Decades Old Disappearance Still a Mystery

After nearly three decades the disappearance of a Salina woman is still a mystery.  Thursday will mark another year of one of the most well-known missing person cases in Salina. It will be 28 years since Kathryn Adam was last seen.

On April 29th, 1993, 35-year-old Kathryn Adam went missing.

Adam was last seen at 4:30 in the morning that day, at a Kwik Shop convenience store in the 1700 block of West Crawford Street. She was preparing to head out on her job delivering hosiery. She was driving a full-sized Ford van with “She has L’eggs” written on the sides in blue lettering.

Adam was reported missing the next day, April 30th, by her 16-year-old daughter. The L’eggs van van turned up abandoned at 5:45 that evening outside a nearby restaurant. It was found at Russell’s Restaurant, which at the time was closed for remodeling, at 649 Westport Boulevard.

The van was spattered with mud on the outside, and had blood in the inside. Blood was also found at a storage unit in West Salina on Centennial Road where Adam picked up stock each day.

Police speculate someone attacked Adam when she went inside the storage unit. It appeared they interrupted her in the process of loading the merchandise in her van, leaving the door of the unit opened.

Though it is a cold case, it is still open. And though no body has ever been recovered, it is classified as a homicide.

Investigators periodically review the case, go over it, and remain hopeful in solving it. Things like changes in modern technology, and tips that trickle in help keep it active.

Early last week a human skull was found in an area of west Salina, in the same general area of the storage unit. Law enforcement are not able to make a positive identification of the skull at this time.  The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is assisting the Saline County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation. Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan says that it appears that the skull had been in that spot for quite a while

Police encourage anyone with any possible information, no matter how small or insignificant they think it may be, to come forward. They can call Crimestoppers at 825-TIPS, text SATIPS to CRIMES (274637), or visit Salina Police Department and follow the Crimestoppers link to submit a web tip.

The Kathryn Adam case is featured on several social media sites dedicated to missing person cases. It is featured on Kansas Missing And Unsolved on Facebook, and also has its own Find Kathryn Adam page.