Catherine A. Parisi

• Missing Since 04/18/1997
• Missing From Cleveland, Ohio
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Female
• Race White
• Date of Birth 06/25/1971 (53)
• Age 25 years old
• Height and Weight 5'9, 140 pounds
• Clothing/Jewelry Description A black leather jacket, a gray button-down sweater and blue jeans.
• Associated Vehicle(s) 1991 Chevrolet Lumina (accounted for)
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, brown eyes. Parisi's nickname is Cathy. Her ears are pierced.

Details of Disappearance

Parisi was last seen in the 9200 block of Clifton Boulevard in Cleveland, Ohio on April 18, 1997. She worked as a professional escort and that night went to an address in Parma, Ohio. At 6:30 p.m., she called the escort service she worked for and said no one had answered the door at the designated address. She has never been heard from again.

The next day, her 1991 Chevrolet Lumina was found in the parking lot of a shopping center on Pearl Road off Interstate 480, with her keys inside and $350 in cash in the console. Authorities traced the phone her prospective client used; it was a pay phone at a Cleveland donut shop.

Parisi had worked as an escort for seven years. In January 1997, a few months before her disappearance, she was violently attacked by one of her clients: a convicted drug trafficker allegedly robbed her at gunpoint and tried to kill her by putting a plastic bag over her head. She survived and her assailant was indicted for attempted murder, aggravated robbery and felonious assault.

At the time of Parisi's disappearance, this person was out on bail awaiting trial. It's unclear whether he had anything to do with her disappearance, however; police could find no evidence that he was involved.

In April 2024, almost thirty years after Parisi's disappearance, Michael Bukowski was indicted for involuntary manslaughter, felonious assault, abduction, tampering with evidence and gross abuse of a corpse. He was one of Parisi's clients and lived just down the road from her home. The indictment was sealed until January 2025, when Bukowski was arrested. A photo of him is posted with this case summary.

Parisi left behind a live-in boyfriend and two young daughters. She was attending a fashion design school at the time of her disappearance and hoped to be able to give up escort work and become a fashion buyer upon graduation. Foul play is suspected in her case due to the circumstances involved, but her body has not been found.