Independent Detective Case File

Robin Lynn Vansickel

Also known as: Lynn

Missing

Anchorage, Anchorage, Alaska, USA

Case Number #289
Date of Incident July 1, 1988
Age 29 DOB: 11/24/1959 Approx. age today: 67
Type of Case Missing
Case Entry August 13, 2026
Last Updated August 13, 2026
Overview

Date Last Seen: Approximately June 1, 1988 (some records list July 1, 1988 as an approximate placeholder date)
Location Last Seen: Anchorage, Alaska

Main Circumstances

  • Robin “Lynn” Vansickel was a 29-year-old dancer working in Anchorage.
  • She disappeared during the summer of 1988 and has never been located.
  • Shortly before her disappearance, she had reportedly become involved in a drug investigation involving individuals known as the “Cocaine Cowboys.”
  • No arrests have been made, and the case remains an active missing persons investigation.

Robin Lynn Vansickel Disappearance (1988): The Unsolved Anchorage Cold Case

Very Brief Summary

Date Last Seen: Approximately June 1, 1988 (some records list July 1, 1988 as an approximate placeholder date)
Location Last Seen: Anchorage, Alaska

Main Circumstances

  • Robin “Lynn” Vansickel was a 29-year-old dancer working in Anchorage.
  • She disappeared during the summer of 1988 and has never been located.
  • Shortly before her disappearance, she had reportedly become involved in a drug investigation involving individuals known as the “Cocaine Cowboys.”
  • No arrests have been made, and the case remains an active missing persons investigation.

Robin Lynn Vansickel Disappearance

Robin Lynn “Lynn” Vansickel vanished from Anchorage, Alaska, during the summer of 1988 under circumstances that remain unexplained more than three decades later. Despite ongoing investigative efforts, no confirmed sightings, arrests, or recovery of her remains have ever been reported.

At the time she disappeared, Vansickel was 29 years old and working as an exotic dancer in Anchorage. Investigators believe she may have worked at the Great Alaska Bush Company, a well-known adult entertainment club located on East International Airport Road.

Disappearance

Authorities believe Vansickel disappeared sometime around June 1, 1988, although several official databases note that the exact date is unknown. Because investigators could not determine a precise day she vanished, some databases use July 1, 1988, as an estimated missing date rather than an actual confirmed disappearance date.

She has never contacted family or friends since disappearing, and there has been no verified activity associated with her identity.

Possible Connections

One of the most frequently discussed aspects of the investigation involves Vansickel’s reported connection to a federal drug investigation.

According to law enforcement information summarized by multiple missing-person organizations, she had reportedly become caught up in a drug investigation involving a New York-based trafficking organization commonly referred to as the “Cocaine Cowboys.” Investigators have never publicly stated whether that connection played any role in her disappearance, and no evidence has been released establishing a direct link.

Because so little evidence has been made public, the circumstances surrounding her disappearance remain largely unknown.

Physical Description

At the time she disappeared, Robin Vansickel was described as:

  • Age: 29
  • Height: 5 feet 4 inches
  • Weight: Approximately 130 pounds
  • Brown hair
  • Blue eyes
  • Pierced ears
  • Tattoo of two cherries on her shoulder
  • Tattoo of a spider on her ankle

She commonly went by her middle name, Lynn.

Investigation

The Anchorage Police Department continues to list Vansickel as an endangered missing person.

Over the years, her information has remained available through NamUs and national missing-person databases in hopes that new witnesses, forensic advances, or public tips may generate investigative leads.

Unlike many older missing person cases, there have been no publicly announced forensic breakthroughs, identified suspects, or confirmed discoveries of remains connected to Vansickel’s disappearance. As of currently available public information, the investigation remains open.

Latest Investigation Information

The case continues to be listed as active by the Anchorage Police Department and remains published in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as MP20724. Publicly available records do not indicate any recent arrests, persons of interest, or significant investigative developments. Authorities continue to encourage anyone with information about Vansickel’s disappearance to come forward.

Agency / CaseContact
Anchorage Police Department Cold Case / Missing Persons907-786-8500
Alaska Department of Public Safety Missing Persons907-269-5018
NamUsMP20724
DateEvent
November 24, 1959Robin Lynn Vansickel is born.
Early 1988Working as a dancer in Anchorage, Alaska.
Prior to disappearanceReportedly becomes involved in a drug investigation connected to individuals known as the “Cocaine Cowboys.”
Approximately June 1, 1988Last known to have been seen in Anchorage, Alaska.
Summer 1988Family and investigators lose contact with Vansickel.
Following yearsCase entered into national missing person databases and remains under investigation.
PresentRobin Vansickel remains missing; no arrests or confirmed resolution have been announced.

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Map Location

Anchorage, Alaska

On July 1, 1988

Location disclaimer: This map may identify only the general city or surrounding area. It should not be interpreted as the exact location where the homicide occurred, where a person went missing, or where any other case event took place unless an exact location has been independently confirmed and entered.

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