In 1990, 26-year-old mom of two, Nancy Shoupp, left her husband Steve and moved out of their Boulder, Colorado home alleging domestic violence. She moved into an apartment with their children, 3-year-old Geoffrey, and 2-year-old, Mattie. During the next five weeks, Steve called Nancy at all hours of the day at night and stalked her. Nancy vanished without a trace just 10 days after she served him with divorce papers.
On April 27, 1990, Nancy went on a date with a co-worker. The couple went out for dinner and watched When Harry Met Sally at his apartment. Nancy and Steve had a pre-arranged custody exchange at 4:30 am since Steve had to work the morning shift at a gas station. At 3:30, Nancy got into her dark green 1984 Volvo and headed to Steve’s home. She was never seen again.
Nancy was reported missing by her mother after she failed to show up for work two days later. Her car was found in the parking lot of her apartment complex and there was a blood stain on the carpet inside her home.
A neighbor told the police that they saw Steve’s car parked outside Nancy’s apartment at 7 am on the day she disappeared. Steve claimed that Nancy never showed up. He said he went to her apartment but she didn’t answer the door so he left their children in his car and went to work.
Steve said that he left Nancy a message but her voicemail was empty. He insisted he loved her but he never bothered to report her missing.
Nancy’s friends and family claimed that she lived and breathed for her two children and would never have abandoned them — not willingly anyway.
3-year-old Geoffrey made a bone-chilling claim when he told investigators that “daddy put mommy by a tree” after a “long drive down a bumpy road.”
Steve hired a lawyer and stopped cooperating with the investigation. He took the children, moved to Kansas, and re-married. Steve told his new wife that Nancy died in a car accident. Like Nancy, she eventually filed for divorce alleging abuse. Steve was sentenced to 18 months for stalking.
Nancy’s co-worker passed a polygraph test and he was ruled out as a suspect. Steve has never been arrested in connection with Nancy’s disappearance but he remains the prime suspect in the case.
Nancy was last seen wearing a cream-colored sweater with matching pumps and light gray pants. Her red gym bag has never been located. If you have any information, contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at (720)-913-STOP or Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office at 303–795–4711.
