Case not closed

COEUR d'ALENE - Twenty-five years ago, Coeur d'Alene resident and school teacher Deborah Jean Swanson vanished.

That same spring, Sally Anne Stone, a Coeur d'Alene resident and exotic dancer at a Stateline club, also disappeared.

The cases haven't been solved, but the Coeur d'Alene Police Department hasn't closed the book on them either. Police believe both women were the victim of foul play.

"At the time they might have been viewed differently, though not fairly, in the eyes of the community because one was a teacher and the other was an exotic dancer," said Coeur d'Alene Police Sgt. Christie Wood. "The police treated them both the same. There were a lot of man hours put in on both cases."

The cases got a lot of public attention at the time. Everything from fliers being posted by volunteers to psychics calling in with tips for police. No solid leads materialized, Wood said.

"The community got very involved. For a small town like Coeur d'Alene this was pretty big news."

The two cases will remain open and active until solved, she said. Crime Stoppers of the Inland Northwest recently announced it is offering a cash reward for information leading to the resolution of the two cold cases.

Here's what police know about the Coeur d'Alene cases:

On March 29, 1986, Swanson was reported missing after she had parked her vehicle in the Third Street parking lot and made her way onto Tubbs Hill.

She was last seen at 4:40 p.m. walking onto the hill. Her vehicle was found in the lot by detectives. It was undisturbed and locked with her purse, wallet and identification in it.

An extensive search of the recreational area revealed no evidence as to the reason for her disappearance.

Swanson was employed by the Coeur d'Alene School District.

She was 31 years old at the time of her disappearance and would be 56 today. She is described as white, with blonde hair and blue eyes, 5-feet-4 inches tall, and weighed about 130 pounds.

About a month and a half later, on May 16, Stone, aka Sally Anne Ries, was reported missing.

She was last seen in Coeur d'Alene at the office of her physical therapist on May 16, but failed to show up a day later for her next scheduled appointment.

Her vehicle was found at her residence undisturbed. She was off work due to an injury at the time from her job as an exotic dancer at the Stateline.

She was 21 at the time of her disappearance and would be 46 today.

She is described as white, with brown hair and hazel eyes, 5-feet-2, and weighed about 125 pounds.

She had a tattoo on her right shoulder of a parrot standing on a branch in front of a half moon. There is a ribbon under it with the letters "Teko's" on it.

She has a scar approximately 5 to 6 inches long on her abdomen that is possibly from a cesarean operation.

Anyone with information on either of these cases is asked to call Crime Stoppers of the Inland Northwest at (208) 667-2111. Callers are asked to use a code name or number and do not have to give their own name to be eligible for a cash reward.