The Disappearance of Kirsten Brueggeman
For this case, I watched an episode of Disappeared. It’s season 10 episode 1, titled ‘Vanished in the Night.’
A young woman disappears after a night out with friends.
Background
Kirsten Brueggeman was just a few weeks away from turning 28. Kirsten was living with her parents, Rex and Lisa, in Lawrence, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis.
Lisa said Kirsten seemed to have lost her way after high school, but seemed to be headed in the right direction. Kirsten was working at a local pizza place, but did have rely on her parents to give her rides to and from work.
Kirsten was described a lover of animals, and owned a dog. Her parents described her as intelligent, and said she loved life.
Kirsten Brueggeman
The Disappearance
On January 1, 2021, Kirsten went to work. Lisa told Kirsten that she would pick her up, and texted her about what time she would be getting off. Kirsten told her mom that she was going to meet some friends after work. Lisa told her to be safe and to be good.
Around 12:15am on January 2, Lisa said she woke up, and realized Kirsten wasn’t home. She texted Kirsten at 12:35am, and asked her if she was okay. She didn’t get a response, so she tried to call, but Kirsten’s phone went straight to voicemail.
Later that day, Kirsten still wasn’t home, and her phone was still off. Lisa and Rex contacted Kirsten’s ex-boyfriend, Eddie. Eddie admitted that he had been with Kirsten that night.
Eddie said Kirsten had texted him wanting to do something after work. They had dated on and off for 10 years, but at this time, they were just good friends. Eddie said he, Kirsten, and 4 of his friends went to a bar called Manley’s Irish Mutt. Eddie said Kirsten had gotten upset that night, and just left the bar.
Manley’s Irish Mutt located at 7041 E. 10th Street, in Indianapolis
The Search
Rex was surprised that Kirsten hadn’t contacted them that night if she had gotten into an argument with someone. He was also surprised that Eddie hadn’t called them.
Eddie said he went out to look for Kirsten, but couldn’t find her. He contacted Lisa around 11:40am on January 2, and said there was no sign of Kirsten.
Around 3:30pm, Lisa contacted Kirsten’s manager at the pizza restaurant. She learned that Kirsten hadn't shown up for work, and hadn’t contacted them. This was very odd because Kirsten was very reliable. Lisa and Rex said that Kirsten wouldn’t have left her dog behind either.
On January 3, Lisa contacted the Lawrence PD to report Kirsten missing. She was told that a detective would be assigned to the case the following day.
On January 4, Lisa and Rex did their own search around the area where Manley’s Irish Mutt was located. Rex said they found a drainage ditch, where he thought maybe Kirsten could’ve fallen into. There was no sign of Kirsten or any of her personal items.
The Surveillance Footage
Eddie had also shown up to the area near the bar on his bike. Eddie told Lisa and Rex that Kirsten did have a lot to drink on the night she disappeared. Eddie said that he and Kirsten were with 4 other people. They left around 12:15am, and Kirsten became upset while they were in the parking lot. Eddie said he left with his friends because Kirsten didn’t want a ride home.
Lisa and Rex did talk about Kirsten having some issues with alcohol. They did get her some professional help, but she decided she didn’t want to meet with her psychiatrist anymore.
Detective Nicole Bockting, with the Indiana Missing Persons Unit was assigned to the case. Det. Bockting was able to obtain three different surveillance videos from businesses near the bar.
The first video showed Kirsten arguing with the people she was last seen with in the parking lot. The car drove away, and left Kirsten alone in the lot, but she was still alive.
After Kirsten left the bar, she was seen walking down a street called Shortridge Road around 12:40am. She walks into the YMCA parking lot, and near an apartment complex called Abbey Meadows. At 1:59am, Kirsten is still alive and seen on video.
Abbey Meadows Apartments located at 269 N. Shortridge Road
On the 3rd video, Kirsten walks along the fence between the parking lots. She bends down to pick something up. At 2am, the video cuts out due to a glitch, and Kirsten isn’t seen on video again. Rex and Lisa were shown the video, and they said it was definitely Kirsten, as she always carried a white backpack.
The Abbey Meadows Apartments
The area where Kirsten was last seen is described as a very high crime area. In the few weeks after Kirsten disappeared, there was a rape and a murder in the area.
On January 15, 2021, Det. Bockting and some other detectives from the missing persons unit canvassed the area, and knocked on doors at the apartment complex. They also handed out Kirsten’s missing persons flyers. No one had seen anything.
Kirsten’s missing persons poster
On February 13, Lisa saw a Facebook post about a body being found of an unidentified female. The description seemed to match Kirsten, but the female had a tattoo of a spider on her arm. Lisa contacted Det. Bockting and the coroner’s office. Later, it was determined to not be Kirsten.
In March 2021, Lisa and Rex hired a private investigator. She was unnamed in this episode.
The P.I. was able to obtain some other surveillance footage. On the footage, there was a vehicle that looked like an SUV, pulling out of the Abbey Meadows apartments around 2:38am on January 2. The car is seen driving north on Shortridge Road around 3:15am.
The FBI became involved. They were able to identify the car as belonging to a someone who was involved in a murder in the apartment complex. The car was tested for evidence, but nothing related to Kirsten was found in the car.
Where is Kirsten?
By September 2021, Kirsten’s case was cold. Her family held a vigil on September 18, hoping to bring new leads and more media coverage to the case.
In March 2022, the police received a tip from a bar in Franklin, Indiana, about 34 minutes from Lawrence. Someone at the bar reported that a woman matching Kirsten’s description had come in with a man.
Lisa and Rex said the woman definitely looked like Kirsten. But, they noticed the woman was acting very odd. The woman was bent over, and acted robotic. She was also not showing a lot of emotion.
In May 2022, the authorities confirmed that the woman in the video wasn’t Kirsten. Kirsten is still missing.
Rex and Lisa don’t believe Eddie is involved in Kirsten’s disappearance.
Other
If you have any information on the disappearance of Kirsten Brueggeman, please contact the Indiana Missing Persons Unit at (317) 327-6160.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I don’t think anyone that Kirsten was with before she disappeared is involved. However, it’s really scary that they would just leave her alone in the parking lot. Especially, her ex-boyfriend of 10 years. I would think if Kirsten had been drinking and didn’t want a ride home, then he would want to call her parents? I’m sure he had been drinking as well, and sometimes things are out of your control. It’s just said that Kirsten was left alone, and now she’s missing. I hope Rex and Lisa will get the answers they deserve someday.
Sources
https://thecinemaholic.com/kirsten-brueggeman-found-or-missing-is-she-dead-or-alive/
