Account
Apr 15, 2010
Jun 19, 2023
Diane
Robbins
52
13
62 inches
90 lbs
White / Caucasian
Female
In the summer of 1985, a 13-year-old girl named Diane Nguyen Robbins vanished, leaving her family and community with decades of unanswered questions. On June 18th of that year, Diane, a female of Vietnamese and Caucasian descent, left her home in Kennewick, Washington. She had plans to travel to Seattle to visit some friends. At some point during the day, she met up with a 21-year-old friend, Molly A. Purdin. The two were last seen together in King County, Washington, during the late afternoon hours. Diane was described as being 5'2" tall and weighing 90 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. A noticeable characteristic was a one-inch scar on her forehead. Initially, Diane's disappearance was treated as a runaway case. However, that perception tragically shifted about a month later. In July 1985, Molly Purdin's body was discovered off Index-Galena Road in King County. An investigation determined that she had been the victim of a homicide. With the discovery of Molly's remains and no word from Diane, the fear that she had also met with foul play intensified. The circumstances surrounding her disappearance, especially when linked with her friend's murder, pointed towards a more sinister conclusion than a teenage runaway episode. The years that followed have been filled with anguish for Diane's family. Her mother, who had separated from Diane's father after he was convicted of sexually abusing Diane a year before she disappeared, tragically died by suicide in 1991. The case has remained open, and over the years, law enforcement has explored various leads. At one point, there was speculation about a possible link to a serial killer believed to be operating in the Seattle area during that time, as several other young women had also gone missing. Her case was even featured on the queen of diamonds in the state's first deck of cold-case playing cards distributed in prisons and jails to solicit new information. Despite these efforts, and a potential lead from a skull found near where Molly's body was discovered which ultimately did not belong to Diane, her case remains unsolved. The investigation into what happened to Diane Robbins is ongoing by the Benton County Sheriff's Office, as those who knew her continue to hope for answers and some measure of closure.
Jun 18, 1985
Richland
Washington
Benton County
No
30427
Benton County Sheriff's Office
Kennewick
Washington
Benton County
99336
7122 West Okanagon Place, Washington
5097356555
County
Law Enforcement
8505003
Benton County Sheriff's Office
Brown
Brown
Brown
No
06/12/2026
