Mary Teresa Kushto, a 43-year-old woman from St. Cloud, Florida, was last seen in the early hours of May 5, 1998. She had been at Cindy's Lounge on Pennsylvania Avenue when she left around 1:30 a.m. after an argument with her boyfriend. Mary has not been seen or heard from since. Despite extensive investigations, no trace of her has been found.
Mary’s husband, Guy "Tuck" Kushto Jr., reported her missing weeks later on May 29, telling a bartender that his wife might have been harmed. Guy, who had been involved with the Ku Klux Klan, admitted to mistreating Mary, but passed a polygraph test and was cleared of involvement in her disappearance. At the time of her disappearance, Mary had left Guy and was living with friends.
One possible suspect in Mary's case is Christopher Below, who was linked to several other disappearances of young women during the late 1990s. Below, a convicted criminal, was in the St. Cloud area at the time of Mary's disappearance. However, no concrete evidence has tied him to her case. Investigators suspect foul play, given the circumstances of her disappearance, but the case remains unsolved. Mary left behind family in Pennsylvania, including children, and was known to stay in regular contact with them, making her sudden disappearance even more alarming.
Last Seen: May 29, 1998
