Missing Since: 2010-11-04 Location: Bangor, Maine
Hilderbrand was last seen at the Joshua Chamberlain Bridge over the Penobscot River just before midnight on November 4, 2010. Passing motorists called the police to report a woman standing at the edge of the overpass near the Bangor side of the river. When law enforcement officers arrived, they saw Hilderbrand jump into the water. She did not resurface and an multiple searches of the river turned up no sign of her. Police later found a purse on the bridge with Hilderbrand’s cellular phone and identification inside. Although she is an excellent swimmer, she may have been intoxicated at the time of her disappearance, and the Penobscot River has a swift current and is very cold in November. A person who falls in will be overcome with hypothermia within minutes. Hilderbrand graduated Shead High School in 2006 and worked as an escort and an exotic dancer for the Cinnamon’s Sweets club, and studied cosmetology at Mr. Bernard’s School of Hair Fashion in Bangor prior to her disappearance. Although she was declared legally dead in 2014, authorities stated her case would be considered open until her body was found and identified. Investigating Agency Bangor Police Department 207-947-7382 Source Information The Bangor Daily News Bangor Police Department Jael Hilderbrand’s Facebook Page Jael Hilderbrand’s MySpace Page NamUs Updated 2 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated March 25, 2017; middle name added.