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Jennifer Lancaster and her two daughters, Sidney and Monique Smith, disappeared from Topeka, Kansas, on May 12, 2000. Jennifer, 20 years old, was last observed leaving her apartment at about 8 pm, accompanied by her children.
The following day, her Jeep Cherokee was discovered abandoned in a nearby apartment complex. Everything personal, such as the children's car seats and the keys, had been taken. Jennifer's phone and final paycheck were forgotten at home. Public appeals, several investigations, and publicity, including on the Crime Junkie podcast, have yielded no valid leads or sightings.
The current whereabouts of Sidney, Monique, and Jennifer are unknown. The Crime Junkie podcast episode titled, MISSING: Jennifer, Sidney, and Monique aired on June 23, 2025.
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Jennifer Lancaster's history and the night she vanished
The Charley Project reported that Jennifer Lancaster was 20 when she disappeared. She shared a residence with her mother and sister at the Misty Glen Apartments in Topeka, Kansas. She had two daughters, Sidney, who was slightly more than a year old, and Monique, born in April 2000, a month before Jennifer's disappearance.
To support her daughters, Jennifer worked at a local bar and nightclub. On May 12, 2000, Jennifer Lancaster had a family dinner in the evening before leaving home. The Charley Project reported that at approximately 8 pm, Jennifer informed her mother that she would do laundry and took both children out of the apartment with her.
Her family found this strange since they had laundry services at home. Jennifer also said that she planned on visiting a male friend after doing laundry. Jennifer did not come home that evening.
Her mother, Vicki, did not worry initially, thinking Jennifer had spent the night with her friend. But when there was no communication the following day too, she made a missing persons report to the Topeka Police Department.
Investigation and Evidence
Jennifer's 1994 Jeep Cherokee was found on May 14, 2000, at an apartment complex on 3032 S.E. Swygart Avenue, only a few miles from Jennifer's residence. The car was unlocked and empty. Both the children's car seats, Jennifer's keys, and any visible personal items had been taken away. The Charley Project reported that no struggle or indications of foul play were seen at the scene.
Jennifer Lancaster's cellphone, which was on her mother's cellular plan, was still at the apartment. Her final paycheck was yet to be cashed, and there was no recent activity on her bank account. These factors led the investigators to believe that she had not left voluntarily.
Police interviewed Sidney's biological father, who allegedly did not know where Jennifer Lancaster or the children were. Monique's father was unknown, and leads from that direction also did not pan out. Police, as reported by Solve The Case, characterized the event as troubling but found no tangible evidence of a crime.
Theories, sightings, and continued search
Through the years, there have been several theories about Jennifer and her kids' disappearance. One of them, mentioned by Jennifer Lancaster's mother, was that Jennifer might have planned to leave on her own since part of her personal belongings were gone from the house as well. This theory is doubted because Jennifer left behind her cell phone as well as a substantial amount of money.
She also did not take her two children's car seats, which normally would be something she would have taken if she were moving. There have been a couple of reported sightings. One truck driver in Iowa said he picked up a woman and two children consistent with their appearance, but it has never been verified.
DNA samples from Jennifer's family have been compared to unidentified remains in other states, but none have worked, as reported by Doe Network. The case has been back in the spotlight with the Crime Junkie podcast.
Listen to the podcast for more details.
