When someone disappears without a trace, the world typically panics. Unfortunately, people tend to forget about these cases as time goes on. But for those who are close to the missing person, the search never stops.
One missing person that most of the world has sadly forgotten about is 18-year-old California native Cynthia “Cindy” Hernandez.
In August of 1976, the movie The Omen had just opened in theaters and Hernandez (pictured below) wanted to check it out.
She first called her boyfriend to join her, but he had other plans. Then she called her best friend, who also declined her invitation. Not wanting to miss out on the summer blockbuster, Hernandez decided to see the film on her own at the Fox Twin Theater in the nearby town of Azusa.
She left with enough time to spare before the previews, and that was the last time anyone saw her.
After she didn’t return home, Hernandez’s parents found her white 1963 Chevy station wagon parked behind the theater.
But there was something odd about it. The car had been backed into the space, which is something that Hernandez never did.
Police thoroughly worked the case and came up empty handed. Within a few months, the case had gone cold.
So what happened to Hernandez?
The prevailing opinion about the fate of Hernandez is that she was kidnapped and killed by a sexual predator operating in the area. Judging by the time frame, it’s possible that her murderer may have been convicted killer Manuel Trinidad Cortez, who is currently serving out a life sentence in Oregon. During the mid-1970s, Cortez was living in Southern California. He would have been more than capable of killing an innocent 18-year-old girl.
(via: Reddit)
This is just horribly tragic. I can’t even imagine the pain and grief that Hernandez’s parents had to go through when this happened.