Missing from Missouri: Could New Image Bring Kelly Allen Home?

Nineteen years after a Missouri nursing student vanished without a trace, investigators hope a new image may help bring answers in the disappearance of Kelly Allen.

Kelly Allen Age Progression (Credit: NCMEC)

At 20, Kelly Allen was focused on building her future. Living in St. Louis, Missouri, she attended nursing school, worked at a local nursing home, and was looking for a new job opportunity closer to home. In March 2007, she traveled to nearby Berkeley, Missouri, to stay with a friend for a few days. Nothing about the trip seemed out of the ordinary.

On the morning of March 13, Kelly’s friend left for work and saw Kelly sleeping on the couch.

Sometime later that day, investigators say Kelly left the house to attend a job interview at a telemarketing company.  According to law enforcement, Kelly scheduled a second follow-up interview later that week.

Unfortunately, Kelly never made it to the second interview, because at some point on March 13, 2007, she vanished.

Police say it’s unclear what happened after Kelly left the job interview that day or whether Kelly ever returned back to her friend’s home. But, when her friend returned home from work that evening, Kelly was gone. All of her belongings had been left behind at the house, but Kelly was nowhere to be found. Her clothes, purse and an uncashed $2000 tax return check were untouched.

Nineteen years later, Kelly hasn’t been seen or heard from since.

According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit, Kelly’s case is still an active investigation, even nearly two decades later:

“Our detectives continue to investigate this case in conjunction with the Berkley Police Department. We still have hope that Kelly will be found and reunited with her family.”

The National Center hopes the new age progression image, created by a NCMEC forensic artist, will generate renewed interest and fresh leads.

“A single memory, even one that seems small, could make a real difference,” said Angeline Hartmann, director of communications at NCMEC. “We urge anyone who recognizes Kelly or recalls anything from that day to come forward. Your tip could be the one to change everything”

Today, Kelly is 39 years old. She has a tattoo of brown eyes and a flower on her left shoulder and a tattoo of a half-moon behind her left ear. Investigators are asking anyone who may have known Kelly or remembers anything from March 13, 2007, to come forward.

Kelly Allen before her disappearance. (Credit: NCMEC)

Anyone with information about Kelly Allen or her disappearance is asked to contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST or the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit at 314-444-5738.

View Kelly’s Missing Poster here: https://www.missingkids.org/poster/NCMC/1117769/1