SC SC - April Vlk, 37, Hilton Head Island, 12 Sept 1991

The Doe Network:
Case File 22DFSC

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/22dfsc.html

April Irene Vlk
Missing since September 12, 1991 from Hilton Head Island, Beaufort County, South Carolina.
Classification: Involuntary



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Vital Statistics
•Date Of Birth: April 14, 1954
•Age at Time of Disappearance: 37 years old
•Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'4; 160 lbs.
•Distinguishing Characteristics: White female. Dark blonde hair; green eyes.
•Marks, Scars, Tattoos: Vlk's ears are pierced. Vlk suffers from back problems which require medical attention.
•Clothing: She was wearing a shirt and jeans.
•Dentals: Available
•DNA: Available



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Circumstances of Disappearance
Vlk was last seen on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina on September 12, 1991. She stopped at a church in the 280 block of Seaside Villas while some of its members were having dinner. Witnesses reported that Vlk was crying and appeared terrified. She was barefoot and her feet were bleeding.
Vlk requested a piece of cardboard and said that she wanted to create a sign and hitchhike off of the island.
Vlk has never been heard from again.



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Investigators
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Beaufort County Sheriff's Office
Captain Bob Bromage
843-816-8013

NCIC Number: M-524167443
Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.

Source Information:
The Vlk Family
Beaufort County Sheriff’s

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/v/vlk_april.html
No other details at Charley Project.

https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/show/5611
NamUs Profile:
Dental: Charted and available
DNA: Sample submitted-tests complete
Fingerprints: NA

No archived articles found at this time.

April has been missing almost 19 years. Come home soon.

What a strange case - I wish there were more details but I haven't been able to find any anywhere.
Who was the last person to see her under "normal" circumstances? Where had she been before she wound up in that church?
It seems like in cases like this there are 2 scenarios: Either she really was in danger or she was suffering from medical or drug induced mental issues. The fact that she was barefoot and requested cardboard to make a sign rather than asking the churchgoers to call the police or hide her suggests the latter, but we can never be sure.
Did she have mental issues? Was she known to use drugs?

sarah52181 said:

What a strange case - I wish there were more details but I haven't been able to find any anywhere.
Who was the last person to see her under "normal" circumstances? Where had she been before she wound up in that church?
It seems like in cases like this there are 2 scenarios: Either she really was in danger or she was suffering from medical or drug induced mental issues. The fact that she was barefoot and requested cardboard to make a sign rather than asking the churchgoers to call the police or hide her suggests the latter, but we can never be sure.
Did she have mental issues? Was she known to use drugs?

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I agree! I mean, this is the only info we can get about this case! If it was not drugs or a mental issue, it seems she was running away from something!

sorry to bump an old thread, but i found some new information.

https://local.nixle.com/alert/5281007/

" On 10-23-1991, April Vlk (37-years-old) was reported missing from her Sea Side Villas apartment in Hilton Head by her father, last having been seen on September 17th.

It was learned on the date of her disappearance, there was a verbal disagreement during which her boyfriend told her to leave the apartment.

It was reported by witnesses at a local church, a female matching Vlk’s description stopped there and asked for cardboard to write a hitchhiking sign. According to witnesses, the female wrote Washington, DC on the cardboard and stated she was leaving Hilton Head. The barefoot female, believed to be Vlk, was given twenty dollars to buy shoes at Wal-Mart and proceeded to leave the church. Vlk has not been seen or heard from since.

It is not known whether or not she successfully hitchhiked away from Hilton Head or she met with foul play. Vlk’s DNA profile is stored in the National Missing Persons DNA database."

it seems that they wanted to generate tips, so they released some of the case file to the public. at the very least it gives some new insight, since it wasn't even mentioned prior to this that she had an apartment, a boyfriend, or even family.

http://z13.invisionfree.com/PorchlightUSA/ar/t439.htm

at the very bottom of the above link, there's a posting with more details on profession/character (the source link is now defunct, so use the wayback machine if you want to see it).


given the lapse of time between when she went missing and when she was reported missing, and the fight with the boyfriend, i wonder if the cops looked at him as a suspect? it doesn't go much beyond that.

at least her hitchhiking destination gives us a potential search area, so that's something. based off the new insights alone it didn't seem like she was involved in anything shady (unless she got hooked on something prescription due to her medical job, whatever it was), so my guesses here would be either to take a hard look at the boyfriend, or that she was picked up by the wrong driver.

i can't even imagine why she'd hitchhike. it was commonplace in the 70's, but it got real dangerous as the 80's went on, so with all the news reports about people being murdered/victimized that way, she must have either been very trusting or very naive. :\

Shoeless Hilton Head woman made hitchhiking sign - and vanished 25 years ago

http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/crime/article110093507.html

Twenty-five years after she was reported missing from her Sea Side Villas apartment, a Hilton Head Island woman remains missing and her fate unknown.

April Vlk was reported missing by her father on Oct. 23, 1991. She had last been seen on Sept. 17 of that year, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office news release.

Investigators learned Vlk had had a disagreement with her boyfriend in which he told her to leave the apartment.

Investigators do not know whether Vlk hitchhiked from the area or was the victim of foul play.

Click to expand...

My face lit up when I saw this thread had a reply, but the article is just reiterating information we already know. But it's good to see it getting attention, hopefully someone will come forward with a lead, since it's been so long.

It's somewhat shocking that it's been 25 years. This woman disappeared the year before I was born. She'd be in her 60's now, if she were alive....but i'm really willing to bet that she's dead, sadly.

Human remains found in Hilton Head woods

"The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office is investigating reports of skeletal human remains found on Hilton Head Island Saturday in a wooded area on Spanish Wells Rd., according to the sheriff’s office.

The remains were found by the landowner late Christmas Eve afternoon, said Sherriff’s Office spokesman Capt. Bob Bromage. Deputies arrived at the scene and confirmed the remains were human. The identity of the deceased as well as the cause and manner of death are still not known due to the condition of the remains, Bromage said. The age of the remains is also not yet determined."

http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/crime/article122886119.html

I thought this could be her.

TedMac said:

Human remains found in Hilton Head woods

"The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office is investigating reports of skeletal human remains found on Hilton Head Island Saturday in a wooded area on Spanish Wells Rd., according to the sheriff’s office.

The remains were found by the landowner late Christmas Eve afternoon, said Sherriff’s Office spokesman Capt. Bob Bromage. Deputies arrived at the scene and confirmed the remains were human. The identity of the deceased as well as the cause and manner of death are still not known due to the condition of the remains, Bromage said. The age of the remains is also not yet determined."

http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/crime/article122886119.html

I thought this could be her.

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I had stumbled across her MP case in NamUs today, then saw the breaking news. Thank you for updating the thread.

She looks familiar to me and I can't figure out why. :thinking:

TedMac, thanks so much for posting that!! It's tragic, but I'm really, REALLY hoping it's her. It'd bring some closure to her family, if they're still alive. Hopefully it'll also spur police to action in that case.

A quick Google search shows that there are a few people missing from Hilton Head, so it may not be here, but we'll have to wait and see. Her dentals and DNA are available, so that'll be the deciding factor.

Unfortunately, it looks like the remains found on 24 Dec 2016 might not be linked to April Vik.

http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/crime/article135690598.html

Updating Charley Page link
April Irene Vlk – The Charley Project

Details of Disappearance
Vlk was last seen on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina on September 12, 1991. She stopped at a church in the 200 block of Seaside Villas while some of its members were having dinner.

Witnesses reported that she was crying and appeared terrified. She was barefoot and her feet were bleeding. Vlk requested a piece of cardboard and said that she wanted to create a sign and hitchhike off of the island. She has never been heard from again.

Vlk is described as having a friendly personality. She has printing and medical knowledge, and she also enjoys boating. Her case remains unsolved.


This is one of the oddest cases ever. After researching it a bit seems like she was there with a boyfriend. I suppose they had an argument and eventually he's responsible for her dissapearence.

I wonder why she wrote the sign saying 'Washington, DC' because that is a long way away, and she's less likely to find anyone going there.
Why not just wrote the sign saying the next biggest town or city?
Or why not go to the police?

The churchgoers gave her $20 but I think she needed different help other than money.

annpats said:

I wonder why she wrote the sign saying 'Washington, DC' because that is a long way away, and she's less likely to find anyone going there.
Why not just wrote the sign saying the next biggest town or city?
Or why not go to the police?

The churchgoers gave her $20 but I think she needed different help other than money.

Click to expand...

I think he would have someone he knows in washington to hitchhike to there... logically he needed more help but if he didn't let himself be helped how then? I think she's dead I don't think far from where she was she was I don't think someone took her somewhere unless she's some psycho..
rest in peace