In 1994, This Ohio Mother Vanished From Her Home After Coming Down With An Ear Infection: Then Her Family Found Suspicious Footprints In The Snow
In 1994, Charlotte Nagi lived with her husband, Paul Pollis, in Girard, Ohio. The 28-year-old was a devoted mother of two toddlers and a beloved sister to her five siblings.
But, after Charlotte fell ill in March of 1994, she mysteriously disappeared from her home.
It all began on the evening of March 11 when she got an acute ear infection, and her husband, Paul, drove her to the hospital. At the same time, Paul’s parents stayed back at their home in Girard to look after their two kids.
Then, once Charlotte and her husband returned home later that night, Paul’s parents left, and Charlotte phoned her mother. That was the last time anyone ever heard from the 28-year-old.
“She said, ‘I’ll talk to you in the morning,’ and at 1:25 a.m., I hung up the phone from her. That’s the last I ever spoke to her,” her mother recalled.
The following morning, March 12, Charlotte’s mother reportedly called her daughter’s home at about 8:50 a.m. But Paul answered the phone and said that his wife was still sleeping.
Later, Paul told authorities that Charlotte awoke shortly after he spoke with her mother. And at that point, he stated he told his wife to rest.
Afterward, Paul mentioned that he left at about 11:00 a.m. with his children to run some errands. He told his wife to remain in bed and said that he would bring her medication back to the house later on.
So, while out of the house, Paul said that he stopped at the local pharmacy, laundromat, and a scrap yard. Then, he reportedly grabbed burgers with his kids at a fast-food restaurant before spending a few hours looking at houses for sale.
Ohio Attorney General – pictured above is Charlotte
According to Charlotte’s mother, though, she says she called her daughter’s home numerous times before 11:00 a.m.– when Paul alleged he was still at home, but she never got anyone to pick up.
“I called at 10:00 a.m., I called at 10 after 10:00 a.m., I called 20 after 10:00 a.m. I just kept calling, and I thought something was not right,” Charlotte’s mother said.
“No answering machine, nobody answering the phone, nothing. And I thought, ‘Why is nobody answering?'”
Paul claimed that he and the kids did not return home until about 4:00 p.m.– at which point he discovered Charlotte was not there.
However, he believed she might have felt better and decided to go out. So, he reportedly put the kids in bed to finish up their naps before he watched television and finished tidying up the house. But, at 7:30 p.m., Paul realized something was off.
“I noticed her purse up on the cabinets, and my wife doesn’t go anywhere without her purse. I can’t believe that she would’ve left without it,” he explained.
“So, I started calling around to see if she had gone out with anybody.”
Eventually, Charlotte’s family found out that she was missing and immediately traveled to her home. And after speaking with Paul, Amriah Nagi– Charlotte’s sister– decided to look around the property.
At that point, she noticed two separate sets of footprints in the snow leading from the side door toward a small shed on her sister’s property. According to Amriah, the shed also looked strange.
“The doors were bulging pretty much out of the shed. They just had like a regular padlock on it, and it kind of bothered me the way the shed was because the doors weren’t flush against it,” Amriah detailed.
So, she wound up heading inside and asking Paul for the keys to the shed. But, Amriah’s request reportedly angered Paul, according to Charlotte’s mother.
“He said the shed has nothing to do with Charlotte, and I am not giving you the keys. And Amriah had asked him repeatedly for these keys to the shed, and he got angrier and angrier,” she recalled.
The following day, Charlotte’s brother did return to his sister’s home to check out the shed. He first noticed that the doors were closed normally. But, after peeking inside, he noted how it looked like all of the stored items had been pushed to one side of the shed.
While speaking with neighbors, investigators also learned that one neighbor had seen Paul standing beside his car on March 12. The neighbor alleged that the car had been packed with boxes and bags– a sighting which occurred during the period Paul said he was running errands with his kids.
Other witnesses also claimed to have seen Paul throughout the Girard area on the day Charlotte disappeared, but they said his children were not with him.
Upon searching Charlotte and Paul’s home, investigators found that it had been cleaned thoroughly not long before. Charlotte’s brother also told authorities that he saw a blanket and two pillows with red stains on them– although these items were never recovered.
In the trunk of Paul’s car, a human blood stain was discovered. But, the stain was reportedly too small to be analyzed for a blood type or DNA.
During the initial investigation, Paul also agreed to take a polygraph test– which was scheduled for three days after Charlotte’s disappearance.
On the day of his appointment, though, Paul never showed up. Instead, authorities realized he disappeared from his home, too, but left a note behind– stating he loved his wife and would not harm her.
“I love my wife and would never do anything to harm her intentionally,” the note read.
Then, three months later, Paul returned to Trumbull County and claimed to have suffered from mental anguish that prevented him from showing up for the polygraph test.
“I had a lot of mental anguish I was going through. And I wanted some time alone,” he said.
“People were driving in front of the house nonstop. They didn’t come by to give me a hug or pat on the back and say we’re with you. They just came by to look.”
After Paul returned to the area, investigators charged him with obstruction of official business since he did not appear for the polygraph test or make himself available for questioning.
A judge ultimately dismissed these charges, though, and ruled that Paul had a right to exercise his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent. The judge also claimed that Paul had already cooperated with investigators by talking to them and allowing them to search his home shortly after Charlotte was reported missing.
Investigators have since claimed to believe they know who was behind Charlotte’s disappearance. But, without enough evidence, they have never been able to prove it.
Charlotte’s brother, Ali Nagi, is certain that his sister his sister’s life was taken from her. And he hopes that with advancements in technology, investigators may find new leads.
In the meantime, though, Ali has continued trying to spread awareness about Charlotte’s case while dealing with his own grief.
“I think about it every day. I look at her case every day. There are a lot of questions, and I know there are people who have the answers. We’re just hoping they finally come forward,” he said.
“It’s hard. Life has gone on, but it hasn’t. It’s always there. Not just on an anniversary but every day. That’s how it will be until there’s justice. There’s really no rest until then.”
According to Girard Police Chief Jeff Palmer, authorities continue to follow up on every lead received.
“It’s a tough situation, though. There was hardly any evidence to go on. Just a lot of questions,” Palmer admitted.
Still, he did encourage community members to report any information they have– even if they choose to do so anonymously.
“If we can get this back out there and get people thinking about it again, maybe someone will remember something,” Palmer said.
At the time of her disappearance, Charlotte was five foot two, weighed 260 pounds, and had black hair and brown eyes. She had pierced ears and went by the nickname “Char.”
If you have any information regarding Charlotte Pollis’ case, you are urged to contact the Girard Police Department at (330) 545-0211.
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