The Abduction

Please note: The following information was gathered primarily from two sources. A Denver Post Cold Case Blog and the book Closed Eyes by Jim Benish. Mr. Benish is a former Thornton police detective who investigated Tracy's case in 1993. A variety of news articles available on the internet also provided some information. 

Friday, March 16, 1984, was a typical weekday for the Neef family in the Denver suburb of Thornton. Tracy's mother Susan rose very early to do her job delivering papers, leaving about 3:30 that morning. She took her young son Gary Jr. with her. Her husband Gary Sr. was still sleeping. He worked construction in nearby Commerce City. Tracy sometimes accompanied her mother on the paper routes, but chose to sleep in that morning.

Susan returned around 6:30, dropped Gary Jr. off at home, and went back out to complete her paper deliveries. Gary Sr. readied Tracy for the school day and left for his job, presumably when Susan completed her deliveries. Tracy was dressed for that particular school day in jeans with a red and yellow belt, a t-shirt that read "I'm Not Looking For Trouble", and a jacket. 

Tracy was enrolled in Bertha Heid Elementary School in Thornton. Susan was running a bit late dropping Tracy off that morning, and the school grounds were empty by the time she pulled up on the north side of the school at about 8:15. Tracy got out and went through a gate or opening in the perimeter fence around the school. She was never seen alive again, except by her killer. 

It is thought that Tracy found the doors on the north end of the building were already locked due to her being about ten minutes late to school. She likely headed around to the southwest corner of the  school, assuming that the main entrance is in the same location then that it appears to be now. But she never made it to the doors and nobody inside the school saw her that morning. The school noted her missing that day but did not call the Neef residence. Remember, this was 1984. It was a very different time.

When Susan arrived at the school about 2:45 to pick Tracy up, she could not locate her daughter. Thinking she may have already begun to walk home, about 6 blocks away, Susan left the school and went home. Tracy was not there. Susan then drove back to the school and was told by Tracy's teacher that her daughter had never been in class that day.

Susan called her husband Gary to come back from work and the two searched their Thornton neighborhood in vain until about 4:00 p.m.

Tracy was gone.

Next Chapter: A Gruesome Discovery