NH NH - Laureen Rahn, 14, Manchester, 27 April 1980

[Bobby88]

A recent article about the 40th anniversary of Laureen's disappearance. They mention her mother Judith in the past tense so, although it's not stated outright, I think it seems reasonable to assume she died or is in poor health. The basic facts are recounted by Judith's sister (Laureen's aunt) Jo Beth Swanson. Also contains some articles from the 1980s about the case.

40 years after disappearance, family holds out hope for Laureen: ‘In my heart I want to believe she’s alive…’

I find it weird that Laureen's sister is never mentioned.

 

[dotr]

Just now stumbled on this strange and convoluted mp case, subscribing with a "Charley Project" bump..
Laureen Ann Rahn – The Charley Project
Laureen Ann Rahn

• 
• 

Laureen, circa 1980; Age-progression to age 46 (circa 2012)

• ''Missing Since 04/26/1980
• Missing From Manchester, New Hampshire
• • Race White
  • Date of Birth 04/03/1966 (54)
  • Age 14 years old
  • Height and Weight 5'4, 90 pounds
  • Clothing/Jewelry Description A white V-neck sweater, a blue plaid blouse, jeans, brown shoes, a heart-shaped gold ring and a silver/blue necklace.
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, blue eyes. Laureen has a prominent scar on her upper leg, resulting from a fall onto broken glass.''
  ''Laureen resided with her mother, Judith Rahn, in a third-floor apartment on Merrimack Street in Manchester, New Hampshire. She was a student at Parkside Junior High School and made good grades.
  
  Judith's then-boyfriend was a professional tennis player, and he and Judith were out of town at a tennis tournament when Laureen disappeared on April 26, 1980. She normally accompanied them, but that day she had asked to be allowed to stay home and her mother agreed. This was during spring break at Laureen's school.
  
  That evening, Laureen, a male friend and a female friend spent some time drinking beer and wine in Laureen's apartment. The boy later stated he heard voices in the hallway and left through the back door because he thought Judith was coming home and he was afraid he would get in trouble. He heard Laureen lock the door behind him.
  
  When Judith arrived home at midnight, she noticed that the light bulbs in hallways on all three floors of the apartment building had been unscrewed and everything was dark. Her own apartment's front door was unlocked. Judith checked Laureen's room and thought she saw her in bed.
  
  In the morning, however, Judith discovered that it was not Laureen but her girlfriend asleep in her room. Laureen was gone, her clothes and brand new sneakers were in the living room, and the back door was open. Her friend stated she'd last seen her sleeping on the couch.
  
  Although the police initially suspected Laureen was a runaway, Judith didn't believe her daughter had left on her own because Laureen had left behind her clothes and purse. Within a few weeks investigators reconsidered the runaway theory. They stated it appeared as if Laureen had left the apartment willingly and intended to return within a short time.
  
  Judith discovered that she had been charged for three California phone calls on October 1, 1980, three months after Laureen disappeared. Judith did not have any friends or relatives in California at the time, and Laureen had never lived there and had no ties to the area.
  
  Two of the calls had been placed from a motel in Santa Monica to another motel in Santa Ana. The third call was placed to a teen sexual assistance hotline. The physician who maintained the hotline at first denied knowing anything about it, but in 1985 he changed his story.
  
  The doctor said that numerous runaway girls occasionally visited his wife at their home and one of the young women may have been from New Hampshire. The individual claimed that Annie Sprinkle, a woman who allegedly worked with his wife in the fashion industry, may have had information concerning several runaways.
  
  Authorities learned that Sprinkle was involved in the *advertiser censored* industry, and they scanned several of her films in an attempt to locate Laureen. No evidence linking Sprinkle to Laureen's disappearance was discovered and she has never been implicated in her case.
  
  An investigator visited California on Judith's behalf in 1986 and located the two motels involved in the October 1980 phone calls. Authorities said that one of the establishments may have been used by a child pornographer named "Dr. Z." Investigators were unable to link "Dr. Z" to the teen hotline and it is not known if *advertiser censored* was involved in Laureen's disappearance.
  
  Roger Maurais, Laureen's childhood friend in Manchester, received a call from a woman identifying herself as "Laurie" or "Laureen" in 1986. Maurais's mother answered the call and said that the person claimed to be her son's former girlfriend. The caller's identity remains unknown.
  
  One of Laureen's family members reported seeing a girl matching her description in a Boston, Massachusetts bus terminal in 1981. For about a year after Laureen disappeared, her mother frequently got mysterious phone calls. They always came at approximately 3:45 a.m. and the caller would never say anything.
  
  Judith continued to receive phone calls around the Christmas holidays for several years from an unknown individual. She said that the person listened silently when Laureen's sister answered the phone, then terminated the call shortly afterwards. The calls stopped after Judith changed her phone number several years after Laureen vanished.
  
  A witness reported that a prostitute in Anchorage, Alaska matched Laureen's description. The unconfirmed sighting occurred in 1988 and authorities said that the witness based his recollections on her 1980 photo. The woman was not believed to have been Laureen as a result of the time lapse.
  
  The boy who was drinking alcohol with Laureen on the night of her disappearance committed suicide in 1985. He was never considered a suspect in her case.
  
  Judith moved to Florida during the years after Laureen's disappearance and remarried. She believes that her daughter placed the three California phone calls in October 1980.
  
  Laureen enjoyed singing and dancing at the time of her disappearance and dreamed of becoming an actress. Judith believes she is still alive and some of Laureen's acquaintances may know more about her disappearance than they disclosed in 1980. Investigators continue to suspect that foul play was involved in her case, which remains unsolved.
  
  Denise Daneault, a 25-year-old woman who lived just two blocks from Laureen, disappeared six weeks after Laureen did and was never found. She and Laureen reportedly closely resembled each other in spite of the difference in their ages, but it has never been shown that their disappearances were linked.
  
  Some agencies may list April 27, 1980 as the date of Laureen's disappearance.''
  

 

[MadMcGoo]

Is this a photo of Laureen and her mother (center)? If so, her hair appears much lighter than simply “brown”, as it’s described in her MP profiles. Maybe sun bleached or dyed from a light brown, but it does not look to be as dark as what we see in the main photo of her.

 

[Bobby88]

Is this a photo of Laureen and her mother (center)? If so, her hair appears much lighter than simply “brown”, as it’s described in her MP profiles. Maybe sun bleached or dyed from a light brown, but it does not look to be as dark as what we see in the main photo of her.
View attachment 249228

I'm assuming it is. You had the same reaction I had with the hair. That's not even a light or sandy brown, that's straight-up blonde.

 

[Bobby88]

Is this a photo of Laureen and her mother (center)? If so, her hair appears much lighter than simply “brown”, as it’s described in her MP profiles. Maybe sun bleached or dyed from a light brown, but it does not look to be as dark as what we see in the main photo of her.
View attachment 249228

I'm assuming it is. You had the same reaction I had with the hair. That's not even a light or sandy brown, that's straight-up blonde.

I really wish we could hear more from Laureen's female friend who was asleep in her bed. There has to be more to this whole thing.

 

[MissLaura]

Is this a photo of Laureen and her mother (center)? If so, her hair appears much lighter than simply “brown”, as it’s described in her MP profiles. Maybe sun bleached or dyed from a light brown, but it does not look to be as dark as what we see in the main photo of her.
View attachment 249228

This is the first time I've seen another photo of her than the one that is always used.

 

[Bobby88]

This is the first time I've seen another photo of her than the one that is always used.

Me too. It doesn't even look like the same person. I think one of the old articles in that link even says something about how the picture of Laureen used on the missing persons flyers is not really the best depiction of what she looked like.

So...why the hell have they kept using it for 40 years? If the mother has that picture of her and Laureen (and I'm sure there's plenty more where that came from), then we know that other clearer photos exist. Why stick with one that we now can see looks totally different for how she actually appeared?

Until someone mentioned it earlier in the thread, I never really noticed that some of the "facts" in this case are essentially just hearsay. The light bulbs allegedly being unscrewed is a big one. Judith is the only one to say this. I'd love to see the original police reports.

This seems like a case where someone isn't telling the whole truth.

 

[MadMcGoo]

Something is amiss...I've always felt that way about this case. I've not seen this photo either before now. And it's completely different looking than the black and white photo of Laureen we've all seen. Which is extremely irritating IMO considering someone (obviously) has additional photos of her!! I know of one other case in which the one and only photo of the MP is drastically different than what is described by the loved one - David Thies. I attribute that to a badly 'enhanced' version of a black and white photo. But I think it may make all the difference in cases like this! That, and it would help if we knew the entire truth surrounding Laureen's disappearance ...

 

[BethAnn777]

It’s very interesting to see another pic of Laureen, but doesn’t she look about 9 or 10? Her roots also look dark, like her blond hair that some have when they are younger, is getting darker as she is getting older.

 

[Bobby88]

Something is amiss...I've always felt that way about this case. I've not seen this photo either before now. And it's completely different looking than the black and white photo of Laureen we've all seen. Which is extremely irritating IMO considering someone (obviously) has additional photos of her!! I know of one other case in which the one and only photo of the MP is drastically different than what is described by the loved one - David Thies. I attribute that to a badly 'enhanced' version of a black and white photo. But I think it may make all the difference in cases like this! That, and it would help if we knew the entire truth surrounding Laureen's disappearance ...

That then raises the question — since Laureen looked very different in real life than that initial photo of her, can we (or should we) really trust any of the alleged sightings of her over the years?

The male acquaintance committing suicide will never not be eerie to me, but I'm not totally sure what to make of it. I suppose it would be far more suspicious if he killed himself, say, within a year of Laureen's disappearance or right after the police initially questioned him. But police apparently never considered him a suspect (I'd like to know specifically why) and five years is kind of a long time and a lot of other unrelated stuff could have befallen him in the interim. I still have my suspicions. This was a 21-year-old who knowingly purchased alcohol for two 14-year-old girls and drank with them all day in Laureen's apartment while her parents were away. There is no context in which any of this — from buying the booze to acting as drinking buddy to a couple of junior high students — is appropriate behavior.

Although Laureen was at that age where kids want more freedom from their parents, I really think she purposely asked to stay home that day because she planned to have this little get-together.

Steelslady, another user who posted earlier in this thread, seems to imply that she think Laureen's mother may be involved. She never elaborated on this and it's something I never considered. What does everyone else think?

 

[carolann0308]

I am from the NH area and I seem to remember reading that the photo used in the newspaper & flyers was her most recent school yearbook photo.

 

[ekardh]

I have a feeling that a lot of details in this case are red herrings but the unscrewed lightbulbs is not one of them.

At first, I considered that the kids had done it as a prank. Maybe they were drunk and fooling around in the dark? But surely this would have been verified with investigators?

Disabling all the lights would be a home invader tactic. Someone may have waited until the boy had left and the girls were alone? He creeps in while they're sleeping, unscrews the lightbulbs, and abducts Laureen. Her friend is in a deep sleep and left undisturbed.

I am suspicious of the boy who said he heard "voices" in the hallway. If someone had crept in to abduct Laureen, why would they announce their arrival? It's almost as if he's deflecting suspicion. Maybe he was innocent but lied because he feared becoming a suspect? Maybe he did hear "something"?

However, I wouldn't bet on a couple of teenagers being able to hide and dispose of a body without slipping up.

 

[Beekarina]

Pulled up local news and noticed there is a feature about Laureen today. New Hampshire unsolved case file: Disappearance of Laureen Rahn

 

[Beekarina]

If someone was watching Laureen specifically, they may have thought her friend left with the guy, down the back stairs. Or perhaps only thought the 21 year-old was at the house with Laureen, and that Laureen fell asleep on a couch--living room??--watching tv, etc. Assuming she ever actually DID fall asleep?

Thinking if the girls had been drinking, the friend may have been out cold in Laureen's bed, and Laureen likewise may have been pretty out of it. Anyone who came in and took, or lured, Laureen may not have even known her friend was in the apartment.

 

[Beekarina]

I am from the NH area and I seem to remember reading that the photo used in the newspaper & flyers was her most recent school yearbook photo.

Has anyone pulled the yearbook? Is a color photo available?

 

[Beekarina]

Sorry for serial posts, but this caught my attention: The boy later stated he heard voices in the hallway and left through the back door because he thought Judith was coming home and he was afraid he would get in trouble. He heard Laureen lock the door behind him.

OK. Do we know what combination was drinking at this point? Is it possible that only Laureen and the 12 year-old were still awake, and her friend was asleep or passed out?

Could he have fled, thinking it was Laureen's mom and boyfriend, and heard someone ELSE lock the door? i.e. so he could not come back in to the apartment? He said he HEARD Laureen lock the door. He didn't say he saw her do it.....

 

[Bit of hope]

Pulled up local news and noticed there is a feature about Laureen today. New Hampshire unsolved case file: Disappearance of Laureen Rahn

@Beekarina Are there things standing out to you or doe it contain any new info? This article isn't available in my country.

 

[MadMcGoo]

New Hampshire unsolved case file: Disappearance of Laureen Rahn

It’s a fairly lengthy article or set of articles...here is the part about Laureen.

New Hampshire unsolved case file: Where is Laureen Rahn?
1980 disappearance of 14-year-old Manchester girl remains unsolved

Updated: 8:48 AM EDT Jun 30, 2020
KC Downey, Digital Media Manager

MANCHESTER, N.H. —
A Manchester girl has not been seen or heard from since her disappearance in 1980.

Laureen Rahn, 14, was last seen alive the evening of April 26, 1980, or the early-morning hours of April 27, 1980.

Rahn's mother reported her missing at 3:45 a.m. April 27, 1980, police said.

Her mother told officers that she went out of town with a friend and her daughter asked to remain home. When the mother arrived home about 1:15 a.m., she found that the apartment's back door was open, the front door was unlocked and her daughter's friend was sleeping in her daughter's bed.

Rahn's friend told police that she and Rahn had been drinking. She said Rahn had been in bed, but left the bedroom and took a pillow and blanket to sleep on a couch in another room.

Police said there were no signs of a struggle in the apartment. They said Rahn might have left the apartment willingly with the intent to return shortly thereafter as she did not leave with any clothing, money or personal items.

Rahn has not been seen or heard from since.

Police said they have followed up on thousands of tips that took their investigation as far away as California and Canada. But despite that, the case remains unsolved.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has released an updated age-progression photo of what Rahn would look like as of 2012 (at the age of 46 years old).

Can you help police solve this case? Submit a tipto the New Hampshire Cold Case Unit.

 

[MadMcGoo]

(link to NCMEC page/photos mentioned above)
Have you seen this child? Laureen Rahn

 

[Beekarina]

@Beekarina Are there things standing out to you or doe it contain any new info? This article isn't available in my country.

Oh no, I'm sorry. There isn't anything jumping out as really super unusual or new. Just wanted to add it to thread as it was a "front page" story.

I am going to go look on the Facebook page for WMUR and see if they gave it a share. If they did, sometimes there is a summary included along with comments, etc. You might be able to access that way. Let me go look.