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About Leah

Leah Toby Roberts was born on July 23, 1976, to her parents, Stancil and Nancy Roberts. She was the youngest of three children, and she spent her formative years in Durham, North Carolina. She was described as an introspective, poetic “old soul” who was outgoing, perceptive, sensitive, and kind.

While little has been released about her early life, she had a relatively normal upbringing, and she enjoyed a close bond with her family, especially her older sister Kara. That would change when she was 17 years old when Stancil was diagnosed with a life-threatening respiratory disease. The family was then dealt another blow three years later when Nancy unexpectedly passed away due to heart disease. At the time, Leah was a sophomore at North Carolina State University, and she ultimately decided to take time off from school.

During this break, she was dealt yet another blow when she was involved in a near-fatal car accident. She ended up with a punctured lung and a shattered femur, and she later had surgery to place a metal rod in her leg. Surviving this ordeal gave her a new outlook on life, which she viewed as a “second chance,” and she later admitted she felt “reborn.” She no longer wanted to waste a second of her life, especially when it could all be easily taken. More than ever, she wished to forge her own path in life and do things for herself, instead of defaulting to the cookie-cutter life laid out before her.

She returned to school in the fall of 1998 and hoped to turn things around.

In between these difficulties, Leah seemed to enjoy her time at school. She played soccer and studied for a semester in Spain. She even signed up to do a field study program in Costa Rica, only to confront tragedy yet again. In 1999, Stancil passed away as a result of complications due to his respiratory condition. While this was a painful, upsetting situation, she ultimately decided to go to Costa Rica.

While there, she would undergo another transformation. The trip opened her eyes to “life’s adventure,” and she grew a desire to see the world. She began a journey of self-reflection through writing poetry and keeping a journal. Even though she only had a few months left until graduation, Leah decided to leave school. She was no longer interested in doing things just because everyone else was doing them.

As she withdrew from her old friends, she developed new friendships at local coffeehouses, where they would write poetry and have conversations about deep topics, like the meaning of life. She also learned photography and how to play the guitar, and she adopted a kitten named Bea.

During this time, she discovered the writings of novelist Jack Kerouac. His novel, On the Road (1957), was considered an important work of the Beat Generation, a literary movement in the 1950s. The book featured two men (Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty) journeying through America. For many, it represents the narrator’s search for truth, instead of the superficiality prevalent in society.

She especially enjoyed his book, The Dharma Bums, and she spoke at length about wanting to visit Desolation Peak, just like Kerouac did. She asked her roommate to accompany her, but she couldn’t due to her responsibilities. This desire to travel and see the world would provide a chilling backdrop to her disappearance.

Disappearance

By March 2000, Leah decided it was time to pursue her dream of visiting Desolation Peak. She was no longer in school, didn’t have a job, and had money in the bank due to receiving inheritance from her parents.

On the morning of March 9, Leah had a phone call with her sister. By all accounts, this call went well, and her sister didn’t note anything strange. She also talked to her roommate and made plans to babysit the next day.

Shortly after this conversation, her roommate left for work, and by the time she returned, Leah was gone, along with her white 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee and her kitten. This wasn’t unusual, as she didn’t have a job, and she wasn’t enrolled in school, so she often did her activities at irregular hours.

However, Leah’s roommate would grow concerned the following day, when she missed their babysitting appointment and hadn’t heard from her. She ended up calling Kara and explained the situation to her. In response, she came to the apartment and immediately went to Leah’s room, hoping to find clues about where she could be.

Upon further investigation, they discovered that she had taken clothes, her kitten, and other personal items. Kara realized that Leah probably took a trip somewhere, although it was strange that she hadn’t told anyone and hadn’t contacted anyone since.

Concerned, they then reached out to Leah’s friends, trying to determine if anyone knew where she was. Kara also searched coffee shops and other areas where her sister was known to hang out, but she didn’t find anything.

Even though the circumstances were unusual, Kara decided that her sister must’ve been on a trip, and she would get in contact soon. As a result, she didn’t believe there was a cause for concern at that point.

With each passing day, though, Kara’s fears intensified. By March 13, she was convinced that something was wrong because Leah still hadn’t reached out. That day, she went to the Durham Police Department and filed a missing persons report.

Kara’s Investigation

Upon receiving the missing persons report, the authorities took Leah’s disappearance seriously. However, there were no clear indications of foul play, and because she was an adult, they knew she had every right to disappear if she wanted to. Even though they were unsure of where to start, they told Kara that they would investigate. All they had to work with was her physical description, the description of her vehicle, and a few places to search.

The first person they talked to was Janine Quiller, one of Leah’s friends. As they were speaking with her, the authorities learned about Leah’s desire to travel to Desolation Peak.

While the police were investigating, Kara went back to Leah’s room and searched it more thoroughly. She discovered a piece of paper that was folded over with an image of the Cheshire Cat’s grin (a la Alice in Wonderland). The note said the following:

I’m not suicidal. I’m the opposite. Remember Kerouac.

In addition, several hundred dollars were left with the note, intended for her roommate to pay for expenses while she was gone. This was enough to pay for about a month of rent and utilities.

At that point, Kara believed that Leah had left voluntarily, and she intended to be back about a month later. She also realized she still held power of attorney for her sister’s bank account from her trip to Costa Rica, which granted her access to her bank records.

Upon examination, Kara noted the following:

• On the afternoon of March 9, Leah withdrew $3,000 cash.
• That evening, she paid for a hotel room near Memphis, Tennessee.
• After that, she used her debit card to purchase gas, but she likely relied on cash, as there was no record of any other purchases.
• The last recorded purchase occurred on March 13, when she purchased gas in Brooks, Oregon.

When taken together, the information showed that Leah was traveling west on Interstate 40 before eventually turning north onto Interstate 5.

At some point, Kara had spoken to Janine, learned about her sister’s desire to visit Desolation Peak, and felt comforted knowing that she was in the general area.

Despite this, Kara’s unease grew by the day. She wanted to give Leah the space she needed, but she also wanted to check on her. Ultimately, she decided to give her some space, but that would change on March 18.

A Chilling Discovery

On March 18, Kara received a note in her mail from the Durham Police Department, saying that she needed to contact the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office in Washington State. They informed her that Leah’s smashed car had been found off the side of the road, about 30 miles away from Bellingham.

According to the Sheriff’s Department, a man and his wife were running in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, when they saw scattered clothing. As they followed the trail, they came across the vehicle. At that point, they called the authorities, who examined the scene.

At first, they thought the vehicle had been abandoned by a drunk driver, but they quickly realized the scene was suspicious. There were dents along the body, and there were broken windows that were covered with towels and clothes. There were also several personal items, including a passport, checkbook, guitar, driver’s license, and CDs. To the authorities, it seemed like someone had been living in the vehicle, at least for a short time. Either way, they determined the car went over the embankment and rolled multiple times before ending up in the spot it was found in, right side up. The accident was bad enough that anyone in the car likely would’ve faced serious injuries.

The authorities quickly scattered and searched for survivors, but they couldn’t find anyone. Strangely, there was no evidence that anyone had been in the car during the accident. There was no damage to the steering wheel, the seatbelts weren’t stretched out, and no blood was found.

With Leah’s car significantly damaged and no evidence of her whereabouts, the investigation kicked into high gear.

Investigation

At first, the police were unsure what to make of the situation. The only thing they were sure about was that an accident had taken place. They didn’t know if foul play was involved. Unsure of what else to do, they ran the North Carolina license plates and contacted the Durham Police Department, who advised them of Leah’s disappearance.

Given the lack of evidence of a driver in the vehicle during the accident, the authorities wondered if it had been staged. Even still, they didn’t find any evidence that someone had pushed the car or jumped out during the accident.

They ended up gathering Leah’s belongings and examining them. They also sent her Jeep in for processing, and they conducted a search-and-rescue with dogs. Despite everyone’s diligence, they didn’t find Leah or any evidence that she was in the area.

As they processed the Jeep, the authorities found several suspicious items. They found $2,500 in cash in the pockets of a pair of Leah’s pants, meaning she spent very little on her trip. They also found her mother’s engagement ring under the floor mats near the driver’s seat. This in particular raised suspicions for her loved ones, as that was one of her prized possessions, something she never went anywhere without.

Another item of note was a movie ticket stub for a showing of American Beauty in Bellingham on March 13 at 2:10 PM. It raised suspicions even more, though, because by all accounts, it seemed like she had been in Bellingham for five days, spent very little money, and never got a hotel room. There was no evidence to fill in the gaps, though, so missing person flyers were posted around town, hoping someone would come forward with more information.

Although no one at the movie theater remembered her, the staff at a restaurant in the food court did. According to their accounts, she began her meal alone, but she was eventually joined by two unknown men.

In response, the police asked the public for help identifying these men. One of them came forward, saying he had talked to Leah that afternoon about Kerouac and Desolation Peak. Although he didn’t have much information to share, he gave a description of the second man and said that he had spoken to Leah for longer.

Eventually, they were able to track down the second man, whose story was similar to the first man’s but reportedly contained contradictory information. The first man claimed that Leah had left alone, but the second man claimed that she left with a man named Barry. He gave such a vivid description that the police were able to make a composite sketch. Unfortunately, no other witness saw Barry, and his identity has remained unknown.

A few days after Leah’s car was discovered, an unknown man called in a tip, claiming that his wife had seen a disoriented Leah at a gas station in Everett, Washington, about 60 miles away from the crash site. Unfortunately, the man got scared and hung up before the police could get more information. Even though they were unable to verify the information, and there weren’t any additional sightings in the area, the authorities believe that this is the last known sighting of the missing woman.

To retrace her steps, the authorities examined the security footage at a gas station in Brooks, Oregon, the last known place where Leah stopped to get gas. The footage showed Leah making a purchase inside the gas station. Nothing unusual happened, but police noted that at one point, she turned and craned her neck, attempting to look out the door in the direction of her car. Unfortunately, there weren’t any cameras in the parking lot, so it’s unknown what Leah was looking at. However, the police theorized that she might’ve been looking at a traveling companion, possibly this mysterious Barry.

Years passed with no developments. While Kara fought hard to keep Leah’s story alive, her case slowly turned cold. However, some new developments gave her loved ones hope for a resolution.

Later Developments

In 2006, the lead investigator retired, handing the case to Detectives Collins and Smith. Upon examining it, they realized that every part of Leah’s Jeep had been examined except for the engine. The front end of the vehicle was so badly damaged that they hadn’t investigated it at first. But with advances in technology, they decided to give it another look.

Upon examination, they found fingerprints under the hood, and they found that the cover on the starter relay in the engine had been removed. This explained how someone was able to operate the vehicle without driving it. As a result, they took another look at the people in Leah’s life, trying to determine if any of them would’ve had the knowledge to tamper with her vehicle like that.

They also re-analyzed other evidence, hoping that advancements in technology would help them uncover new evidence. Although they found DNA samples and uncovered promising leads, they led to dead ends.

Leah has never been found. Her family and friends continue to fight to keep her name and story in the public eye, and they desperately hope to find her. With little evidence to go on, the disappearance of Leah Roberts remains unsolved.

My Thoughts

The disappearance of Leah Roberts is a baffling case. A young woman processing multiple tragedies decides to leave town, seemingly to go to the Pacific Northwest. It seems like an ordinary trip until she falls off the grid, never to resurface. Although there have been whispers of evidence and rumors, she’s never been found, and her loved ones are left to wonder what happened to her.

Two things about her disappearance are widely believed, that Leah is deceased, and she left her home voluntarily. Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess what could’ve happened. Because of this, a few theories have surfaced over the years:

• Leah left voluntarily and staged her own disappearance.
• Leah set out with the intention of killing herself, despite the note she left behind, or she decided to kill herself at some point on the trip.
• Leah was in the car during the crash, and she wandered away, confused and disoriented, at which point she succumbed to exposure or her injuries.
• Leah left home voluntarily, but she became the victim of foul play at some point on her trip.

The First Theory: Leaving Voluntarily and Staging Her Disappearance

The first theory is that Leah left voluntarily and staged her own disappearance. At first glance, this seems like a viable possibility. There was clear evidence that she intended to leave, like packing her belongings and leaving money behind for her roommate. It could also be argued that she killed herself after losing both of her parents and being in a devastating car accident. However, there’s no evidence that she was suicidal. If anything, I would argue that she experienced post-traumatic growth. She had a new lease on life, and she wanted to make the most of every moment. That just doesn’t sound like someone who’s suicidal.

But let’s say for argument’s sake that she killed herself at some point on the trip. It would’ve taken something drastic for her to go from having a “new lease on life” to suddenly not wanting to live anymore. Even if she somehow flipped that switch, how could she have taken her own life without anyone finding her body for decades afterward? If she did it in a forest or a remote area, it could be possible, but there would still be evidence of some kind. Tire tracks, unusual sounds, witnesses seeing her or her Jeep, something.

Others argue that she could’ve left to stage her own disappearance. However, what would’ve been her motivation? Although she had gone through a series of difficult, even traumatic, circumstances, I strongly doubt that she would’ve left her family and friends behind. Leah strikes me as a caring, empathetic soul. It would be a major break in her character for her to leave her loved ones behind, especially after the loss of both of her parents. It might be possible, but I don’t think it’s likely.

While there was evidence she left voluntarily, the same can’t be said about her killing herself or staging her own disappearance. Because of this, I believe we can safely rule out suicide.

The Second Theory: Leah Succumbed to Her Injuries Following the Crash

That leads us to our next theory, that Leah was in the car during the crash, and she wandered away and succumbed to exposure or her injuries. At first glance, this seems like a reasonable theory. It would explain why no suspects have been named, and it would explain why there was so little evidence.

However, the investigators concluded that there was no evidence that anyone was in the car when it crashed. Years later, they found evidence that the car had been tampered with, giving credence to the idea that the crash was staged. Besides, if she had wandered away, there should’ve been more evidence: hair, blood, footprints, torn clothing, a lost shoe, etc. But they never found anything. It would’ve been impossible for her to be there and not leave any evidence, especially if she was injured.

Because of this, we can safely rule out this theory.

Third Theory: Foul Play

Our last theory is that Leah left voluntarily and became the victim of foul play at some point on her trip. She clearly planned to leave; she packed her clothes and her kitten, and she left money behind to pay for her share of the rent. Her bank account also showed that she purchased normal things like gas and a hotel room, things you would expect to pay for on a trip.

Eventually, though, her financial trail ends, and she’s seen with a man named “Barry”. After that, no one heard from her. While his level of involvement remains unknown, it’s strange that he fell off the radar as well. He could’ve died or moved out of the area after Leah disappeared, or he could’ve intentionally disappeared to evade punishment, assuming he was involved.

Until we can find him and ask him more questions about what happened to Leah, we’re not going to be able to fully rule this theory out. I believe at a minimum, he could provide valuable information about what happened that day. But we’re not going to know for sure until he’s found.

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The disappearance of Leah Roberts is a baffling mystery, one that continues to haunt her family and friends. After a string of heartbreak and grief, she found the strength to view life as a gift. She went against the system, choosing instead to make the most of every day.

Leah didn’t just vaporize into thin air; someone knows exactly what happened. We can only hope their conscience will motivate them to call the police and tell them everything they know. Hopefully, that day will come soon. Leah needs to come home.

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If you’re looking for more information about the disappearance of Leah Roberts, there are several news articles, podcasts, YouTube videos, and a Facebook page, although it hasn’t been updated since 2021. The following sources helped me as I wrote this post:

• The Charley Project
• Unsolved Mysteries
• Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office
• Storiesoftheunsolved.com
• HubPages
• Trace Evidence Podcast

If you have any information about the disappearance of Leah Roberts, please contact the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office at 360-676-6650.

What do you think happened? Let me know in the comments.