BAY VILLAGE, Ohio — It's a mystery that still haunts Northeast Ohio: Who killed 10-year-old Amy Mihaljevic?
Friday now marks 34 years since Amy disappeared from a Bay Village shopping center on Oct. 27, 1989. The fifth grader vanished after reportedly being lured to that location by a man who claimed to work with her mom, saying he wanted to help Amy in buying her mother a gift as she had recently been promoted at work.
Her body was found months later in Ashland County.
"The day was very similar to this," Jason Mihaljevic, Amy's brother, recalled of the day she went missing. "It was a Friday, the 27th, so it's oddly eerie to be here today.
The case — which generated national attention with coverage on programs like Dateline — remains unsolved as investigators continue their search for the person responsible. Today, Jason and others gathered to remember his 10-year-old sister's life and walk in her honor.
"It's sadness, absolutely, for missing Amy," Jason admitted, "but it's humbleness and thankfulness that [retired Bay Village Police Chief] Mark [Spaetzel] and and the community and the police have never stopped."
"We found out that day and her bike was right across the street," Bay Village resident Kevin Murray remembered. "My wife and a lot of our friends just got on the horn and started going everywhere trying to look for her."
More than three decades later, Bay Village Police Chief Robert Gillespie tells 3News they're hopeful new DNA technology assists them in finding Amy's killer. He adds that "the case is still worked almost every day," but there are challenges ahead.
"As this case goes on, you get a little further and further from that day," he explained, "and that's always a challenge for any investigation."
Four years ago, 3News launched our Amy Should Be Forty coverage, which took an in-depth look at all angles of the case -- including updates in the investigation. Our coverage featured a five-part series, which you can re-watch on our YouTube page. We also launched a special podcast on the case, which you can listen to throughout the links below...