Katharina Buczek
While leaving her home, Denise also stopped to have a brief conversation with a neighbor. Following that chat, she was never seen again.
That Friday, the afternoon came and went. Then, Denise’s parents started to worry. It was unlike the teen to not return home, so they immediately reported her missing.
A search was launched, and Denise’s car was eventually discovered parked and locked near a farm east of Glenwood.
The farm’s owner explained how the car had been there since the day before, and he thought it belonged to a mushroom hunter. Denise had no reason to be frequenting that area of town.
Still, the car’s location wound up being a dead end in the investigation, and the teen’s case remained cold for thirty-four years.
That was until July of 2020, when Denise’s old ex-boyfriend Shawn McClung made a confession.
“Shawn M. McClung was charged today with Voluntary Manslaughter– a Class B Felony– resulting from the investigation into the death of Denise Pflum… The information and probable cause allege that McClung previously claimed that Pflum was still alive but has recently admitted he killed her in March of 1986,” the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department stated in a press release on July 9, 2020.
And while McClung’s confession and charges may have provided the Pflum family with some sense of justice, they are still missing one crucial piece of the puzzle– the location of Denise’s remains.
Denise’s family has since created a “Justice For Denise Pflum” Facebook page to raise awareness about her case and welcome anyone with information.
Just this past month, they received an anonymous manilla envelope containing sensitive information about the case that may lead to some answers.
However, the Pflums are still left piecing together Denise’s murder in hopes of finally receiving some closure.
