In the summer of 1995, 24-year-old Erin Marie Gilbert, a resident of Anchorage, Alaska, vanished without a trace. On July 1st of that year, Erin went on a first date with a man named David Combs to the Girdwood Forest Fair, located in Girdwood, a resort town south of Anchorage. Originally from Washington state, Erin had been living in Alaska for about a year with her sister and was working as a nanny.
Friends and family described her as a responsible and kind individual with aspirations of becoming a novelist and plans to attend cosmetology school. She was last seen at the fair wearing a black leather jacket, a black and white striped shirt, black jeans, and brown mountain boots.
The last time anyone saw Erin was in the early evening hours at the fair's beer garden with her date. According to Combs' account, they left the fair around 6:00 p.m. and returned to his car to find the battery was dead, supposedly because he had left the headlights on. Combs stated that he told Erin he was going to walk to a nearby friend's house to get help. He was gone for approximately two hours, and upon his return, Erin was no longer at the vehicle. Combs then tried to start the car, and this time it started. He said he assumed she had gone back to the fair, so he returned to the festival grounds and searched for her until about 1:00 a.m.
The following morning, after not hearing from Erin, Combs contacted her sister, Stephanie, to ask if she had made it home. Upon learning she had not, Erin's family immediately drove to Girdwood to search for her. They had her name announced on the fair's stage and combed the festival grounds and surrounding woods, but found no sign of her. Soon after, they reported her missing to the Alaska State Troopers, who launched an extensive search effort involving helicopters and search dogs, but no trace of Erin was ever found. Foul play is suspected in her disappearance, and her family believes she is deceased. The case remains an active investigation, with her loved ones continuing to hold out hope for answers.Last Seen: Jul 1, 1995
