In the winter of 1978, in St. John's, Newfoundland & Labrador, a 17-year-old named Sharon Drover was embracing a new chapter of independence. Having recently moved from her foster home to a boarding house on Livingstone Street, she had secured her first job at a McDonald's on Kenmount Road. Friends and family remember her excitement about the job and the prospect of buying Christmas presents.
On the evening of December 29, 1978, Sharon left her residence to work an evening shift at the restaurant. She was wearing a beige jacket, pale blue jeans, and black boots. She completed her shift, which ended in the early hours of the following morning, and it is believed she intended to hitchhike back to her downtown apartment. She collected her paycheck that night, but it would never be cashed.
The initial days following Sharon's disappearance were marked by a lack of awareness, a tragic miscommunication that would significantly hinder the early stages of the investigation. Her family believed she was with her foster mother, while her foster mother thought she was visiting her biological family on Bell Island. This confusion meant that a staggering 46 days passed before she was officially reported missing. By the time the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary began their investigation, any potential evidence had been significantly diminished. In the years that followed, the case grew cold, punctuated by occasional, yet ultimately fruitless, leads. In 1984, police received two anonymous calls. One caller claimed to have seen a body being moved from a tractor-trailer near a McDonald's on Topsail Road, while another alleged her body was disposed of off the Foxtrap Access Road. Despite thorough searches of these areas, investigators found nothing to substantiate the claims.
Years later, in the 1990s, a new piece of information emerged when two brothers came forward. They reported that on the night Sharon disappeared, they had given a ride to a female hitchhiker on Kenmount Road who they believe was Sharon, dropping her off on Long's Hill near her boarding house. They witnessed her speak with a man before she ran down the hill. This lead prompted police to excavate a portion of the concrete floor in the basement of her former residence in 1995, but their search yielded no evidence. Over the decades, the investigation has faced numerous challenges, including the lack of modern forensic tools at the time of her disappearance. The case remains an active investigation, with police stating that a person of interest from 1995 remains a suspect, though no charges have ever been laid due to a lack of evidence. The disappearance of Sharon Drover is a haunting case of a young woman on the cusp of a new life who vanished without a trace, leaving her family with unanswered questions and a community with a lasting sense of loss.Last Seen: Dec 28, 1978
