Darlene Hulse
Six-year-old Darlene Hulse vanished from outside her family's apartment in Linton, Indiana while her mother went inside briefly. A witness saw her get into a blue car. Despite a massive search, she was never found.
On June 18, 1984, six-year-old Darlene Jo Hulse was playing outside the family's apartment in Linton, a small city in southwestern Indiana, while her mother went inside briefly. When her mother returned minutes later, Darlene was gone.
A witness reported seeing a young girl matching Darlene's description get into a blue car—possibly a Dodge—with a man driving. The vehicle was seen heading west out of Linton. Despite an immediate and extensive search of the area, Darlene was not found.
The Indiana State Police and Linton police investigated the case, circulating descriptions of the vehicle and conducting interviews throughout the community. The case was entered into national missing children databases and featured on missing children posters. Age-progression images were created as the years passed.
Darlene Hulse has never been found, and no suspect has been publicly identified. The case remains open with the Indiana State Police and represents one of Indiana's oldest unsolved child disappearances.
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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 Indiana, or the state bureau of investigation
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