Stuff You Should Know SYSK’s Fall True Crime Playlist: The Unsolved Indiana Dunes Disappearances
Sep 26, 2025
In July 1966, three women disappeared while enjoying a day at the beach, leaving behind a mystery that haunts the Indiana Dunes. Eyewitness accounts, disappearances of personal items, and delayed search efforts fueled speculation and theories. Some believe their ties to a criminal horse stable may explain their fate, while others suspect a staged disappearance. Various leads and sightings, including a distinctive boat, added to the intrigue. Despite years of searching, the case remains unsolved, igniting theories about drowning, abduction, or even foul play.
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Vanishing Without a Trace
- Three young women vanished from Indiana Dunes State Park on July 2, 1966 with no trace found afterward.
- Their belongings and car remained, suggesting they did not plan to leave the beach that day.
Last Beach Sighting
- The three women arrived early, set up near shore, and were last seen wading into the water around noon.
- A nearby teenage couple noticed them enter the water and later reported their belongings left on the beach.
Critical Early Delay
- Rangers collected the women's belongings and later found Patricia Blau's car in the lot, prompting a missing persons investigation.
- The delay of about 48 hours before a full search likely hindered recovery of evidence.