Missing Since: 1981-08-24 Location: Frisco, Colorado
Knuth was last seen in Frisco, Colorado on August 24, 1981. She was staying with her boyfriend in a converted school bus at a squatter’s camp. He stated she disappeared from the campsite, leaving behind her identification, cigarettes, jewelry and other belongings. An extensive search of the area turned up no sign of her. Duane Eugene Owen confessed to Knuth’s murder in 1986. He wrote to the Colorado authorities four days after he arrived on death row in Florida, convicted of the 1984 murder of a woman and a fourteen-year-old girl. He said he’d killed three women in Colorado, and described a victim wearing clothes similar to Knuth’s. Police were able to determine that Owen was living the area when Knuth disappeared, but when they dug in the area he indicated, they found nothing, and he later retracted his confessions. Police cannot completely eliminate him as a suspect in Knuth’s disappearance. He remains in Florida awaiting execution. Knuth’s disappearance remains unsolved. Investigating Agency Summit County Sheriff’s Office 970-423-8908 Source Information NamUs The Doe Network The Summit Daily News The West Palm Beach Post Updated 2 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated April 2, 2018; details of disappearance updated.