The Day Before Halloween In 1998, This Alabama Teen Left To Buy Candy And Soda But Was Never Seen Or Heard From Again
Kimberly Arlington, a 16-year-old from Montgomery, Alabama, was known by loved ones as a happy teen who didn’t exhibit any rebellious behavior.
Yet, the day right before Halloween in 1998, she vanished, and the exact circumstances surrounding her disappearance have remained a mystery ever since.
That day, October 30, 1998, Kimberly was at home in the late afternoon and headed out sometime between 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. with plans to visit a CVS pharmacy. She reportedly wanted to buy some candy and a soda from the store, which was located on the corner of Third Street and Forest Avenue.
Despite the CVS being close to her home, though, Kimberly never made it back. And when Kimberly’s parents realized that she hadn’t returned an hour later, they began searching for her.
Kimberly’s parents spent a few hours looking for their daughter, and it was never able to be determined whether their daughter actually made it to CVS or not. After finding no clues regarding her whereabouts, they contacted authorities and reported Kimerbly missing.
Given her age, authorities initially treated her case as a runaway – even though there was no evidence suggesting Kimberly had left on her own.
On the contrary, Kimberly – who was in tenth grade at Jefferson Davis High School – was known to be a kind and friendly teen. She enjoyed dancing, music, and computers, and amidst the holiday season, Kimberly had been planning her Christmas shopping for her family.
Nothing seemed wrong leading up to Kimberly’s disappearance, so her family believes that she wouldn’t have just run away.
Investigators eventually changed their theory regarding Kimberly’s case, now suspecting that she might have been abducted during her visit to CVS.
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children – pictured above is Kimberly
However, there are still no concrete leads in Kimberly’s disappearance, and her case remains unsolved over 25 years later.
Kimberly’s sister, Jennifer Arrington Youngblood, was just 14-years-old when her sister vanished. Jennifer believes that her sister may have been a victim of human trafficking and could be living elsewhere now. In honor of her sister, Jennifer also named her daughter Kimberly.
Kimberly’s mother sadly passed away in 2005 without ever learning what happened to her daughter.
At the time Kimberly went missing, she was between five foot two and five foot four, weighed 110 pounds, and had black hair and brown eyes.
She was last seen wearing light blue Levi jeans, a grey Bugle Boy shirt with a collar, and white Reebok tennis shoes.
Kimberly also had both of her ears pierced, had a small surgical scar on her abdomen’s left side, and reportedly suffered from severe allergies.
Kimberly would be 42 years old today. If you have any information regarding her disappearance or whereabouts, you are urged to contact the Montgomery Police Department at (334) 241-2651 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at (800) THE-LOST.
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