Ada Haradine Vanished Without a Trace in Elkhart Indiana

Born in Germany in 1944, Ada Van Loo Haradine immigrated to the United States with her family. A devoted Catholic and a loving wife and mother, Ada married Carl Edwin “Ed” Haradine Jr. in 1965. The couple had two sons, Greg and Jeff, and resided in East Lake Estates, an upscale neighborhood in Elkhart, Indiana. Ada was admired for her quiet kindness and dedication to her family, working part-time as a teacher’s aide at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School.

By all accounts, Ada led a stable, peaceful life. She was active in her church and community, maintaining a predictable routine. It was this very routine that made her sudden disappearance on May 8, 1985, all the more alarming.

The Fateful Day of May 8, 1985

On the morning of May 8, Ada attended a special Mother’s Day mass at her son Jeff’s school. After the service, she returned home. Her niece, Susan, was in town for job interviews and visited Ada for lunch. Around 1:30 p.m., after lunch, Susan and Ada heard a loud, unfamiliar “thud” from inside the house. Concerned, they searched the house and yard but found nothing unusual. They dismissed the noise and resumed their conversation.

At approximately 3 p.m., Susan left. Ten minutes later, a neighbor reported seeing Ada in her backyard speaking to an unidentified man near a blue or black four-door car parked in her driveway. The man was described as well-dressed, approximately six feet tall, and between 45 and 50 years old.

At 3:20 p.m., Ada’s nine-year-old son Jeff arrived home from school and found the house empty—a stark departure from the usual, as Ada was always there to greet him. Concerned, Jeff called his father, Ed, at work. Ed initially assumed Ada had gone to her mother’s house but soon realized this was not the case.

The Investigation Begins

The Haradine family reported Ada missing by 7:30 p.m. The initial investigation yielded little evidence. There were no signs of forced entry or a struggle. Ada’s purse, keys, money, and vehicle were all left behind, indicating she did not plan to leave. Investigators quickly ruled out the possibility of her leaving voluntarily and believed foul play was involved.

A witness’s account of the unknown man with Ada provided the only potential lead, but the man was never identified. The lack of physical evidence at the scene left law enforcement baffled. Despite the family’s insistence that Ada would never abandon her family, police were left with few clues.

The Family’s Desperate Search

Ada’s disappearance devastated her family. Ed and their sons, Greg and Jeff, took active roles in raising awareness about Ada’s case. Hundreds of tips poured in from as far away as Las Vegas, but none proved helpful. Rumors circulated about potential suspects and motives, including theories involving organized crime, but these were never substantiated.

Jeff, only nine years old at the time, later recalled the profound impact of his mother’s disappearance on his childhood. Greg, away at college during the incident, struggled with the sudden loss upon returning home. The family’s pain was compounded by the lack of closure, as the police remained unable to locate Ada or identify her abductor.

The Grim Discovery in 1988

On May 12, 1988—nearly three years after Ada’s disappearance—mushroom hunters in rural Cass County, Michigan, stumbled upon human remains near Birch Road, north of U.S. 12. The site, a steep, wooded hillside, was about 20 miles from the Haradine home. The skeletal remains were identified as Ada’s through dental records, and her wedding ring was found among the bones.

The forensic examination revealed that Ada had suffered severe blunt force trauma to her head, with fractures to her skull and jaw. No clothing or shoes were found at the site, further deepening the mystery. Large rocks found nearby were suspected as potential murder weapons, though this was never confirmed. Investigators could not determine whether Ada was killed at the location or if her body was dumped there later.

Renewed Efforts and Theories

In 2013, a new task force comprising members of the Elkhart City Police, Indiana State Police, Elkhart County Prosecutor’s Office, and Cass County Sheriff’s Department was formed to re-examine the case. The team submitted evidence to the Michigan State Crime Lab for advanced DNA testing in hopes that modern forensic technology could uncover new leads.

Despite the fresh efforts, the lack of definitive evidence continued to frustrate investigators. Dave Gizzi, a prosecutor’s office investigator, noted that the case was perplexing due to the complete absence of any tangible leads from the Haradine home. Gizzi remained convinced that the strange noise Ada and her niece heard earlier in the day was connected to the abduction, possibly indicating that the perpetrator had been hiding in the house.

The task force’s re-examination focused on persons of interest, revisiting earlier theories and exploring new possibilities. However, despite their dedication, the case remained unsolved.

The Impact on Ada’s Family

Ada’s death left an irreplaceable void in the lives of her family members. Ed Haradine passed away in 1993, never learning the truth about his wife’s fate. Their sons, Greg and Jeff, have continued to search for answers, holding onto the hope that new information may one day bring closure. Jeff has spoken publicly about the emotional toll of growing up without his mother and the lasting impact of living with unanswered questions.

The case has also had a lasting impact on the Elkhart community, which still remembers Ada’s kind spirit and mourns the loss of an innocent life. Local residents have expressed a desire for justice, believing that someone in the community may still hold the key to solving the case.

A Cold Case that Haunts the Community

Despite decades of investigation, Ada Haradine’s murder remains a haunting cold case. The combination of circumstantial evidence, vague witness descriptions, and the isolated location of her remains has made the case challenging for law enforcement. Advances in forensic science, however, continue to offer hope for breakthroughs in unsolved cases like Ada’s.

Law enforcement believes that someone may still hold critical information that could lead to an arrest. They continue to encourage anyone with knowledge about the case to come forward, emphasizing that even seemingly insignificant details could help unravel the mystery.

The Unyielding Pursuit of Justice

The disappearance and murder of Ada Haradine remain a tragic and unsolved chapter in Elkhart’s history. Ada’s family and the community at large continue to seek justice for the devoted wife and mother whose life was senselessly cut short. As technology evolves and public interest in true crime cases grows, there is renewed hope that her story will eventually have a resolution.

The call for justice is not only a plea for closure for Ada’s loved ones but also a reminder of the importance of pursuing the truth for all victims of unsolved crimes.