Missing Since: 1994-08-08 Location: Piqua, Ohio
Farrell was last seen leaving her family’s residence on Haverhill Drive in Piqua, Ohio at approximately 10:00 a.m. on August 8, 1994. She planned to run a quick errand to buy a bottle of Lipton Iced Tea at the nearby Pick-N-Save grocery store in the 1500 block of Covington Avenue, where she had held a part-time job for the past two weeks. Farrell never returned home and has not been seen again. She was reported missing after she did not show up for her 7:00 p.m. shift at work. Her mother’s silver 1981 Chevrolet Malibu, which she had been driving, was discovered abandoned in the parking lot of the Pick-N-Save on Route 36 in Piqua later in the day. There was no sign of her at the scene. She did not take any money, clothing, or identification when she disappeared. Prior to her disappearance, Farrell’s mother had caught her smoking marijuana and Farrell moved out of her parents’ home and in with a friend as a result. She maintained very close contact with her family, however, and moved back in with them several weeks later. Investigators initially believed Farrell simply left home voluntarily again when she disappeared in August 1994, but her mother and her best friend disagreed, and the police eventually decided she had probably met with foul play. Investigators suspect Christopher J. Below was possibly involved in Farrell’s case. A photograph of him is posted with this case summary. He is a suspect in several murders and disappearances of young women, including Mary Kushto, Kristina Porco and Heather Teague. Below pleaded guilty to attempted involuntary manslaughter in connection with the shooting of Kathern Fetzer, whose body was never found. He is currently incarcerated in an Ohio prison. It should be emphasized that he has not been charged in connection with any case other than Fetzer’s and only conjecture links him to Farrell’s case. Farrell was a student at Piqua High School in 1994; she disappeared shortly before the start of her senior year. Her case remains unsolved. Investigating Agency Piqua Police Department 937-778-2027 Source Information Piqua Police Department Don’t Tread On Me America’s Most Wanted 14 WFIE Officer.com: the Source for Law Enforcement The Akron Beacon Journal The Dayton Daily News NamUs Ohio Attorney General’s Office Facebook Page for Shaylene Farrell Updated 6 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated December 12, 2019; three pictures added.