AK AK - Erin Gilbert, 24, Girdwood, 1 July 1995

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She went to a Girdwood festival in 1995, then disappeared. Her family is still seeking answers.

https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/crime-courts/2017/08/22/a-long-time-gone-she-went-to-a-girdwood-festival-in-1995-then-disappeared-now-theres-a-reward/

David Combs picked Gilbert up at 4 p.m., Juarez said. The couple drove south, along the winding Turnagain Arm, headed for the Girdwood Forest Fair, about an hour away.

Gilbert never returned. To this day, 22 years later, there's no sign of what happened, troopers said.

No arrests. No body. No new leads.

In an effort to resurrect the missing persons case, Juarez and her family posted a $35,000 reward this month for information in Gilbert's disappearance.

Maybe someone saw something that they feared sharing two decades ago, Juarez wonders, or perhaps several people have bits of information that, together, could move the case forward.
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http://www.ktva.com/story/36342215/family-revives-cold-case-investigation-22-years-later
[h=1]Family revives cold case investigation 22 years later[/h]
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September 12th 2017
“We all have friends and family who go on a first date, but generally they come home,” said Stephanie Gilbert Juarez during an interview with KTVA over Facetime.

Generally.

But that wasn’t the case for her youngest sister, Erin Gilbert, and that’s why Juarez is now spending her time making posters and running a newly created Facebook page, "Finding Erin Marie Gilbert", from her home in Everett, Washington.

Gilbert came to stay with Juarez and her husband in the summer of 1994 when Juarez’s husband was stationed at JBER. She worked as a nanny and was preparing to go to cosmetology school. She also wanted to be a writer.

Those plans presumably came to a halt on July 1, 1995.
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McPherron says any tip, even if it seems insignificant, could help move the case forward.

Anyone with information is asked to contact troopers, or the missing persons clearing house, at (800) 478-9333, or (907) 269-5038.

KTVA visited Combs at his place of work. An employee said he did not wish to speak about the case.
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Erin Marie Gilbert – The Charley Project
Erin Marie Gilbert
  • erin_marie_gilbert_1.jpg
  • erin_marie_gilbert_2.jpg
  • erin_marie_gilbert_3.jpg
Gilbert, circa 1995

  • Missing Since 07/01/1995
  • Missing From Girdwood, Alaska
  • Classification Endangered Missing
  • Date of Birth 05/04/1971 (48)
  • Age 24 years old
  • Height and Weight 5'11, 145 pounds
  • Clothing/Jewelry Description A black leather jacket, a black and white-striped shirt, black jeans and mountain boots.
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, hazel eyes. Gilbert's hair was cut in a short bob at the time of her disappearance.
Details of Disappearance
Gilbert was last seen during the evening hours of July 1, 1995 at the Girdwood Forest Fair in Girdwood, Alaska. She was on a date with David Combs, a man she'd met the night before.

Combs stated that at 6:00 p.m., they went to his car and the vehicle would not start because he had left his car lights on. He told Gilbert he would walk to a nearby friend's house for help. Combs walked for two hours but was unable to locate his friend's residence, so he returned to the car.

Gilbert was gone by the time Combs got back, and he thought she might have returned to the fair. When he tried the ignition again, the car started. He went to the Girdwood Forest Fair and searched for Gilbert until 1:00 a.m. but couldn't found her. At 7:00 a.m. he called her sister, whom she lived with, and asked if she'd made it home.

She hadn't, and Gilbert's sister and her family drove to Girdwood and had her name announced onstage at the fair, and searched the festival and the nearby woods. Then they called the police. An extensive search involving dogs and helicopters turned up no sign of her. Combs is not being called a suspect in her disappearance.

Gilbert's loved ones described her as a responsible person and stated it is uncharacteristic of her to leave without warning or to go off into the woods by herself. She was employed as a nanny in Anchorage, Alaska at the time of her disappearance, enjoyed playing basketball, and was an aspiring novelist. She planned to enroll in cosmetology school.

Gilbert had resided in Alaska for only a year prior to her disappearance; before that she lived in San Francisco, California and Everett, Washington. Her family believes she met with foul play and is deceased.
 
ANCHORAGE (KTUU) - It's been almost 24 years since Erin Marie Gilbert went missing near Girdwood. On July 1st, 1995 she went on a day trip to the the annual Forrest Fair with a man she'd met the day before at the local watering hole, Chilkoot Charlie's. That's the last time she was ever seen.

Back then, Evan Philips was living in a cabin on the Kenai Peninsula, working as a park ranger's assistant. Fast forward to 2019 and Philips is a musician and podcast producer based in Anchorage. He still can't stop wondering what happened to Erin Gilbert. A few weeks ago, during a visit to Evan's basement-turned-studio, he took some time to discuss Gilbert's case and his newest project -- a podcast titled "Alaska Unsolved."

The seven part series focuses on the events that led up to Gilbert's disappearance and the investigations and media coverage that followed. Philips made it clear during our talk that he isn't trying to solve some uncrackable case for fun. For him, it's about bringing closure to those that need it.
The "Alaska Unsolved" podcast revisits 24 year old cold case
 
"When he tried the ignition again, the car started." (From Erin's Charley Project page)

I'm no mechanic, but I'm pretty sure that if you leave your car lights on and then can't start it because the battery went dead, leaving the car alone for a couple of hours will not miraculously recharge the battery and allow you to start the car...
 
4 months from today it will be 25 years since we last knew where Erin was. 25 years.

I had a little girl who was about to be 3. That little girl is 27 now.

On July 1st, 1995 I was exactly one month away from my 25th birthday. This next birthday I will be 50 years old.

On July 1, 1995 I didn’t have an email...I wouldn’t have my first cell phone for another 5 years.

On July 1, 1995, Erin went on a date with David Combs of Anchorage Alaska. She was never seen again by those who love her.

David continued having birthdays. Celebrating Christmas season with his family. I imagine he watched nieces and nephews grow up. He has a business. He goes to the grocery store. To the movie theatre. He probably has an email address. Probably has a cell phone. He has had 25 years of a life and memories since that day....July 1, 1995.

Erin’s life, and a lifetime of memories to come, was forced into a vacuum of unknowing that day. No first cell phone. No more birthdays or holiday seasons. No more being called Aunty Erin. The movie Toy Story was in theatres just a couple months after that July. She would’ve loved to watch and laugh at that in the years to come with her niece and nephews. Maybe she wanted to be married or travel the world or write a famous novel. Maybe she wanted to raise her own child. Maybe she wanted to learn to fly a plane or scuba dive or climb Mt Everest. Those were her choices to make. And someone took those choices away and that person or persons need to answer some questions.

We who love and miss Erin are asking for simply some answers to the questions of that evening. It was summer in Alaska. Light out until almost midnight most likely. People out everywhere at the Girdwood Forest Fair. What happened? You know. Stop being silent.

We will never stop asking. We will never stop searching. Those who know can answer those questions now. So you can explain while you are still alive yourself. Because we won’t stop asking and our children will continue to keep searching and asking too. And it would be a shame for your descendants to have to be the ones to finally learn the truth of your role in what happened and also know you weren’t brave enough to answer the questions yourself, but instead left that burden on them.

Because the truth will come out. We will never stop until it does.
 
His car died, He decided to leave Erin and go to "a nearby friend's house for help", walked where ever for 2 hours because he didn't know where this friend's house was, got back and saw Erin was gone, looked for here about 5 hours couldn't find her, went where ever and then called Erin's sister at 7 am the next day, and he's not considered a suspect? Alright then.
 
Ginger21 said:
His car died, He decided to leave Erin and go to "a nearby friend's house for help", walked where ever for 2 hours because he didn't know where this friend's house was, got back and saw Erin was gone, looked for here about 5 hours couldn't find her, went where ever and then called Erin's sister at 7 am the next day, and he's not considered a suspect? Alright then.
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I believe he is the one still suspected of knowing what happened, but in 1995 there were just too many dead ends and for what ever reason, it stopped there. However, we have never stopped asking questions and there is a renewed vigor the last several years in getting answers. Social media helps and is a tool we didn’t have back then. The Facebook page is “Finding Erin Marie Gilbert”
 
Fly808 said:
I believe he is the one still suspected of knowing what happened, but in 1995 there were just too many dead ends and for what ever reason, it stopped there. However, we have never stopped asking questions and there is a renewed vigor the last several years in getting answers. Social media helps and is a tool we didn’t have back then. The Facebook page is “Finding Erin Marie Gilbert”
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Yea I've seen the renewed interest from 2017. What I meant by suspect is that legally/officially he wasn't named a suspect. I understand the dead-ends they didn't find anything physical to say what happened to her. It's just frustrating with how suspicious his story is.
 
Fly808 said:
4 months from today it will be 25 years since we last knew where Erin was. 25 years.

I had a little girl who was about to be 3. That little girl is 27 now.

On July 1st, 1995 I was exactly one month away from my 25th birthday. This next birthday I will be 50 years old.

On July 1, 1995 I didn’t have an email...I wouldn’t have my first cell phone for another 5 years.

On July 1, 1995, Erin went on a date with David Combs of Anchorage Alaska. She was never seen again by those who love her.

David continued having birthdays. Celebrating Christmas season with his family. I imagine he watched nieces and nephews grow up. He has a business. He goes to the grocery store. To the movie theatre. He probably has an email address. Probably has a cell phone. He has had 25 years of a life and memories since that day....July 1, 1995.

Erin’s life, and a lifetime of memories to come, was forced into a vacuum of unknowing that day. No first cell phone. No more birthdays or holiday seasons. No more being called Aunty Erin. The movie Toy Story was in theatres just a couple months after that July. She would’ve loved to watch and laugh at that in the years to come with her niece and nephews. Maybe she wanted to be married or travel the world or write a famous novel. Maybe she wanted to raise her own child. Maybe she wanted to learn to fly a plane or scuba dive or climb Mt Everest. Those were her choices to make. And someone took those choices away and that person or persons need to answer some questions.

We who love and miss Erin are asking for simply some answers to the questions of that evening. It was summer in Alaska. Light out until almost midnight most likely. People out everywhere at the Girdwood Forest Fair. What happened? You know. Stop being silent.

We will never stop asking. We will never stop searching. Those who know can answer those questions now. So you can explain while you are still alive yourself. Because we won’t stop asking and our children will continue to keep searching and asking too. And it would be a shame for your descendants to have to be the ones to finally learn the truth of your role in what happened and also know you weren’t brave enough to answer the questions yourself, but instead left that burden on them.

Because the truth will come out. We will never stop until it does.
Click to expand...

Hopefully you'll get justice. Look at Racine Wisconsin Jane Doe recently identified. Look at Aundria Bowman missing since March 11, 1989. Aundria's adopted father Dennis Bowman was arrested in November for a brutal rape and murder in Virginia 1980. He tried to cut a deal to stay in Michigan where his family is; he finally confessed to killing Aundria, they believe they recovered her remains in his back yard. Her bio-mother is waiting for confirmation, she did DNA on Valentine's day.

Hopefully he is some how busted with DNA like Dennis Bowman. You just never know how the truth will come out.
 
StarEyes said:
Marissa just released an episode of “The Vanished” podcast about Erin. You can hear it at this link:
The Vanished Podcast
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Thank you for posting. I was just signing in to post this. I was one of those interviewed fir this podcast. In one month it will be 25 years since Erin was last seen by so many of us who love her. I would love to see this thread become very active. So many amazing sleuths on here. Every little bit counts.

We miss you Erin.
 
I find it hard to believe DC’s story. Ever since I listened to her episode on “The Vanished”, I simply think he had something to do with her disappearance. I hope I’m wrong. I don’t think I am. It’s an odd instinctive hunch I have, that I don’t get very often at all. This is ALL JMO, IMO and MOO.
 
PastTense said:
ANCHORAGE (KTUU) - It's been almost 24 years since Erin Marie Gilbert went missing near Girdwood. On July 1st, 1995 she went on a day trip to the the annual Forrest Fair with a man she'd met the day before at the local watering hole, Chilkoot Charlie's. That's the last time she was ever seen.

Back then, Evan Philips was living in a cabin on the Kenai Peninsula, working as a park ranger's assistant. Fast forward to 2019 and Philips is a musician and podcast producer based in Anchorage. He still can't stop wondering what happened to Erin Gilbert. A few weeks ago, during a visit to Evan's basement-turned-studio, he took some time to discuss Gilbert's case and his newest project -- a podcast titled "Alaska Unsolved."

The seven part series focuses on the events that led up to Gilbert's disappearance and the investigations and media coverage that followed. Philips made it clear during our talk that he isn't trying to solve some uncrackable case for fun. For him, it's about bringing closure to those that need it.
The "Alaska Unsolved" podcast revisits 24 year old cold case
Click to expand...

I just reread the thread.

I think we all call BS to his story for various reasons like walked 2 hours to his friends that he never found, his car started with a dead battery?

Did anyone actually see her at the fair? I'm wondering if she was ever there or possibly they left, had a fight then he went back to make like he lost her.

I do hope that Alaska wakes up and starts trying to solve cases with family tree DNA because the family may get lucky like my friend Cathy did where her bio daughter has been missing since 89 from the adoptive fathers house. He was finally arrested for a brutal rape and murder of a woman in 1980 in Virginia. The remains I mentioned in my last reply were recently identified as my friends bio daughter Aundria

Its possible DC is responsible for other women missing. If I was advocating for Erin, I'd ask LE to check DC out, does he have any domestic violence records, especially from back then.

welder 79 said:
...Thank's i never dreamed that city was that big....,,Iam was doing little web searching you know about 15 day's before Erin went missing a Tracie Denise Vicent 6/14/95 went missing in Anchorage...Cynthia jo St.John 2/27/95 missing from Fairbank's
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I ended up helping Tracie Vicents family right after I posted on page one of this thread. She was the 1st MP case I entered in NamUs. I don't think Tracie is connected to Erin. I'm sure she was a victim of domestic violence.


Roselvr said:
Does anyone have time to make a post for Tracie Denise Vicent? Her daughter made a post on Charley Project FB page. I have my hand in too many cases.

Alaska doesn't seem to add their missing to NamUs
Surprised to see Erin is listed

Alaska Bureau of Investigation Active Missing Persons Bulletins
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Bumping.
Aug 2017 rbbm.
She went to a Girdwood festival in 1995, then disappeared. Her family is still seeking answers.

The missing persons bulletin released by Alaska State Troopers in the Erin Gilbert case (Alaska State Troopers)
"She said she didn't know many people here," Combs told the Daily News.
Gilbert had moved from San Francisco to Alaska to live with her sister on the military installation. She worked as a nanny and had plans to attend beauty school in a few weeks, her family said.

Juarez recently described her sister as kind, confident and affable with a predilection for writing, reading and running. She was nearly 6 feet tall, with her brown hair cut into a short bob.

News reports said Gilbert and Combs became separated at the annual Girdwood festival. He said he last saw her at 6 p.m. after discovering he had left his lights on and the car wouldn't start. (Since April 1994, motorists have been required to use their headlights on the Seward Highway.)''

''McPherron said troopers have received no new leads in Gilbert's disappearance. If someone did call with a tip, he said, he would look into it. He described the disappearance as "not your average missing persons case."


"There's a lot of very strange things about this," he said. "It's not like she went for a hike in the woods and never came back, or went out on a boat and the boat sank. She was last seen in a public place around lots of people and then all of a sudden she's gone."
 
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