She Took Her In-Laws’ Minivan To Get A Car Wash In 1996 And Vanished, Leaving Behind A 15-Page Letter In Her Pocketbook
In 1996, Patricia Minassian was a 37-year-old mother living with her husband and three kids – ages 2, 6, and 7 – in Hingham, Massachusetts. She worked as an occupational therapist in her hometown.
But in late June of that year, after she and her family went on a trip to her in-law’s Cape Cod cottage, Patricia tragically disappeared.
It all began on the afternoon of June 30, 1996. When Patricia finished bathing her 2-year-old son, she reportedly told her in-laws that she was going to drive their minivan to get a car wash.
However, after Patricia drove away in the vehicle – a maroon 1994 Mercury Villager with Massachusetts license plate number 667-ZIS – she was never seen or heard from again.
The following day, the minivan was eventually found locked and abandoned in Wellfleet. It was parked in a restaurant parking lot located approximately 50 miles away.
Even more perplexing, the vehicle was left at the same parking lot where Patricia and her husband had gone out on their first date 18 years before.
The same day that the minivan was found, Patricia’s husband made another shocking discovery. Within his family’s second car, he found his wife’s pocketbook. Inside, there was a 15-page letter Patricia had penned herself.
Patricia reportedly claimed to love her husband and their children in the letters but that she thought their family would be better off without her.
She had reportedly battled depression in the past but never attempted to take her own life. It’s also crucial to note that Patricia did not mention that in the letters.
The Doe Network – pictured above is Patricia
Nonetheless, once an investigation into her disappearance was launched, authorities thought that Patricia had taken her own life. So, they began conducting searches on beaches in the surrounding area – looking for her remains.
Yet, even after employing helicopters and dive teams to carry out extensive searches in the regions of Cahoon Hollow and Newcomb Hollow, no evidence connected to Patricia’s case was ever found.
It was uncovered that when Patricia left her in-laws’ home on June 30, 1996, she’d left behind her purse, credit cards, identification, wedding ring, keys, and $12. So, after her disappearance, her credit cards and social security number were never used again.
In April of 1997, there were multiple possible sightings of Patricia in the area of Brockton, Massachusetts, but they remain unconfirmed.
Patricia’s husband reportedly stated that she’d been struggling with bouts of depression and had been hospitalized twice in the year leading up to her disappearance.
Her mental health struggles began after she was in a car accident and experienced head and back injuries two and a half years before she vanished.
But, while investigators think Patricia took her own life, her remains were never located, and her husband believes that she might have taken on another identity to begin a new life.
Still, the exact circumstances surrounding her disappearance remain unclear, and Patricia’s case has remained unsolved for over 28 years.
At the time she vanished, Patricia was five foot two, weighed 120 pounds, and had brown hair and green/hazel eyes. She was last seen wearing a grey sweatshirt and black pants.
If you have any information regarding her case, you are urged to contact the Massachusetts State Police at (508) 820-2300.
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