What happened to Angie Meeker? Tacoma girl left for mall 45 years ago, never came home

Angela “Angie” Meeker was two days from her 14th birthday when she disappeared after walking to the Tacoma Mall on July 7, 1979. Forty-five years after her sudden disappearance, her family continues to seek answers that could give them peace and closure.

Meeker left her family home on South 41st Street to buy a birthday card for a friend at the Hallmark store. She was supposed to attend a joint birthday party held for her and her friend that evening.

Meeker never returned home and has not been seen or heard from since. There have been unconfirmed reports on whether Meeker was at the party.

Detectives said they suspect foul play in Meeker’s disappearance. Meeker is not considered a runaway because she did not have issues with her family and had plans to come back home.

“She never would have left us like this,” John Meeker, Angela’s father, said during a news conference at the Tacoma Police Department Headquarters on Tuesday. “She wasn’t scared about anything. That’s impossible.”

Detectives have continued to investigate the case throughout the years in hopes of giving Angela Meeker’s family closure.

“The last time we got any significant leads on the case was about five years ago. We investigated those, and they have not been able to drive conclusions at that particular point in time,” Tacoma police spokesman detective William Muse said.

Muse said that since they did not have technology such as cell phones or surveillance cameras to track down information, it is important for any witnesses who saw her or think they did to come forward.

John Meeker said that in 1979 it was not unusual for 13-year-old girls to walk six blocks up the street by themselves. He realized his daughter was missing the next day or so. Dee Knee, Angela Meeker’s oldest sister, said she would have known if her sister decided to run away because they were very close.

“The day she disappeared, her birthday was two days later. We had birthday presents for her. She was supposed to go to a concert with her boyfriend for her birthday. She didn’t come home,” Knee said.

Angela Meeker’s brother, John Meeker Jr., said detectives are concentrating the investigation in a specific area, which has given him and his family renewed hope.

“We do hope that possibly even after four and a half decades there could be some closure, could be some justice for Angie,” he said.

Angela Meeker’s youngest sister, Shawna Mickunas, said that the last special memory she has is when her sister took her to the movies.

Meeker’s family said Angela was bright and mature for her age. John Meeker said he believes the world lost something when they lost her daughter.

“I was hoping that at some point we could find her remains and give her a decent burial, so that we have a place to put flowers,” John Meeker said.

Angela Meeker would be 59 years old today. She was a white female, 5-foot-1 and 100 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes. She might have been wearing a black floral-print shirt, a satin jacket, blue jeans, sandals and a black felt hat with red feathers on it.

There is an up to $21,000 reward for information leading to someone being arrested, charged and convicted in the case, according to a Crime Stoppers bulletin.

Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-222-TIPS or visit the Crime Stoppers website.

“If I’m lucky enough to get to heaven, she’s gonna come running through the clouds,” John Meeker said.