In 2001, Patti Adkins, a 29-year-old supervisor at the Honda plant in Marysville, Ohio, vanished under circumstances that remain deeply troubling and unresolved.
On June 29, 2001, Patti clocked out of work just after midnight. For about a year, she had been involved in a relationship with a married coworker, whom she believed was planning to leave his wife. During that time, she gave him approximately $90,000, drawn from her savings, 401(k), and a second mortgage. By mid-2001, she had asked him to begin repaying the money, but a forensic accountant later found no trace of those funds in his accounts.
Plans were made for a trip to Canada, where Patti was told she would need to hide in the bed of his pickup truck under a cover to avoid being seen by his carpool companion. She was instructed not to bring any belongings, as they would purchase everything upon arrival. Before leaving, Patti made arrangements for her pets and her young daughter stayed with family.
She was expected to return by July 8, 2001, but never did.
When she failed to come home, her sister reported her missing. Investigators found her car still parked in her garage, and there was no further activity on her financial accounts or personal records.
Evidence collected during the investigation included cat hair from Patti’s pets found in the truck bed and a small amount of blood. Items linked to Patti, including a phone and clothing she had purchased, were also found in connection to the coworker.
He told police he barely knew her.
Authorities later noted inconsistencies in his account, including a timeline that did not align with statements from others. A search of his property led investigators to an area where concrete had recently been poured, but no remains were discovered.
Patti Adkins was declared legally dead in 2006. Investigators continue to classify the case as a homicide, though no charges have ever been filed.
More than two decades later, her disappearance remains one of Ohio’s most haunting unsolved cases.
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