Amy Pagnac-Missing 25 Years.

Photo Credit: CharleyProject.org

On August 5, 1989 13 year old Amy Pagnac was last seen by her non-biological father when they stopped at a Holiday gasoline station in Osseo, MN at 4:30 P.M. They lived in Maple Grove, MN but were visiting a family farm up north, and were on their way home. Her stepfather briefly went inside to use the restroom and when he came back, she vanished from the parked vehicle. It was initially thought at first that she was a runaway, but the theory has been dismissed. Amy is thought to have had a seizure while her father was gone. It is also thought that she may have been disoriented and walked away afterwards, but it is not probable. There was a possible sighting of her in July 2002 in Bay City, MI. However, the lead was a dead end.

The family of Amy believes that she was abducted. There were multiple sightings of her in Minneapolis, MN following the days after her disappearance in August. The sightings also continue to show up in neighboring states. Her family has kept the same number in case she attempts to call them.

The good thing is, her case is not closed. The Maple Grove Police have even created a room in their department that is all about her case and are far from giving up. They say they get 6-12 tips concerning Amy's disappearance on the anniversary every year. They are also interested in speaking more to the person(s) who called concerning sightings of Amy is Minneapolis, MN.

Amy would now be 33 years old. She was last seen as being 5'0" and weighing 100 lbs. She had occasional seizures for reasons unknown and also bouts of anger. She has allergy medication that is mandatory for her to take, making her disappearance more concerning.

 Amy had long brown hair and blue eyes. She has scars on her left cheek and also the side of her nose and left eyelid. A circular scar is located on her left knee. Amy's ears are pierced and she has a petite stature. The clothing she was last seen in consisted of sweatpants, a light colored shirt and tennis shoes.

There have been many sightings of Amy throughout the years. Have YOU seen Amy at all, whether it was in 1989 or present? (Photo Credit: CharleyProject.org).

Now, when I first read about Amy's disappearance I initially thought it was probable she had a seizure and wandered off. If she did have a seizure, I think there would have been some kind of evidence confirming it, such as fluids or maybe something out of place in the vehicle. Reading the article again, it stated her father went in the gas station to use the restroom only, making it seem he was in there for a short period of time. Now, if she did become disoriented and wandered off, I think she wouldn't have been able to get too far without being found. This is why I believe seizure or no seizure, someone took her not to far from the gas station. With her being disoriented and having a petite build, it would not be difficult for one individual to have taken her.

I also hate to write what I am about to, but this thought is one that must be investigated. In all missing person cases, the people closest to the missing person (family) and the person(s) last seen with the individual are always investigated first. In this case, both those boxes can be marked because she was last seen by her step father. I have a lot of suspicions about this. Could there be a chance that Amy was not in the car at the gas station? Could she have gone missing before that? What really happened up North? Was it usual for them to go on a father/daughter trip? Were they visiting family up north? Had Amy ever made complaints to anyone? I wonder if there was any surveillance cameras at the Holiday gas station. It was back in 1989, so there may have not been. It would be interesting to check to see if Amy was in the car, and if she was, if she left it, or if she was abducted. (I am not sure if the father has been 100% ruled out). After reading what information I could find about Amy, I am positive she did not leave of her own accord, and that someone took her. Whether it was a familiar face or a stranger is what is up for debate. Anything is possible, but you have to ask yourself what the probability is of someone waiting around a gas station in a small town all day to abduct a child. 



Jacob Wetterling was abducted at gun point while riding his bike home with his brother and a friend. He was abducted 2 months after Amy Pagnac went missing from an Osseo gas station. (Photo Credit: CharleyProject.org).



I also find it interesting that Amy vanished two months before Jacob Wetterling did on October 22, 1989. Both of the abductions sites are just a little over one hour away from one another, and Osseo and St. Joseph are a straight shot to one another through I-94. Both are close to Minneapolis as well, with St. Joseph being about an hour away, and Osseo only minutes away. If there was a connection between the two, it may have been looked at already, but with lack of any evidence, it's hard to rule anything out.

With all the sightings of her being confirmed, there is a good chance she is still alive somewhere out there. Minneapolis is a wild place (I've been there many times myself), and I absolutely believe there is a chance someone could have taken Amy there. Maybe she was taken for human trafficking, and is being moved around so she can't be found. Maybe she is captive somewhere. Maybe she wasn't even at the gas station. By now, she could have passed through all 50 states or even be in another country. If Amy had a seizure, she could have had memory loss, confusion, fear or even shame. This could even mean she was picked up and adopted, not remembering where she came from. There are so many things that could have happened, but if you are reading this, look at her picture and see if you have spotted this beautiful girl, now a young lady. This is a very open-ended case. If anyone saw what happened that day, please come forward. Just your tip alone could break this case wide open.

**Update May 2014**

After 25 years, the search for Amy is still going strong, as a search warrant for a second location has just been issued. (Photo Credit: CharleyProject.org) 

In May of 2014, renewed interest in Amy's disappearance was created after police announced they were reopening her case. Not only were they going to reopen it, but they had a site to start the renewed search at: her childhood home in Maple Grove, MN. Her mother, Sue Pagnac, and her stepfather, Marshall Midden, still reside there and were asked to leave the site until the search for evidence of what happened to Amy was concluded. However, they have not been publicly named as suspects. There is also a lot of rumor and speculation as to why, after 25 years, her childhood home is being searched again. All she has stated to the press was that authorities are going back to the very beginning of the investigation to in hopes they will find something they didn't before to bring Amy home. 

In June of 2014, a second search warrant was executed in the disappearance of Amy Pagnac to sift through a property north of the twin cities in Stanchfield, MN, which is just north of Cambridge, MN. The area is actually near the farm (if not actually the farm itself), where Amy had spent the day with her stepfather before she went missing from the gas station in Osseo, MN. Back then, there were no witnesses that came forward to say they saw Amy in the vehicle or even by the gas station the day she vanished. Today, it's the same thing. Officers aren't saying what they know about the investigation, but they do have goals and ground to cover. They are planning to be there until the finish up everything. 

Amy's mother believes Amy was a victim of sex trafficking, and claims there have been tips that Amy has been sighted working as a prostitute who is moved around from state to state to avoid detection. However, there is no evidence of that yet, and officers are working from the inside out to make sure they did not miss anything in the investigation. I will try to keep everyone as updated as I can. So far, there has been no updates on why these areas are being searched now or if anything has been found because it is an active investigation.

Amy Pagnac age progressed photograph.

*Discuss Amy's disappearance on Websleuths*
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/index.php?referrerid=46030

This is a news clip from June 2014 with officers discussing the reopened investigation into Amy's disappearance.

**Police Information:
Maple Grove Police Deptartment
612-494-6114

**Sources:

Amy Pagnac:

http://find_dean_marie.webs.com/coldcases.htm

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/p/pagnac_amy.html

Map:

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

Jacob Wetterling:

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/w/wetterling_jacob.html
Update 2014:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2634217/Parents-girl-disappeared-25-years-ago-say-new-search-home-caused-hateful-neighbors-reporting-landscaping-projects-reveal-belief-teenager-victim-sex-trafficking.html
http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2014/06/03/police-another-search-warrant-executed-in-pagnac-case/