Thill was last seen in Seward, Alaska on July 5, 1975. She lived on Lower Point Road, and her husband was away working on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. A friend gave her a ride into town and dropped her off at the bakery. Another friend saw her at the waterfall on Lowell Point Road between 1:30 and 2:00 p.m. She has never been heard from again.
Investigators believe the serial killer Robert Hansen may have been involved in Thill's case, as well as in the disappearances of Megan Emerick, Roxane Easland and Andrea Altiery. In 1984, he confessed to 17 murders and 30 rapes over the previous twelve years. He led authorities to the grave sites, but only twelve bodies were recovered.
A map in Hansen's home had marks on it matching the locations of his victims' bodies, but there were more than 17 marks on it, suggesting he had more victims then he admitted to. Most of the women he is known to have killed were prostitutes or exotic dancers.
Hansen admitted he was in Seward the day Thill disappeared, but denied any involvement in her case. Nevertheless, police believe she was one of his victims. He died in 2014, while serving 461 years to life in prison for his crimes. A photo of him is posted with this case summary.
It's uncharacteristic of Thill to leave without warning. Her husband was working at Alaska's North Slope at the time of her disappearance. Foul play is suspected in her case, which remains unsolved.
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