Deborah Jean Swanson, a 31-year-old special education teacher at Sorensen Elementary, disappeared on Saturday, March 29, 1986, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. That afternoon she shopped at K-Mart and then drove to the Third Street parking lot by Tubbs Hill, reportedly to go for a jog. Two of her students saw her about 4:40 p.m. walking near the trail entrance.

Her car was found locked in the Tubbs Hill lot with her purse, wallet, identification, and the K-Mart shopping bag inside. The only item missing from the vehicle was her car key, suggesting she had it when she entered the trail. Family and investigators say she had prepared food for a planned Easter dinner on March 30 and missed that engagement and a subsequent appointment, prompting a missing persons report on April 1. Searches of Tubbs Hill and surrounding areas produced no leads.

Investigators have long suspected foul play; other women reportedly were attacked on the trail around that time, and Deborah’s case has been compared to other regional disappearances such as Sally Anne Stone and Julie Weflen, but no definitive link has been established. Anyone who knew Deborah, frequented Tubbs Hill in late March 1986, or has information is asked to come forward.