Shelley Luty

Shelley Luty had received the good news that she was to be promoted to
being a full-time waitress at the Llanerch Diner in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania
and was happy when she arrived at work on August 23, 1982. The 19-year-
old, and her two-year-old daughter Jenny, was also about to move into their
own apartment and it would have been the first time they would be living on
their own. Shelley doted on Jenny and would bring her treats every night she
arrived home.

Shelley’s mother, Barbara, also worked at the diner and arrived just as
Shelley was getting ready to leave. Shelley asked if she could continue to
borrow her stepfather’s Impala to visit a girlfriend after her shift and Barbara
said she should just stop at home and ask her stepfather for permission.
Shelley said she would do so, put a packet of M&M’s in her bag for Jenny and
started for the door of the diner. As she got to the door, a male customer who
looked to be in his 20’s grabbed hold of Shelley’s arm. She pulled away but
spoke to the man for a few moments after which he left. Shelley left shortly
after and witnesses later said they saw her talking to the same man in the
parking lot. She then entered the diner again to get her coat and waved at her
mother before leaving again.
Shelley and the Impala were never seen again. It is unclear whether she even
made it to the car, which was parked across the road from the diner. Her
stepfather reported her missing when hours went by and Shelley hadn’t
arrived home.

Police found no evidence of foul play, but they also couldn’t come to a
conclusive theory as to what might have happened to Shelley. They never
found the man Shelley had spoken to inside the diner and in the parking lot.
There was speculation that Shelley might have had an epileptic seizure the
night of her disappearance which might have led to her becoming disoriented
and wandering off.
The FBI got involved, but closed their investigation in October 1984. Upper
Darby police are still hoping for a break in the case.