Details of Disappearance
Cain departed from Bennigan's Restaurant in Clear Lake, Texas at approximately 1:30 AM on August 17, 1997. She was driving her 1992 tan Ford pickup truck with an extended cab and a camper shell back to her family's residence in Tiki Island at the time. One of Cain's friends saw her vehicle parked on the southbound shoulder of Interstate 45 between Exits 7 and 8 in La Marque shortly after she left the restaurant. The location is near Highland Bayou Park. According to her friend, Cain was last seen walking towards a 1993 or newer cherry-red Isuzu Amigo parked behind her truck on the shoulder. The Amigo is described as being in mint condition with a hardtop, dark-tinted windows, no chrome, rounded wheel wells and a spare tire mounted in the center rear. The driver of the Amigo is considered to be a possible witness in Cain's case and has yet to be identified. Cain has never been heard from again. She was last seen wearing a sleeveless black shirt with a lace bodice, brown knit pants and black patent leather sandals.
Cain's truck was discovered abandoned near the location her friend last saw her on Interstate 45 later in the day. Her wallet was on the driver's seat of the vehicle but her keys were missing. There was no sign of Cain at the scene.
Authorities are also searching for the driver of a mid-to-full-size white pickup truck who may have been a witness during the time Cain disappeared on the interstate. The driver's truck is described as having a white toolbox mounted near the cab and a light bar with rotating yellow / orange lights. In addition, another possible witness is also being sought in connection with Cain's disappearance. He is described as an African-American male, approximately 25 - 32 years old with a short Afro-style haircut. The witness was driving a purple Dodge or Plymouth Neon at the time he may have seen Cain. Authorities believe the possible witness may be involved in the music industry.
A private investigator claimed that there was a possible link between Cain's disappearance and Jonathan David Drew. Drew was charged with the murder of Tina Michelle Flood in December 1998. He was employed as an automobile mechanic at the time Cain disappeared. The investigator said that Drew had access to a red Isuzu Amigo in August 1997. The Amigo was in the possession of a used car dealership where Drew occasionally worked. It is not known if Drew was the driver of the vehicle spotted behind Cain's truck on the day she disappeared.
Cain's case is also being investigated along with the murders or disappearances of numerous other women from the Galveston County, Texas area since the 1970s. It is not known if any of the cases are connected to one another, but the Federal Bureau Of Investigation (FBI) and Texas law enforcement have formed Operation HALT (Homicide / Abduction Liason Team) to look into the possibilities. The disappearances of Sondra Ramber in 1983, Michelle Thomas in 1985 and Suzanne Richerson in 1988 are among the cases being investigated by Operation HALT.
Cain is described as a model teenager who had no enemies and would not run away from home. She was due to start her freshman year at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas the week after her disappearance. Cain's case remains unsolved.