Seventeen year old Sandy Rea went missing on September 19, 1984 from Shawnee.
While only a teen at the time of her disappearance, Sandy has been described as being incredibly mature. Shortly before her disappearance, she had moved out of her mother’s house and was living with friends, though she regularly went home to visit with and take care of her younger siblings.
The day she went missing, Sandy had walked to a convenience store to buy cigarettes and had gotten a ride with friends from the store to a local bowling alley where her cousin worked. Her cousin has stated that Sandy had asked him for a ride, but he had told her that he wasn’t able to leave work. Sandy had then made several phone calls from the bowling alley to various people looking for a ride.
The last time she is known to have been seen alive is when she left the bowling alley with an unidentified individual at approximately 9pm. While the majority of agencies classify Sandy as an endangered missing person, some believe that she left of her own accord. And just as some agencies disagree about the circumstances of her disappearance, people also disagree about the theories surrounding her case.
One theory is that her ex-boyfriend is suspect in her disappearance. After Sandy moved out of her mother’s house, she lived with this boyfriend for a short time, eventually breaking up with him and moving out because he had allegedly been abusive towards her. However, reports state that Sandy and the ex-boyfriend remained friendly after their breakup. Another top theory is that Sandy’s disappearance is somehow related to so called “suit parties”. This theory seems to have originated with reports that Sandy was known as a bit of a party girl. There is zero evidence stating that Sandy ever attended a “suit party”, or that she possibly had overdosed at one and her body was then disposed of.
Over the years, authorities have followed various leads, but none have panned out and Sandy’s disappearance remains unsolved.
If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Sandy Rea, please contact the Shawnee Police Department at 405-273-2121.