About a dozen years ago, a 45-year-old woman disappeared. The story made the local television news and made the newspapers. Her name was reported. She was never found.
Fast forward to 2011. An acquaintance of this woman was arrested, accused of raping her daughter back in 2000. Still not charged with the woman’s disappearance, the man was soon sentenced to 128 years for rape. There may not have been enough evidence to charge him with the disappearance, though he matches the composite sketches drawn up in 2000, and he certainly had a motive. Regardless, he was not charged in a court of law with this woman’s disappearance, and likely never will be.
The rape victim’s name will not be reported to protect her identity, which is standard.
At the same time, for those following along, this leaves the story incomplete. Anyone paying attention to the case of the missing woman will likely never learn that the prime suspect has been arrested and sentenced for a crime against her daughter. To name the woman now would be just as bad as naming the daughter, whose identity must be protected.
A number of folks in this town know about the connection, but it won’t be reported, leaving many others in the dark. And with good reason.