Left and Right: Kathleen circa, 1981
Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: May 22, 1981
Missing From: Springdale, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: circa, 1969
Age: 12 years old
Height and Weight: 5’2″ and 100 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian Female, Brown hair, Brown eyes, Kathleen might use the nickname “Kathy”
Clothing/Jewelry Description: Kathleen was last known to be wearing a gold cross necklace
NCMEC Number: 602147
Details of Disappearance
Kathleen was last seen in Springdale, Pennsylvania on May 22nd 1981. She accompanied her brother in law and net nieces and nephews to the Ches-A-Rena skating rink located in Cheswick, Pennsylvania. Her brother in law as well as her older 35 year old sister worked at the rink.
Kathleen left at some point during the day after she got bored. She walked 8 blocks to Judy’s home. Judy was at the home by herself with her infant daughter when Kathleen came. She and the girl spoke for an hour until Kathleen said she was going to walk the 6 blocks to her own home.
Judy asked Kathleen if she was sure that she wanted to walk but the girl said she was fine walking home. She would later state that she felt Kathleen was being evasive at that moment and believed that Kathleen had other plans besides walking home. She never arrived home and was never seen or heard from again.
Investigators initially treated Kathleen’s case as a runaway case and the investigation into her disappearance was not handled very seriously. Her family also believes she ran away to avoid problems she had at home. They do not believe that Kathleen was abducted or that foul play was involved in any way.
In the years after her disappearance, her family members would receive phone calls from an unknown person. In one of then which took place in the early 1990s, the caller said “You know who I am and I’m fine”. The call went dead afterwards. Kathleen’s older niece, Kimberly Robertson, received the call. She was 4 years older then Kathleen was in 1981.
Her and Kathleen were good friends to one another. She got a few other calls after that call. The person on the other end of the line would not speak. She would ask the caller “Kathy is that you?” And the person would hang up. Investigators do not know if the calls were made by Kathleen. It’s also possible that Kathleen went missing in 1980 and not 1981.
Kathleen’s disappearance remains unsolved and her family remains hopeful that she is alive and will return home someday.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Springdale Police Department 724-274-9022
Source Information