HALETHORPE, Md. — Baltimore County police are renewing efforts to generate leads in the unsolved disappearance of Michelle Rust, who vanished more than two decades ago while preparing for her young son’s birthday party.
Rust, 24 at the time, was last seen on July 20, 2002. She was reportedly getting ready for her 3-year-old son’s party when she disappeared from her home on Clarke Boulevard. While investigators initially believed she left to purchase party supplies, witness interviews later revealed no one saw her leave the house.
That same day, her green 1998 Dodge Caravan was discovered abandoned near Zion Avenue and Clyde Avenue in Lansdowne.
There has been no activity on her bank accounts and no confirmed sightings since that date. Police say foul play is strongly suspected in her disappearance.
Michelle Rust was known as a devoted mother and daughter, and family members insist she would not have left her child behind willingly.
The Baltimore County Police Department continues to ask the public for any information about Rust’s disappearance or her van’s movements on the morning she went missing. Tips can be submitted anonymously.
