In April 1980, fourteen-year-old Laureen Rahn resided with her mother in Manchester, New Hampshire, specifically in apartment six on the third floor of 289 Merrimack Street. As an eighth grader at Parkside Junior High School, she was eager to enjoy her spring break and had made plans to spend time with friends. However, her anticipated fun took a grim turn when, on the night of Saturday, April 26th, Laureen mysteriously vanished from their apartment. Now, over four decades later, her case remains unresolved.

On the day she disappeared, Laureen had ventured out a few times to socialize in her neighborhood. Friends spotted her at a nearby convenience store, cheerfully gathering snacks and drinks for her break. Her mood seemed bright as she looked forward to her time off.

Laureen’s relatives had visited her throughout the day, checking on her as they often did. Her parents had divorced when she was an infant, leading to limited contact with her father. However, her mother had a large family, with ten siblings scattered across the country, many of whom lived in states like New Hampshire and Florida. They adored Laureen and often referred to her as their “love child” due to her charming and pleasant personality.

That evening, Judith Rahn, Laureen’s mother, left her alone in the apartment for several hours while attending a tennis match with her boyfriend. Judith expected to be back around one in the morning. Normally, Laureen would accompany her mother, but she opted to stay home to enjoy her break. Unbeknownst to Judith, this would be the last time she would see her daughter.

During Judith's absence, Laureen invited over two friends—a boy and a girl. They shared a bottle of wine and a six-pack of beer, knowing they had hours of privacy before Judith's return.

Around one o'clock, Laureen's male friend heard voices in the hallway and panicked, fearing it was Judith returning. To avoid trouble over the underage drinking, he quickly exited through a back door, distinctly recalling Laureen locking it after him. Meanwhile, Laureen’s female friend chose to spend the night.

Judith returned home shortly after one, only to find the hallway lights unscrewed and the apartment door unlocked—out of character for Laureen, especially in their somewhat dangerous neighborhood. Upon entering, Judith checked on Laureen and initially mistook her daughter’s friend for Laureen, who was sleeping in her bed.

When Judith's boyfriend pointed out the back door was ajar, Judith went to wake Laureen, only to discover the girl in the bed was not her daughter. The friend explained that Laureen had taken her blanket and moved to the couch.

Realizing Laureen was missing, Judith searched the apartment for any sign of her daughter. All of Laureen’s belongings, including her clothes, purse, and recently gifted sneakers, remained untouched. Judith noted the absence of any signs of struggle but felt an unsettling certainty that something was very wrong.

Desperate to find Laureen, Judith began reaching out to relatives for any information. When no one had seen her, she and her boyfriend started walking through the neighborhood, calling out for Laureen.

By 3:45 AM, still without news of her daughter, Judith flagged down a police car to report Laureen missing. Unfortunately, the police were slow to respond, treating Laureen as a runaway—a common occurrence in cases involving teenage girls. This dismissive approach often leads to wasted time, delaying critical search efforts.

Weeks passed without a trace of Laureen, prompting the police to finally acknowledge her as a missing person. They began to speculate on what might have happened that night. Did she leave to meet someone or was she lured out by someone at the door? Given there were no indications of a struggle and her friend slept through the entire incident, the police faced a challenging investigation.

Laureen Ann Rahn was born on April 3, 1966, in Manchester, New Hampshire. After her parents' divorce, she lived with her mother, Judith, and moved to Miami for a few years before returning to Manchester. At the time of her disappearance, they resided in a third-floor apartment on Merrimack Street.

She had shoulder-length dark hair, blue eyes, and stood 5'4", weighing about ninety pounds. Laureen bore a notable scar on her upper leg and had small brown birthmarks under her eyes. On the night she vanished, she wore a white V-neck sweater, jeans, brown shoes, and a blue plaid blouse, accessorized with a silver necklace and a heart-shaped gold ring.

Laureen was a well-liked student at Parkside Junior High, known for her outgoing personality and passion for singing and dancing. She aspired to become an actress and shared a close bond with her mother.

However, as Laureen entered her teenage years, she began to rebel. Her aunt, Diane Pinault, described her as "an angel who hung around with the wrong people for a while," as she started drinking and experimenting with marijuana. There were times when Laureen expressed a desire to run away from home, leading some to label her as 'troubled.'

When the police began to investigate her disappearance, they considered the possibility that she might have left the apartment to catch a bus out of Manchester. However, it seemed unlikely, given that all her belongings, including shoes and wallet, were left behind. They interviewed bus company employees and one recalled selling a ticket to a girl resembling Laureen, but uncertainty lingered when the same driver later hesitated to confirm her identity.

Judith learned more about the night of Laureen's disappearance from her two friends. They claimed to have seen Laureen working at the convenience store that day, restocking wine coolers, leading Judith to suspect that she may have acquired the alcohol they consumed that evening through underage sales.

The female friend who stayed over that night initially recounted how they shared Laureen's bed, but later claimed to have been too intoxicated to remember much. Neighbors reported hearing voices around the same time that Laureen’s friend thought Judith was returning. Yet, after that, they heard nothing further, raising numerous questions about what transpired in the short time between.

Judith desperately sought answers, visiting the FBI to discuss her daughter’s case, but met with disappointment when they expressed reluctance to assist due to a lack of evidence indicating kidnapping. They did, however, inform her about the dangers of “white slavery” in Manchester, where children were reportedly abducted for trafficking, and about a cult known for targeting local teens.

Judith reached out to two private investigators recommended by the FBI, but despite their efforts, they too found no leads. For a year, Judith received mysterious phone calls from various motels in Santa Ana and Santa Monica, always at 3:45 AM, but with no one speaking on the other end. These calls persisted until Judith changed her phone number.

Laureen's aunt, Janet Roy, also experienced strange calls from a young girl asking for “Mike,” which was Laureen’s nickname for Janet’s son, Michael. Yet, when Michael answered, there was only silence. Judith speculated it could have been Laureen attempting to reach out.

When Judith examined her phone bill, she discovered calls from Santa Monica, including one from a hotline for teen sexual health inquiries, but the hotline’s doctor denied any knowledge of her daughter’s case.

Despite the lack of answers, Judith remained determined to uncover any connection between the odd phone calls and Laureen’s disappearance. Years later, investigators learned that the hotline doctor had previously encountered a young girl from New Hampshire with an older woman, but this lead went cold.

Judith tirelessly pursued leads, including investigating the unusual calls, believing they might be related to her daughter's case. However, the police's slow response during the initial investigation added to her frustration.

As time passed without any sign of Laureen, Judith struggled with her grief. She often wondered if her daughter had sought a life in California, recalling Laureen's fondness for the warm climate during their time in Florida. Judith also feared that her daughter's dreams of acting may have led her into dangerous situations.

Capt. Kenneth Murby was one of the officers who worked on Laureen's case. Initially viewing it as a runaway situation, he soon sensed something was amiss and stayed in touch with Judith over the years, ensuring her daughter's case remained on the radar.

Murby and retired detective Tony Fowler, who took over the case later, both expressed regret over not being able to solve it before retirement. They believed that Laureen had likely left the apartment with someone she knew, given the absence of her belongings.

In 2005, Fowler was contacted regarding a Jane Doe discovered in Nevada who could potentially be Laureen. Judith dismissed the idea upon learning details about the Jane Doe, including discrepancies in physical features, and DNA tests later confirmed the identity of the remains as belonging to another young woman.

Despite numerous leads and theories, including connections to other missing persons cases in the area, Laureen's fate remains a haunting mystery. Her disappearance, along with those of other young women and girls in Manchester, has left families searching for answers and hoping for closure.

Laureen’s story is intertwined with other unsolved cases, including that of Rachael Elizabeth Garden, who vanished just months before Laureen. Both girls were seen buying items at convenience stores and shared similar appearances and ages. The possibility that they fell victim to the same perpetrator continues to loom.

As investigations into these cases proceed, the shadow of unsolved mysteries lingers over Manchester. While Judith Rahn fought to keep her daughter’s name alive, the search for Laureen, and the truth behind her disappearance, continues to haunt many.

Even years after these disappearances, the cases remain open, with families hoping for answers. The shadows of past events cast long, and the stories of these young women serve as reminders of the importance of vigilance and the need for community awareness in keeping children safe.