#Erin Kay Pospisil

[missing-girls-and-women]

Erin Kay Pospisil, 15

Last seen in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 2001.

[crime-dela-crime]

1. MISSING: Erin Kay Pospisil

On June 3rd, 2001, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, it was the first weekend of Summer vacation for 15-year-old Erin Kay Pospisil. She had planned to go to her friend Brit's house around 8:45 pm to watch movies or attend a movie theater that Sunday evening. Erin's older brother's friend, Curtis Padgett, was leaving at the same time as Erin so she received a ride from him to Brit's house. When they arrived to Brit's house, no one was home. It is later found out that Brit had "run to the store" for chips and soda. Padgett stated to officials that when they arrived at Brit's home in the 1500 block of 2nd avenue SE, that Erin went up to the front door of the home and knocked, but no one answered. He also stated that while Erin was walking back towards his truck, an early '90s model dark-colored Chevrolet Cavalier with tinted rear windows pulled up to the curb. According to Padgett, Erin had walked up to the car and had a short conversation with someone in the vehicle, she then told Padgett "these guys will give me a ride," before she got into the backseat of the Cavalier. No one has seen or heard from Erin since she got into the backseat of that car. Curtis Padgett stated that Erin went with the people in the Cavalier willingly, even though no other witnesses have reported seeing either a dark-colored Cavalier or Padgett's pickup truck in the neighborhood that night. Curtis Padgett is the last person to have seen Erin alive and no one knows what happened after they drove away from the Pospisil home with Erin in the passenger seat of Padgett's vehicle.

On a website that her parents have posted Erin's story on, which I will link below, one of her parents stated that the Cedar Rapids Police classified Erin as a runaway since it seemed like she knew the people in the Cavalier. They also stated that Erin didn't take her day-timer, make-up case, backpack, any clothing, or any belongings with her.

Early leads suggest that Erin's disappearance might have been related to Cedar Rapids and Chicago Gang activity and an area of Chicago that was referred to as "ghost town." They were able to track down the "ghost town" and detectives allegedly spoke to members of the gang, but unfortunately nothing has came out of that.

There was one sighting of Erin reported by someone who knew her well in the Spring of 2002 at a convenience store in Cedar Rapids. She was seen riding in the backseat of a car with Illinois license plates, Cedar Rapids Police were unable to locate the vehicle or unable to verify the sighting.

Did Curtis and Erin ever even make it to Brit's home? Does Curtis have something to do with Erin's disappearance?

Curtis Padgett's name actually popped up in the news again after police found 64-year-old Dennis Lee First, stabbed and beaten to death on May 11th, 2007, in his 2249 C St. SW Cedar Rapids apartment. Padgett actually lived right next door to First. In 2016, one of Curtis Padgett's former classmates, Adam S., had actually contacted Iowa Cold Cases to share his experiences with Curtis as well as other incidents he witnessed. Adam stated that he attended school with Padgett in Cedar Rapids in the 1990s. He said that Curtis would get bullied a lot, mainly because of the reaction the kids could get out of him. Adam stated "That's the personality trait I remember most - a quiet person that would snap in an instant."

15-year-old Erin Kay Pospisil has been missing since June 3rd, 2001. She lived with her father, stepmother, and three siblings. At the time of her disappearance she was described to be white, 130lbs, 5ft 3 inches with brown hair and red highlights, brown eyes, and a small scar above her eye. She was last seen wearing a light-colored tank top and beige overall shorts. Erin has been missing for almost 21 years and she would be 36 now.

More about Dennis: