Disappearance of Laureen Rahn

Laureen Ann Rahn was born April 3, 1966, in Manchester, New Hampshire, and was raised primarily by her mother, Judith Rahn. By 1980 the two lived in a third-floor apartment on Merrimack Street, and Laureen attended Parkside Junior High School. She was described by family as outgoing and a good student who dreamed of becoming an actress, but was also said to be troubled, having spent significant time on the streets, talked of running away, and begun using marijuana and alcohol.

On April 26, 1980, while her mother was out of town watching her boyfriend play tennis, Laureen stayed home and later invited a male and female friend over. The three drank alcohol together in the apartment. Around 12:30 a.m. on April 27, Laureen's male friend left through the back door after hearing voices in the hallway, believing Judith was returning home; he said he heard Laureen lock the door behind him. A neighbor also reported hearing voices near the apartment around that time.

When Judith arrived home around 1:15 a.m. with her boyfriend, she found all the hallway lightbulbs in the building unscrewed and the front door unlocked. She initially believed her daughter was asleep in bed, but discovered it was instead Laureen's female friend, who said Laureen had taken her pillow and blanket to sleep on the couch but could not recall details of the night due to intoxication. Laureen's purse, new sneakers, money, and clothing were all left behind, and there were no signs of a struggle. After searching the neighborhood, Judith flagged down a police officer around 3:45 a.m. to report her daughter missing. Police initially suspected Laureen had run away, but revised their theory over time. A bus company employee and driver reported possibly selling a ticket to and dropping off a girl matching her description in Boston, though the driver later expressed uncertainty after viewing a more recent photo.

In October 1980, Judith discovered charges for calls placed from motels in Santa Ana and Santa Monica, California, including one to a hotline for teens; investigators, including Karole Jensen of Wings for Children, later found a physician linked to the hotline gave inconsistent accounts, and one motel was suspected of use in child pornography production, though no confirmed link to Laureen was established. Unexplained, silent phone calls to Judith and other relatives continued for years afterward, and two unconfirmed sightings were reported, in Boston (1981) and Anchorage (1988).

The case has been tentatively and inconclusively connected to other regional disappearances, including those of Rachael Garden, Shirley McBride, and Denise Daneault; the latter case was later linked to suspected serial killer Terry Peder Rasmussen, who lived near Rahn's home, though no evidence connects him to Laureen's disappearance. The male friend present the night Laureen vanished died by suicide in 1985; law enforcement never considered him a suspect. Investigators have stated they believe foul play was involved in Laureen Rahn's disappearance, which remains unsolved.