On the evening of March 24, 1993, Laura E. Mason, a 45-year-old nursing assistant, was looking forward to celebrating her recent birthday. A relative dropped her off at the El Capitan Lounge, a jazz club located in the historic 18th & Vine district of Kansas City, Missouri. Witnesses saw her at the lounge that night, where she was last seen getting into a vehicle with the club's owner, who also happened to be her former brother-in-law.
This man would be the last known person to see her. He later told police that he dropped her off a short distance away at the intersection of 18th Street and Highland Avenue, suggesting she intended to visit the Mutual Musicians' Foundation. From that moment on, Laura Mason was never seen or heard from again. She was a mother to four children who were left searching for answers.
The investigation into Laura's disappearance quickly focused on the man she was last seen with. Authorities noted that his statements about the events of that night were inconsistent. The case grew more complicated when, two years later, in 1995, this same man was convicted for the murder of his girlfriend and sentenced to life in prison. Despite this conviction and the suspicions surrounding him in Laura's case, he has consistently maintained his innocence regarding her disappearance. Over the years, the investigation continued, and in 2015, authorities conducted a search of a property connected to him, looking for any sign of Laura's remains, but the search yielded no new evidence.
The disappearance of Laura Mason has left a void in the lives of her family and community. Foul play is suspected in her case, which remains an active and unsolved missing persons investigation. At the time she went missing, she was a dedicated nursing assistant who, tellingly, never returned to pick up her final paycheck. Her family, in an effort to keep her memory alive and give back to the community, established the Laura E. Mason Foundation, which focuses on community outreach and educational programs for underserved youth. The Kansas City Police Department continues to ask for the public's help, hoping that someone will come forward with the information needed to finally bring answers and a measure of peace to Laura's loved ones after decades of uncertainty.Last Seen: Mar 24, 1993
