Missing Amy Sue Pagnac

The forebears of a thirteen-year-old girl who vanished a quarter-century ago now express jubilation at the initiation of a police inquiry at their domicile in pursuit of further evidence. They articulate their satisfaction, emphasizing their relief that their daughter's case is now garnering a surge of attention.

Amy Sue Pagnac disappeared in 1989 from a service station in Osseo, Minnesota, while her father, Marshall Midden, attended to his needs in the restroom. The cold-case disappearance of Amy was reopened last Sunday, as investigators commenced a search of her childhood abode in Maple Grove. While the parents were asked to leave the premises, they were not officially designated as suspects. During a press conference on Monday, Police Captain Keith Terlinden asserted that the investigation was expected to continue until at least Friday. While investigators meticulously examine the residence and its surroundings, Amy's parents have sought refuge in the garage of another daughter's residence.

Echoing her sentiments, Amy's mother, Susan Pagnac, conveyed to MailOnline, "I am thrilled that so much attention has finally been placed on Amy. I am hoping this will finally bring her home." Mrs. Pagnac disclosed that investigators appeared on Tuesday, instructing her and her spouse to vacate for about a week without providing any elucidation for the renewed search. Speculating that meddlesome neighbors might be responsible for this resurgence, she said, "I hear a couple of our neighbors, who have harbored animosity towards us for years, are gossiping and disseminating the notion that we extensively landscaped our property after Amy disappeared. Perhaps that is linked to the current developments."

Mrs. Pagnac emphasized, "What they obviously forgot to add is that the work we undertook was in 1993, and Amy went missing in 1989! But for whatever reason, I am very happy they are still looking for my little girl. Nevertheless, I will also be pleased when this investigation into our home and family concludes so these people will have to desist from baseless accusations. We love Amy and would never do anything to harm her."

Recollecting the day Amy disappeared, Mrs. Pagnac recounted that her husband stopped at the gas station to attend to his affairs. Upon emerging from the restroom, Amy was nowhere to be found. Assuming she had gone to use the bathroom, he initially remained unperturbed. However, when a stranger emerged instead of his daughter, Mr. Midden began to fret. A search of the gas station ensued, but Amy had seemingly vanished into thin air.

Her husband, increasingly concerned, called home to check if Amy had returned, only to find she had not. Subsequently alerting the police, they were directed to return home for a joint interview. Ms. Pagnac stated, "The police began looking for her, but there were no witnesses, no calls, nothing. The police persisted in suspecting us because they claimed we were the last ones seen with Amy, which is patently untrue."

Over the years, the parents received information instilling hope that Amy may still be alive. A woman who had grown up with Amy disclosed years ago that she had seen her "in one of these places—stripping and prostituting." Reflecting on the choice of the name "Pagnac," Ms. Pagnac queried, "How many people would choose the name Pagnac?"

However, the narrative that resonated most with Amy's parents originated from a private investigator in 1990. The investigator asserted that Amy had fallen victim to a sex-trafficking ring, but by the time law enforcement intervened, the ring had already relocated. Questions persist about Amy's health at the time of her disappearance, given her struggles with migraines and a previous seizure.

"We had been taking her to the doctor to ascertain the cause of her health problems, but had not received a diagnosis yet. Tests were ongoing when she vanished. Amy was also exhibiting signs of bipolar disorder and fetal brain tumor symptoms, although the doctors ruled out the presence of a tumor, for which we are grateful. Nevertheless, they remained uncertain about the nature of her ailment."

Despite Amy's health challenges, the parents dismiss the notion that she would willingly disappear for a quarter-century. Describing Amy as a gentle and amiable child, her mother affirmed, "Amy's age-enhanced picture from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is on their website. I hope all of the heartache finally ends, and we discover what happened to my daughter."

Amy Sue Pagnac spent the day assisting her father in harvesting fruit and vegetables from a farm they owned in Isanti County, Minnesota, on August 5, 1989. Normally, Amy’s mother and younger sister would have accompanied them to assist with the harvest, but they had other engagements on this particular day. Amy and her father, Marshall Midden, arrived at the farm around noon and spent approximately five hours there before departing for their Maple Grove, Minnesota, residence at 5:00 pm.

They were merely two miles from home when Marshall decided to halt at the Holiday gas station in Osseo to utilize the restroom while Amy waited in his car. Upon his return a few minutes later, the 13-year-old had vanished. Assuming she had needed to use the ladies’ room, Marshall awaited her outside the door. Though an older woman was present in the single-person ladies’ room, Amy was nowhere to be found.

Marshall spent approximately 10 minutes scouring the area surrounding the gas station, but no one recalled seeing Amy exit the car. Perplexed, Marshall then telephoned his wife from a payphone outside the gas station and informed her that he couldn’t locate Amy. He speculated that perhaps she had grown tired of waiting for him and opted to walk home, but Susan Pagnac had not seen her, and it was improbable that Amy could have traversed the distance to their house in such a brief period. Marshall drove home slowly, hoping to catch sight of his daughter en route; however, upon arrival at the house, there was still no trace of Amy. He and Susan promptly contacted the police.

Maple Grove police officer Jeff Garland was dispatched to their home to receive a missing person report; he arrived at 5:45 pm. It wasn’t the first instance he had responded to a call from Amy’s parents; he had already visited several times that summer. According to Jeff, Amy was a frequent runaway, and her parents had grown exasperated with her behavior. Marshall and Susan had previously apprised the officer that Amy was unruly, and they suspected that she would abscond to indulge in alcohol and intimate encounters.

The couple informed Garland that Amy had a medical condition resulting in pressure on her brain and was susceptible to seizures. They also mentioned that she might be bipolar, though she had never received a formal diagnosis and was not prescribed any medication. Susan fretted that Amy might have suffered a seizure while waiting for her father. Amy frequently experienced disorientation following seizures; this could have led her to wander away from her father’s vehicle.

Due to the brevity of Amy's sighting by Marshall, the police were skeptical that a seizure had caused her disappearance. Amy had previously gone missing three times that summer and had run away from home on three occasions, returning each

 time on her own. Consequently, the police surmised that Amy had once again run away; thus, her disappearance was treated as that of a juvenile runaway, and no extensive investigation ensued.

As weeks passed without any sign of Amy, the police seemed to reconsider their initial theory that she had run away. In 1990, they interviewed individuals acquainted with Amy and searched her home, yet her whereabouts remained unknown. Missing Children Minnesota became aware of Amy’s case and aided in disseminating information about her disappearance. While there were a few purported sightings of Amy, the police were unable to verify any of them.

The search for Amy’s remains was promptly halted, and it would not resume for decades. Local news outlets had not picked up on her case, and it appeared that Susan and Marshall were the sole individuals actively seeking Amy. However, unbeknownst to the public, law enforcement continued to investigate her case clandestinely. When the 25th anniversary of Amy’s disappearance approached in May 2014, the Maple Grove Police Department took a step that catapulted her case into the spotlight for the first time.

Police obtained a search warrant for Marshall and Susan’s Maple Grove residence in May 2014, though they divulged scant information about the investigation. For a week, the couple had to relocate as police swarmed the property. Excavation of the backyard commenced without delay.

Amy’s parents stated that they would have consented to the police conducting a search of the property without a warrant; nevertheless, they found the situation perplexing. The police refrained from confirming whether they suspected Amy’s parents of involvement in her disappearance, but Susan asserted their innocence, expressing gratitude that the police were finally taking Amy’s case seriously, albeit without comprehending why they were focusing on their property.

Media outlets seized upon the execution of the search warrant, thrusting Amy’s case into the limelight for the first time. Reporters delved into the circumstances surrounding Amy’s disappearance, posing numerous inquiries to the police. Though officials remained reticent, they disclosed that no one had witnessed Amy at the Holiday gas station on the day of her disappearance. Detectives failed to corroborate that the teenager had even been present at the gas station and implored anyone possessing information about the case to come forward.

Residents of the neighborhood were aghast at the sight of police excavating Marshall and Susan’s backyard, with many presuming that she had been abducted by a stranger. Some speculated that the police were focusing on the family due to the absence of other suspects, inferring that insufficient efforts had been made to investigate the case when Amy initially disappeared.

The property underwent a week-long search by police in pursuit of clues regarding Amy’s whereabouts. If any discoveries were made, they were not disclosed, and no arrests were made. Susan remarked that it appeared the police had confiscated some paperwork from the residence, though it remained unclear how this pertained to Amy’s disappearance.

The subsequent month, police scoured the family’s 140-acre farm in Isanti County for four days. They provided no information regarding their objectives or the rationale behind the search. Officials admitted they had no leads regarding the individual responsible for Amy’s disappearance, and the search constituted another step in their efforts to locate her.

Subsequently, Susan and Marshall informed reporters that they had been the primary suspects for years, though they vehemently maintained their innocence. Susan surmised that Amy had likely fallen victim to sex trafficking. Rumors had circulated years prior alleging that Amy had been sighted engaging in stripping or prostitution; however, the police possessed no direct evidence substantiating these claims.

Amy’s case gradually faded from public attention, yet she remains missing. Detectives profess uncertainty regarding Amy’s fate, lacking evidence of foul play. They persist in clinging to the hope that Amy is still alive.

Amy’s disappearance has fueled speculation among amateur investigators. Some posit that Amy exited her father’s vehicle, perhaps following a seizure, and was abducted by an unknown individual. They censure law enforcement for their lackadaisical response when Amy was initially reported missing, a sentiment even shared by some officials who acknowledge that the initial law enforcement response was inadequate. Had the case been treated with greater urgency, potential witnesses who saw Amy at the gas station that day might have been identified. At the time, there was no effort made to ascertain whether surveillance cameras were installed at the gas station—a negligence that could have impeded the investigation.

Others entertain the notion of the parents' involvement; many question Marshall’s decision to stop at a restroom merely two miles from home. They highlight the numerous occasions police were summoned to the residence, suggesting discord between Amy and her parents that might have culminated in violence.

It is also conceivable that Amy elected to flee from home, only to encounter peril at some juncture thereafter. Her friends have noted instances of bullying at school and her expressed desire to run away. While the likelihood of a 13-year-old surviving on her own is slim, the possibility remains that Amy is out there somewhere, living a life of anonymity and contentment.

Amy Sue Pagnac was thirteen years old when she vanished in 1989. Possessing blue eyes and brown hair, she stood at 5 feet tall and weighed 100 pounds at the time of her disappearance. She was last seen clad in a light-colored T-shirt, sweatpants, and sneakers, bearing scars on her left cheek, left eyelid, and the side of her nose. She may suffer from seizures or migraines. If you possess any information regarding Amy, please contact the Maple Grove Police Department at 612–494–6114.