In the fall of 1986, Nancy Leah Brannon was a 34-year-old woman building a life for herself in Shrewsbury, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. She worked in an administrative role at the former St. Louis Eye Hospital and was taking business classes at a local community college. Described as a white female with light brown hair, brown eyes, and freckles across her shoulders, Nancy stood about five feet four inches tall and weighed around 120 pounds.
On the evening of November 25, she went out for dinner and drinks with friends. She was last seen at a business near Grand and Delor in St. Louis around midnight on November 26, 1986. At the time, she was wearing a tan jacket over a sweatshirt, blue jeans, and a gold chain necklace that may have had a heart or a cross pendant. After that night, she was never heard from again.
The day after Nancy's disappearance, her tan 1983 Dodge Charger was found locked and abandoned at her apartment complex in the 7500 block of Watson Road in Shrewsbury. There was no sign of Nancy. A neighbor made a disturbing discovery about ten feet from the car: Nancy's purse was found under a bush. Curiously, nothing appeared to be missing from it; inside were her checkbook, credit cards, $27 in cash, and her car keys. Investigators also found a new package of birth control pills that she had just filled that same day. When her father entered her apartment, he found the bed had not been slept in, deepening the concern that something had happened to her between her car and her front door.
For decades, the disappearance of Nancy Brannon has remained the only cold case in Shrewsbury. The investigation, contained in three thick binders, is passed to each new detective in the hopes that a fresh perspective might uncover a new lead. In the years since she vanished, rumors have surfaced that Nancy may have been having an affair with a married coworker and that she might have been pregnant at the time. Police interviewed the coworker, who had an alibi for the night Nancy went missing, provided by his wife. Her family believes she was attacked by someone she knew. The case is an enduring mystery, marked by the perplexing discovery of her intact belongings and the sudden, silent end to all communication. The trail went cold almost as soon as it began, leaving behind only questions and a family that continues to hope for answers.Last Seen: Nov 26, 1986
