PALATINE, IL — More than 36 years after Laura Ann Johnson disappeared, investigators are again asking the public for information that could help solve the case.
Johnson was 24 when she vanished in the early morning hours of May 5, 1990. The Cook County Sheriff's Office resurfaced her case Monday through its Missing Persons Project, which highlights long-unresolved disappearances and seeks new information from the public.
Both the Cook County Sheriff's Office and FBI list Palatine as Johnson's missing-person location, though retrospective reporting indicates her last confirmed sighting was in Arlington Heights.
Johnson's husband dropped her off around 10:30 p.m. May 4, at the Billy Club in downtown Arlington Heights, according to retrospective reporting by the Daily Herald.
Employees at the Billy Club knew Johnson and later told investigators she left the bar around closing time with a group of people they did not recognize. That remains her last confirmed sighting.
The Billy Club was located at 1 N. Vail Ave. in downtown Arlington Heights. The building later became Harry's of Arlington and today houses Cortland's Garage.
The Palatine portion of Johnson's disappearance emerged after she vanished.
About a week later, two people contacted police and said they believed they had seen Johnson at the Hob Nob in Palatine during the early morning hours of May 5. The witnesses said they had danced with her and believed she left the bar with an unidentified man.
Investigators were never able to independently confirm that Johnson was at the Hob Nob.
Witnesses described the man as being in his mid-20s, with dark hair and a mustache. He reportedly spoke with a Southern accent and said he was a truck driver from Memphis, Tennessee.
The Hob Nob operated at 10 N. Northwest Highway in Palatine. The location had previously been Brandt's Little Cafe and later the Pickwick House before becoming the Hob Nob Restaurant.
Johnson had some cash with her that night but had left her purse at home.
Johnson was 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighed about 120 pounds when she disappeared. She had blond or strawberry-blond hair and brown eyes.
Investigators have also noted several identifying features, including a scar on her left forearm and multiple tattoos.
Johnson was the mother of two young daughters at the time of her disappearance. The Charley Project says one was a toddler and the other an infant.
Her disappearance remains unsolved.
This story is part of Patch's Still Missing series, revisiting long-unsolved missing-person cases in hopes that renewed attention may generate information for investigators.
The series draws from cases maintained by local police departments, the Cook County Sheriff's Office, the FBI, and other missing-person resources, while directing readers to the agencies still seeking information.
Anyone with information about Johnson's disappearance can view her case and contact investigators through the Cook County Sheriff's Office Missing Persons Project.
Johnson's disappearance is also listed through the FBI's Violent Criminal Apprehension Program. Information can be submitted through the FBI's online tip system or to a local FBI office.
The Charley Project's Laura Ann Johnson case page lists the Arlington Heights Police Department as the investigating agency and provides additional background on the disappearance.
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