Time Was Wasted Thinking That Barbara Cotton Was A Run Away, Now It Is Believed That She Was Abducted.

Barbara Louise Cotton

She was a very beautiful, sweet girl. She was shy to those she didn't know, but fun and full of laughter with those she did.

Barbara was born on November 10th, 1965 in North Dakota. 

She was 15-years old and worked part time at the Country Kitchen restaurant in 1981, and attended Williston High School. Barbara was last seen leaving a restaurant on Main Street in her hometown of Williston, North Dakota during the evening hours of April 11th. She had dinner there with her mother and her boyfriend. Her boyfriend offered to accompany her home afterwards, but she declined and left the restaurant alone. Her boyfriend saw her walk from the Plainsman building to Reclamation Park where she had five blocks left to her home. Her path home that night would have led her on Main Street up Fifth Street and Sixth Avenue West.

Barbara never arrived at her destination and has never been heard from again. She did not take her clothes, eyeglasses, cigarettes, money, or any other personal belongings with her when she disappeared. She also left behind a paycheck from work. Her younger brother stated he was very close to Barbara and she never told him of any plans to leave home.

Sandy Evanson, then 17 years old, was a childhood friend of Barbara's and remembers the night she went missing. Evanson thought that there was no way Cotton had run away, since she left her money, cigarettes and clothing at home.

Evanson recalled that Barbara's mother called late that night wondering if Evanson had heard from Barbara. Her mother told Evanson that after having dinner with Barbara and her boyfriend, the mother left. Her boyfriend had offered to walk Barbara home, but she declined and walked home alone.

The next day, Cotton's sister Kathy and brother Kent walked the path Cotton would have taken home, looking for clues and asking residents who lived on those streets if they had heard or seen anything.

Barbara was originally investigated as a runaway case and a missing persons report was not filed for several days as a result.

Authorities now believe that she may have been abducted, but the prime suspect in her disappearance, a former boyfriend of Barbara's, is now deceased. Her case is considered open and unsolved.

At the time of her disappearance, Barbara was 5'2" tall, 100 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes. She was last seen wearing a blouse, jeans and loafers. Barbara's ears were pierced, and her left ear was slightly lower than her right ear. She had a dark brown mole on the upper right side of her chest. Barbara had a pronounced "S" curve in her spine, which caused her to walk with a slight limp. She smoked cigarettes in 1981. Barbara wore eyeglasses, but left hers behind when she disappeared. Her teeth were in excellent condition at the time of her disappearance.

Those with information are urged to call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 or the Williston Police Department Missing Persons Unit at 701-577-1212.