UT UT - Rachael Runyan, 3, Sunset, 26 August 1982

RIP Rachael, 36 years ago tomorrow. SO sad!
Episode 9 of The Murder in My Family is out now with the heartbreaking and cautionary case of 3 year old Rachael Runyan who was abducted and murdered in Utah in 1982. Her case was later featured on Unsolved Mysteries, and is still unsolved. I was joined in this episode by Rachael's Mom, Elaine in what wound up being a very difficult conversation for us both. If you are a parent, or have difficulty listening to topics dealing with crimes against children, this may be a very tough one to listen to, but the message it delivers is an important one.
Episode 9 Rachael Runyan - The Murder in My Family
 
Bumping for Rachael. Someone i told about Rachael recently said she was an "eerie precursor to JonBenet Ramsey" because both were child beauty queens.
 
she was a beauty in that she won Little Miss Sunset and her mother says everyone who met them complimented Elaine about Rachael's beauty.
 
Rachael, I hope someone is found responsible for taking away the life you should have had.

I'm on the other side of the world but thinking of you and your family tonight.
 
Rachael should be the murdered child beauty queen (she was Little Miss Sunset 1981) that everyone remembers. Instead people only think of JonBenet. Sad and strange how history turns out...
 
Case is interesting i'd venture to call it "unique" , in that most children who are murdered at that age are usually killed by family, namely parents, guardians, or someone at least acquainted with the family .

Stranger abductions of children that age are very rare

Abduction murderers of children tend to be white males, who predominantly kill victims within their own race .

Most younger victims are also taken by force rather than by ruse, which i find it odd to see an offender needing use a con or ruse to lure someone so young.

If there had been no eyewitnesses, I would've almost certainly leaned on the parents, reminiscent of Susan Smith's story. Those close must be eliminated as suspects 1st.

A few questions if anyone has this info:

Id be interested to know the racial demographic of the area, predominantly white, mixed etc? , Id also be interested in what time of day it occurred .

Her body is recovered some 25 mi away I believe? , in a body of water and she was found with her hands bound behind her back If I read correctly

I believe it said she was only feet from her home with 2 other siblings?

Ill explain why later
 
@Suglo As someone said elsewhere, what kind of sadistic *advertiser censored* hog-ties a three year old?!
 
@Suglo As someone said elsewhere, what kind of sadistic *advertiser censored* hog-ties a three year old?!
It turns my stomach. I spent the other night catching up on her case as I hadn’t heard of her case previously. Couldn’t sleep after.
 
Case is interesting i'd venture to call it "unique" , in that most children who are murdered at that age are usually killed by family, namely parents, guardians, or someone at least acquainted with the family .

Stranger abductions of children that age are very rare

Abduction murderers of children tend to be white males, who predominantly kill victims within their own race .

Most younger victims are also taken by force rather than by ruse, which i find it odd to see an offender needing use a con or ruse to lure someone so young.

If there had been no eyewitnesses, I would've almost certainly leaned on the parents, reminiscent of Susan Smith's story. Those close must be eliminated as suspects 1st.

A few questions if anyone has this info:

Id be interested to know the racial demographic of the area, predominantly white, mixed etc? , Id also be interested in what time of day it occurred .

Her body is recovered some 25 mi away I believe? , in a body of water and she was found with her hands bound behind her back If I read correctly

I believe it said she was only feet from her home with 2 other siblings?

Ill explain why later


She was kidnapped right before dinner time - so later afternoon. The main suspect according to many articles was a black man that would have been 34 when she disappeared. Sunset, Utah did not have a lot of black men that lived there. Probably only 1% black population especially during that time in 1982. She was hog-tied and naked when found. Her little body had deteriorated, so a cause of death was not made. But, that means she was likely there for some time before she was discovered.

Yes, she was playing at the school playground with her brothers when she was taken. I believe other children were also approached by the suspect.
 
If only Jesse Jackson etc. could turn their bully pulpits to Rachael's case. Might actually make a difference.
 
I never knew she was found tied with a parachute cord
I'll take "the killer was employed at the nearby Air Force Base" for 100$, Alex...
Me neither
Very interesting piece of information
I wonder if the main poi
Was in the Air Force ?
 

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