On a summer day in June of 2002, a 20-year-old woman named Sabrina Mae Kahler, also known as Bree, disappeared from Erie, Pennsylvania. She was a recent high school graduate, described by her mother as a kind, accepting, and very naive young woman. Sabrina had a mild mental disability, functioning at the level of a teenager. On June 24, 2002, just four days after her birthday, Sabrina left her home to go swimming with a 26-year-old friend of her boyfriend's, David Sherman Heck.
At the time of her disappearance, Sabrina had dark blonde hair, blue eyes, and was wearing braces on her teeth. She was last seen wearing a two-piece bathing suit, possibly with a pink or red top, blue shorts, and blue and white sneakers.
The day Sabrina vanished began at a local swimming hole at Eagley Park in western Erie County. While she and Heck were swimming, they reportedly had a confrontation with Heck's ex-girlfriend. Following the incident, the pair drove Heck's black and red Ford Bronco to the Tasty Twist ice cream stand, where Heck contacted the police. A state trooper then escorted them back to Eagley Park so Heck could return a pair of pants to his ex-girlfriend. After leaving the park for a second time, the accounts of what happened become unclear. Heck claimed he dropped Sabrina off at the West Erie Plaza Movie Theater, giving her money to see the movie 'Lilo & Stitch' and get home. However, police have stated they do not believe his story, and there were no confirmed sightings of Sabrina at the theater.
There were a couple of unconfirmed sightings of Sabrina and Heck that day. One was on Old Albion Road in Springfield Township, and another witness believed they saw Sabrina alone at the Elk Creek Access area, a local fishing spot. It was never verified if the woman seen was indeed Sabrina. David Heck was later incarcerated on unrelated burglary charges and has been considered a person of interest in Sabrina's disappearance. In 2009, Sabrina Kahler was declared legally dead, but her case remains an unsolved and painful mystery for her family and community. The investigation into her disappearance is ongoing, with law enforcement continuing to seek answers to what happened to the trusting young woman who vanished after a day of swimming.Last Seen: Jun 24, 2002
