What Happened To High School Senior Erica Fraysure?

Authorities still don’t know what happened the night that Erica Fraysure disappeared from Brooksville, Kentucky, on Oct. 21, 1997.

The 17-year-old was last seen at a video rental store between 9 and 10 p.m. that Tuesday night, and her family reported her missing when she didn’t come home.

The following day, her black 1988 Pontiac Bonneville car was found parked between two hay bales about a mile from the video store.

There were no signs of a struggle in or around her vehicle. Her wallet, purse, and checkbook were in the car, and police were unable to find any fingerprints. Her missing car keys were later discovered across the road from her vehicle under some leaves.

As police investigated, they learned 20-year-old Shane Simcox was the last person to see Erica alive. He told authorities that Erica dropped him off around 9 p.m. the night she disappeared and that he never saw her again.

According to the Charley Project, Simcox had previously been charged with burglary, and he refused to take a polygraph to discuss Erica’s case. While there has never been any evidence linking him to Erica’s disappearance, he was reportedly considered a person of interest but was never arrested or charged.

Erica’s case is still unsolved with no new updates since 2020 when a tip led authorities to search a school stairwell with cadaver dogs. That search gleaned no new information.

At the time of her disappearance, Erica was about 5’6” and weighed 115 lbs. She was wearing a purple sweater with two white stripes on the chest, Levi’s jeans, white Keds sneakers, a Winnie the Pooh watch, and four gold rings on her right hand. If Erica is still alive, she will turn 43 years old on May 6, 2023.

If you have any information about Erica’s disappearance, you can call the Bracken County Kentucky Sheriff's Office at 606-735-2700 or the Kentucky State Police at 859-428-1212.