This Teen Rode Away From Home On Her Bike And Was Never Seen Again
In 1984, Jennifer Anne Douglas of Denver, Colorado, was a teen with a bright future ahead of her. Affectionately referred to as “Jenny,” she attended East High School, where she was a straight-A student known for being dedicated to her academics. Outside of her studies, Jennifer was also passionate about ballet.
Yet, on July 16, 1984, the 17-year-old mysteriously disappeared. She went missing just one week before a ballet performance that she’d been excitedly preparing for.
That day, Jennifer left her home, located in the 2500 block of Alion Street in the Park Hill neighborhood of Denver, to go on a bike ride. She was a skilled cyclist who would sometimes go on long trips of up to 60 miles at a time.
Jennifer had recently gotten a brand new bike, too, specifically a boys’ black Univega 12-speed bicycle with Denver PD bike tag number 12083 and red handlebar tape. So, she headed out to ride along the Highline Canal trail and intended to return home by 3:30 p.m.
She was last spotted at about 10:00 a.m. by a witness as she traveled north on Monaco Parkway. After that, Jennifer was never seen or heard from again.
She was supposed to attend a ballet class at 4:00 p.m. that night, but she failed to show up. Jennifer never made it home, either, and her unexpected disappearance set off alarm bells in the community. Still, despite extensive searches being conducted, which reportedly focused on the Highline Canal trail, neither Jennifer nor her bike were ever found.
According to her loved ones, Jennifer was a motivated and responsible teen who hadn’t been dealing with any personal struggles or challenges at school leading up to her disappearance. Plus, given the fact that she was looking forward to appearing in a ballet performance the following week, they believed it would be uncharacteristic of her to run away on her own.
So, foul play is suspected in her case, and both her family and authorities think she might’ve been taken against her will. Her case is classified as non-family abduction.
It has now been over 40 years since Jennifer vanished, though, and her disappearance remains unsolved, leaving her family and friends with no closure. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children previously released an age-progressed photo showing what she might’ve looked like at 44-years-old.
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When she went missing, Jennifer was five feet tall, weighed 87 pounds, and had blue-green eyes and curly blonde hair. She also wore contacts.
Jennifer was last seen wearing blue/green khaki shorts, black Nike sneakers, and a blue fanny pack. Today, she would be 57 years old.
Anyone with information regarding Jennifer’s case is urged to contact the Denver Police Department at 1-720-913-2000.
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