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35 years have passed since Fredia Butler last heard from her sister Sheila Cooks.
"It's been, a long time," Butler said. "May 16, 1979, I was an employee with the City of Austin. I was a dispatcher." Fredia remembers getting a call from Sheila around lunch time. "My sister told me she needed a ride," Butler said. Sheila, who was 18 at the time, had an appointment with her probation officer. The building still stands on the corner of Airport and 381/2 Street in East Austin. She typically walked to the meetings with her older brothers. That day, her only option was to set off by herself. She never came. She never came," said Butler. Eight hours later Fredia's mother was on her doorstep. "She said 'Fredia, Sheila is not at home.' Immediately it was like I was hit by thunder. We jumped up. We knew that was not normal," she said. "We knew something happened, so we walked the way she would have walked, scan that area and start looking for Sheila on foot. I'll never forget that."
Sheila left her mother's home located at 1193 1/2 San Bernard. Her destination was two-and-a-half miles away at 1825 East 38 1/2 Street. After re-tracing those steps, the family called police. Neighbors and church groups also searched.
Austin police investigated and learned that Sheila made her appointment. What happened after she left is a mystery.
"Something happened to Sheila. Something happened to her. Someone hurt her," said Butler.
http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/28087681/crimewatch-austin-teen-missing-since-1979