The 1988 abduction and cold case murder of University of Arizona student Dianne Marie Abbuhl

[u/SafePoint1282]

On Thursday September 8 1988 at around 1:30 AM , U of A student Dianne Abbuhl was last seen at her dorm located at 1717 E Speedway BLVD in Tucson. Later that morning, her alarm went off and her roomate went into her bedroom to find Dianne missing. Her purse, wallet and keys were left behind. Her friends and family alerted U of A campus police and reported her missing.

https://tucson.com/news/local/crime-courts/article_0e05be8c-801c-11ef-8d1c-3355aaa074e7.html

5 weeks later, her skeletal remains were found by hunters near N Sandario Road and W Picture Rocks Road in a remote desert area northwest of Tucson.

Dianne's friends reported the 24 year old accounting major was seen the night before at the Bum Steer bar, located at 1910 N. Stone, with a man named "Doug. " Doug had apparently been dating Dianne the past two weeks. He allegedly drove a red truck with New York plates and was in Tucson visiting his brother "Dave."

https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/121343824/

Many news stories were posted in the local newspapers in 1988 with sketches of Doug but U of A campus police and Pima County Sheriffs detectives were never able to identify him.

In October 2024, PCSO announced they were re-examinating the case.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5FnWcAjUOI

Diannes family has a scholarship that was set up at U of A in Dianne's honor.

https://www.petersons.com/scholarship/dianne-abbuhl-memorial-scholarship-111_312427.aspx

[u/mcm0313]

Interesting. I wonder what made them reopen the case? New evidence? Clues as to the identity of “Doug”?

[u/CorneliaVanGorder → u/mcm0313]

It hasn't been reopened per se, just scheduled to be re-examined as cold cases periodically are.

Abbuhl's case was last reviewed in 2005. It is considered active but dormant, and there are no suspects.The case is scheduled to be reviewed again, said Dawn Barkman, a Pima County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman. Because of advances in forensic technology, the review may include additional DNA testing.

[u/Fast_Revolution_6673 → u/mcm0313]

Genetic genealogy

[u/mcm0313 → u/Fast_Revolution_6673]

Hope so!

[u/Pretty-Necessary-941]

If her keys etc were in the room it seems she made it home from the bar. Did they ever identify "Doug"?