Left and Center: Cotton, circa 1981;
Right: Age-progression to age 42 (circa 2007)
Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: April 11, 1981 from Williston, North Dakota Classification: Endangered Missing Date Of Birth: November 10, 1965 Age: 15 years old Height and Weight: 5'2, 100 pounds Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Brown hair, hazel eyes. Cotton's ears are pierced, and her left ear is slightly lower than her right ear. She has a dark brown mole on the upper right side of her chest. Cotton has a pronounced "S" curve in her spine, which causes her to walk with a slight limp. She smoked cigarettes in 1981. Cotton wears eyeglasses, but left hers behind she disappeared. Her teeth were in excellent condition at the time of her disappearance. Clothing/Jewelry Description: A blouse, jeans and loafers.
Details of Disappearance
Cotton was last seen leaving a restaurant on Main Street in her hometown of Williston, North Dakota during the evening hours of April 11, 1981. She had dinner there with a friend and her boyfriend and her boyfriend offered to accompany her home afterwards, but she declined and left the restaurant alone. Her boyfriend watched her walk to Reclamation Park, which is five blocks from home. Cotton never arrived at her destination and has never been heard from again. She did not take her clothes, eyeglasses, cigarettes, money, or any other personal belongings with her when she disappeared. She also left behind a paycheck from work. Her younger brother stated he was very close to Cotton and she never told him of any plans to leave home.Cotton's case was originally investigated as a runaway case and a missing persons report was not filed for several days as a result. Authorities now believe that Cotton may have been abducted, but the prime suspect in her disappearance, a former boyfriend of Cotton's, is now deceased. Her case is considered open and unsolved.
Investigating Agency
Source Information
Updated 5 times since October 12, 2004.
Last updated April 2, 2011; picture added, distinguishing characteristics and details of disappearance updated.
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Williston Police Department
701-572-2197
The National Center For Missing and Exploited Children
The E-clipse Network
APB News
California Attorney General's Office
The Grand Forks Herald
The Doe Network
The Williston Herald