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Rachael Runyan – 5 of Clubs, Utah

When Elaine Runyan called her three children in for lunch on August 26, 1982, from the playground right across the street from their home in Sunset, Utah, only two came running. When she asked her eldest son Nathan where his little sister Rachael was, he told her that she’d been taken away by a man in a blue car. One month later, in a discovery that shook the Sunset community to its core, little Rachael Runyan’s body was found floating in a stream about an hour outside of town. Despite two witnesses who could describe the suspect, an extensive investigation, and relentless efforts by the family, the case went cold and has stayed that way for over 40 years. That is, until 2019 when a new approach to the case surfaced a tip that changed everything. Investigators now have a suspect, and they are hopeful DNA evidence will be able to conclusively provide answers to the question the Runyan family has agonized over for decades: who killed their daughter?

5 of Clubs - Rachael Runyan

Courtesy of Utah Cold Case Coalition

Episode Info

If you have any information about the 1982 abduction and murder of Rachael Runyan please call the Sunset Police Department at (801) 825-1620.