Molly Dattilo appears to have disappeared without a trace in July 2004, while attending a party at her apartment complex. However, the investigation into what happened seemed to lead to very few clues and no explanation. Molly’s story is featured as one of two cases highlighted in the “Still a Mystery: Indiana Unsolved” show, which airs on Investigation Discovery. For many years, the family struggled bitterly to reach a resolution, as they were prevented from getting adequate information. So, in case you’re curious what happened to Molly, here’s what we know to be the case.
Molly Dattilo
How did Molly Dattilo die?
Molly was the ninth and last child born in the family and she spent her childhood in Madison, Indiana. The young woman possessed a variety of positive traits, including talent, ambition, sociability and reliability. Molly was not only successful in the classroom, but also a talented athlete. As a result, she received a scholarship to attend Eastern Kentucky University. Everything seemed to be going wonderfully well for the 22-year-old. She attended the Indiana University-Purdue University summer session in Indianapolis in 2004, intending to submit an entry for “American Idol” later. Molly’s day, July 6, 2004, started with the same routine as any other day. She shared an apartment in Indianapolis with her brother at the time, and they both made the city their home.
After collecting a few essentials and going to her classes around 7 p.m., Molly went to a nearby fast food restaurant to hand in her application for a position. After that, Molly attended a party held at her apartment complex. Molly called her boyfriend from a payphone at a gas station three miles from her apartment around 11 p.m. Unfortunately, the call was dropped before the friend could finish his sentence. After that, no one ever heard from her again. After more than a decade, Molly’s family decided in 2017 to officially acknowledge her passing. However, the cause of death cannot be determined at this time.
The death of Molly Dattilo
Was Molly Dattilo killed?
Molly appeared on a familiar face on her way to the fast food joint, and this person reminded her of the fact that she was carrying her phone. After some time, the device was located inside his apartment. During the party organized in her building on the evening of July 6, 2004, she met John Shelton. She was introduced to him by one of his other close friends. After they left the party, the two took a boat trip and then dined at a Taco Bell, according to the inquest’s findings. The call came in around 11pm at night and was made from a pay phone three miles in the other direction from the apartment.
When John was questioned later, he confessed he was with Molly when she made the call, but he claimed he dropped her off at her house after the call was over. He was the very last person to have seen her alive at some point. Nick, Molly’s brother, did not immediately report his sister missing as it was not unusual for Molly to embark on unplanned trips. Nick believed Molly had made it home safely. On the other hand, Nick grew concerned when Molly had still not returned home or been in contact with anyone as of July 8, 2004. He contacted the authorities, but they did not take his report. seriously because they thought she had left it on her. own will.
However, all of Molly’s items, including her wallet, ID, car and phone, were still inside the apartment when police arrived, leading them to suspect foul play. had been committed. However, authorities lacked a significant amount of information to follow up. The family continued to talk about Molly and her disappearance in hopes that more leads would surface. According to the episode, two years after John disappeared, they decided to employ a private detective in order to find out more about him. He was incarcerated and released from prison for various offenses throughout his life.
When the family decided to go public with John’s name, it was claimed on the show that his former girlfriends had confided in the family about how John had made them feel uncomfortable and threatened. They claimed John bragged about doing something to Molly and then threatened to do the same to them if they didn’t keep their distance. Some of the other ladies in the family described how when drunk he choked them. The fact that there was no body or other evidence made it impossible for authorities to place John under arrest. In October 2008, the police received additional information.
According to the program, the tipster claimed that John spoke to his father, Edward, on the evening of Molly’s disappearance and told him that he had inadvertently killed someone else. Seemingly in response, Edward asked her to find a suitable burial place for the deceased. Shortly after, the investigation into Molly’s disappearance was turned into a homicide investigation by authorities. John has been the only person interested in the investigation for all these years. In 2010, the family won a wrongful claim brought against John and Edward, which resulted in the award of $3.5 million to Molly’s relatives. The Sheltons, on the other hand, did not show up in court, leading the family to assume they would never see the money again.
On the show, it was revealed that John was currently serving time for drug trafficking and crimes related to armed robbery, and would become eligible for parole in 2038. Molly’s family decided to acknowledge officially her death in September 2017, assuming she died on July 6, 2004. Celestra Dewey, her sister, stated that “at this time, we are assuming that she is deceased.” In light of that, I don’t consider it a form of abandonment. Even if someone has been declared legally dead, that doesn’t mean you’ll give up looking for them at any time.
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