Paige Marie Renkoski

Case background and investigation

Paige Marie Renkoski was 30 years old when she disappeared on May 24, 1990, in Livingston County, Michigan. News reports describe her as a substitute teacher from Okemos; NBC's Dateline reported that she was engaged, was working with young children and was studying early childhood development.

According to WILX and Dateline, she drove her mother to Detroit Metropolitan Airport that day and then went to see a friend in Canton. The Livingston County Sheriff's Office cold case team has said she was last seen leaving the friend's home at about 2:30 p.m. She was then expected to head back toward the Lansing area.

At about 3:30 p.m., a passing driver saw her standing on the shoulder of westbound Interstate 96 near the Fowlerville exit, according to Fox 2 Detroit and Dateline. Accounts of that sighting differ: some reports refer to one man and others to two men with her, beside a maroon or burgundy minivan.

That evening the silver 1986 Oldsmobile Calais she had been driving, which belonged to her mother, was found on the shoulder. The sheriff's office has said the engine was running with the keys in the ignition, that her shoes and purse were inside, and that there were no evident signs of a struggle. Reported times for the discovery range from about 6 p.m. to about 8 p.m. Dateline reported that fingerprints were recovered from the vehicle but have not been matched to anyone.

The case is handled by the Livingston County Sheriff's Office, whose cold case team said in 2020 that it remained under investigation. Fox 2 reported in 2023 that more than 1,000 tips had been received and that searches using cadaver dogs and ground-penetrating radar had not produced conclusive results. Wikipedia's entry on the case describes searches in Handy Township and Conway Township in 2011. No one has been charged, and no suspect has been officially named in the sources reviewed.

Crime Stoppers has offered a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to her location, according to Fox 2. Her family has continued to seek answers; WILX reported in 2024 that her sister and niece returned to the site, and that a Michigan State University team has documented their efforts. Tips can be given to the sheriff's office.