Cynthia and Jackie Leslie

In 1974, Cynthia and Jackie Leslie moved with their family from the remote area of Page, Arizona to Mesa, Arizona so their father could have better access to medical care while he battled cancer. The day they disappeared, their home phone had been ringing all day. While their parents went to church, the sisters answered another call before telling their grandmother they were going to go babysit. They even left a note for their mother. The teens were expected home at around 1am, but they never returned.

One of the major stories around the disappearance of the Leslie sisters was that they were not babysitting, but had, instead, intended to go to a party. Those at the party couldn’t remember whether they arrived or not.

Our look into this case involves reading through their file. Though heavily redacted, it does suggest that even this story may not be entirely true. Cynthia, the oldest sister, was dating a boy that her parents didn’t want her to see. According to the reports, this is who the sisters actually intended to meet the night they disappeared. They failed to arrive at his place as well, though he told investigators he waited for them all night.

What adds layers to this story, though, is a detail that we keep going back over. The girls had a female teenage friend whose mother called Mrs. Leslie. The mother wanted to show Mrs. Leslie a pair of underwear her husband claimed to have found on the side of the road. It matched a pair that Cynthia owned.

Why does the underwear matter and can it still offer clues into the disappearance of the sisters? We take a look at this on our episode about Cynthia and Jackie Leslie.

People and Cases Mentioned in this Episode:

Cynthia Leslie (unsolved missing person case)
Jackie Leslie (unsolved missing person case)