Three women. One beach. A summer mystery that still haunts Lake Michigan.

Date: July 2, 1966
Location: Indiana Dunes State Park, Porter County, Indiana
Missing: Ann Miller (21), Patricia Blough (19), Renee Bruhl (19)

The Disappearance

It was a warm, sunny Saturday before the Fourth of July weekend when three young women Ann Miller, Patricia Blough, and Renee Bruhl left their homes in the suburbs of Chicago for a day trip to Indiana Dunes State Park along Lake Michigan. 

The women arrived early, around 10:00 a.m., and parked Ann’s 1955 Buick in the lot.

Witnesses saw the three sunbathing and relaxing on the beach, their items towels, bags, and personal belongings left neatly arranged. 

Around noon, several beachgoers saw the women talking to a man on a boat about 100–200 yards offshore. 

Reports suggest the boat was white, possibly a 16–18 foot runabout with an outboard motor. 

Some say the women swam out to the boat and boarded it willingly.

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By evening, when they hadn’t returned, the women were reported missing. 

Their belongings remained untouched on the beach. There was no sign of a struggle, and the parked car hadn’t moved.

The Investigation

Authorities launched one of the largest manhunts in Indiana history. 

Helicopters, divers, and boats searched Lake Michigan, but no trace of the boat or the women was ever found. 

Police interviewed more than 100 people and followed leads from across the country.

The case quickly drew media attention. Speculation ranged from accidental drowning to a staged disappearance to abduction. 

The FBI and Coast Guard assisted in the case, but the lack of evidence made every theory speculative.

Several witnesses gave conflicting descriptions of the boat and its driver, ranging from a young man in his 20s to a middle-aged man wearing a shirt and sunglasses. 

One man claimed to see the women struggling on the boat; another saw them laughing and smiling. The contradictions only deepened the mystery.

Theories

• Accidental drowning: This was one of the first theories. However, no bodies were ever recovered, which is highly unusual given the lake’s conditions and the shallow areas near shore.
• Voluntary disappearance: Some speculated the women staged their own disappearance, possibly to escape personal problems. But they left behind money, identification, and plans for the evening.
• Abduction or foul play: The most chilling theory. Could the man on the boat have taken them to a second location, or harmed them once offshore? No suspects were ever arrested.

Aftermath

In the decades since their disappearance, no credible leads have surfaced. 

The women’s families held out hope for years, though most now presume them deceased.

Despite continued public interest, the Indiana Dunes disappearance remains one of the most baffling cold cases in the Midwest. 

With no bodies, no boat, and no arrests, it’s as if the women simply vanished into thin air.

What do you think happened?

Thanks for reading