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Denise Pflum was a bright, successful senior in high school from Connersville.

She was 18 years old, and she had a promising future. 

Denise was an exceptional high school student who actively participated in sports, clubs, and various extracurricular activities.

Her hard work and dedication paid off when she received a full academic scholarship to Miami University, where she planned to pursue her studies after graduation.

On the tragic day of March 28, 1986, while on spring break, Denise snuck out of the home she shared with her family and informed her parents that she would look for a misplaced purse.

She was driving the family’s beige 1981 Buick Regal when the incident occurred.

When Denise didn’t come home later that day, her family reported her missing.

Let’s get to know the details of her tragic end.

Investigation process

The police should have taken more time to launch a thorough search for Denise and the car she was operating. 

The missing person was sought after in the rural areas near Connersville by friends, family members, and volunteers.

Two days after Denise vanished, on March 29, 1986, her car was found abandoned in a rural area. 

No signs of a struggle or other misbehavior could be seen.

However, her purse was never discovered.

Several leads and prospective suspects have emerged throughout the investigation, but none have led to discovering important new information.

The authorities conducted numerous interviews and polygraph tests, but no fresh leads had found due to the investigation. 

The police had few options because there was no physical evidence and nobody to examine.

Everyone in Denise’s social network and family was left wondering what had happened to Denise.

Potential offenders of the case

Many theories got to put up after Denise’s disappearance and assumed murder. 

According to several ideas, she might have been abducted by someone she knew or a stranger observing her. 

Others believed she may have been in an accident and died from her wounds.

But her body was removed to hide the fact that a crime was committed. 

She could have been able to run away.

Meanwhile, this was unlikely considering her strong bonds with her family and promising future.

One of the most noteworthy people interested in looking into her disappearance was her ex-lover.

She had a troubled relationship with him.

Nevertheless, he got repeatedly interrogated, but he was never officially charged or connected to her abduction.

Continued efforts and a break in the case

The Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Joey Laughlin decided to reopen the cold case’s investigation in 2018. 

Tom Barker was a veteran detective supervisor.

He was brought in to help. He began re-examining the evidence and re-interviewing the witnesses.

Detectives announced at the start of 2020 that they had just discovered evidence in the case that made them believe Denise got murdered. 

The new leads got pointed toward an unidentified place in a remote area of Fayette County where they thought the remains might get buried, but they would not give the address. 

The authorities used cutting-edge tools, including ground-penetrating radar and cadaver dogs, to undertake many area searches. 

They searched everywhere but could not find her remains.

Arrest and charges in Denise Pflum case

On July 8, 2020, it was made public that the case investigation had undergone significant development. 

Shawn M. McClung was detained and charged with voluntary manslaughter concerning the incident.

McClung had previously been questioned and deemed a person of interest in Denise’s death. 

Following their disagreement, McClung allegedly confessed to killing Denise Pflum, according to the authorities.

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