In the early morning hours of July 15, 1999, a 12-year-old girl named Heather Kullorn disappeared while babysitting at an apartment complex in Richmond Heights, Missouri.
She had been staying with friends of the family, Dana Madden and Christopher Herbert, for about a week and babysitting their two-month-old baby.
On the day Heather went missing, Dana was working the night shift at a convenience store, and Christopher was not home. He claimed to have been at a party, but his actual whereabouts have never been confirmed, and his story has changed multiple times.
Christopher returned home from partying at around 4 a.m. on July 15. He found his two-month-old daughter crying alone. Heather was not there.
He called Dana at work, and they argued briefly before hanging up the phone. He immediately called the police.
The police arrived at 5 a.m. There were no signs of forced entry into the apartment. Significant traces of blood were detected on the couch, and DNA tests later confirmed that the blood belonged to Heather. A white comforter with a floral design was also missing from the couple’s apartment.
When the police began interviewing neighbors, several people reported hearing a baby screaming throughout the night.
One neighbor, who had been outside walking their dog, saw an unidentified man carrying a child out of the apartment at approximately 2 a.m. The child was about Heather’s size and age and had been partially wrapped in a blanket.
Authorities suspected foul play right away. They believe that Heather was not the victim of random violence. She had met her attacker before, and the attacker most likely knew her mother or the family friends she was staying with.
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While searching Dana and Christopher’s apartment, the police found drug paraphernalia and evidence of a methamphetamine manufacturing lab.
The apartment complex also had a reputation for being a partying hotspot. The investigation turned toward a methamphetamine ring in Missouri.
Investigators think that Heather may have witnessed illegal drug activity at the apartment and was abducted and murdered as a result. A massive search was launched the week of her abduction.
Authorities dredged parts of the Mississippi River after a neighbor reported that his tow chains had been stolen from his truck on the night of Heather’s disappearance. It was theorized that Heather’s body could have been weighed down by tow chains. However, nothing was ever found.
In April 2000, nine months after Heather vanished, her mother, Christine, had a verbal confrontation with Dana during her shift at a convenience store. Christine was arrested after arguing and threatening Dana.
She accused Dana of knowing more about her daughter’s disappearance than they were telling police. In 2017, Christine passed away at the age of 52 without learning what happened to Heather.
At the time of her disappearance, Heather Kullorn was 4’10” and weighed 87 pounds. She has light brown hair and hazel eyes. She was last seen wearing green plaid shorts and a dark blue cut-off T-shirt with an emblem on it. She has multiple ear piercings and had shaved her eyebrows prior to her disappearance.
Heather is also diabetic and requires daily shots of insulin to regulate her condition. She must test her blood sugar four times a day. If she does not have her insulin, she will eventually fall into a diabetic coma.
Anyone with information regarding Heather’s case is urged to contact the Richmond Heights Police Department at 314-655-3610.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
