Katharina Buczek
Born on February 22, 1990, Sarah Elizabeth Burton grew up in Joplin, Missouri, and went on to attend Joplin High School. While in school, she was on the cheerleading squad, regarded as a good student, and was even placed in a gifted program.
But, following graduation, Sarah unfortunately began to struggle with substance abuse. So, in 2010, she went to prison. Then, once she was released, she went to an addiction treatment center known as Lafayette House in Joplin.
By 2018, 28-year-old Sarah was living with her parents, Stephanie and Ronald Burton, in their home located on Irwin Street in Joplin. She also had two sons – a 3-year-old and an 8-month-old – and had steady employment. So, Sarah was just waiting to get placed in a local residential treatment program.
Yet, while Sarah seemed to be turning her life around, she vanished on July 16, 2018, and her family has been left without answers ever since.
It all began on July 11, 2018, when Sarah actually got into a car accident while driving in Pittsburg, Kansas. She’d been driving a used SUV, which her father had recently purchased for her.
So, after Sarah went out five days later, on July 16, 2018, she did not drive home. Rather, just past 12:00 a.m., one of her friends dropped her off at a service alley in Joplin located near 10th Street and Rex Avenue. Sarah reportedly intended to just walk to her parent’s house from there.
However, she never actually made it home, and no one has seen or heard from her since.
Sarah’s family ultimately contacted the Joplin Police Department and reported her missing on July 20, 2018. Once an investigation was launched, it was discovered that Sarah had left behind one shoe and her purse in her friend’s car that evening.
Then, in September 2018, it came to light that the last sighting of Sarah was actually at a residence located on the western side of Joplin – on North Pearl Avenue. She was reportedly last seen there the same morning after she was dropped off by her friend.
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