I have investigated thousands of cases over the course of my career; however there are always a few cases that stand out. For me, the case that still haunts me is the disappearance of Steven B. You see, this is one of those cases I couldn’t solve. And because of this, I couldn’t help a mom find her son.
It all started on December 28, 1985 when Steven B left his home in Covington, KY. Steven headed to a local nightclub in neighboring Cincinnati. Steven had a few beers at the club, where he stayed until 2:00 AM. He headed to his rented vehicle (his own car had been stolen) only to return to the club momentarily because his battery was dead. Steven caught a ride home with a female friend who described his demeanor as “not being himself.” Steven kept looking behind, while seated in the vehicle, only to find that that there was police car following them. Steven appeared visibly upset, however he calmed down once the police cruiser turned off.
Steven was dropped off at home where he lived with his parents. Steven ran inside and went up to his room where he stayed for about five minutes. Steven came downstairs and told his mom that he was going out for a while and that someone was picking him up. That was last she saw of her 26 year old son.
The case came into our agency in 1996 after we had appeared on Oprah. We took the case thinking that some information could be unearthed and that maybe we could provide Steven’s mom with some closure. This meant finding him either dead or alive. The usual database searches were conducted and all leads led nowhere. Flyers were sent to the medical examiners in the neighboring states, asking that they check their “John Doe files” for a possible match. Only one response came in and the remains did not match Steven's. Interviews with friends, family, police, etc. provided few leads, and the case languished for years.
What stands out in this case is what we don’t know. We don’t know who picked Steven up that night. We don’t know why his scarf was found down by the river. We don’t know how his rented vehicle ended up blocks from the nightclub. We also don’t know why someone, by the name of Randall S, called three years after his disappearance. Randall S claimed he was calling from Knoxville, Tennessee, and that he had just seen Steven that morning. That collect call was not made from Tennessee but rather from Covington, Kentucky. The information that Randall S provided led nowhere, and there was no sign of Steven in Knoxville. Did Randall S really know where Steven was or was he just trying to get a piece of the reward?
Somebody out there knows what happened to Steven and the end of this story needs to be told. A detective is only as good as the clues available, and the clues don’t add up here. This is now considered a “cold case,” however I will always work any leads that come my way. I owe it to Steven but, more that that, I owe it to his mom, Vivian, who has kept searching for him throughout the years.
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Ann Flaherty is the owner of the R.D.D. Detective Agency and is a noted authority on missing persons, fraud, scams, and elder abuse. A licensed private investigator in the state of California with over 30 years' experience in the investigative field, Ms. Flaherty possesses a degree in Criminology, and has collaborated on many TV projects including Oprah, 20/20, Dateline, Hard Copy, and several cable shows.
Her website is http://www.ratdogdick.com.
Direct correspondence to Ann Flaherty, The R.D.D. Detective Agency, P.O. Box 981171, West Sacramento, CA 95798. (916) 372-8556
