Auburn, IL – Investigators are searching an Auburn property Thursday after new information renewed the nearly four-decade-old disappearance case of Brenda Bottoms in Sangamon County, south of Springfield.
According to the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office, Bottoms was 22 when she was last seen getting into a car on North Fifth Street in Auburn in June 1987. She has not been seen since that night.
The sheriff’s office began reviewing old files connected to her disappearance in 2025. Detectives have since interviewed people previously questioned in the case and developed new contacts, officials said.
Investigators now have credible information about the possible location of evidence related to Bottoms’ disappearance, along with new information about a suspect vehicle, according to Thursday’s media advisory. Authorities did not provide a description of that vehicle.
Detectives began excavating the backyard of an identified Auburn residence Wednesday with the homeowner’s cooperation. The search has focused on an abandoned well, the sheriff’s office said.
Illinois State Police, the Laborers’ Disaster Response Team and the Sangamon County Water Reclamation District are assisting with the operation. Searches at the residence and other locations remain ongoing.
The sheriff’s office said it would not comment at this time on whether investigators had recovered any potential evidence. Authorities also did not identify a suspect or disclose what led them to the property.
Officials are urging anyone with information about Bottoms’ disappearance to come forward as detectives work to provide answers for her family.
Tips may be directed to Sangamon County Investigations at 217-753-6840 or Crime Stoppers at 217-788-8427.
