Katharina Buczek
That never happened, though, and Erica’s mother ultimately reported her missing to the Bracken County Sheriff’s Office.
Once an investigation was launched, her car – a black four-door 1988 Pontiac Bonneville SSE – was discovered abandoned on October 22, 1997. It was found unlocked in a field located off Fronks Lane and parked in between rolled hay bales.
Inside, investigators found Erica’s purse, checkbook, wallet, and some money. Later, her car keys were found in a field located across the road. But, no evidence of foul play or foreign hairs or fingerprints were located inside the vehicle.
“There was nothing in the car that would lead anyone to believe there was foul play. We weren’t even able to find fingerprints. There were no foreign hairs, nothing in the purse,” said Chief Deputy Bob Scott.
For Amanda, her best friend’s disappearance left a significant mark on her life. First, the following spring, it was “traumatizing” to see Erica’s empty seat at their high school graduation ceremony. The fear of the unknown, of what happened to Erica, also pushed Amanda to alter her life plans.
“I was supposed to go to the local university for college on a graphic arts degree. And I was too scared to leave. So I stayed home, and I went to the community college. And I just never left. I was always too scared,” Amanda said.
Still, Amanda wasn’t actually with Erica the night she vanished. Rather, another acquaintance – a 20-year-old man named Shane M. Simcox – had been in the car with her. Erica and Shane reportedly knew each other for less than a year.
Shane reportedly told authorities that, on the night Erica vanished, he’d been barhopping with friends and became a bit drunk. Then, Erica and one of her female friends drove up in her car to a street corner in Brooksville.
Shane alleged that after Erica’s friend got out of the car, she offered to drive him around town. So, they cruised alone together for 10 to 15 minutes. Afterward, Erica reportedly decided to head home, and at about 9:00 p.m., she dropped Shane off at his step-grandfather’s home.
In a 1997 interview, Shane admitted that he was the last person to see Erica alive. He was identified as a person of interest that same year by Chief Deputy Scott, but Shane refused to take a lie detector test to prove that he was not involved in Erica’s disappearance.
Authorities also have not been able to find any evidence against Shane or the other people of interest in Erica’s case – who have not been charged.
