Vicki Koch, a 25-year-old resident of Circleville, Ohio, went missing on August 14, 1980. She was reported missing by family and friends after failing to show up for a planned visit to her hometown of Sandusky, Ohio. Koch was last seen by friends on August 10, 1980, following an event in Ross County, Ohio. On August 15, her red Chevy Nova was found abandoned approximately five blocks from her residence on Lancaster Pike, but neither her car nor her apartment showed signs of a struggle.
Initial searches by law enforcement provided no conclusive evidence about her whereabouts.
On September 17, 1980, Vicki's skeletal remains were discovered in a rural field in Madison County, Ohio, roughly thirty miles from her home. Dental records were used to confirm her identity. The official cause of death was listed as "death due to violence," but further details about the exact manner of death have not been disclosed. Despite extensive investigations by the Circleville Police Department and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the case remains unsolved to this day.
Koch's case has been included in multiple unsolved homicide databases, and authorities continue to appeal for public assistance. The case is listed on the Ohio Attorney General's website as an ongoing cold case, and local law enforcement has asked anyone with information to come forward. The case remains a focal point for the community of Circleville, with ongoing efforts by law enforcement to bring justice to Vicki and closure to her family.
