She Tucked Her Kids Into Bed In 1976, Then Vanished Into Thin Air: She Didn’t Have Her Coat Or Shoes On, And It Was Freezing That Night
In 1976, Alice Mae Van Alstine was a 28-year-old mother of four living in Polk County, Iowa, and, according to her loved ones, she was a devoted parent.
Yet, after she put her kids to bed on the evening of March 26, 1976, she mysteriously disappeared and has remained missing for over 48 years.
That Friday night, Alice tucked her kids into their beds before she vanished into thin air. She didn’t leave with her shoes or coat, which didn’t make sense since nighttime temperatures were near freezing.
Additionally, she left behind her money, purse, and car. The vehicle’s door was open, too, with the keys still inside the ignition.
It wasn’t until Sunday that some neighbors discovered Alice’s three children alone in her apartment, located on 29th Street. Her fourth child didn’t live at home and instead resided at a state institution.
The same day, Alice’s neighbors reported her missing, and when the police visited her apartment to investigate, her 6-year-old son reportedly said, “Mommy wasn’t there,” when they woke up on Saturday morning.
The police found a broken bottle and some bullet casings on the floor of her apartment. Alice was a sharpshooter who’d been on Iowa State University’s rifle team, though, so the finding might not have been significant or related to her case.
At first, a warrant was issued for Alice’s arrest due to child desertion. However, Alice’s disappearance baffled her family members and soon authorities as well.
Detective Paul Womak interviewed her relatives and friends, learning that she was extremely close with her family, known as a good mother, and “for all practical purposes, just disappeared.”
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Given that it was seemingly uncharacteristic of Alice to just leave, her loved ones came to suspect that Alice was kidnapped and assassinated by Minutemen, a right-wing group founded in Missouri in 1959 that believed Communists were going to take over.
In response to that belief, the Minutemen stockpiled ammunition, weapons, and explosives, in addition to plotting and executing right-wing paramilitary activities, to prepare for a counter-revolution.
When Alice married her first husband, Lee Harlow Andre, in 1967, he was a member of the Minutemen. Their marriage was reportedly tumultuous and abusive, with Lee beating Alice while she was pregnant. This reportedly caused two of their children to be born handicapped.
She divorced Lee on January 3, 1975, and went on to marry another man that very same day. Alice’s second marriage ended in under a year.
Lee reportedly wanted to get custody of their four children and confessed to visiting Alice’s house on the day she went missing to talk about their custody arrangement. He claimed there was not “a shred of evidence” indicating foul play was involved in her case.
Yet, shortly before she vanished, Alice had left the Minutemen and begun cooperating with officials, exposing what she’d witnessed while still married to Lee.
According to a July 21, 1977 article published in the Des Moines Tribune, Alice alleged during a sworn deposition that Minutemen suitcases had been left in her and Lee’s home.
One suitcase allegedly held a Bible with secret coded messages and was subsequently burned after authorities searched for the Minutemen.
Additionally, Alice alleged that her barn had been used to store stolen weapons and explosives. She also acknowledged how a Des Moines home had been bombed using explosives.
In the wake of Alice’s disappearance, her father, Howard Barnes, began sleeping with a loaded .30-caliber carbine on the couch each night for over a year. He claimed that, prior to the day she went missing, Alice had said, “Dad, they [the Minutemen] are going to kill me.”
The police interviewed more than 200 people during their investigation, but no further developments have prevailed. There’s also no direct evidence that the Minutemen were responsible for whatever happened to Alice.
After graduating at the top of her class from Albia High School in 1965, Alice began to study veterinary science at Iowa State University.
Financial problems forced her to drop out, but she reportedly liked writing, poetry, and art. It was her goal to one day illustrate a veterinary textbook, and she’s remembered as being intelligent, creative, and outgoing.
Investigators believe that Alice might’ve been taken against her will, but her case has been cold for decades, and a 1993 flood destroyed many of the original investigative records.
Alice was five foot seven, weighed 128 pounds, and had brown hair and blue eyes. Anyone with information regarding her case is urged to contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at (515) 286-3333.
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