Key facts
- Name: Ilene Beth Misheloff
- Born: March 12, 1975
- Age at disappearance: 13
- Last seen: January 30, 1989, around 3:00 p.m.
- Location: Amador Valley Boulevard near Village Parkway, Dublin, California
- Height / build: 5’3″, 115 lbs, brown hair, brown eyes; braces on her teeth, freckles, pierced ears, small lump inside left ankle
- Status: Still missing — NCMEC active poster; classified as non-family abduction
- Investigating agency: Dublin Police Department
The shortcut
On January 30, 1989, 13-year-old Ilene Misheloff walked out of Wells Intermediate School in Dublin at the end of the school day and started for home the way she always did — a shortcut through the wide alley behind the Shamrock Shopping Center, across Amador Valley Boulevard, and through John Mape Park along a dry creek bed.
Several classmates saw her walking alone on Amador Valley Boulevard near Village Parkway around 3:00 p.m. She was wearing a charcoal-gray Esprit pullover polo, a pink and charcoal-gray striped skirt, and black Keds. She was carrying a dark blue backpack and a hard plastic flute case.
She never made it home.
Later, her key fob was found near the entrance to John Mape Park. Her backpack turned up abandoned in the creek bed inside the park — but only after the area had already been searched. Investigators believe someone placed it there after she disappeared.
A backpack that appears after the searchers leave. That detail has haunted this case for 37 years.
The investigation
Dublin police treated Ilene’s disappearance as a suspected abduction from early on. The circumstances — a girl vanishing in daylight on a familiar route, her belongings turning up in stages — pointed away from a runaway.
Over the years, investigators looked at multiple persons of interest, including convicted criminals Timothy Bindner and James Daveggio. No charges were ever brought against anyone in connection with Ilene’s case.
For more than three decades, the community refused to let the case go quiet. Annual walks were held in Ilene’s honor, keeping her name alive and pressing for new leads. Her NCMEC poster remains active, her photo age-progressed — she would be 51 now.
And still: no verified sighting, no arrest, no answer.
Theories: what might have happened
Abduction by a stranger. The staged return of her backpack — placed in a searched area — suggests someone involved in her disappearance handled her belongings. What supports it: the classification as a non-family abduction, the daylight vanishing, the planted backpack. What undercuts it: no witness to an abduction, no suspect ever charged.
Someone she knew. The shortcut ran behind shops and a pub; she walked it daily. What supports it: the familiarity of the route, the possibility she was intercepted by someone who knew her routine. What undercuts it: no evidence has ever pointed to a specific person, and every investigated lead went nowhere.
Voluntary disappearance. Raised in the early days, as it always is. What undercuts it: she took nothing extra, left no note, never contacted anyone in 37 years, and her belongings were found discarded along her route.
Have information?
Contact the Dublin Police Department at (925) 833-6670 or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678. In an emergency, dial 911.
Timeline
- March 12, 1975 — Ilene Beth Misheloff is born.
- January 30, 1989, ~3:00 p.m. — Last seen walking home from Wells Intermediate School in Dublin.
- 1989 — Key fob found near John Mape Park; backpack later found in the park’s creek bed after the area was searched.
- 1989–present — Multiple suspects investigated; no charges ever filed; case classified as non-family abduction.
- 2019 — 30th anniversary marked by community walks and renewed appeals.
- January 2029 (upcoming) — The 40th anniversary of her disappearance.
- Today — Still missing.
FAQ
Is Ilene Misheloff still missing?
Yes. As of October 2026, Ilene Misheloff has been missing for more than 37 years. Her NCMEC poster remains active.
Was Ilene Misheloff ever found?
No. No trace of Ilene beyond her key fob and backpack — both found near John Mape Park — has ever been recovered.
How old would Ilene Misheloff be today?
Ilene was born March 12, 1975 — she turned 51 in March 2026.
What was found after Ilene disappeared?
Her key fob was found near the entrance to John Mape Park, and her dark blue backpack was found in the park’s dry creek bed — after searchers had already covered the area, suggesting it was placed there later.
Was anyone ever charged in Ilene Misheloff’s case?
No. Investigators looked at several persons of interest over the years, but no charges were ever brought in connection with her disappearance.
What was Ilene wearing when she disappeared?
A charcoal-gray Esprit pullover polo sweater, a pink and charcoal-gray striped skirt, and black low-top Keds sneakers. She had braces on her teeth.
Sources
- Official / law enforcement: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, poster for Ilene Misheloff (http://www.missingkids.org/poster/ncmc/719556/1); Dublin Police Department.
- Reference: Crime Solvers Central, “Ilene Misheloff Missing Person Case” (https://crimesolverscentral.com/case/22322); The Charley Project (retrieved Oct 2026).
- News: The Independent and Bay Area anniversary coverage (via case aggregators, retrieved Oct 2026).
Found an error? Tell us via the About page and we will fix it promptly and note the change here. Last verified October 2026.