She Vanished After Reportedly Planning To Go On Vacation With Her Married Coworker In 2001
In 2001, 29-year-old Patricia Adkins and her 7-year-old daughter lived together in Marysville, Ohio.
She and her ex-husband got divorced years prior, but they maintained an amicable relationship for their daughter.
Patricia had worked as a second-shift assembly line supervisor at the Honda of America automotive plant, located in Marysville, for 10 years and was reportedly up for a promotion.
At the same time, she’d reportedly been in an on-and-off relationship with one of her coworkers for years.
Patricia’s coworker was already married, but she reportedly told friends that he intended to leave his wife and be with her instead.
So, for three years, Patricia reportedly tried to help her coworker leave his wife. She allegedly gave him about $90,000 from her retirement account, savings, and loans since he claimed that, in order to separate from his wife, he needed enough money to buy out of a joint side business he and his wife had started together.
However, in late June 2001, Patricia vanished after supposedly leaving for a trip with her coworker – leaving her 7-year-old daughter behind and never returning home again.
That year, her employer – the Honda of America automotive plant – planned to have a “shutdown week” beginning after June 29 so employees could enjoy a vacation and celebrate the 4th of July.
So, Patricia reportedly told her loved ones that she would be going on a vacation with her coworker – possibly to a cabin in Canada – that week after finishing work on June 29.
Facebook – pictured above is Patricia
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She also claimed that there would be no cell service once she arrived and arranged for her daughter to be watched by her sister. Patricia reportedly said she’d pick up her daughter by July 8, 2001.
On the morning of June 29, Patricia prepared for her vacation by bringing her golden retriever and cats to a local kennel. Then, she got a ride to work and clocked in at 3:06 p.m. before working her entire shift.
Patricia later clocked out just after 12:00 a.m. and walked to the parking lot to meet up with her coworker. She was reportedly carrying a tiny, teal-colored duffel bag.
Her coworker reportedly told her to hide under a tarp cover in his pickup truck since he needed to give a different colleague a ride home before leaving for their trip.
“When she left Honda that night, the plan was for her to get under the tarp cover [in the bed of her boyfriend’s truck] because another coworker was going to be in the car, and the boyfriend didn’t want other people to know he and Patti were seeing each other,” Union County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Jeff Stiers said he was told by Patricia’s close friends.
Yet, Patricia was never seen or heard from again after that evening, and on July 8, 2001, her sister contacted the Marysville Police Department and reported Patricia missing after she did not pick up her daughter.
Patricia’s case was taken over by the Union County Sheriff’s Office because Patricia lived in Union County, and Lt. Stiers claimed to be suspicious from the start.
“We were definitely suspicious right from the beginning, especially when we heard she had a small daughter. Not too many moms are going to leave their child.”
Once an investigation was launched, Patricia’s car – a Honda Accord – was discovered left in the garage of her home.
Inside her house, her personal belongings were found as well, and there was no activity on her bank accounts following her disappearance.
Two days after she was reported missing, on July 10, authorities interviewed Patricia’s coworker – whose identity was never made public.
But he reportedly denied ever having a relationship with Patricia. He said that they were just friends and did not plan to go on a trip together.
However, three days later, on July 13, investigators searched his home and found some items that suggested otherwise.
“There was not a search warrant. He gave us permission to search the property. There were a couple of items found there at the house that circumstantially validated the story we were getting [from other people] about their relationship,” said Lt. Stiers.
According to Lt. Stiers, these items included a T-shirt and a phone that Patricia gifted to her coworker, which was confirmed by her sister, Marcia Pitts.
“We also have found a letter that was written by Patti to him about the relationship and how much she wanted to be with him,” he said.
Police also examined the truck and reportedly found cat hairs – which were allegedly sent to Patricia’s veterinarian and confirmed to belong to her cats.
Additionally, a small spot reportedly tested positive for blood but was too tiny for additional analysis.
Patricia’s coworker and the other colleague who left work with him on June 29 reportedly told authorities that they drove toward Canton, Ohio, and stopped at a Burger King – waiting 45 minutes in the drive-through line prior to driving home.
Her coworker’s wife also claimed that he arrived home at 2:30 a.m. and was home throughout the shutdown week at work. She reportedly denied knowing about an affair between him and Patricia.
Patricia’s coworker reportedly failed a polygraph test about her disappearance and quit his job at the Honda automotive plant shortly after she went missing.
In 2006, Patricia was declared legally dead, and authorities suspect foul play – believing she was the victim of a homicide.
Lt. Stiers stated that “evidence which proves this case beyond a reasonable doubt” is necessary to make an arrest. So, despite Patricia’s coworker being considered the primary suspect, no arrests were ever made in connection to her case.
“We follow up on every lead and every person that’s mentioned to us as much as we can. But he is the primary suspect,” Lt. Stiers said.
Most recently, on June 29, 2023, the Union County Sheriff’s Office posted a press release about Patricia’s case on their Facebook page – continuing to urge anyone with information to come forward.
There is also a cash reward being offered by Central Ohio Crime Stoppers for information that leads to Patricia’s location and recovery.
At the time she vanished, Patricia was five foot eight, weighed 120 pounds, and had blonde hair and hazel eyes.
If you have any information regarding her disappearance, you are urged to contact Lieutenant Jeff Stiers at (937) 645-4126.
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