Overview

Burlington, Vermont — The disappearance of Selinda (often called “Cindy”) Jean Winegar remains one of the most enduring and heartbreaking unsolved missing person cases from the late 20th century. Last seen on March 1, 1979, the 16‑year‑old Burlington teen vanished without a trace after leaving her home to visit a friend — and her fate has baffled investigators and haunted her family for more than four decades.

Detailed Case Breakdown

The Cold Case of Selinda Jean Winegar: A 45‑Year Search for Answers

Burlington, Vermont — The disappearance of Selinda (often called “Cindy”) Jean Winegar remains one of the most enduring and heartbreaking unsolved missing person cases from the late 20th century. Last seen on March 1, 1979, the 16‑year‑old Burlington teen vanished without a trace after leaving her home to visit a friend — and her fate has baffled investigators and haunted her family for more than four decades.

The Night She Vanished

On March 1, 1979, Selinda left her family’s residence in Burlington, Vermont, in the afternoon, telling her parents she was going to see a friend. She never arrived, and when she failed to return that evening, her family reported her missing to local law enforcement. At the time, authorities initially treated her case as a possible runaway, a common classification for teens who disappeared without immediate explanation in that era.

Selinda’s family described her as a student at Burlington High School, the youngest of six children in a devout Roman Catholic household. In the period leading up to her disappearance, she had reportedly been spending time with a new social circle and experimenting with drugs, according to case summaries.

Unsettling Leads and Missed Opportunities

Almost immediately after her disappearance, Selinda’s family received a chilling anonymous phone call claiming she had been murdered and her body was dumped in the Winooski River. Despite the gravity of this message, authorities at the time did not thoroughly search the river, leaving this major lead mostly unexplored.

In 1985, a friend of one of Selinda’s sisters claimed to have discovered a clump of blonde hair while fishing in the Winooski River — an observation that echoed the earlier anonymous tip. Whether this find was ever properly tested or followed up remains unclear, and no definitive connection to Selinda has ever been established.

Over the years, several unconfirmed sightings have been reported. One notable claim came from a relative who said they saw someone matching Selinda’s description standing quietly at the back of a church during her father’s funeral in 1981. No solid evidence supports these anecdotal accounts, and law enforcement continues to classify them as unverified.

Law Enforcement’s View

Vermont authorities have long considered the possibility that Selinda may have voluntarily run away, especially in light of her social changes prior to her disappearance. However, the case has never been officially resolved, and Selinda’s name still appears on Vermont’s missing persons records more than 45 years later.

Family’s Continued Search for Answers

Both of Selinda’s parents have since passed away without learning their daughter’s fate. Her siblings and extended family continue to advocate for renewed attention to the case, sharing her story through missing person databases and community groups. With advances in forensic technology such as DNA and genetic genealogy, there’s ongoing hope that cold case investigators could one day uncover new leads or re‑examine old evidence.

Latest Investigation Context (2025‑2026)

At present, there is no public evidence that Vermont law enforcement has reopened a major active criminal investigation specifically into Winegar’s disappearance in 2025–2026. The case remains categorized by many markers as a cold case, meaning no recent confirmed sightings or breakthroughs have been announced publicly. However, independent missing person advocacy groups and online community researchers continue to keep the case visible in databases and cold case compilations.

If you have information that could help locate Selinda or shed light on what happened to her, authorities encourage you to contact the Burlington or Williston police departments.

Summary

The disappearance of Selinda Jean Winegar is a decades‑long missing person case marked by unanswered leads, unverified sightings, and continued family and community efforts to find closure. Despite hints and rumors — including a disturbing anonymous call and alleged physical evidence — no definitive resolution has been reached, and the case remains an open cold case in Vermont.

If you’re interested in assisting or learning more about missing person cases like this, consider contacting local law enforcement or contributing information to missing person databases.
———————————————

Facebook Post:

Still Missing: Selinda Jean Winegar

Selinda Jean Winegar, 17, was last seen in March 1979 at her family’s home on Forest Street in Burlington, Vermont. She left to visit a friend and never returned. In the weeks before her disappearance, Selinda, who also went by the name “Cindy” had fallen in with a troubled crowd, and her family had begun receiving threatening anonymous phone calls, prompting them to change to an unlisted number. After she vanished, the family received a disturbing call claiming Selinda had been murdered and dumped in the Winooski River, but this was never verified. Over the years, there have been unconfirmed sightings, including a relative who believed they saw her at her father’s funeral in 1981, and another possible sighting by a cousin on Church Street in Burlington, but none could be confirmed. The cousin claims that when he called her name, she took off.

Authorities believe she may have run away, though her case remains open and unsolved. Selinda is described as about 5’3″–5’4″, 105–120 pounds, with blonde or strawberry blonde hair, blue eyes, pierced ears, a slight gap between her front teeth, and a cross-shaped scar on her left ankle. She was last seen wearing blue jeans, a green and white striped shirt, sneakers, and rings on every finger.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Vermont State Police Williston office at 802-878-7111.

Article from 12 Jan 1981 The Brattleboro Reformer (Brattleboro, VT)

Right:
Article from 12 Jan 1981The Burlington Free Press(Burlington, VT)