Phoenix Coldon
Phoenix Lucille Coldon was 23 years old when she was last seen on December 18, 2011, after leaving her family’s home on Countrybrook Drive in Spanish Lake, Missouri.
She had spent the afternoon with her mother at church and the grocery store, then changed into sweatpants and a hoodie to shoot hoops in the driveway.
Around 2:20 p.m., her father saw her get into the family’s black 1988 Chevrolet Blazer and drive away. She did not say where she was going, and she has never been seen again.
Just a few hours later, at 5:27 p.m., Phoenix’s Blazer was found abandoned on St. Clair Avenue in East St. Louis, Illinois — about 25 minutes from her home.
The driver’s door was open, and the vehicle was towed at 6:23 p.m.
It was entered into the system as abandoned, but because it was impounded in Illinois, Missouri authorities did not initially connect it to her missing‑person report.
Her family was never notified; a family friend eventually located the SUV in a tow lot on January 2.
Inside the vehicle, Phoenix’s glasses, purse, shoes, and identification were still present. After she vanished, all activity on her phone, bank accounts, and social media stopped.
DNA testing later indicated that no one other than Phoenix and her parents had been inside the SUV.
Phoenix was born in California on May 23, 1988, and raised there until her family moved to Missouri for her father’s job.
She was adopted by Lawrence Coldon, homeschooled for much of her childhood, and excelled in fencing and music. At the time she disappeared, she was a junior at the University of Missouri but had not enrolled in fall classes.
Her parents have carried out extensive independent searches over the years, often expressing frustration with what they felt was limited investigative support.
They have spoken with people on the streets, hired a private investigator, and spent their savings trying to find their daughter — efforts that eventually pushed their home into foreclosure.
In 2018, Phoenix’s case was the focus of a two‑night Oxygen documentary that explored theories and gaps in the investigation.
If you have any information about the disappearance of Phoenix Lucille Coldon, please contact the St. Louis County Police Department at (314) 615‑5400.
