Amy Mihaljevic.Photo:Cuyahoga County Prosecutorâs OfficeThe FactsIt was sometime around mid-October, 1989, when the phone rang at the Mihaljevic household and 10-year-old Amy answered. The unknown male caller told the fifth grader, who was home alone, that he needed help buying a gift for her mother, who had recently received a promotion at work. The man convinced Amy to meet him at the Village Square shopping center in the Cleveland suburb of Bay Village on Friday, Oct. 27.On that day, two classmates at the shopping center saw a white male in his 30s approach Amy before putting his hand on her shoulder and leading her through the parking lot. When she didn’t come home, her parents called the police. Her disappearance took on a new sense of urgency when investigators learned Amy may have received additional phone calls from the same unknown caller days earlier.The massive search for Amy, which was one of the largest in Ohio history, involved hundreds of federal, state, county and local law enforcement members. The search came to a sad end on February 8, 1990, when a jogger discovered Amy’s decomposing remains in a wheat field off a rural county road in Ashland County, about 50 miles from the shopping center.Investigators believed that Amy, who died from a stab wound to the left side of her neck, was dumped in the field days after her abduction.A thick olive green homemade curtain was discovered about 300 yards from Amy’s body.Cuyahoga County Prosecutorâs OfficeYears after her killing, authorities discovered that two more young girls received similar calls around the same time as Amy. “We don’t know if he was grooming anybody that would bite,” says Bay Village Police Department Sgt. Jay Elish about the suspect. “Or if it was somebody that may have met Amy. That’s one of the things we’ve been trying to determine for years.”Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.Adding to the mystery: All three girls were known to visit the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center. Amy’s case remains unsolved 34 years later.A drawing of Amy’s missing earrings and boots.Bay Village Police DepartmentKey CluesPolice believe the killer collected trophies from Amy. Her turquoise horse-head earrings, black ankle boots and a black leather binder with “Buick, Best in Class” written on the front clasp were missing.About 300 yards from her body, investigators found a white blanket and a thick olive-green curtain with her hair and her dog’s hair on it. The curtain, says Bay Village Police Sgt. Elish, is unique.“Somebody made it into a curtain,” he tells PEOPLE. “It’s definitely not factory-made, because the tabs on the top are not equal in size or distance. It’s like somebody took a giant quilt or cover that was on a bed of a hotel room and they made it into a curtain, crudely. We’ve always said it would be great to find out where this thing was before it was wrapped around Amy’s body. Was it in the bad guy’s house?”A sketch of the alleged killer.Cuyahoga County Prosecutorâs OfficeThe shopping center where Amy disappeared.Cuyahoga County Prosecutorâs OfficeYou Can HelpDespite numerous tips, dozens of suspects questioned and a $50,000 reward, “Nobody has risen to the level of, ‘Oh, that’s the guy that did this,” says Elish.But, Elish still holds out hope that the case will be solved. “It’s just one of these cases that we just can’t believe after 33 years, someone with direct information hasn’t come forward,” he says. “We want it solved to bring justice for the family, and for all the people along the way that investigated it. Everybody that touched this case, still to this day, the ones that are alive say that’s the one thing they wish they could see is the Amy Mihaljevic case solved.”Do you have information about this case? Contact the Bay Village Police at 440-871-1234 or email jelish@cityofbayvillage.com.
Amy Mihaljevic.Photo:Cuyahoga County Prosecutorâs Office
Cuyahoga County Prosecutorâs Office
The FactsIt was sometime around mid-October, 1989, when the phone rang at the Mihaljevic household and 10-year-old Amy answered. The unknown male caller told the fifth grader, who was home alone, that he needed help buying a gift for her mother, who had recently received a promotion at work. The man convinced Amy to meet him at the Village Square shopping center in the Cleveland suburb of Bay Village on Friday, Oct. 27.On that day, two classmates at the shopping center saw a white male in his 30s approach Amy before putting his hand on her shoulder and leading her through the parking lot. When she didn’t come home, her parents called the police. Her disappearance took on a new sense of urgency when investigators learned Amy may have received additional phone calls from the same unknown caller days earlier.The massive search for Amy, which was one of the largest in Ohio history, involved hundreds of federal, state, county and local law enforcement members. The search came to a sad end on February 8, 1990, when a jogger discovered Amy’s decomposing remains in a wheat field off a rural county road in Ashland County, about 50 miles from the shopping center.Investigators believed that Amy, who died from a stab wound to the left side of her neck, was dumped in the field days after her abduction.A thick olive green homemade curtain was discovered about 300 yards from Amy’s body.Cuyahoga County Prosecutorâs OfficeYears after her killing, authorities discovered that two more young girls received similar calls around the same time as Amy. “We don’t know if he was grooming anybody that would bite,” says Bay Village Police Department Sgt. Jay Elish about the suspect. “Or if it was somebody that may have met Amy. That’s one of the things we’ve been trying to determine for years.”Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.Adding to the mystery: All three girls were known to visit the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center. Amy’s case remains unsolved 34 years later.A drawing of Amy’s missing earrings and boots.Bay Village Police DepartmentKey CluesPolice believe the killer collected trophies from Amy. Her turquoise horse-head earrings, black ankle boots and a black leather binder with “Buick, Best in Class” written on the front clasp were missing.About 300 yards from her body, investigators found a white blanket and a thick olive-green curtain with her hair and her dog’s hair on it. The curtain, says Bay Village Police Sgt. Elish, is unique.“Somebody made it into a curtain,” he tells PEOPLE. “It’s definitely not factory-made, because the tabs on the top are not equal in size or distance. It’s like somebody took a giant quilt or cover that was on a bed of a hotel room and they made it into a curtain, crudely. We’ve always said it would be great to find out where this thing was before it was wrapped around Amy’s body. Was it in the bad guy’s house?”A sketch of the alleged killer.Cuyahoga County Prosecutorâs OfficeThe shopping center where Amy disappeared.Cuyahoga County Prosecutorâs OfficeYou Can HelpDespite numerous tips, dozens of suspects questioned and a $50,000 reward, “Nobody has risen to the level of, ‘Oh, that’s the guy that did this,” says Elish.But, Elish still holds out hope that the case will be solved. “It’s just one of these cases that we just can’t believe after 33 years, someone with direct information hasn’t come forward,” he says. “We want it solved to bring justice for the family, and for all the people along the way that investigated it. Everybody that touched this case, still to this day, the ones that are alive say that’s the one thing they wish they could see is the Amy Mihaljevic case solved.”Do you have information about this case? Contact the Bay Village Police at 440-871-1234 or email jelish@cityofbayvillage.com.
The Facts
It was sometime around mid-October, 1989, when the phone rang at the Mihaljevic household and 10-year-old Amy answered. The unknown male caller told the fifth grader, who was home alone, that he needed help buying a gift for her mother, who had recently received a promotion at work. The man convinced Amy to meet him at the Village Square shopping center in the Cleveland suburb of Bay Village on Friday, Oct. 27.
On that day, two classmates at the shopping center saw a white male in his 30s approach Amy before putting his hand on her shoulder and leading her through the parking lot. When she didn’t come home, her parents called the police. Her disappearance took on a new sense of urgency when investigators learned Amy may have received additional phone calls from the same unknown caller days earlier.
The massive search for Amy, which was one of the largest in Ohio history, involved hundreds of federal, state, county and local law enforcement members. The search came to a sad end on February 8, 1990, when a jogger discovered Amy’s decomposing remains in a wheat field off a rural county road in Ashland County, about 50 miles from the shopping center.
Investigators believed that Amy, who died from a stab wound to the left side of her neck, was dumped in the field days after her abduction.
A thick olive green homemade curtain was discovered about 300 yards from Amy’s body.Cuyahoga County Prosecutorâs Office
Years after her killing, authorities discovered that two more young girls received similar calls around the same time as Amy. “We don’t know if he was grooming anybody that would bite,” says Bay Village Police Department Sgt. Jay Elish about the suspect. “Or if it was somebody that may have met Amy. That’s one of the things we’ve been trying to determine for years.”
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Adding to the mystery: All three girls were known to visit the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center. Amy’s case remains unsolved 34 years later.
A drawing of Amy’s missing earrings and boots.Bay Village Police Department
Bay Village Police Department
Key Clues
Police believe the killer collected trophies from Amy. Her turquoise horse-head earrings, black ankle boots and a black leather binder with “Buick, Best in Class” written on the front clasp were missing.
About 300 yards from her body, investigators found a white blanket and a thick olive-green curtain with her hair and her dog’s hair on it. The curtain, says Bay Village Police Sgt. Elish, is unique.
“Somebody made it into a curtain,” he tells PEOPLE. “It’s definitely not factory-made, because the tabs on the top are not equal in size or distance. It’s like somebody took a giant quilt or cover that was on a bed of a hotel room and they made it into a curtain, crudely. We’ve always said it would be great to find out where this thing was before it was wrapped around Amy’s body. Was it in the bad guy’s house?”
A sketch of the alleged killer.Cuyahoga County Prosecutorâs Office
The shopping center where Amy disappeared.Cuyahoga County Prosecutorâs Office
You Can Help
Despite numerous tips, dozens of suspects questioned and a $50,000 reward, “Nobody has risen to the level of, ‘Oh, that’s the guy that did this,” says Elish.
But, Elish still holds out hope that the case will be solved. “It’s just one of these cases that we just can’t believe after 33 years, someone with direct information hasn’t come forward,” he says. “We want it solved to bring justice for the family, and for all the people along the way that investigated it. Everybody that touched this case, still to this day, the ones that are alive say that’s the one thing they wish they could see is the Amy Mihaljevic case solved.”
Do you have information about this case? Contact the Bay Village Police at 440-871-1234 or email jelish@cityofbayvillage.com.
source: people.com
