Ilene Beth Misheloff

Case background and investigation

Ilene Beth Misheloff was 13 when she disappeared in Dublin, California, on January 30, 1989. According to the City of Dublin's page on the case, she was walking home alone from Wells Middle School and was last seen at about 3:00 p.m. on Amador Valley Boulevard near Village Parkway.

KTVU reported in 2019 that Ilene was a figure skater who had left school early that afternoon so she could collect her skating equipment at home before practice, and that her coaches were due to pick her up at about 3:30 p.m. The station also reported that a family friend had offered her a ride that day and that she chose to keep walking.

According to the City of Dublin, her key fob was later found near the entrance to John Mape Park, which was on the route she usually took home. KTVU described the item as a keychain found in a dry creek bed in the park, which students used as a shortcut. Police describe the case as an abduction, and the FBI lists her among its kidnapping and missing-person cases.

The city's description says Ilene had braces, pierced ears and freckles, and was wearing a charcoal gray Esprit sweater, a pink and gray striped skirt and black Keds sneakers. KTVU reported in 2024 that a $95,000 reward was on offer for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

No arrest has been made and no suspect has been publicly identified in the sources reviewed. A Dublin police detective sergeant told KTVU in 2019 that the matter remained an active investigation rather than a cold case. On the 35th anniversary in January 2024, Dublin police said they were continuing to investigate in the hope that Ilene would return home.

Her parents, Maddi and Mike Misheloff, kept the family home and telephone number unchanged in case she tried to make contact, ABC7 reported in 2019. For more than 30 years the community held an annual walk and candlelight vigil along her route. According to the City of Dublin and KTVU, that tradition ended after Maddi Misheloff died of cancer in 2020. Anyone with information is asked to contact Dublin Police Services or the FBI.