CA CA - Cynthia Maine, 26, San Diego, 21 Feb 1986

[Gardener1850]

[h=1]Cynthia Lynn Maine[/h]

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Maine, circa 1986

• Missing Since 02/21/1986
• Missing From San Diego, California
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Date of Birth 10/20/1959 (58)
• Age 26 years old
• Height and Weight 4'11, 125 pounds
• Medical Conditions Maine was addicted to heroin at the time of her disappearance.
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Blonde hair, blue eyes. Maine's nickname is Cindy. She may use the aliases Toma Main, Cynthia Lynn Thoma and/or Cynthia Smith. Maine has needle marks on both arms and on the backs of her hands, pierced ears and a cap on one of her upper front teeth.

[h=3]Details of Disappearance[/h] Maine was last seen at her home in San Diego, California on February 21, 1986, shortly after being released from jail on probation. She went to go see a movie and never returned.

Maine had contact with her mother two days later, but this is the last time she was heard from. At the time of her disappearance she was a prostitute who also worked as an undercover police informant. She had several outstanding warrants for her arrest.

Maine has been declared legally dead, the presumed victim of a homicide. Her case remains unsolved.

http://charleyproject.org/case/cynthia-lynn-maine

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/8606/

 

[Murkywaters]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
Cynthia Lynn Maine

Cynthia Lynn Maine left home to go to a movie, and didn't return. She contacted her mother two days after she left home, and has not been seen or heard of since.

 

[Murkywaters]

Paper Reports 6 Officers May Be Tied to Slaying

Paper Reports 6 Officers May Be Tied to Slaying

Detectives looking into the slayings of 43 women here are investigating up to six current and former police officers who may be linked to one of the slayings and the disappearance of a prostitute, according to a newspaper report.

Investigators last week searched the home, car and police locker of Sgt. Alfonso Salvatierra for evidence in the 1986 disappearance of Cynthia Lynn Maine, a prostitute who was a police informer, the officer's lawyer said.

They recovered numerous photographs, including sexually explicit photos of Ms. Maine, The San Diego Union, which did not identify its sources, reported Wednesday. Sergeant Salvatierra was not available for comment, but his lawyer, Everett Bobbitt, said the sergeant consented to the search and nothing was found to implicate him in Ms. Maine's disappearance.

Sergeant Salvatierra, a former homicide detective most recently assigned to internal affairs, was reassigned Tuesday to a research and planning division pending the inquiry's outcome, the newspaper said. #5 Others Under Investigation Detectives are also investigating up to five other current and former San Diego police officers who might be linked to Ms. Maine's disappearance or to the murder of Donna Gentile, one of her friends, The Union reported. Ms. Gentile was the first known victim in a series of slayings that began in 1985. Most of the victims were prostitutes, whose bodies were found in remote parts of San Diego County.

Ms. Maine disappeared eight months after Ms. Gentile, another prostitute and police informer, was found slain in eastern San Diego County in 1985.

Ms. Gentile's death occurred shortly after she testified before a city commission about police misconduct. Stones were packed in her mouth, leading detectives to suggest she had been killed because of her testimony.

The Union said surveillance had been conducted on several officers and they might be put under further investigation by the Metropolitan Homicide Task Force, which is trying to determine if the killings were related to possible police corruption.

Inquiry Began Months Ago

The authorities eventually expect to examine several officers who could be linked to some of the killings of 43 women, the newspaper said. Both Ms. Maine and Ms. Gentile were socially involved with at least one member of the San Diego police force.

''I can tell you that we are looking into the disappearance of Cynthia Maine,'' Deputy District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, a task force member, said Tuesday. The investigation began several months ago, she added, declining to provide further details.

Ms. Maine, the daughter of a former San Diego police officer, was sent to jail in September 1985 for writing bad checks. While there, she agreed to provide information against several police officers in exchange for early release, her sister, Lori Helle, has said.

 

[Coffee56]

Paper Reports 6 Officers May Be Tied to Slaying

Paper Reports 6 Officers May Be Tied to Slaying

Detectives looking into the slayings of 43 women here are investigating up to six current and former police officers who may be linked to one of the slayings and the disappearance of a prostitute, according to a newspaper report.

Investigators last week searched the home, car and police locker of Sgt. Alfonso Salvatierra for evidence in the 1986 disappearance of Cynthia Lynn Maine, a prostitute who was a police informer, the officer's lawyer said.

They recovered numerous photographs, including sexually explicit photos of Ms. Maine, The San Diego Union, which did not identify its sources, reported Wednesday. Sergeant Salvatierra was not available for comment, but his lawyer, Everett Bobbitt, said the sergeant consented to the search and nothing was found to implicate him in Ms. Maine's disappearance.

Sergeant Salvatierra, a former homicide detective most recently assigned to internal affairs, was reassigned Tuesday to a research and planning division pending the inquiry's outcome, the newspaper said. #5 Others Under Investigation Detectives are also investigating up to five other current and former San Diego police officers who might be linked to Ms. Maine's disappearance or to the murder of Donna Gentile, one of her friends, The Union reported. Ms. Gentile was the first known victim in a series of slayings that began in 1985. Most of the victims were prostitutes, whose bodies were found in remote parts of San Diego County.

Ms. Maine disappeared eight months after Ms. Gentile, another prostitute and police informer, was found slain in eastern San Diego County in 1985.

Ms. Gentile's death occurred shortly after she testified before a city commission about police misconduct. Stones were packed in her mouth, leading detectives to suggest she had been killed because of her testimony.

The Union said surveillance had been conducted on several officers and they might be put under further investigation by the Metropolitan Homicide Task Force, which is trying to determine if the killings were related to possible police corruption.

Inquiry Began Months Ago

The authorities eventually expect to examine several officers who could be linked to some of the killings of 43 women, the newspaper said. Both Ms. Maine and Ms. Gentile were socially involved with at least one member of the San Diego police force.

''I can tell you that we are looking into the disappearance of Cynthia Maine,'' Deputy District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, a task force member, said Tuesday. The investigation began several months ago, she added, declining to provide further details.

Ms. Maine, the daughter of a former San Diego police officer, was sent to jail in September 1985 for writing bad checks. While there, she agreed to provide information against several police officers in exchange for early release, her sister, Lori Helle, has said.

I've never seen this case. Interesting that the missing info gives the impression that she was a heroin addicted prostitute that likely ended up homeless and overdosed as an unknown somewhere but this story gives another whole level of what could have happened. Further sleuthing. Hoping to find what resulted in the investigation of all involved.

 

[MadMcGoo]

Cynthia Lynn Maine – The Charley Project

Last updated September 26, 2020; picture added, distinguishing characteristics and details of disappearance updated.

 

[mlhenn]

Cynthia Lynn Maine – The Charley Project

Last updated August 23, 2021; details of disappearance updated.

Details of Disappearance
Maine was last seen at her home in San Diego, California on February 21, 1986, shortly after being released from jail on probation. She went to go see a movie and never returned.

Maine had contact with her mother two days later, but this is the last time she was heard from. Six weeks later her car was found abandoned in the parking lot of the El Torito restaurant in La Mesa, California. Her purse, cigarettes, and jacket with cash in the pocket were found on the seat.

At the time of her disappearance, Maine was involved in prostitution and had several outstanding warrants for her arrest. She served as an undercover informant after getting involved with John Fung, a police officer assigned to work narcotics, and falling in love with him.

Around the same time as Maine disappeared, several women with ties to either her or Fung were found murdered. One of the murdered women, another prostitute and police informant who was killed shortly after she testified before the Civil Service Commission about police misconduct, was found with gravel shoved in her mouth. Another had Maine's phone number in her pocket.

In 1991, Fung and two of his fellow officers were suspended from duty and prosecuted for blackmailing women to become informants. None of them faced jail time, however. It's unclear whether he had any involvement in Maine's disappearance, but Maine's family said he didn't seem interested in finding her and refused to answer their questions.

Maine has been declared legally dead, the presumed victim of a homicide. Her case remains unsolved.

 

[kelsie]

Missing Person: Cynthia Lynn Maine

Cynthia Lynn Maine

No details listed here, just this poster. Interesting imo.

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[Cynthia] grew up with a brother and sister, mom and dad (who was a police officer). In high school, she was somewhat of a plain Jane, and being overweight at the time, she was insecure.

Out of high school, she married a classmate, William E. Thoma on September 15, 1979. Although they had a ceremony, and she wore the same dress her mother had worn at her own wedding, the marriage failed after only a few months, and he remarried in 1985.

Cynthia worked as a waitress, and although she didn't further her education, she appeared to live a happy life, as most young adults do.

At age 21, she found herself pregnant with a little boy, who she lovingly called "Markie". The happiness ended, however, when she met a man named "Steve", a heroin addict. He eventually got her hooked on the drug, and for the next 4 years, she and Steve were on again off again.

According to her diary, when Steve was locked up, she was clean and doing well. When he was out is when she began the cycle all over again.

In 1979, her father, the police officer, who was very close with her, spent 18 months in a federal prison for his role in a finance company scam. He died in 1982. In 1984, after being arrested for solicitation, she became involved with John Fung, a police officer.

According to her diary, the two were intimate and she was in love with him, and she eventually became a police informant for him. An important part of this story, is the fact that in that same time frame, several women were found murdered, all with ties to Cynthia or John Fung.

One woman had gravel shoved down her throat, suggestive of an informant.
Another had Cynthia's phone number in her pocket.

In 1991, John and two co-workers were suspended and prosecuted for blackmailing women to become police informants. In the end, they didn't face jail time.

On the day she disappeared, Cynthia was released from jail on a minor charge, went to a movie and never returned.

Cynthia's senior photo.