Katharina Buczek
After growing up in Indianapolis, Indiana, alongside her eight siblings, Molly Laura Dattilo went on to become a scholarship runner at Eastern Kentucky University.
In the summer of 2004, the 22-year-old also enrolled in summer classes at Indiana University– Purdue University Indianapolis and stayed with her brother on the west side of the city at Westlake Apartments.
At the same time, Molly took vocal lessons and was eagerly preparing for an “American Idol” audition later on in the summer.
Yet, on July 6, 2004, Molly’s bright plans for her future were pushed aside after she strangely disappeared.
That day started off like any other Tuesday. Molly first attended some classes before getting some shopping done. Then, at about 7:00 p.m., she walked to a Wendy’s close to her brother’s apartment and dropped off a job application.
While strolling to Wendy’s, Molly did run into one of her brother’s friends, and the pair chatted briefly. Later, that same friend would detail how Molly did have her cell phone at the time they ran into each other.
That same night, Molly then went to a party hosted at the Westlake Apartments complex. While there, she met a guy named John E. Shelton and later left the party with him.
Together, she and John went out on the complex’s retention pond in a rowboat before visiting a nearby Taco Bell to grab dinner.
By 11:00 p.m., Molly and John wound up at Thornton’s gas station, which was located approximately three miles from Taco Bell. And at that point, Molly tried to use the gas station’s pay phone to contact a friend.
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