Stacie Madison would have grew to become 50 years feeble in June. Her friend, Susan Smalley, would have hit that milestone last September. Nonetheless support within the early morning hours of March 20, 1988, the 2 high college seniors disappeared with out a cost. And their families imagine that’s when their lives ended.
Stacie’s mother, Ida Madison, who’s now 75 years feeble, has long licensed that her daughter is gone, but continues to take dangle of on to hope for answers about what took explain that evening.
“For a extremely long time, I saved hoping she’d stroll within the door,” Ida told Dateline. “Nonetheless I’ve given up on that. It’s been 32 years. Now, I lawful desire closure.”
Stacie, who used to be 17 years feeble on the time, and her 18-twelve months-feeble friend, Susan Smalley, had been lawful a pair of months faraway from graduating from Newman Smith High School. They had lawful done per week of spring spoil and had been certain to skills their Saturday evening in their explain of delivery of Carrollton, a suburb of Dallas, Texas. They planned to consult with some mates after which have a sleepover at Susan’s house.
Ida recalled her last day alongside with her daughter. It used to be March 19, 1988.
“I endure in mind I had given Stacie a perm that day,” Ida talked about. “She used to be hesitant about going to Susan’s that evening. I told her if she didn’t are seeking to creep, she didn’t have to. I desire I had told her she couldn’t creep. That used to be my excellent mistake.”
Stacie picked up Susan in her pale yellow 1967 Ford Mustang convertible. They spent the evening taking a peep at Prestonwood Town Center and later visited mates within the finish by metropolis of Arlington.
Spherical 11: 30 p.m., the girls stopped on the Steak and Ale restaurant, the set aside aside Susan worked as a waitress and hostess. Co-workers on the restaurant talked about Susan used to be there simplest a transient while, talking with mates while Stacie waited within the vehicle.
The girls had a curfew of center of the night and made it home to Susan’s house in time to call Stacie’s mother to signal up. They also called a chum. It’s believed they had been there lawful long adequate to compose those phone calls forward of venturing out again, Ida talked about. They had been by no plan viewed or heard from again.
When Stacie didn’t return home on Sunday, Ida began to stress.
“I lawful saved pondering she’d stroll within the door,” Ida told Dateline. “We went out for dinner that evening and the very first thing I did after I bought home used to be test to peep if she used to be home.”
Nonetheless there used to be no signal of Stacie or her vehicle.
“I stayed up all evening walking the bottom,” Ida talked about. “Correct ready for her to seem. Nonetheless she by no plan did.”
On Monday morning, Stacie and Susan had been reported lacking to the Carrollton Police Department.
Two days later, on Tuesday, March 22, Stacie’s Mustang used to be chanced on within the parking of Webb Chapel Village on Woodland Lane in Dallas, Texas. The doorways had been locked, the convertible high used to be up and the girls’ jackets had been draped over a boombox within the backseat.
In accordance with Stacie’s sister, Stefanie, Woodland Lane used to be a cruising strip that used to be a current hangout situation for kids within the gap.
Stefanie used to be simplest six years feeble when her sister disappeared.
“My memories are spotty, but I endure in mind that point being a shift in my family’s lifestyles,” Stefanie talked about. “I’ve memories of Stacie within the dwelling. After which she used to be gone. Then I endure in mind sitting in her room, ready for her to come home. Nonetheless she by no plan did.”
Stefanie, who spoke to Dateline collectively alongside with her mother, Ida, added that she remembers helping her family pass out lacking person fliers within the days and weeks that adopted.
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A glance for the girls used to be launched by the Carrollton Police, but the families imagine it used to be too gradual.
“Investigators handled them as runaways before all the pieces — that they’d extended their spring spoil and gone all of the manner down to South Padre Island,” Ida talked about. “Nonetheless I don’t imagine Stacie would have taken off love that.”
Stacie’s family talked about her Mustang used to be by no plan dusted for fingerprints or forensically searched. The subsequent weekend, some of Stacie’s mates took it out for a force hoping to search out any individual that had viewed the vehicle the evening the girls disappeared.
“Anything else that may per chance per chance need helped the case used to be long gone,” Ida talked about.
Susan’s brother, Rich Smalley, used to be away at college when he bought the call from his mother that his youthful sister used to be lacking.
“I wasn’t around, but I desire I had been,” Rich talked about. “I’ve love they dropped the ball on the case. I’ve love I could per chance have accomplished extra if I used to be there.”
Detective Jeremy Chevallier, who has simplest had the case for the previous couple of years, told Dateline that the distinctive investigative crew at the delivery set aside aside believed the girls had been runaways, but later launched a lacking folks investigation.
The girls’ high college graduation came and went and there used to be composed no signal of either one amongst them. Ida told Dateline the important on the time gave her Stacie’s cap and robe and diploma.
“I asked, ‘What if she comes support and desires to enact the college twelve months.’” Ida talked about. “Nonetheless he lawful told me, “She’s already earned this.’”
Stacie, who had been working as a receptionist at an enviornment doctor’s office, had plans to aid the College of North Texas.
“She used to be sweet and form and caring,” Ida talked about, describing her daughter. “She didn’t are seeking to wound anyone’s emotions. And that grew to become out to be her downfall.”
Ida told Dateline she fears Stacie’s boyfriend on the time had something to cease with the girls’ disappearance. She talked about Stacie had been attempting to crash the relationship, but didn’t know easy suggestions to cease it peacefully.
Earlier within the day forward of Stacie disappeared, Stacie had told her mother that if her boyfriend known as the home buying for her, “repeat him I’m out with Susan.” Ida talked about the boyfriend did turn out calling and she adopted her daughter’s directions.
“I ponder he bought angry and went out buying for them,” she talked about. “And I ponder he chanced on them.”
In accordance with Detective Chevallier, the boyfriend used to be questioned widely and given a polygraph test, which he passed.
Detective Chevallier told Dateline that the boyfriend used to be “regarded as an particular person of curiosity,” but there used to be now no longer adequate proof to trace him. The boyfriend is now no longer an particular person of curiosity as we say, he added.
Susan’s brother Rich told Dateline that their mother held out hope for her daughter’s return, but hasn’t spoken about her within the last 10 years.
“So powerful time has gone by with none answers,” Rich talked about. “It’s laborious to take dangle of on to any hope at this point. We lawful desire answers.”
Rich remembers his sister as being a “solid-willed, keen” teen who had plans to trudge after graduation.
And not utilizing a credible leads and a stalled investigation, the case went chilly.
In 2009, Shawn Sutherland, who graduated from the the same high college in 1982, determined to behavior an just investigation and printed a e book about the case titled, “This Evening Wounds Time: The Mysterious Disappearances of Stacie Madison and Susan Smalley.”
“I felt drawn to the case,” Shawn told Dateline. “It felt love a calling to piece their chronicle. Their disappearance had a extensive affect on this neighborhood.”
An entire bunch of leads and guidelines poured in following the liberate of the e book, but Detective Chevallier told Dateline that none of them has ended in any conclusions within the case.
“Nonetheless we haven’t given up,” the detective added. “We proceed to peep in any admire guidelines that will be found in in and aid of us to come forward with any little bit of knowledge, no matter how important it may per chance per chance possibly most likely well appear. You by no plan know what knowledge will spoil this case wide originate.”
Stacie’s mother continues to push for answers in her daughter’s disappearance.
“If something else — something else in any admire — please call the police,” Ida talked about. “It’s time for any person to come forward. It’s past time.”
Stefanie talked about they imagine the case love a puzzle.
“Each person has a little bit of the puzzle, but if one person holds on to their piece, the puzzle is by no plan done.”
“We’ve begged for that piece of the puzzle for a protracted time,” Ida interjected. “It’s time to cease it.”
On the time of their disappearance, Stacie used to be described as being 5’6” extensive and weighing 160 kilos. She has blonde hair, blue eyes and her ears are double-pierced. On March 20, 1988, she used to be viewed wearing a protracted-sleeved white sweatshirt with a crimson and orange logo on the entrance, white cotton pants and white sneakers.
Susan used to be described as being 5’8” extensive and weighing 140 kilos. She has brown hair, green eyes and her ears are pierced three cases each and each. On March 20, 1988, she used to be viewed wearing a white sweater and blue pants. She used to be carrying a navy blue shoulder get dangle of with camel bright.
Anybody with knowledge about the disappearance of Stacie and Susan is entreated to call the Criminal Investigation Division at 972-466-3300.
