Above: Therese Vanderheiden-Walsh in 1990 (left) and an age-progressed image to 37, circa 2021 (right)

Therese Rose Vanderheiden-Walsh

Last seen in Kailua, Hawaii on June 22, 1990

Vital statistics: White female. Born on July 4, 1984. Blond hair, hazel eyes. She has moles on her back and shoulders and her ears are pierced. She may use the alias last names of "Smith," "Doherty," "Hamm," "Johnson," or "Cochran." Last seen wearing pink shorts, a pink t-shirt, and pink and white Nike sneakers. Was five at the time.

Circumstances: She was abducted by her non-custodial mother, Merle Marie Vanderheiden. A photo and vital statistics are posted below. Therese's father, Fran Walsh, had custody of her in 1990. Her mother was not allowed to visit with her until she passed a psychiatric evaluation. She had claimed Fran was abusing Therese, but investigators found no evidence to support this. Therese was enrolled in day care in 1990 and a woman wearing dark sunglasses and a hat was seen outside the day care when the children were outside. Therese was found to be missing shortly thereafter and is believed the woman was her mother. A felony warrant for interference with custody was issued for her on July 26, 1990. They may be assisted by the group Children of the Underground, who claim to help women and children who have been supposedly abused by spouses and parents. Fran Walsh founded the Hawaii Missing Children's Clearinghouse. He died in 1998, and never stopped looking for his daughter.


Above: Merle Vanderheiden in 1990

Vital statistics: White female. Born on August 5, 1950. Brown hair, green eyes. She wears eyeglasses or contact lenses. She may wear wigs to disguise her identity. Her ears are pierced. She may use the aliases "Marie Walsh," "Kara Vanderheiden," "Jacqueline Smith," "Vann Vanderheiden," "Pat Doherty," "Mary Jean Hamm," "Kara Johnson" and/or "Kara Cochran." She has the abilities to evade authorities due to her intelligence training. She has been sighted throughout the years in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Colorado and Texas. She may be employed in a hospital, as a social worker or as a forest ranger. Was thirty-nine at the time.

If you have any information as to Therese's whereabouts, please contact the Honolulu Police Department at 808-529-3115. Any information received can be kept confidential.


Information used to compile this casefile came from the following resources:
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
The Charley Project
The Doe Network
California Missing Persons Registry
Hawaii's Own Missing Children
NamUs National Missing Persons Data System
Child Protection Education Of America (site now defunct)

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