Natasha Marie Shanes

• Missing Since 05/08/1985
• Missing From Jackson, Michigan
• Classification Non-Family Abduction
• Sex Female
• Race White
• Date of Birth 01/23/1979 (45)
• Age 6 years old
• Height and Weight 4'0, 57 pounds
• Clothing/Jewelry Description A large blue and white shirt with a safety pin on it, and blue jeans or a denim skirt.
• Medical Conditions Natasha suffers from epilepsy and a mild intellectual disability; she also has scoliosis. She has the mental age of a four-year-old at the time of her disappearance and needs to take the medication Depakote to prevent seizures; if she doesn't take it, she may lapse into a coma and die. She is allergic to some other types of epilepsy medication.
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Light brown/blonde hair, brown eyes. Natasha has a small scar on her forehead, a dog bite scar on her cheek, and a strawberry birthmark on the back of her neck at her hairline. She has fallen arches, or flat feet, and wears special shoes to correct the issue. Her ears are pierced. Natasha's nicknames are Tasha and Tashia. At the time of her disappearance, her hair was permed.

Details of Disappearance

Natasha was last seen asleep on the sofa in the living room of her family's home in the 900 block of Maple Avenue in Jackson, Michigan. Her mother awoke in the early morning hours of May 8, 1985 to the sound of a car door slamming outside. She fell back asleep and awoke again at 6:00 a.m.

Natasha's mother discovered that her daughter was missing from their residence at that time. One of the doors to their house was wide open and there was no trace of Natasha. She has never been heard from again. It is believed she either wandered away or was abducted between the hours of 1:30 and 6:00 a.m.

Natasha's mother's live-in boyfriend, Robert F. Forbes, was found shot to death near his own mother's house two days after Natasha disappeared. His death was ruled a suicide, but there is some suspicion that he was murdered. Forbes was a drug dealer and had served a prison sentence for trafficking heroin. Authorities do not believe his crimes or his death are necessarily related to Natasha's case, however.

At the time of Natasha's disappearance, she attended a special education school for children with disabilities. She cried often and had mood swings, and she enjoyed playing with makeup, singing, and playing with purses and shoes.

There have been no substantial leads in her case and an extensive search of the neighborhood turned up no sign of her. She is believed to be deceased. Her case remains unsolved.