It’s extremely uncharacteristic of Julie McCutcheon to not be in contact with family and to not come and take care of her beloved horse, Cruiser. Unimaginable is more the word, her younger sister Rachel says.
The two were set to head off to a horse show just days after Julie vanished.
“She’d just never leave like this, ever,” Rachel Stottlemyer, Julie’s sister, told Dateline. “People always say their families are so close, but we really are. I cannot believe this is happening to Julie and to us.”
There are few details yet uncovered in Julie’s case. What’s known is that the 36-year-old was house and pet sitting in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania for a co-worker. It was something she routinely did for family and friends.
The last time anyone directly spoke to her, or saw her, was on Wednesday, August 10.
As the weekend approached, sister Rachel tried to reach Julie several times to plan the details of that weekend’s horse show. The two have been riding all their lives and keep their horses at the same stable as does a close friend. The three call themselves the “Wolf Pack.” Julie was also making plans for a new horse she had just bought, who was set to be delivered to their stable this coming Saturday.
Since no one else had heard from Julie either, her family got in contact with the couple whose house she was watching. The couple’s son met family members at the house Friday morning. Inside, Julie’s full suitcase, cell phone and key rings were found. Her wallet and grey 2009 Kia Sportage car key were missing, as was the car itself.
Adding to the concern was an email found on Julie’s computer, which she had left at her own home in Greencastle. According to Rachel, it was a note from Julie’s bank stating that her debit card had been suspended due to suspicious activity.
“[The bank] has just told us it was something in Virginia and possibly South Carolina,” Rachel told Dateline. “We don’t know if it was her or someone else. Even if it’s her, there could be something else going on that we can’t see.”
Authorities with the Pennsylvania State Police are investigating, but little information is available at this time. Family members say police are working to track down surveillance video from the places Julie’s card was used.
The past few days have been unbearable for Julie’s family. She is one of five siblings, the second oldest, and they all live within an hour of each other. The weekend has been filled with passing out thousands of fliers, posting to social media and trying to make sense of a situation no one can ever imagine.
“Every time I think I’m doing OK, I look at my mom or my dad and see them breaking. I break,” Julie’s sister Rachael told Dateline. “We love her so much. And want her home safely. I don’t know what we’ll do without her.”
Julie McCutcheon is described as 5’4” tall, weighing 180 lbs. with blonde hair and blue eyes. If you have any information regarding her whereabouts, you are urged to call the Pennsylvania State Police at (717) 264-5161. Julie’s grey 2009 Kia Sportage has the PA license #JRW8897.