SPRINGFIELD — The Sangamon County Sheriff’s office reported Feb. 23 that new information has surfaced in the disappearance of a woman from Auburn in 1987.
Brenda Sue Bottoms, who was 22 years old at the time, was last seen on the night of June 28, 1987.
According to the sheriff’s office, Bottoms left her residence in the 200 block of North Fifth Street in Auburn with a female acquaintance. The two walked to a local tavern.
While walking home later that evening, they encountered two male individuals and went to an apartment complex on the same block where Bottoms lived with her mother, Bernice, and son, Michael, to talk.
Bottoms was last observed getting into a brown vehicle described as having dents on the passenger side.
Witnesses said that she appeared to know the occupant or occupants of the vehicle and got in voluntarily. She has not been seen or heard from since that time.
Bottoms was reported missing by her mother, Bernice, on July 1, 1987.
Sangamon County Detective John Pinneo told The State Journal-Register in 1988 that there were “suspicious circumstances” surrounding Bottoms’ disappearance.
Pinneo said the man who gave police information about Bottoms leaving in a brown car had been interviewed “repeatedly” and had submitted to a polygraph test, but the results were inconclusive.
As a result of multiple interviews over 2025 with individuals connected to the case, sheriff’s office investigators have developed new information indicating that additional individuals may have been present and may have seen Bottoms prior to her disappearance.
“The Sheriff’s office is asking anyone who may have information related to this case, no matter how minor it may seem, to come forward,” said Sheriff Paula Crouch. “Even small details could prove significant in advancing this investigation and helping us provide answers to Brenda’s family.”
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the sheriff’s office investigations division at 217-753-6840. Tips may also be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers by calling 217-788-8427 or visiting cashfortips.us.
Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: New information has surfaced in a missing person’s case from 1987
Reporting by Steven Spearie, Springfield State Journal-Register / State Journal-Register
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