On the surface, Pamela J. Butler seemed to have it all: a well-paying government job with the Environmental Protection Agency, two sleek luxury cars and a home in the District meticulously kept spotless.
But all of that ended on the night of Feb. 12, 2009, when the 47-year-old systems analyst disappeared from her residence without a trace.
The case has baffled law enforcement officials and family members, who said that Butler was a naturally predictable and cautious person who had set up a sophisticated security system at her home. It included an alarm, motion-activated floodlights and surveillance cameras trained on all exits. The security system was turned off before she vanished, and officers who searched her home found no evidence of foul
play.
But relatives said some things struck them as unusual about Butler’s residence immediately after her disappearance. They noticed th
at Butler had uncharacteristically left the blinds up and a window unlocked on the second story dining room. Her place was always kept clean, but they found her bedsheets missing and files scattered on the floor of her office.
Butler’s purse, credit card, driver’s license and keys were gone, but her shiny gray Mercedes-Benz and gold Jaguar were left behind.
The last person Butler was seen with was her boyfriend of five months, Jose Angel Rodriguez-Cruz, whom she had met on an online dating site. Rodriguez-Cruz told police that Butler had broken up with him around the time of her disappearance, but the split was amicable.
The police investigated Rodriguez-Cruz as a possible suspect in Butler’s disappearance but found no evidence that he committed any wrongdoing. Butler was said to be struggling with some financial problems at the time of her disappearance, because of a decline in the value of some of her investments.
The case continues to be investigated, but the police department said there are no new leads. Butler is black, 5 feet 3 inches and 120 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information regarding this case should contact the Metropolitan Police Department at 202-727-9099.
