Account
Jan 07, 2010
Jul 08, 2022
Cynthia
Kinney
64
16
61 inches
97 lbs
White / Caucasian
Female
In the small town of Pawhuska, Oklahoma, a shadow fell on a summer day that has yet to lift. On June 23, 1976, Cynthia "Cindi" Dawn Kinney, a bright and popular 16-year-old girl, vanished without a trace. Just having made the varsity cheerleading squad, Cindi was known for her responsible and happy nature, making her sudden disappearance all the more baffling to her loved ones and the tight-knit community. She was last seen at the Osage Laundromat on Main Street, a business owned by her aunt and uncle where she was an employee. Around 9:30 in the morning, witnesses reported seeing Cindi leaving the laundromat and getting into a faded, beige 1965 Plymouth Belvedere. Accounts of who was in the car with her have varied, with some witnesses describing two women, while others recall a man and a woman. Left behind inside the laundromat was her purse, a half-eaten donut, and a drink, painting a chilling picture of a life interrupted mid-moment. The initial investigation into Cindi's disappearance was met with few leads. There were unconfirmed sightings of her in southern Kansas, with some reports suggesting she was traveling with a religious group, but these could never be substantiated. For years, the case grew cold, a lingering wound for her family who even hired private investigators in their desperate search for answers. A significant development came in 1991 when a witness came forward claiming to have seen Cindi with a man named Hobart Jess "Punch" Green shortly before she disappeared. This lead was particularly disturbing as Green was a convicted murderer, serving a life sentence for the death of his infant son, and was also a suspect in the 1961 disappearance of his ex-wife. However, it remains unclear if investigators were ever able to definitively place him with Cindi on the day she went missing. Decades after she was last seen, the case took another unexpected turn, drawing national attention. In 2023, Dennis Rader, the notorious serial killer known as "BTK," became a person of interest. Investigators discovered that Rader, who was active in nearby Wichita, Kansas during the time of Cindi's disappearance, had written in his journals about a "project" he called "Bad Wash Day," which involved a fantasy of abducting a woman from a laundromat. Further scrutiny of a word puzzle Rader had sent to the media years prior revealed the words "Cindy," "Kinney," and "Osage," strengthening suspicions. Despite being interviewed, Rader has denied any involvement in her case. While the Osage County Sheriff has called him a prime suspect, the District Attorney has stated that there is currently insufficient evidence to file charges. The investigation into Cindi's disappearance remains open, a haunting and unresolved story. Her family continues to hope for answers in a case that has spanned nearly half a century, leaving a community to wonder what happened to the vibrant young cheerleader who vanished on a summer morning.
Jun 23, 1976
Pawhuska
Oklahoma
Osage County
Unknown
26231
Osage County Sheriff's Office
Pawhuska
Oklahoma
Osage County
74056
Terry York
Lieutenant CID
900 South St. Paul Avenue, Pawhuska, OK 74056, Oklahoma
9182873131
County
Law Enforcement
35276
Osage County Sheriff's Office
Brown
Brown
Brown
No
06/22/2026
