Dateline NBC's social and digital series 'Missing in America' began in December of 2013, following a question we asked our Facebook community: "Do you know anyone who has simply vanished?"
The response was overwhelming.
Since that first post, every week we have tried to feature the story of a missing person brought to our attention by a member of our social communities. The cases below all began as ‘Missing in America’ features. Once solved, the full stories were told on Dateline episodes.
The Case of Nicole Waller featured in ‘Under the Prairie Sky’
Mother of three Nicole Waller mysteriously disappeared on February 14, 2013, while driving from Fairview to Kalispell, Montana. The only clue investigators had was her abandoned vehicle on a highway. We featured Nicole in our ‘Missing in America’ series in February of 2015. In 2016, Nicole’s case was solved. Josh Mankiewicz told her story in the episode ‘Under the Prairie Sky.’ You can listen to the full episode or watch it now.
The Case of Elizabeth Sullivan featured in ‘Secrets by the Bay’
31-year-old Elizabeth “Liz” Sullivan vanished on October 13, 2014, near her home in San Diego, California. In November of 2014, Dateline reported on her disappearance in our ‘Missing in America’ series. Nearly two years later, her body was found in the San Diego Bay, but medical examiners said she had only been dead for about a month or two. In 2021, Keith Morrison told her story in the episode ‘Secrets by the Bay.’ Watch the full episode or listen to it now.
The Case of Vanessa Guillen featured in ‘Voices for Vanessa’
20-year-old Private First Class Vanessa Guillen was last seen on April 22, 2020, in a parking lot at Fort Hood in Texas, where she was stationed. Her car keys, wallet and ID were later found in the armory room where she had been working earlier in the day. Dateline featured her disappearance in our ‘Missing in America’ series on June 15, 2020. About two weeks later, partial human remains were found along a nearby river and an arrest was made. In November 2020, Andrea Canning covered the story in ‘Voices for Vanessa,’ which is available to watch here or on Peacock TV. You can listen to the case here.
The Case of Heather Elvis featured in ‘The Landing’
Heather Elvis, 20, was reported missing on December 19, 2013, after her vehicle was found abandoned at a boat landing on the outskirts of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Heather’s body has not been found, but two people have been convicted of kidnapping in connection with her disappearance. Dateline featured Heather’s story in our ‘Missing in America’ series in January of 2014. In 2018, Andrea Canning first reported on the case in ‘The Landing.’ To learn more, watch ‘The Landing’ or listen to the podcast.
The Case of Carrie Olson featured in ‘Without a Trace’
29-year-old Carrie Olson was last seen by her family on December 28, 2013, in Davenport, Iowa. She was seen on security cameras at a 7-Eleven in Rock Island, Illinois around 4:00 p.m. that same day. In February 2014, Dateline’s ‘Missing in America’ posted about Carrie’s disappearance. About two months later, Carrie’s body was found in Hastings, Minnesota. By July, a suspect was had been charged with first-degree murder and concealment of a homicidal death. In 2015, Andrea Canning told the story in the episode ‘Without a Trace.’ Watch the episode now on Peacock TV or listen now.
The Case of Danielle Locklear featured in ‘The Creek’
On March 11, 2014, 15-year-old Danielle Locklear was reported missing by her grandfather, who said she left his residence in Hope Mills, North Carolina to go to a friend’s house. Danielle never made it. Two weeks after Danielle vanished, Dateline featured her case in our ‘Missing in America’ series. The next month, Danielle’s body was found in a nearby river. In 2018, Dennis Murphy reported the full story on Dateline in the episode ‘The Creek.’ Watch the full episode here or on Peacock TV. You can also listen to the story here.
The Case of Erin Corwin featured in ‘The Last Day’
19-year-old Erin Corwin disappeared on June 28, 2014, when she left her home in southern California to go visit Joshua Tree National Park. Erin was three months pregnant at the time and the wife of a marine. Her husband reported her missing on Sunday, June 29. Dateline’s ‘Missing in America’ posted about Erin’s disappearance on July 7, 2014. Later that month, an arrest was made and in August, two months after Erin was last seen, her body was found. In December of 2016, Andrea Canning reported on the case in the episode ‘The Last Day.’ Watch on Peacock TV or listen to the full story now.
The Case of Christina Morris featured in ‘Frantic’
23-year-old Christina Morris vanished on August 30, 2014, from Plano, Texas. She was last seen on security video around 4:00 a.m. at The Shops at Legacy with a male friend. The pair was recorded walking into a parking garage together. Christina’s silver Toyota Celica was later found nearby. On September 15, 2014, Dateline featured her story in our ‘Missing in America’ series. By December of that year, the Plano Police Department had arrested a suspect in connection with Christina’s disappearance. In 2017, Josh Mankiewicz covered her case in the episode ‘Frantic’ – which is available to watch or listen to.
The Case of Chelsea Bruck featured in ‘The Halloween Party’
On October 26, 2014, 22-year-old Chelsea Bruck was last seen leaving a crowded Halloween party around 3:00 a.m. in Newport, Michigan. She was dressed as the character ‘Poison Ivy’ – wearing black yoga pants, ivy leaves and a dark wig. Police said there may have been more than 800 people at the party. Dateline shared Chelsea’s story in our ‘Missing in America’ series in November of 2014, in the hope that someone with information might see it and come forward. Months later, in April of 2015, human remains were found on a construction site that were positively identified as Chelsea. In October of 2017, Keith Morrison reported on Chelsea’s case in the episode ‘The Halloween Party,’ which is available to watch on Peacock TV or listen to on the podcast.
The Case of AJ Hadsell featured in ‘The Jacket’
18-year-old Anjelica “AJ” Hadsell disappeared in Norfolk, Virginia in March of 2015, when she was home for spring break during her freshman year of college. AJ left behind a cryptic note and stopped answering texts. She was reported missing on March 3, 2015. On March 16, Dateline shared the details of AJ’s disappearance in our ‘Missing in America’ series. In April of 2015, human remains were found outside a shed about 50 miles from her family’s home. The remains were positively identified as AJ. In June of 2022, Andrea Canning told AJ’s full story in the episode ‘The Jacket.’ You can also listen to the podcast.
The Case of Mollie Tibbetts featured in Dateline: The Last Day on Peacock TV
In July of 2018, 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts went for a jog around 7:30 p.m. in Brooklyn, Iowa. She never returned. She was reported missing the next day, when she failed to show up to her summer job. Two weeks after Mollie disappeared, Dateline told her story in our ‘Missing in America’ series. More than a month after Mollie vanished, authorities found her body in a rural cornfield. Mollie’s case was later solved and Josh Mankiewicz covered the full story in Dateline’s new original series ‘The Last Day,’ available to stream exclusively on Peacock TV.
The Case of Kelsie Schelling featured in Dateline: The Last Day on Peacock TV
On the evening of February 4, 2013, 22-year-old Kelsie Schelling drove from Denver to Pueblo, Colorado to meet up with her boyfriend. Video surveillance showed Kelsie’s car parked in front of a Walmart around 12:05 p.m. before being left there overnight. The next morning, an unidentified man got into the car around 7:20 a.m. and drove away. The car was located over a week later, parked at a hospital miles away. Kelsie was nowhere to be found. Dateline featured her case in February of 2014, shortly after our ‘Missing in America’ began. It would take years for Kelsie’s family to get answers and justice for their daughter. Watch The Case of Kelsie Schelling, reported by Andrea Canning in Dateline’s original series ‘The Last Day,’ streaming exclusively on Peacock TV.
The Case of Rita Gutierrez-Garcia featured in ‘Finding Rita’
34-year-old Rita Gutierrez-Garcia vanished without a trace on St. Patrick's Day in 2018 after going to downtown Longmont, Colorado. Her mother, Dianne, reported Rita missing to the Longmont Police, who quickly jumped into action looking for Rita. In April of 2018, Dateline shared Rita's story in our ‘Missing in America’ series. They were hopeful that she would come home soon. But Rita's loved ones had no idea it would take four long years to find answers... In March of 2023, Keith Morrison told Rita's full story in the episode ‘Finding Rita.’ You can also listen to the podcast or watch on Peacock.