Posted on 05/24/2026 1:20:55 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Charlotte Heimann, a 27-year-old mother with ties to Clermont County, Ohio, disappeared on Oct. 30, 1981, after leaving the Rochester Psychiatric Center in New York.
More than four decades later, her granddaughter, Shyla Jump, is working to uncover what happened.
"I didn’t actually know the story behind it. I didn’t actually know my grandmother. I didn’t know who she was until now," Jump said.
Charlotte left her 4-year-old daughter, Jump’s mother, with her own mother in Ohio while she moved to New York to be closer to her father and attend Monroe College. Records and family accounts describe Charlotte's struggles with mental health and substance abuse, but Jump said that doesn't define her.
"She was a mother. She was somebody who was trying to make a life for herself," Jump said.
The day she vanished, Charlotte had been staying at the Rochester Psychiatric Center.
"The Rochester Psychiatric Center gave her a 4-hour pass to go pay her rent," Jump said. "She left on that 4-hour pass and was never found."
At the time, some believed Charlotte had simply left town, possibly returning to Ohio. News articles from the time reported that all of her possessions, including her purse, were untouched.
"When you talk to law enforcement, they just thought that she moved. They didn’t think she was missing," Jump said.
After decades of unanswered questions, Jump has been piecing together her grandmother’s story through old records and conversations with relatives. She suspects Charlotte may have been in danger.
"When she went missing, she feared a man. She did not name the man. She feared for her safety," Jump said. "What’s not proven is who was after her and why they were after her."
Using DNA testing, family records, a K-9 search, and old police files, Jump has traced connections in Rochester, including to a man she believes Charlotte was involved with. Jump now suspects the answers may lie on rural property once owned by members of his family.
"And the K-9 ended up hitting to that land," Jump said.
According to a police report, a cadaver dog indicated a "partial sit" on the property. With permission from the landowner, Jump brought in an excavator and began digging. Jump said a forensic anthropologist determined that adipocere, a substance associated with human decomposition, was present in the soil.
"So it showed it was human decomposing into the ground. However, we were not able to get enough DNA off of it to prove who it was," Jump said.
Despite her findings, police have not confirmed the presence of human remains, and Charlotte remains listed as a missing person.
"I feel I have solved the case, but the pieces still need to be put together to solve the puzzle," Jump said.
Kyle Busch, driver of the #8 zone Jalapeno Lime Chevrolet, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 11, 2026 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)Kyle Busch's cause of death has been revealed Charlotte’s father, Ralph, now 95 years old and living in Rochester, continues to wait for answers.
"I really think that he’s holding on to life in hopes that one day Charlotte will come home," Jump said. "He’s hoping that one day she’ll walk in the door."
The Rochester Police Department released a statement saying, "The Rochester Police Department has been investigating the disappearance of Charlotte Heimann since 1981. Last year, we met with a family member of Ms. Heimann regarding an independent investigation that led to a site in the Town of Greece, NY, a suburb of Rochester. Unfortunately, that information did not lead to locating Ms. Heimann or develop any actionable information as to the whereabouts of Ms. Heimann.
"Although this investigation is over 40 years old, there are likely people that have information regarding Ms. Heimann’s disappearance, and the case remains open. Anyone with information is encouraged to call our Major Crimes Unit at (585) 428-7157 or email MajorCrimes@CityofRochester.gov."
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Interesting connection to Kyle Busch...
I noticed that too. What does he have to do with the case?
I think that was just a link to another story at the site that wound up included in the copy-paste.
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