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Unsolved October 1, 2006 Missing Person

Lena Chapin

Status Unsolved
Type Missing Person
Date October 1, 2006
Location Macks Creek, Missouri
Victim Age 17
Gender Female

Seventeen-year-old Lena Chapin vanished from rural Missouri. Her mother Sandy Klemp is suspected of involvement. Lena allegedly witnessed her mother kill her stepfather years earlier.

In October 2006, seventeen-year-old Lena Marie Chapin disappeared from Macks Creek, a small community in Camden County, Missouri. Her mother, Sandra 'Sandy' Klemp, told family members that Lena had run away to be with a truck driver boyfriend, but no evidence of this relationship was ever found.

Years later, several of Lena's sisters came forward alleging that their mother had killed their stepfather Gary McCullough in 1999 and that Lena had been a witness. They believed Sandy killed Lena to prevent her from revealing what she had seen.

One sister produced a video in which Lena, at age 12, appeared to describe witnessing her mother kill Gary McCullough by hitting him with a vehicle. Gary's body was found in a burned truck, and his death was initially ruled accidental.

Despite the sisters' allegations and renewed investigation, Sandy Klemp has not been charged in connection with either Lena's disappearance or Gary's death. The case was featured on CBS's 48 Hours in 2018.

missing person Missouri 2000s unsolved
2006-10-01
Lena Chapin vanishes from Macks Creek, Missouri.
2018-01-01
Case featured on CBS 48 Hours; sisters allege mother's involvement.

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Have Information About This Case?

Cold cases are solved when someone comes forward. Even a detail that seems minor can matter. If you have any information about this case, contact law enforcement through one of these channels:

  • FBI Tips (tips.fbi.gov) — submit a tip online to the Federal Bureau of Investigation
  • FBI Tip Line: 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324)
  • NamUs (namus.nij.ojp.gov) — the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System accepts information on missing persons cases
  • National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678)
  • The local police department or sheriff's office in Missouri, or the state bureau of investigation

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