#6 The Missing Pieces: The Mysterious Disappearance of Denise Pflum - Uncovering Decades of Unanswered Questions

Send us a text

What happened to Denise Pflum on that fateful day in 1986 when she left home in Connersville, Indiana to retrieve a forgotten purse and never returned? Discover the chilling twists and turns of this haunting case that has left a small Indiana town with unanswered questions for nearly four decades. From an abandoned car to a shocking confession years later, we unravel the enigmatic disappearance of a promising young woman whose life was abruptly halted. 

Join us as we navigate through the emotional landscape faced by Denise's family, particularly her parents, David and Judy Pflum, in their relentless pursuit of truth. We'll explore the theories that have emerged over the years, including the potential involvement of Denise's ex-boyfriend, Sean McClung, and the baffling lack of evidence despite his confession. This episode delves into the heartache of unanswered questions, the limitations of 1980s investigative tools, and the hope that still lingers in the search for closure.

Support the show

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Missing Pieces podcast, where we explore
the stories of those who vanish, the unanswered questions, the
gaps in time where lives areinterrupted and the families
left searching for truth.
Today we turn our attention toConnersville, indiana, a small
Midwestern town with aclose-knit community where
people know their neighbors andlife moves at a slower, familiar

(00:22):
pace.
But even in a town like this,tragedies unfold, leaving behind
missing pieces that refuse tofit.
This is the story of DeniseFlume, a promising young woman,
an athlete, a scholar and adaughter, who disappeared on
March 28, 1986, and was neverseen again.
Denise was just 18 years old,standing on the edge of

(00:46):
adulthood, preparing to leavefor Miami University in Ohio,
where she planned to studymicrobiology.
She had everything going forher a solid future, a loving
family, a bright mind.
But all of that ended on aquiet spring day when she left
her home in Fayette County,indiana, and simply vanished.
The missing pieces of her storyremain scattered, elusive, just

(01:10):
beyond reach, leaving behindnearly four decades of
speculation, pain and unansweredquestions.
Let's go back to the day beforeher disappearance.
It was a Friday night, march 27, 1986.
Denise had attended a party,something that wasn't uncommon
for a high school seniorenjoying the last months before

(01:31):
graduation.
At some point that evening sheforgot her purse at the party.
It's a small detail, but inmissing persons cases, small
details matter.
What was in that purse?
Who noticed it was left behind?
Did she leave in a hurry?
Was she distracted?
Was she upset?
The next morning, march 28th,denise left home telling her

(01:54):
parents she was going back toretrieve the purse.
It was the last time anyone sawher.
Her car, a cream-colored 1981Buick Regal, was found abandoned
later that same day on TowerRoad, a desolate stretch in
rural Fayette County.
The vehicle was lockedundisturbed, almost as if she
had simply stepped out andwalked away.

(02:15):
But where would she go?
There were no signs of astruggle, no tire tracks
suggesting someone forced heroff the road.
It was as if she had evaporatedinto thin air.
For her parents, david and JudyFlum, the nightmare was just
beginning.
Denise was an extremelyresponsible girl.
She was not the type todisappear or run away.

(02:36):
There were no signs of distressin the days leading up to her
disappearance.
No troubling phone calls, nofights, no diary entries
indicating she was afraid ofsomeone or something.
Police began theirinvestigation, but in 1986,
forensic tools were limited.
There were no cell phonerecords to track her movements,
no surveillance footage frombusinesses or street cameras.

(02:59):
It was a time, before socialmedia, where missing person
alerts didn't spread instantly.
Denise's family and friendshanded out flyers, put up
posters and pleaded forinformation.
And then came the theories.
One of the first theoriesinvolved a possible abduction.
Tower Road is isolated,surrounded by farmland and trees

(03:20):
, a place where few people wouldpass by.
Did someone pull over to helpher, only to take her instead?
Was it someone she knew,someone who knew she would be
there?
Then there was the ex-boyfriend.
Denise had recently broken upwith Sean McClung, a local young
man.
While there was no immediateevidence tying him to her

(03:43):
disappearance, those closest toher believed the breakup was
emotional.
Could emotions have escalated?
Could the meeting have turnedviolent?
For years, rumors circulated,but no concrete evidence
surfaced.
It wasn't until 2020, 34 yearslater, that a shocking
development occurred.
Sean McClung, Denise'sex-boyfriend, confessed to her

(04:05):
murder, but before details couldbe fully examined, he died Just
like that.
The one person who may have hadthe missing pieces was gone.
So what do we know?
Police believe Denise waskilled shortly after she
disappeared, but there has neverbeen a body no confirmed
location, no burial site, nophysical evidence to support

(04:25):
McClung's confession.
Some believe his confession wasfalse, perhaps something he
said in a moment of regret,guilt or even manipulation.
Others believe he finallyadmitted to what many had
suspected all along.
And then there's anotherhaunting question If McClung did
kill Denise, did he act alone?

(04:48):
Denise's parents, david and Judy, never stopped searching.
They filed lawsuits, pushed forproperty searches and urged
police to keep the case open.
But Indiana law requires moreevidence to justify major
excavation and without a clearlead they have hit legal
roadblocks.
They want to search farmlandand areas they believe hold the

(05:09):
answers, but they needpermission permission they have
not yet been granted.
So here we are, nearly 40 yearslater, still asking what
happened to Denise Flum.
Where is she?
In my opinion, this case shouldhave been solved decades ago.
There were suspects, witnesses,rumors and even a confession,

(05:31):
but because critical informationwas either ignored, hidden or
lost over time, denise remainsmissing.
In my opinion, the biggestfailure in this case was time
Time that allowed witnesses toforget.
Time that let evidence fade.
Time that gave suspects theopportunity to move on with
their lives, while Denise'sfamily remained stuck in 1986.

(05:53):
But this case is not over.
Denise deserves to come homeand her family deserves peace.
If McClung really wasresponsible, then someone a
friend, a witness, someone whosaw something that night knows
where she is.
Denise was a daughter, a sister, a student, a friend.
She was not just a missingperson.

(06:14):
She was a person and someonetook that away.
Her family is still looking,police are still investigating
and maybe, just maybe, themissing pieces aren't so missing
after all.
If you have any informationabout Denise Plum's
disappearance, please contactthe Fayette County Sheriff's
Department.
Even the smallest detail couldbe the key to solving a nearly

(06:35):
40-year mystery.
This has been the MissingPieces Podcast.
Keep asking questions, keepsearching for answers and never
forget the ones who still needto be found.