Missing Since: 1992-10-05 Location: Atchison, Kansas
Zeta was last seen as she left her family’s residence in Atchison County, Kansas at 2:00 a.m. on October 5, 1992 after an argument with her husband, Wayne Gordon. She said she wanted to take a drive to cool off. She has never been heard from again. She left behind three children between the ages of nine and twenty-three; one of them witnessed her leaving the house that night. Two of Zeta’s children discovered her White Chrysler LeBaron parked in a lot near an abandoned farmhouse in Atchison County the following day. Zeta’s purse and a suitcase were located inside the car. The convertible top was down, the keys were in the ignition and the radio was turned on, but there was no sign of Zeta at the scene. It was after they found her car that her children reported her missing. There were about ten possible sightings of Zeta in the local area in the weeks after her disappearance, some reported by people who knew her. None of the sightings were confirmed, however. Wayne, a dentist and the son of a former Kansas State Senator, divorced Zeta in January 1994, and remarried in 1997. He committed suicide in January 1998 at the age of 48, hanging himself at a Boy Scout camp where had he often volunteered. He left no note and no indication as to his motive. Police did not call him a suspect in Zeta’s disappearance, but many rumors about his possible involvement circulated in the local community and he was considered a person of interest in her case. Zeta was studying interior design at the time of her disappearance. Authorities believe she was the victim of a homicide, as it would be uncharacteristic of her to abandon her children and her elderly mother. Her case remains unsolved. Investigating Agency Atchison County Police Department 913-367-4323 Source Information Kansas Bureau of Investigation The Kansas City Star The Lawrence Journal-World Updated 3 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated April 29, 2014; details of disappearance updated.