In August 1982, 3-year-old Rachael Runyan and her two brothers were playing at the park located next to Doxey Elementary in Sunset, Utah. Elaine Runyan was in the kitchen of her home and was busy cooking sloppy joes for lunch. The Runyan home was located just a few feet from where her children were playing, and she had a good view of her kids through the kitchen window. As she called her kids for lunch, as reported by ABC 4, she noticed them walking toward a car, and that was when Rachael was suddenly taken by a man.
Rachael’s 5-year-old brother named Justin witnessed the abduction and told his mother what happened. According to him, the man offered to buy them sweets, but when he warned his sister not to go, the man suddenly grabbed his sister and fled. The Authorities were called, but almost a month would pass before Rachael would be found. As reported by People Pill, a family discovered the remains of Rachael by a stream in Mountain Green, Utah. They initially thought that it was a doll, but upon further inspection, they realized that it was a little girl. As a result of the crime, the Rachael Alert was established and it was first implemented in April 2002 in the abduction of 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart, who was reunited with her family after a harrowing ordeal. Runyan’s case was also instrumental in passing the 1983 Missing Children’s Act.
Source: This post first appeared on
