She Mysteriously Disappeared While Living In Maine In 2021 After Last Being Seen At Home
Attiin Shaw, a 33-year-old mother of four who lived in Washburn, Maine, in 2021, is originally from Indonesia. There, she owned her own salon and met her husband, Michael, while he was working as an American expatriate teacher.
After tying the knot, Attiin and Michael had four children together. Then, in 2019, their family briefly relocated to Myanmar since Mike’s work contract had ended in Indonesia.
At the time, Attiin told one of her friends in Indonesia, Beth Lindsay, that she was nervous about the move. She was specifically worried about leaving her home country behind, which was everything she’d ever known.
Nonetheless, Attiin claimed she was very thankful for her life and relocated anyway. So, the last time Attiin’s cousin, Zadia Sayang Novita, saw her was before she moved to Myanmar.
Attiin and Michael had specifically chosen Myanmar since it was both near Indonesia and close to the Indonesian culture. Her plan was to travel back and forth, visiting her family and friends.
The COVID-19 pandemic upended this plan, though, and the Shaw family was forced to move to Washburn, Maine.
While living in Washburn, Attiin and her family started fulfilling her dream of living with plenty of animals. According to her cousin Zadia, she was always a kind-hearted woman who had a soft spot for pets.
“She’s said that if one day she has a big house and big yard, she’s gonna have all the animals in her house,” Zadia recalled.
“When she moved to America– in Maine, right now– they have dogs and cats in their house.”
Facebook – pictured above is Attiin
But, within just one year of moving to Maine, Attiin mysteriously disappeared. She was last seen at her home on September 8, 2021, and has not been seen or heard from since.
Attiin was reportedly diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a mental health condition that caused her to suffer angry outbursts. She also had a history of fleeing her home for week-long periods in order to protect her kids.
“She felt so bad that she is always angry with the boys– the kids– that she left home several times,” Zadia explained.
Nonetheless, Attiin never left for such a long time, and she’s now been missing for over two years.
Additionally, when she would leave home in the past, she would still remain active on social media. Once, for instance, Attiin left to visit Bali, and her friends were able to remain updated on her travels by viewing the photos she posted.
This time, though, Attiin’s social media has been totally inactive– with no posts since 2021. Plus, her bank account hasn’t shown any activity.
After she didn’t return home for one month, Attiin’s husband, Michael, reached out to Zadia in October of 2021. He claimed to be concerned for Attiin and reported her missing soon afterward.
Most recently, Maine State Police conducted a search at the Shaw residence on February 14, 2024.
“Troopers, Evidence Response Technicians, and Detectives with Major Crimes North were at the Shaw residence on Washburn Road as part of their investigation,” a press release read.
However, no details regarding any evidence uncovered have been made public.
According to her family, Attiin’s passport also expired, and there is no record of her leaving the country. Moreover, she did not have her own driver’s license or car at the time of her disappearance, and authorities do not believe she is currently living at another location.
So, both investigators and Attiin’s loved ones have remained perplexed about the circumstances of her disappearance.
Her husband reportedly told Zadia that he felt “exhausted and depressed,” wishing his wife would come home. To Zadia, the case does not make any sense to her, either.
“If we think in logic, like, a mom wouldn’t leave her kids, right?” she said.
“I can understand if she leaves the house, not for herself– but maybe to save the kids away from herself.”
Still, Beth believes that even if Attiin decided to start fresh elsewhere, she would have gotten into contact with her loved ones by now.
“She would have reached out to somebody somewhere and said, ‘I’m okay. I’m safe. I don’t want to be found,'” Beth explained.
Despite Beth’s beliefs, the circumstances surrounding Attiin’s disappearance remain unknown, and her loved ones are doing everything they can to find answers.
Attiin’s family has since created a Facebook group entitled “Where is Attiin Shaw?” There, they are hoping to raise awareness about her case and gather information from community members.
Beth underscored how she and the rest of Attiin’s loved ones would just like to know that Attiin is safe.
“If she reached out, everyone would welcome her with open arms. They would respect her privacy. They would respect any form of communication and boundaries that she might want to have, and nobody would judge her. And everyone would be just forgiving of whatever if she is out there,” Beth said.
“I wouldn’t question where she’s been. I would be very happy to see her back,” Zadia agreed.
“I wouldn’t blame her. I would just be very happy that she’s there. Like, no matter what– what decision she made. As long as she’s around, I’m so happy.”
At the time of her disappearance, Attiin was five foot seven, weighed 110 pounds, and had black hair and brown eyes. She would be 36-years-old today.
If you have any information regarding her disappearance or whereabouts, you are urged to contact the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit at (207) 532-5400.
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