Charlotte Heimann was 27 years old, just months away from completing her PhD at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, when she disappeared on October 30, 1981. She has not been seen since.
A week before she went missing, Charlotte was admitted to the Rochester Psychiatric Center for evaluation following a drug overdose. She told hospital staff she was afraid of a man and knew the hospital would need to hold her for 72 hours, which she felt would keep her safe. On October 30, she was given a four-hour pass to leave the hospital and pay her rent at her apartment on Alexander Street. She told a nurse she was afraid to go home because the man she feared might be there.
Charlotte never returned from that pass. Authorities initially refused to take a missing persons report, and her mother wasn't able to file one until nearly a month later, on November 25, 1981. She has not accessed her bank account or her monthly disability payments since her disappearance.
Charlotte's granddaughter, Shyla Jump, has spent more than a decade independently investigating the case, including a recent trip to Rochester to search for new leads and meet with the Rochester Police Department's Major Crimes Unit. She has appeared on several podcasts to raise awareness of her grandmother's case.
Charlotte has a distinctive scar and pin in her right knee from a motorcycle accident, which caused a limp, and a noticeable gap between her front teeth. Her family has never stopped looking for answers.
How to report a tip:
Rochester Police Department, Major Crimes Unit: contact the department directly to reach investigators on Charlotte Heimann's case