Michaelle Marie Champagne, a 30-year-old Belgian citizen, has been missing since March 1993. The last confirmed contact with her was on March 9, 1993, when she spoke to her parents from Washington D.C.. Champagne had just returned to the United States from a trip to her native Belgium with her boyfriend, Darryl Matlen. She informed her parents of her plan to spend a few days sightseeing in the nation's capital before returning to her home in Spokane, Washington.
Originally from Belgium, Champagne was a former national-level soccer player who moved to the United States in 1990 with her American military husband, whom she had met in her home country. After living in Germany for three years, they relocated to Spokane before divorcing in late 1992. Described as a strong-willed and independent woman, she often found work as a cook or waitress. Shortly before her disappearance, she had her father wire her a significant amount of money from Belgium, which her ex-husband found unusual given her recent $60,000 divorce settlement. She reportedly needed the money to settle a debt.
It wasn't until September 8, 1993, that Champagne was officially reported missing by her boyfriend, Darryl Matlen. Matlen claimed that he and Champagne had broken up on March 17, and he was filing the report at the insistence of her parents. He also told authorities he had seen her in June 1993, riding a motorcycle in the Spokane area, a sighting that remains unconfirmed by any other witnesses. An investigation into Matlen's activities following Champagne's disappearance revealed that he had used her credit cards, sold furniture she had in storage, and sold a car they owned jointly. Furthermore, police discovered that Matlen had returned to Spokane alone on March 12, just three days after Champagne's last phone call to her parents, and checked into a hotel.
The Spokane Police Department is investigating Champagne's disappearance, which they suspect is a homicide. In 2011, authorities renewed their investigation, collecting DNA samples from her family in Belgium to compare against unidentified remains. They also expressed hope of re-interviewing witnesses. Despite these efforts, Michaelle Marie Champagne's case remains unsolved. Her last known address was the Starlight Motel on South Geiger Boulevard in Spokane.
Last Seen: Mar 09, 1993
