In 2015, She Finished Her First Day Of Cosmetology School Before Disappearing Under Strange Circumstances
Deanne Marie Hastings of Spokane, Washington, was a loving mother of three who, in 2015, was about to embark on some of life’s greatest adventures.
She had just gotten engaged to her fiancé, Mike, and was in the process of planning their wedding. Plus, Deanne enrolled in cosmetology school in hopes of launching a career in the field.
Tragically, though, right after Deanne completed her first day of cosmetology school on November 3, 2015, everything changed.
According to Mike, Deanne shared that her first day had gone great. After her classes ended, she also saw her seventeen-year-old son, Hayden, and his girlfriend. Then, at about 12:00 a.m., Deanne went to a grocery store known as Latah Trading Company.
It was later revealed by authorities that while at the store, she had purchased energy drinks, birthday candles, string cheese, vodka, and cigarettes.
And just afterward, a Spokane salon owner called 911 to report Deanne. Apparently, she had entered the shop acting disoriented– calling the owner “mommy” and claiming that she had been drugged and kidnapped.
But, just a few minutes later, yet another call was received by authorities. That time, two women reported seeing Deanne and offering her a ride home as well as their cell phones to call a family member.
However, once police officers arrived on the scene, Deanne reportedly reiterated that she had been drugged and kidnapped. But she refused assistance and apparently walked away.
Facebook; pictured above is Deanne
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Mike had only gotten home from work at about 10:00 p.m. and, upon arrival, discovered a note from Deanne detailing her first day at cosmetology school and how she had to run to the grocery store.
But, as time passed and she still was not back around 11:30 p.m., he grew concerned.
According to Mike, Deanne struggled with Bipolar Disorder and was known to leave their home for short periods of time. Nonetheless, she was also learning to cope with the symptoms and was never gone for an extended period.
So, Mike decided to visit the Latah Trading Company in search of Deanne but saw no sign of her. Afterward, he continued driving around Spokane in hopes of spotting his fiancé.
And eventually, he decided to track Deanna’s phone using GPS before realizing that her car had been parked in a lot downtown across from The Knitting Factory.
Upon arrival, though, Deanne’s car was found locked with her purse and phone still inside.
Still frantic, Mike made a last-ditch effort to call Deanne’s cosmetology school the following morning to ask if she had shown up for her second day of classes. But, after he sadly learned she was absent, he reported her missing to the police.
Around this time, Mike also returned to the Latah Trading Company and asked employees to review the surveillance footage. Deanne reportedly acted very erratically in the store the night before– waving her hands around while also constantly looking over her shoulder.
And eerily enough, Deanne’s credit cards were used again at the store even though she was not there. Moreover, in the coming days, her credit cards will be used throughout Spokane at various establishments, including convenience stores, pharmacies, and grocers.
But, it was not Deanne making these repetitive purchases. Instead, surveillance camera footage later revealed it was a man named Randy, along with two other individuals.
By November 7, Mike also learned that a Latah Trading Company employee had allegedly spent some time with Deanne the night she disappeared and met with the worker.
According to the employee, he met Deanne right outside of The Knitting Factory, where they had a conversation and shared a cigarette. Then, Deanne reportedly went back to his home.
The employee explained that they were in no way intimate. However, the following morning, the pair went back to the Latah Trading Company to buy cigarettes. And, after the employee went inside the store alone to purchase them, Deanne was gone.
Facebook; pictured above is Deanne with her hair styled shorter and darker
Following Mike’s conversation with this employee, authorities were also able to track down Randy – the man who had repeatedly been using Deanne’s credit cards.
And according to him, he and a friend, James, had also met Deanne the evening of November 3. This time, though, Deanne reportedly met the pair outside of a storage unit in Spokane.
Then, after the group allegedly hung out for a bit, Randy claimed Deanne just gave him her credit cards and told him to get something to eat.
Although, Randy’s story regarding the interaction did change after he was later charged with identity theft for using the credit cards.
At that point, he detailed how, while hanging out with Deanne, she had gone up a hill to go to the bathroom and just never came back.
Randy also added that after going back to his apartment, he and his friend James later returned to check on Deanne. But, where she had gone into the woods, they found her coat, shoes, and credit cards.
Authorities did question James regarding Randy’s testimony, and the pair’s stories were similar. However, James said that after Deanne did not return from the woods, Riley checked on her. Then, Riley returned about ten to fifteen minutes later without Deanne and told James she did not want to leave the spot.
Despite this, though, no further developments have been made in the case, and Deanne has tragically remained missing for nearly seven years now.
In February of 2016, when Deanne would have turned thirty-six, community members conducted an extensive search. But, this effort– along with authorities’ investigations– never turned up any answers.
Still, Deanne’s family and friends have never stopped looking.
“Every day, I pull up to our house and hope to see her there waiting on the porch. But she’s just not there. I go to work; then I drive all around, hoping maybe I’ll see her. That’s all I do– just look for her,” Mike said.
Authorities are also still asking the community for any answers they may have.
“We simply don’t know if she chose to be gone or not. She’s not going to be in trouble, but we need to know she is safe. The circumstances are strange enough. We are concerned,” said Spokane City Police Department Officer Teresa Fuller.
If you have any information regarding Deanne’s disappearance, you are urged to contact the Spokane Police Department’s tip line at (509) 242-8477.
You can also visit the Facebook group entitled Missing Deanne Hastings, created by community members, to remain updated on any case developments.
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