In 2014, This Virginia Woman Mysteriously Vanished After Getting Into A “Minor” Argument With Her Husband: Two Days Later, Her Abandoned Car Was Found Nearly 20 Miles Away
In 2014, Janet Renne Field lived with her husband, Lewis, in Virginia. The 49-year-old was known among loved ones as an intelligent, altruistic, and kind person who was also extremely private– preferring to spend much of her time on her 22-acre property.
Still, Janet did routinely keep in touch with her family members– especially her parents, who she called on the phone at least once a week.
But, on July 2, 2014, she wound up leaving her house following a disagreement with her husband and mysteriously vanished.
In the days leading up to Janet’s disappearance, everything appeared normal. On June 29, 2014, she and her husband visited Richmond, Virginia, for a shopping trip. Then, the following day, Janet caught up with her parents on the phone as usual.
It was not until July 2 that things went awry. That day, at about 1:00 p.m., Janet and Lewis reportedly had a “minor” argument. What exactly the fight was about has remained unclear.
Nonetheless, it pushed Janet to leave her home in her burgundy 2010 Subaru Forester– which was extremely uncharacteristic.
“She was always a very private person. She only talked to a few people. She didn’t leave the house a whole lot,” explained Janet’s cousin, Bridget Cooper-Whorley.
“I just cannot see her up and leaving and not letting her family know what was going on.”
Lewis eventually realized that his wife never returned home on the evening of their argument. So, he contacted Janet’s parents, wondering whether she had traveled to their home.
Fluvanna County Sheriff – pictured above is Janet
After Janet’s parents revealed that was not the case, though, Lewis became concerned and visited the Fluvanna County Sheriff’s Office to report his wife missing.
Two days after the missing person report was filed, Janet’s car was then found at a Park & Ride in Zion Crossroads, Virginia– located almost 20 miles away from her house.
“To me, with Renee being such a private person, I can’t even understand why her car would have been at that Park & Ride where her car was found,” Bridget said.
Upon searching the car, investigators discovered the 49-year-old’s cell phone, purse, and car keys still inside the vehicle. But no money or credits were located.
And at first, authorities did consider testing the vehicle for DNA evidence. But, they soon determined that Janet and her husband Lewis’ DNA would likely be throughout the car. So, the testing was deemed unnecessary.
Investigators did learn about Janet’s argument with Lewis, though. They also heard about the quiet and private lifestyle the 49-year-old led.
This pushed them to immediately launch searches using bloodhounds and cadaver dogs at both Janet’s home and the region where her vehicle was discovered. But, no evidence was ever uncovered during these efforts.
Authorities also turned to Lewis as a possible suspect, but the results were reportedly inconclusive.
“Obviously, in any case where a wife goes missing, statistically, people always look at the husband first,” detailed Captain David Wells of the Fluvanna County Sheriff’s Office.
“We have interviewed the husband in-depth on some things and are not 100% satisfied with some of his answers. He’s a very flat person, so he’s difficult to get a read on.”
Lewis also underwent a polygraph examination, and the results revealed “indicators of deception.” Afterward, investigators learned he had once had an affair with an unidentified woman from Texas– although they ultimately determined the woman had not been involved in Janet’s disappearance.
So, it has now been over 8 years since Janet mysteriously vanished, and her case has remained cold.
According to Captain Wells, though, he has not given up the search for answers.
“There is a big box with all of the information on the case, and I often look through it to see what I may have missed and have other officers look through it to get some fresh eyes on it. We’ve had state police look over it, too,” he revealed.
“It’s sad because her mother died shortly after this happened. We’d really like to solve it for the family.”
Still, no one has ever been officially named a person of interest or suspect in the case, and investigators have received a lackluster amount of leads.
At the time of her disappearance, Janet was five foot seven, weighed between 130 and 160 pounds, and had blonde hair. If you have any information regarding her disappearance or whereabouts, you are urged to contact the Fluvanna County Sheriff’s Office at (434) 589-8211.
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