Account
Jul 20, 2009
Nov 21, 2019
Natasha
Shanes
45
6
48 inches
57 lbs
White / Caucasian
Female
In the early morning hours of a day in May 1985, the quiet of a Jackson, Michigan neighborhood was briefly interrupted by the sound of a slamming car door. Inside her home on Maple Avenue, Susan Shanes was awakened by the noise but drifted back to sleep, unaware of the lasting silence that would soon envelop her life. When she awoke again at 6:00 a.m., she discovered her six-year-old daughter, Natasha Marie Shanes, was not in the house where she had fallen asleep on the living room sofa. The front door was wide open, but there was no sign of Natasha. It is believed the young girl, who had blondish-brown hair and brown eyes, disappeared sometime between 1:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. At the time of her disappearance, Natasha was described as being four feet tall and weighing approximately 57 pounds. She had several distinguishing marks, including a scar on her right cheek from a dog bite, a small scar on her forehead, and a strawberry birthmark on the back of her neck. She was last seen wearing blue jeans and a large blue and white shirt that was fastened with a safety pin. Natasha was a child with unique needs and a vibrant personality. She attended a special education school and had the mental age of a four-year-old. She required daily medication to control her epilepsy, a condition that could lead to seizures and potentially a coma if left untreated. In addition to epilepsy, Natasha also had scoliosis and flat feet. Despite these challenges, she found joy in the simple things; she loved to sing and play with makeup, purses, and shoes. The investigation into her disappearance began immediately, with police searching the surrounding area, but no trace of the little girl was found. There were no signs of a forced entry into the home, leading to theories that Natasha may have wandered off or been abducted. The case was classified as a non-family abduction. A troubling development occurred just two days after Natasha went missing when her mother's live-in boyfriend, Robert F. Forbes, was found deceased from a gunshot wound. His death was officially ruled a suicide, but Susan Shanes has long believed he was murdered. Forbes had a criminal record, having previously served time for trafficking heroin. While police have not found a definitive link between his death and Natasha's disappearance, the timing remains a point of suspicion. Over the years, the case grew cold, marked by periodic releases of age-progressed photos of what Natasha might look like. Decades later, in 2023, investigators revisited the home on Maple Avenue, executing a search warrant in the hopes of uncovering new leads in the nearly 40-year-old case. Despite extensive searches and ongoing efforts by law enforcement, no substantial leads have emerged, and what happened to Natasha Shanes remains a painful mystery for her family and the community.
May 05, 1985
Jackson
Michigan
Jackson County
25879
Jackson Police Department
Jackson
Michigan
Jackson County
49201
Holly Rose
Sergeant
216 E Washington Ave, Michigan
5177884100
Local
Law Enforcement
85-008151
Jackson Police Department
7473
Blond/Strawberry
Brown
Brown
No
06/16/2026
