After Losing Her Parents And Finding Solace In Author Jack Kerouac’s Writings, This College Student Left For A Cross-Country Road Trip In 2000: Nine Days Later, Her Abandoned Jeep Was Found, And She Was Never Seen Again
On March 9, 2000, Leah Roberts decided to travel from Durham, North Carolina, to Washington state in her 1993 white Jeep Cherokee. According to her friends and family members, this road trip was meant to be one of self-discovery and reflection following immense grief.
By the young age of 23, Leah had already lost both of her parents. Her father died of a rare lung disease; meanwhile, her mother passed away due to a heart condition.
On top of these losses, Leah herself had actually experienced a near-fatal car crash– which left her with a metal rod inside her leg that supported her femur bone.
So, Leah’s brother, Heath Roberts, believed that his sister was looking to get away from all of the challenges she experienced at home.
“I think that all of these things together had the cumulative effect of making Leah even more introspective and probably more aware that, although she didn’t know what she wanted to do, I think she was unhappy that she wasn’t achieving it,” Heath said in an interview with Unsolved Mysteries.
Throughout the ups and downs of her young life, Leah also found comfort when reading the famed Beat Generation author Jack Kerouac. He wrote about the various road trips he took across North America– with Leah’s favorite being “The Dharma Bums.”
It appears that both Leah’s turbulent past, and the writings of Kerouac, inspired her to set out on a road trip to clear her mind and escape.
So, just three months before the 23-year-old was set to graduate from North Carolina State University, she withdrew from her courses.
Then, Leah packed up her cat, Bea, and some of her belongings before heading toward Desolation Peak– one locale from “The Dharma Bums” that was located 3,000 miles away from her home.
Facebook – pictured above is Leah
Just nine days after she began her road trip, though, a couple discovered clothing items on a tree branch while hiking through Mount Baker National Forest in Washington. Then, the couple followed the trail of clothes– which led to an embankment not very far away from Desolation Peak. There, Leah’s wrecked and abandoned Jeep was discovered.
Authorities were contacted, and investigators confirmed that the car had belonged to Leah. They also found a receipt inside the vehicle, which indicated that Leah had gotten gas at an Oregon station four days following her departure from Durham, North Carolina.
However, other strange items were also discovered in the vehicle. Most notably, the police found blankets hanging over the broken Jeep windows– pushing investigators to suspect that someone had been taking shelter inside the car.
Part of Leah’s inheritance from the loss of her parents was also found in the Jeep– including $2,500 cash and her mother’s engagement ring. According to Leah’s friends and family, though, she would have never left behind the ring intentionally.
“As long as I’ve known Leah, she has worn her mother’s engagement ring. It was her most prized possession. And when we discovered that the ring had been found in the car, it was definitely, for me, a bad sign,” said Nicole Bennett, Leah’s roommate.
Leah’s sister, Kara Roberts, also discovered a note that Leah had left in her bedroom before heading on her road trip. The note was reportedly marked with the Cheshire Cat’s smile and read, “I’m not suicidal. I’m the opposite. Remember Jack Kerouac.”
The young woman’s love of the author, along with this note, led many to believe Leah had initially left on her own accord. However, what happened during her trip– and why Leah’s car was found abandoned– remained a mystery.
Leah was subsequently reported missing following the discovery of her Jeep, and around that time, her family members began to check her bank accounts. In doing so, they discovered that Leah had withdrawn large amounts of money while traveling across the country.
The money was taken out at various locations, all along the 23-year-old’s travel route. And this paper trail allowed investigators to track Leah’s travels to Washington.
Most importantly, though, these records revealed that Leah was alive and active in the days leading up to the discovery of her car. However, there has been no other activity on Leah’s bank accounts ever since.
One week after the Jeep was found by the pair of hikers, one unidentified man did reach out to police with a tip. The man claimed that he and his wife had spotted Leah around the same time that her bank activity stopped.
The supposed witness did not provide investigators with any identifying information. However, he alleged to have seen Leah at a gas station located approximately 30 miles away from Seattle, Washington. Additionally, the man claimed Leah had looked confused.
Once investigators attempted to learn more information from the tipster, though, the call got disconnected. The man also never reached out to authorities again.
According to the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, no evidence recovered indicated that foul play was involved in Leah’s disappearance.
“With the speed that the vehicle was traveling and the amount of damage to the vehicle, you would anticipate some type of injury to the person inside. At least some type of evidence to indicate contact damage, that the person had been inside the vehicle,” explained Sergeant Kevin McFadden.
And since there was no evidence suggesting anyone had been injured inside the Jeep, investigators began to question whether or not Leah was actually inside the car at the time of the crash.
“There’s nothing to indicate the wheel was tied and that it was pushed off the road. We couldn’t find any marks on the back that indicated anybody had pushed it to where it was. If you had somebody driving the vehicle, and they jumped out, you would have taken your life into your own hands trying to jump out of the vehicle at that speed,” Sgt. McFadden added.
Still, despite the lack of evidence, Leah’s loved ones are adamant that Leah would have never disappeared intentionally.
“I can understand Leah’s needing to get away and find some peace within herself, but considering the loss that our family has experienced, it’s difficult for me to think that she would leave us open for another loss like this,” Leah’s sister, Kara, said.
Unfortunately, though, authorities have been unable to solve the mystery of what exactly happened to Leah.
The receipts, blankets, and other belongings discovered in her Jeep have not led to any breaks in the case; meanwhile, the tips received by authorities have not helped investigators determine Leah’s location.
So, in an effort to spread awareness about the case, a Facebook page entitled Bring Home Leah Roberts was created. There, over 2,000 community members have followed the page and continue working to keep Leah’s case in the public eye.
At the time of Leah’s disappearance, she was five foot six, weighed 130 pounds, and had blonde hair and blue eyes. Today, Leah would be 46-years-old.
If you have any information regarding Leah’s disappearance or whereabouts, you are urged to contact the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office at (360) 778-6600.
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