Regina F. Brown, a 35-year-old American Airlines flight attendant, was last seen on March 26, 1987, at LaGuardia Airport in the New York City borough of Queens. At the time of her disappearance, she lived on Whippoorwill Hill Road in Newtown, Connecticut, and was in the midst of a contentious divorce from her husband of five years, Willis Brown, a senior pilot for the same airline.
The couple's marriage was marked by allegations of domestic violence, and Regina had obtained a court order to keep him away from their Newtown home. Fearing for her safety, she had sent two of her three children to live with her mother in Texas. Her last known actions involved putting her third child and the family's live-in babysitter on a flight to join the others in Texas.
After leaving the airport, Regina made a chilling phone call to her best friend. She instructed her friend to become alarmed if her parents hadn't heard from her within four days. She added that if, after two more days, she still couldn't be reached, it would mean her estranged husband had fulfilled his promise to harm her. The day after her disappearance, on March 27, 1987, neighbors reported her dog barking incessantly, but no immediate action was taken by police. Regina then missed a lunch date and two flight assignments. Her employer contacted her parents, who in turn asked her best friend to check the house. On April 2, her friend entered the home to find the dog alone, feces covering the floor, a bowl of water, and a bag of dog food from a store Regina did not frequent. Both the friend and Willis Brown filed missing person reports. Willis later admitted to leaving the dog food at the house on March 26, the day of his wife's disappearance, claiming he was in Newtown for a dental appointment but could not recall his other activities that day.
On April 6, 1987, Regina's bronze Honda Accord was discovered on 104th Street in Manhattan, an area known for drug activity that Willis had suggested police search. The keys were in the ignition, two child seats were in the back, and the windshield was covered with parking tickets. There was no indication of a struggle at the scene. Investigators found that Regina had left behind most of her personal items at her home, including her airline ID, makeup, and a $1,000 check.
Willis Brown was named a "person of interest" in the case but was never charged. His behavior following his wife's disappearance raised suspicion. In June 1987, he went to Texas and forcibly took his children from their grandparents' home, though a judge ordered their return three weeks later. During the divorce proceedings, which he continued after she vanished, Willis accused Regina of drug abuse and infidelity, claims police found no evidence for and which were similar to allegations he made during his first divorce. In contrast, a divorce judge in 1988 granted custody of the children to Regina's family, citing that Willis had physically and mentally abused his wife, reducing her life to a "living nightmare." Willis also spread false stories about Regina being sighted in various locations worldwide. A 1990 television documentary that implied his guilt led him to file a defamation lawsuit, which was dismissed.
The investigation into Regina's disappearance faced significant delays and challenges. A search of her home was not conducted until May 7, six weeks after she went missing. In 1989, police searched a piece of land where Willis had rented a trailer around the time she vanished but found nothing. For years, authorities were unable to locate a small private plane Willis owned in 1987. When they finally found it in 2008, they could not determine if it was used around the time of her disappearance due to poor record-keeping at the small airport he used. Foul play is suspected in Regina's case, which remains unsolved. She was declared legally dead in 1995. Willis Brown died in 2024.Last Seen: Mar 26, 1987
