Dunbar Hall. She had been in good spirits, celebrating the end of the school year and playfully wearing a curly red wig. Around 2:00 or 2:30 a.m., she left her friends to make the short walk, a distance of only about 300 yards, back to her own room in Engleman Hall. It was a walk that should have taken only a few minutes, but Judy Martins was never seen again.
Because Judy was a resident assistant, she had a single room with no roommate to immediately notice her absence. It wasn't until the following evening that a friend grew concerned, and she was officially reported missing to campus police two days after she was last seen. This delay, compounded by the fact that most students had already departed for the Memorial Day weekend, significantly hampered the initial investigation. Back in her dorm room, nearly all of her personal belongings remained untouched, including her eyeglasses, makeup, clothing, and money. This was particularly uncharacteristic, as her family noted she would not have gone anywhere without her glasses or makeup. The only items believed to be missing were her purse, which contained a single credit card that was never used, the clothes she was wearing, and the red wig. The Kent State police initially treated her disappearance as a voluntary runaway case, a theory her family steadfastly rejected, describing their family as close and loving. Judy had just visited her family ten days prior to celebrate her sister's birthday and Mother's Day.
Over the many years that have passed, the search for answers has been fraught with frustration and sorrow for Judy's family. Her parents passed away without ever knowing what happened to their daughter, but her siblings continue to hope for a resolution. The investigation explored various leads, including a mistaken tip that she was in Cleveland and a later theory that she had gone to Mexico, which proved to be a case of mistaken identity. A man named William John Posey Jr., who was convicted of other violent crimes, was considered a person of interest at one point due to his proximity to the area, but no charges were ever filed in connection with Judy's case. Adding to the family's pain, they were informed years later that the university police had destroyed the original case files. Despite the passage of time and the cold nature of the case, the disappearance of Judy Martins remains an open investigation. Her case is a poignant story of a young woman with a promising future who vanished without a trace, leaving her loved ones in a state of unending uncertainty.Last Seen: May 24, 1978
