Overview

Missing: April 24, 1988
Last known departure: Her parents’ home in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
Destination associated with the disappearance: Red Carpet Lanes, 10901 W. Lapham Street, West Allis, Wisconsin
Age: 20
Status: Missing; Menomonee Falls Police presume Sandra died as the victim of a homicide
NamUs: MP8096
Vehicle recovered: April 27, 1988, at Red Carpet Lanes in West Allis
Remains: Never recovered

The central circumstances are that Sandra left home intending to confront a boyfriend after learning that he had another steady girlfriend and had reportedly been dishonest with her about his identity. Sandra was also pregnant when she disappeared, according to The Charley Project. She was never heard from again. Her locked white 1978 Plymouth Volare was subsequently found at the bowling alley, but no evidence establishing what happened to her was reportedly recovered from the vehicle.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Sandra B. Bertolas: The Unsolved 1988 Wisconsin Disappearance and Suspected Homicide

More than 38 years after 20-year-old Sandra “Sandy” B. Bertolas disappeared in southeastern Wisconsin, her family still has no definitive answer about what happened to her. Sandra vanished on April 24, 1988, after leaving her parents’ Menomonee Falls home. Three days later, her car was discovered abandoned at a bowling alley in West Allis.

Sandra has never been found. The Menomonee Falls Police Department now publicly states that she is presumed dead and the victim of a homicide, although her remains have never been recovered. The department continues to publish the case under reference number I88-1528.

Very Brief Case Summary

Missing: April 24, 1988
Last known departure: Her parents’ home in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
Destination associated with the disappearance: Red Carpet Lanes, 10901 W. Lapham Street, West Allis, Wisconsin
Age: 20
Status: Missing; Menomonee Falls Police presume Sandra died as the victim of a homicide
NamUs: MP8096
Vehicle recovered: April 27, 1988, at Red Carpet Lanes in West Allis
Remains: Never recovered

The central circumstances are that Sandra left home intending to confront a boyfriend after learning that he had another steady girlfriend and had reportedly been dishonest with her about his identity. Sandra was also pregnant when she disappeared, according to The Charley Project. She was never heard from again. Her locked white 1978 Plymouth Volare was subsequently found at the bowling alley, but no evidence establishing what happened to her was reportedly recovered from the vehicle.

Who Was Sandra Bertolas?

Sandra B. Bertolas was born June 29, 1967, and was the youngest of eight children. At the time she disappeared, she lived with her parents in Menomonee Falls. Sources describe her as a student who was pursuing business and marketing studies and as a part-time beautician or hairdresser.

Sandra was 5 feet 6 inches tall and approximately 150 to 160 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. She was reportedly wearing a blue tweed jacket and black pants and carrying a large white purse when she disappeared. Current case information also states that Sandra was pregnant at the time.

The Night Sandra Bertolas Disappeared

On Sunday, April 24, 1988, Sandra left her parents’ home in Menomonee Falls. According to the Menomonee Falls Police Department, she intended to meet her boyfriend and confront him after discovering that he had another steady girlfriend and had lied about his last name.

The Charley Project reports additional circumstances gathered from case sources: Sandra’s boyfriend had allegedly called her at least twice that day, and Sandra reportedly told others that he had urged her to meet him. She ultimately agreed to go. The same source says he later denied seeing Sandra that evening and denied knowing she was pregnant. Those statements and allegations have not resulted in criminal charges.

The Wisconsin Clearinghouse describes Sandra as last seen leaving her parents’ home in Menomonee Falls. The Charley Project describes her as last seen in connection with Red Carpet Lanes in West Allis. Because public sources differ slightly in how they describe her final confirmed movements, the safest established fact is that Sandra left her Menomonee Falls home on April 24 and was never heard from again.

Sandra’s Car Is Found at Red Carpet Lanes

On April 27, 1988—three days after Sandra disappeared—her white two-door 1978 Plymouth Volare was found in the parking lot of Red Carpet Lanes at 10901 W. Lapham Street in West Allis.

The vehicle was reportedly locked. Published accounts state that investigators found no blood, evidence of a struggle, or other physical evidence inside the car that established what happened to Sandra.

The discovery intensified concerns that Sandra had not voluntarily disappeared. Her family has consistently said that failing to contact them was completely out of character for her.

The Mount Olivet Cemetery Search

One of the most unusual developments came in June 1988, when an anonymous tip directed investigators toward Mount Olivet Cemetery on West Morgan Avenue in Milwaukee.

Dogs were used during a search of the cemetery and focused attention on an area associated with a recently opened grave. Investigators ultimately searched the grave, including beneath a coffin, but found no trace of Sandra.

The cemetery had another connection to the investigation. Sandra’s boyfriend’s father was reportedly the cemetery caretaker, and the boyfriend had previously worked there. Sandra’s family also reported finding a napkin in her room bearing the cemetery’s address.

Despite the suspicious circumstances that drew attention to Mount Olivet, the search did not locate Sandra or produce evidence sufficient to establish that she had been placed there.

Scrutiny of Sandra’s Boyfriend

Much of the investigation historically focused on the man Sandra was planning to confront. It is important to distinguish investigative suspicion from proof of criminal responsibility: he has not been charged with Sandra Bertolas’ disappearance or presumed death.

Published accounts report that he denied meeting Sandra on the night she vanished. Media Milwaukee reported that he initially spoke with investigators and later allegedly indicated that he wanted to change portions of his original statement or provide additional information. A subsequent interview and polygraph were reportedly planned, but his attorney then informed police that he would not speak with investigators further.

The Charley Project states that police believe foul play occurred and that investigators have considered the boyfriend a possible suspect. The fact that someone has been investigated or described as a suspect does not establish guilt, and no indictment resulted from the later John Doe proceeding.

The John Doe Investigation

Years after Sandra disappeared, authorities took another major look at the case.

A John Doe investigation opened in 2001. The proceeding continued for approximately 21 months and involved testimony from more than 50 witnesses, according to published case accounts.

The proceeding ultimately ended without charges or an indictment. A 2013 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report quoted an attorney for Sandra’s former boyfriend as saying the inquiry appropriately ended because probable cause had not been established.

The lack of physical evidence has remained one of the central obstacles in the investigation. Sandra’s body has never been recovered, and the searches undertaken over the years have not publicly produced conclusive evidence establishing where she was taken or how she died.

Latest Investigation Information

As of September 2026, Sandra Bertolas remains publicly listed as missing by the Wisconsin Clearinghouse for Missing & Exploited Children & Adults. The current state listing continues to direct anyone with information to the Menomonee Falls Police Department at 262-532-8700.

The Menomonee Falls Police Department’s current missing-person page goes further, stating that Sandra is presumed dead and the victim of a homicide and that her body has never been recovered. Police ask anyone providing information to refer to case I88-1528.

The Charley Project updated Sandra’s case information on April 27, 2026, including details of the disappearance. Its current case page continues to identify Menomonee Falls Police as the investigating agency.

No publicly documented 2026 arrest, indictment, recovery of Sandra’s remains, or announced forensic breakthrough was located in the sources reviewed for this article. The April 2026 Charley Project update should therefore be understood as an update to the published case information, not evidence that police announced a new investigative breakthrough.

Sandra’s case remains unresolved.

A Family Still Waiting for Answers

Sandra’s disappearance has lasted decades, but her family has never treated her as forgotten.

Her father died in 2010 without learning what happened to his daughter. The family has spoken publicly over the years about wanting Sandra’s remains recovered so she can finally be laid to rest. A cemetery plot was reportedly reserved for her beside her father’s grave.

For investigators, Sandra’s disappearance is an old case that may ultimately depend on information that has never been shared—or on someone deciding, decades later, to finally speak.

Anyone with information, even information previously considered insignificant, should contact the Menomonee Falls Police Department or the Wisconsin Clearinghouse for Missing & Exploited Children & Adults.