The Missing
Laureen Rahn
Manchester, New Hampshire
🌙🔎 VANISHED AT 14: What Happened to Laureen Rahn? 💔🕊️
On the night of April 26–27, 1980, 14-year-old Laureen Ann Rahn disappeared from her family’s apartment in Manchester, New Hampshire. She left behind her clothing, purse, and brand-new sneakers. There were no clear signs of a struggle, and no one has ever been able to explain what happened to her. More than 46 years later, Laureen remains missing.
Laureen lived with her mother, Judith, in a third-floor apartment on Merrimack Street. She was a student at Parkside Junior High School, earned good grades, and loved singing and dancing. She dreamed of becoming an actress, with a future full of possibilities ahead of her.
During spring break in 1980, Laureen asked to stay home while her mother traveled out of town with her boyfriend to attend a tennis match. That evening, Laureen spent time at the apartment with a male friend and a female friend. The three drank beer and wine together.
Around 12:30 a.m., Laureen and her male friend reportedly heard voices in the hallway. Believing her mother might be returning, he left through the back door and later said he heard Laureen lock it behind him. Her female friend remained at the apartment.
When Judith returned home at approximately 1:15 a.m., something seemed unusual. The hallway lights throughout the apartment building had been unscrewed, leaving the floors dark. The apartment’s front door was unlocked, and the back door was open.
Judith initially thought she saw her daughter sleeping in bed. But when she looked more closely, she discovered it was Laureen’s friend. The girl said Laureen had been in bed with her before taking a pillow and blanket to sleep on the living room couch.
Laureen was nowhere to be found.
Her purse, clothing, money, and brand-new sneakers were still inside the apartment. She had seemingly left without taking the belongings she would ordinarily need if she intended to go anywhere for an extended period.
At first, authorities considered the possibility that Laureen had run away. But as the days passed without her returning, investigators began to suspect that she might have left intending to come back, and that something had happened to her before she could.
📞 In the months following her disappearance, unsettling details began to emerge. In October 1980, Judith discovered charges for three telephone calls made from California, a place where neither she nor Laureen had known connections. Two calls were traced to a motel in Santa Monica, while another came from a motel in Santa Ana and was placed to a hotline for teenagers seeking sexual assistance.
The significance of those calls remains uncertain, and investigators have never established that Laureen was in California. However, the calls became an important part of the investigation.
Judith also reported receiving mysterious, silent telephone calls at approximately 3:45 a.m. for months after her daughter vanished. Some calls reportedly continued around the Christmas holidays for several years. They eventually stopped after she changed her phone number.
In 1986, a childhood friend of Laureen’s received a call from a woman identifying herself as “Laurie” or “Laureen.” The caller reportedly claimed to be his former girlfriend, but her identity was never confirmed.
There were also possible sightings over the years, including reports of a girl resembling Laureen at a Boston bus terminal in 1981 and an unconfirmed sighting in Anchorage, Alaska, in 1988. None has been verified.
💔 Laureen’s disappearance was not the only troubling case in the area that year. Six weeks later, 25-year-old Denise Daneault disappeared from Manchester. The two reportedly resembled one another despite their age difference, but authorities have never established a connection between their cases.
Investigators have also considered whether Laureen’s disappearance could involve foul play. Despite the unanswered questions, no one has been able to establish exactly where she went or what happened after she disappeared from her apartment.
🕯️ Today, Laureen would be 60 years old. Her mother has long believed she may still be alive, and the mystery surrounding her disappearance continues to haunt those who remember her case.
She was only 14, a young girl with dreams, a family, and an entire life ahead of her. Somewhere, there may be someone who remembers something about that night, recognizes a detail from the investigation, or knows information that has never been shared with authorities.
🔎 Could you help bring answers to Laureen’s family?
📢 If you have information about Laureen Rahn’s disappearance, please contact:
📞 Manchester Police Department: 603-668-8711
📧 New Hampshire State Police Missing Persons Unit: missingpersons@dos.nh.gov
🕊️ Please share Laureen’s story. She has been missing since 1980, and her case deserves continued attention. She was more than a name on a missing-person poster, she was a daughter, a student, and a young girl who dreamed of becoming an actress. Her story must not be forgotten. 💙
Sources:
Laureen Rahn | New Hampshire Department of Justice
Rahn, Laureen | Homeland Security and Emergency Management
Laureen Ann Rahn – The Charley Project
Disappearance of Laureen Rahn – Wikipedia
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