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<gallery type="slideshow"> File:Rachael runyan1.jpg|Rachael Runyan File:Rachael runyan dress.jpg|Rachael wearing the dress she had on when she was abducted File:Rachael Runyan.jpg </gallery> '''Real Name:''' Rachael Marie Runyan<br /> '''Nicknames:''' No known nicknames<br /> '''Location:''' Sunset, Utah<br /> '''Date:''' August 26, 1982<br /> ==Case== '''Details:''' Three-year-old Rachael Runyan was the daughter of Elaine and Jeff Runyan. She had a five-year-old brother, Justin, and a one-year-old brother, Nathan. Shortly before her birth, her family had moved from Tennessee to Sunset, Utah. She was a child beauty queen and was crowned “Little Miss Sunset” in 1981. Elaine describes Rachael as sweet, loving, well-behaved, and trusting. She says that everyone who knew Rachael loved and adored her.<br /> On the morning of August 26, 1982, Rachael and Justin asked Elaine if they could take Nathan and play at the park behind their house. The park was located next to an elementary school and was just fifteen feet from their house’s backyard fence. Elaine and Jeff had put a gate in the fence so the children could easily access the park.<br /> Elaine did not feel good about letting her children go to the park alone, as she had never let them play anywhere outside of their house unsupervised. However, after they begged her, she agreed to let them go. She watched and talked to them from the kitchen window as she made lunch.<br /> At around 12:30pm, a man came to the park and approached the Runyan children. He talked to them and played with them in the sandbox. He then offered to take them to get ice cream and candy at a nearby supermarket. Rachael told him she liked bubble gum, and he said he had some in his car.<br /> After earning Rachael’s trust, the man walked to his car, and she followed him. Justin told Rachael not to go with the man, reminding her that they were not supposed to go anywhere with strangers. As she turned around and began walking towards Justin, the man picked her up and placed her over his shoulder. She screamed as he shoved her into his car and drove off, leaving her brothers behind. No adults were in the park at the time, although a ten-year-old child was there and was also approached by the man.<br /> At 12:55pm, Elaine noticed that the children were no longer on the park’s playground, so she called them back in. Only Justin and Nathan returned. When Justin told her what had happened, she immediately drove to the supermarket, hoping that Rachael was there. When it was clear she was not, Elaine called the police.<br /> An extensive search began for Rachael and her abductor. A police roadblock was set up within an hour of the abduction, but no trace of them was found. The police followed hundreds of leads. Initially, Rachael’s parents thought she was abducted for a black market adoption or a child pornography ring. However, the police could find no evidence to support these theories.<br /> Twenty-four days later, on September 19, 1982, a family discovered Rachael’s body partially submerged in a small creek next to Trapper’s Loop Road near Mountain Green, Utah, about twenty miles from her home. The creek is located in northern Morgan County, and the surrounding area is described as remote, wooded, and mountainous.<br /> Rachael was nude, and her hands were bound behind her back. Her body was partially concealed by shrubbery and a log. Due to the advanced state of decomposition, the cause of death was never determined. Because she had no dental or fingerprint records, her parents identified her by her underwear, pierced ears, and chipped tooth. Some of her clothing was later found burned nearby.<br /> Two-and-a-half years later, a security guard discovered a gruesome message scrawled across a bathroom wall of a local all-night laundromat that was located seven miles from Rachael’s home. It read: “BEWARE IM STILL AT LARGE I KILLED THE LITTLE RUNYAN GIRL! REMEMBER BEWARE!!!” The message was signed with an upside-down cross and the numbers 6 6 6 at each point.<br /> Lt. Phil Olmstead of the Sunset Police Department says that the upside-down cross and 6 6 6 indicate to the police that there could be a Satanic cult involved in Rachael’s abduction and murder. It has been theorized that she may have been taken for an occult ritual. On two separate occasions, black roses were found on her grave.<br /> In early 1989, investigators uncovered even more disturbing information in Rachael’s case. Lt. Olmstead says that an informant told them that Rachael was abducted to make a movie about her being tortured, sexually molested, exploited, and then murdered. This type of movie is commonly known as a “snuff film.” The movie may have then been sold through underground network channels nationwide.<br /> In the second photograph above, Rachael is wearing the same dress she had on when she was abducted. Police speculate that she may also be wearing it in the film. Lt. Olmstead asks that anyone who may have seen the film or still pictures from it to contact them. Or, if anyone purchased a copy of it, he asks that they make a copy of it and send it to the police department. He guarantees that they can remain anonymous.<br /> Police believe they are very close to solving Rachael’s murder, one of the most appalling crimes in Utah’s history. They hope that someone may be able to supply the final piece of evidence.<br /> <gallery type="slideshow"> File:Rachel_runyan_killer.jpg|thumb|Composite of Rachael's killer File:runyan updated composites.jpg|Updated composites File:runyan bathroom message.jpg|Message found in laundromat bathroom </gallery> '''Suspects:''' No adults were at the park to provide a description of Rachael’s abductor. He was described by the children at the park as a black or dark-skinned male in his twenties or thirties (in 1982), about 5’8” to 6’ tall, slender to medium build, with a short, afro-style haircut, black handlebar mustache, and a light-to-medium brown complexion. He wore blue jeans, a blue pullover-type shirt with a red stripe going around the chest and sleeves, and blue sneakers with white stripes.<br /> Rachael’s abductor was driving an older model four-door dark blue (or maroon) midsize car with wood grain stripes along the side, a chrome rear bumper, high front seats, a rear license plate below the bumper, lights across the rear, and a rear windshield wiper. It is similar in style to a Plymouth Champ. It may have been a 1973 Ford Pinto Squire station wagon.<br /> Rachael’s abductor had been seen at another nearby park talking to children shortly before her abduction. Investigators believe he was local because he knew they could get ice cream at a local supermarket. Investigators claim that someone who did not live in the Sunset area would not know this.<br /> Investigators looked into the possibility that serial child killer [[wikipedia:Arthur Gary Bishop|Arthur Gary Bishop]] was responsible for Rachael's murder. He abducted and murdered five young boys in Utah during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Rachael’s brother, Justin, was around the same age as Bishop's confirmed victims. He had also lured other victims with a promise of candy. Furthermore, he was “familiar” with the Sunset area. However, he denied being responsible for her murder and was later ruled out as a suspect.<br /> '''Extra Notes:''' * This case first aired on the November 8, 1989 episode. * Elaine also uploaded a video to the ''Unsolved Mysteries'' website on September 24, 2015. * It was submitted to the show by Utah police as an “urgent request”. * A re-enactment of Rachael’s abduction was filmed for the show but never aired. * Some sources state Rachael’s body was found in Morgan Canyon, Utah, and spell her first name as “Rachel” and her last name as “Runyon”. * It was also featured on ''Good Morning America'' and may have been featured on [[America’s Most Wanted]]. * It led to a nationwide focus on child safety. It was a factor that led to the passage of the 1983 Missing Children’s Act. Around the same time, a federal law was passed to allow parents access to an FBI clearinghouse of missing children. * Elaine has since become an advocate for missing children and child safety. She says she wants to educate children and make the world safer for them. She helped create the “Rachael Alert,” a child abduction alert system implemented in 2002. It became well known when it was used after fourteen-year-old [[wikipedia:Elizabeth Smart|Elizabeth Smart]] was abducted that year. She was found alive nine months later. The Amber Alert system later replaced the Rachael Alert.<br /> '''Results:''' Unsolved - In October 1989, a Utah State Prison inmate was identified as a possible suspect in Rachael’s murder. At the time, he was in prison for an unrelated aggravated assault conviction. He became a suspect after his sister told police that he was responsible for the murder. She said he sexually assaulted and tortured Rachael on videotape before she was killed in a house in Ogden, Utah.<br /> Some of the woman’s information correlated with that of other informants and the evidence in Rachael’s case, but others did not. She later recanted most of her statements and was charged with obstruction of justice and theft by deception for taking informant fees. It is not known if her brother is still considered a suspect.<br /> In August 2007, Rachael's case was officially reopened by the Sunset Police Department. DNA testing was done on items found near her body. Shortly afterward, an ex-convict living in New Mexico was identified as a possible suspect in the case (he may be the same suspect from 1989).<br /> The suspect matched the physical description of Rachael’s abductor and lived in the Sunset area in 1982. He drove a blue sedan that resembled the abductor’s car. He also has a “violent” criminal history in Utah. Witnesses have been reluctant to talk to the police about him, allegedly because he has threatened them.<br /> In 2011, the suspect assaulted his girlfriend and abducted their five-month-old son. The child was safely returned, and the suspect was later charged with domestic violence-related crimes. In March 2012, authorities stated they were re-investigating him after they learned of his new arrest. However, no charges have been filed against him in Rachael’s case.<br /> On August 26, 2016, the thirty-fourth anniversary of Rachael’s abduction, the park where she was abducted was renamed “Rachael Runyan Memorial Park.” In 2017, “Rachael Runyan Missing and Exploited Children's Day” was signed into law in Utah. The day was created to raise public awareness of missing and exploited children in the state. It is held every August 26. Also, every time an Amber Alert in Utah is solved because of tips from the media, law enforcement, or the community, the “Rachael Runyan Award” is presented to the person who helped solve it.<br /> In August 2019, the Utah Attorney General’s Cold Case Unit began working with local police on Rachael’s case. In February 2020, Rachael's family and their private investigator announced that the previous description of the abductor may have been inaccurate. Her brother, Justin, who witnessed the abduction, stated that he felt something was wrong with the composite. He says he had difficulty describing the abductor’s race at the time. He now believes that the abductor was either black, Hispanic, or mixed race.<br /> The private investigator believes that Rachael’s abductor was “Non-Caucasian,” and of a dark brown complexion. Justin now remembers that there was a gap in the abductor’s mustache at the philtrum (the vertical indentation in the middle area of the upper lip). A second, updated composite of the abductor was then released.<br /> Shortly afterward, a tipster came forward and told police that her uncle matched the new description and may have been responsible for Rachael’s murder. Specifically, he was Hispanic and had a gap in his mustache. The tipster said she had not come forward earlier because she believed Rachael's abductor was black. She said that other relatives also thought he could have been responsible but did not come forward for the same reason.<br /> The uncle lived in the area in 1982 and drove a Pinto Esquire that matched the description of the abductor’s vehicle. He had a history of sexually abusing children and had served time in prison for child sexual abuse. Unfortunately, he died in 2019 without being questioned. Police are investigating this lead and comparing his DNA to evidence from the crime scene.<br /> In August 2022, the police reported that not much DNA was preserved in this case due to the evidence collection methods at the time. So far, the DNA tests have come back as either “insufficient” or “inconclusive.” There is a $65,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Rachael's killer.<br /> '''Links:''' * [[wikipedia:Murder of Rachael Runyan|Rachael Runyan on Wikipedia]] * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oULVdSX-tJ0 Unsolved Mysteries Throwback: Rachael Runyan] * [https://unsolved.com/update-who-killed-rachel-runyon/ Rachael Runyan on Unsolved.com] * [https://www.facebook.com/Justice-for-Rachael-Runyan-950052995036162/?fref=ts Justice for Rachael Runyan Facebook Page] * [http://www.spcoalition.org/simmons.html Elaine Runyan-Simmons on the Surviving Parents Coalition website] * [https://newspaperarchive.com/colorado-springs-gazette-sep-04-1982-p-7/ Parents seek return of missing daughter, 3] - September 4, 1982 * [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/27490088/daily-news/ Kidnaping shatters their lives] - September 4, 1982 * [https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/602309735/ Kidnapped: The Terror, Pursuit, Prevention] - September 9, 1982 * [https://newspaperarchive.com/havre-daily-news-sep-13-1982-p-12/ Rachael Runyan Poster] - September 13, 1982 * [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UzcpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=H4MDAAAAIBAJ&dq=runyan&pg=3366%2C5504822 Parents identify Rachael Runyan's body] - September 21, 1982 * [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104419754/morgan-county-news/ Infant body found in Trappers Loop area identified as Rachael Runyan] - September 24, 1982 * [https://newspaperarchive.com/colorado-springs-gazette-sep-27-1982-p-24/ Police seek clues in Utah kidnapping] - September 27, 1982 * [https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/622214556/ Something Positive Comes From Death Of Little Rachael] - November 14, 1982 * [https://www.deseret.com/1988/6/8/18768048/sometime-after-12-01-a-m-friday-arthur Sometime After 12:01 A.M. Friday, Arthur…] - June 8, 1988 * [https://www.deseret.com/1989/10/14/18828025/inmate-may-be-a-suspect-in-82-slaying-of-sunset-girl Inmate may be a suspect in '82 slaying of Sunset girl] - October 14, 1989 * [https://www.deseret.com/1989/10/30/18830151/sunset-story-called-most-difficult-one-tv-crew-has-done Sunset Story Called Most Difficult One TV Crew Has Done] - October 30, 1989 * [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100877421/ts-13-nov-1989-runyan-1/ NBC reenacts Runyan kidnapping case (Page 1)]<br />[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100877447/ts-13-nov-1989-runyan-2/ (Page 2)] - November 13, 1989 * [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/27490843/the_timesnews/ Unsolved slaying still affects town] - August 24, 1992 * [https://www.ksl.com/?sid=1699603 Girl's Abduction, Death Gets New Attention 25 Years Later] - August 26, 2007 * [https://www.deseret.com/2007/8/27/20037699/53-000-on-table-in-runyan-case $53,000 on table in Runyan case] - August 27, 2007 * [https://www.deseret.com/2012/2/27/20499133/does-arrest-offer-new-lead-in-30-year-old-rachael-runyan-case Does arrest offer new lead in 30-year-old Rachael Runyan case?] - February 27, 2012 * [http://archive.sltrib.com/story.php?ref=/sltrib/news/53615377-78/runyan-rachael-police-eborn.html.csp Sunset police still trying to solve 1982 slaying of 3-year-old Rachael Runyan] - March 2, 2012 * [http://kutv.com/news/local/34-years-after-utah-rachael-runyans-abduction-park-named-in-her-honor 34 years after Utahn Rachael Runyan's abduction, park named in her honor] - August 27, 2016 * [http://fox13now.com/2017/08/26/murdered-sunset-girl-honored-on-utahs-first-missing-and-exploited-children-day/ Murdered Sunset girl honored on Utah's first Missing and Exploited Children Day] - August 26, 2017 * [https://www.sltrib.com/news/2018/08/25/family-friends-celebrate/ Family and friends celebrate Rachael Runyan, the 3-year-old whose 1982 killing inspired Utah's Amber Alert system] - August 25, 2018 * [https://www.abc4.com/news/the-justice-files-rachel-runyon-murder-now-investigated-by-ags-cold-case-unit/ Rachael Runyan murder now investigated by AG's cold case unit] - August 29, 2019 * [https://www.abc4.com/news/top-stories/the-justice-files-possible-person-of-interest-emerges-in-1982-runyan-cold-case-murder/ Possible person of interest emerges in 1982 Runyan cold case murder] - March 9, 2020 * [https://www.abc4.com/news/local-news/the-justice-files-police-confirm-possible-suspect-in-1982-cold-case-murder/ Police confirm possible suspect in 1982 cold case murder] - March 13, 2020 * [https://www.crimeonline.com/2020/03/16/cold-case-killer-found-possible-suspect-identified-in-horrific-unsolved-1982-slaying-of-3-year-old-rachael-runyan/ Cold case killer found? Possible suspect identified in horrific unsolved 1982 slaying of 3-year-old Rachael Runyan] - March 16, 2020 * [https://www.abc4.com/news/top-stories/the-justice-files-the-forgotten-composite-of-a-killer/ The forgotten composite of a killer] - August 28, 2020 * [https://www.abc4.com/justice-files-2/the-justice-files-remembering-rachael/ Remembering Rachael] - August 27, 2021 * [https://www.abc4.com/news/justice-files-2/the-justice-files-woman-claims-uncle-killed-rachel-runyan/ Woman claims uncle killed Rachael Runyan (Page 1)]<br />[https://www.abc4.com/news/top-stories/the-justice-files-woman-claimed-uncle-killed-rachael-runyan-pt-2/ (Page 2)] - July 11, 2022 * [https://ksltv.com/503937/utah-family-pleads-for-help-in-40-year-old-cold-case/ Utah family pleads for help in 40-year-old cold case] - August 26, 2022 * [https://www.eastidahonews.com/2022/08/40-years-later-utah-mother-still-hopes-for-answers-in-3-year-old-daughters-murder/ 40 years later, Utah mother still hopes for answers in 3-year-old daughter's murder] - August 27, 2022 * [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8064480/rachael-marie-runyan Rachael Runyan on Find a Grave] ---- [[Category:Utah]] [[Category:1982]] [[Category:Murder]] [[Category:Abduction]] [[Category:Disappearances]] [[Category:Child Molestation]] [[Category:Child Abuse]] [[Category:Cult-Related Cases]] [[Category:River-Related Cases]] [[Category:YouTube Album]] [[Category:Unsolved]]
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