Crime & Safety
Illinois Missing Woman: Sheriff's Office Renews Search After 5 Years
Kankakee, IL – More than five years after a young woman disappeared from Kankakee, authorities are again drawing attention to her unresolved case, hoping someone may have information about what happen
By Caleb Mercer · 2026-10-27T01:20:46.813Z
Kankakee, IL – More than five years after a young woman disappeared from Kankakee, authorities are again drawing attention to her unresolved case, hoping someone may have information about what happened to Scarlett Blanco.
According to the Cook County Sheriff 's Office, Blanco was last seen May 7, 2021, at age 19. She was reportedly leaving a residence on Schuyler Avenue in Kankakee and heading toward the neighboring community of Momence, approximately 15 miles to the southeast.
Investigators believe Blanco never arrived at her intended destination. She has not been heard from since, according to the sheriff's missing person announcement.
The Cook County Sheriff's Office recently shared Blanco's case through its Missing Persons Project, an initiative focused on investigating disappearances that have remained unresolved for extended periods.
The renewed public attention comes more than five years after Blanco was last seen, raising fresh awareness across Kankakee County and the greater Chicago region.
Blanco is listed as 24 years old in the department's missing person flyer. She is described as 5 feet, 4 inches tall, weighing approximately 102 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
The department's photograph also shows several distinctive tattoos, including designs on her upper chest and shoulders, which may help members of the public recognize her.
Authorities have not provided additional details in the shared announcement explaining the circumstances surrounding her disappearance or identifying what may have happened after she left Kankakee.
Anyone who remembers seeing Blanco, knows where she may have traveled or has information about her disappearance is encouraged to contact investigators.
Information can be submitted directly to the Cook County Sheriff's Special Victims Unit at 773 674 9490 or by email at ccso.missingpersons@ccsheriff.org.
Even information that may seem insignificant could help investigators establish a clearer timeline of her disappearance.