Episode
Disappearance at the Dairy Queen
1:18:02
Published: Tue Jan 04 2022
Description
In this Dateline classic, Dennis Murphy reports on the mysterious cold case of 13-Year-Old Cindy Zarzycki who disappeared one day in 1986 after telling friends she was meeting someone at the local Dairy Queen. Originally aired on NBC on April 17, 2009.
Chapters
The speaker recalls dancing to Madonna's Borderline with her friend as a teenager and how it was a memorable experience for her.
00:00 - 02:09 (02:09)
Summary
The speaker recalls dancing to Madonna's Borderline with her friend as a teenager and how it was a memorable experience for her.
EpisodeDisappearance at the Dairy Queen
PodcastDateline NBC
Cindy Zarzycki was a 13-year-old girl from Michigan who was last seen alive in April 1986.
02:09 - 05:46 (03:37)
Summary
Cindy Zarzycki was a 13-year-old girl from Michigan who was last seen alive in April 1986. Her disappearance led to a decades-long investigation that eventually resulted in the conviction of her killer.
EpisodeDisappearance at the Dairy Queen
PodcastDateline NBC
On a Sunday morning, 13-year-old Cindy Zarzycki left her house on a supposed trip to Dairy Queen.
05:46 - 10:31 (04:45)
Summary
On a Sunday morning, 13-year-old Cindy Zarzycki left her house on a supposed trip to Dairy Queen. However, soon after leaving, she was reported missing and was later found to have been murdered.
EpisodeDisappearance at the Dairy Queen
PodcastDateline NBC
Cindy Zarzicki, a 13-year-old girl, went missing in 1986 and never returned.
10:31 - 15:27 (04:55)
Summary
Cindy Zarzicki, a 13-year-old girl, went missing in 1986 and never returned. Her family held a vigil for her eight years after her disappearance on what would have been her twenty-first birthday.
EpisodeDisappearance at the Dairy Queen
PodcastDateline NBC
After family vigils and additional media interest, a detective reconsiders Cindy’s case which was originally classified as a possible runaway and instead categorizes it as a possible murder.
15:27 - 20:57 (05:30)
Summary
After family vigils and additional media interest, a detective reconsiders Cindy’s case which was originally classified as a possible runaway and instead categorizes it as a possible murder. Cindy’s family keeps old memories close in hopes that they will one day be reunited.
EpisodeDisappearance at the Dairy Queen
PodcastDateline NBC
A detective and a psychologist team up to solve the Cindy case, a missing girl's story that became a cold case for years.
20:57 - 29:44 (08:46)
Summary
A detective and a psychologist team up to solve the Cindy case, a missing girl's story that became a cold case for years. With the help of Cindy's family, they gain new leads and potential suspects, leading to a possible resolution.
EpisodeDisappearance at the Dairy Queen
PodcastDateline NBC
Art Ream, a convicted pedophile, is suspected of abducting and killing Cindy Zarzycki, a young girl in Michigan in the 80s.
29:44 - 34:04 (04:20)
Summary
Art Ream, a convicted pedophile, is suspected of abducting and killing Cindy Zarzycki, a young girl in Michigan in the 80s. Interviews with his ex-wife and girlfriend reveal disturbing details about his past and behavior towards young girls.
EpisodeDisappearance at the Dairy Queen
PodcastDateline NBC
Detective Mack, with the help of a young researcher, plans to interrogate his suspect to extract vital information.
34:04 - 38:30 (04:25)
Summary
Detective Mack, with the help of a young researcher, plans to interrogate his suspect to extract vital information. In the background, an old direct mail sales coupon and a missing person notice for Cindy Zarzicki hint at some unspoken mystery.
EpisodeDisappearance at the Dairy Queen
PodcastDateline NBC
Veteran detective Mac and his unlikely assistant Jen work together to make a murder case against Art Ream, the father of Cindy's boyfriend, for the murder of a 13-year-old girl.
38:30 - 42:52 (04:22)
Summary
Veteran detective Mac and his unlikely assistant Jen work together to make a murder case against Art Ream, the father of Cindy's boyfriend, for the murder of a 13-year-old girl. Despite emotional moments, they successfully charged him with first and second degree murder and past assault.
EpisodeDisappearance at the Dairy Queen
PodcastDateline NBC
A young researcher talks about a creepy turn the interrogation took when police took a dinner break, and later resumed it.
42:52 - 45:42 (02:50)
Summary
A young researcher talks about a creepy turn the interrogation took when police took a dinner break, and later resumed it.
EpisodeDisappearance at the Dairy Queen
PodcastDateline NBC
A discussion on the Cindy case which was handled by the county prosecutor's cold case unit and, despite being full of holes, was successfully solved leading to a conviction.
45:42 - 49:14 (03:32)
Summary
A discussion on the Cindy case which was handled by the county prosecutor's cold case unit and, despite being full of holes, was successfully solved leading to a conviction.
EpisodeDisappearance at the Dairy Queen
PodcastDateline NBC
A man named Art Ream is suspected of being involved in the disappearance of Cindy Zarzycki in 1986.
49:14 - 53:36 (04:22)
Summary
A man named Art Ream is suspected of being involved in the disappearance of Cindy Zarzycki in 1986. Ream's son was dating Cindy at the time and the theory is that Ream may have groomed Cindy and wanted her out of the way to carry out his molestation.
EpisodeDisappearance at the Dairy Queen
PodcastDateline NBC
A county prosecutor agreed to reduce the charge and sentence of a murder case, but before the closing arguments, a meeting in the judge's chamber might change everything.
53:36 - 58:57 (05:20)
Summary
A county prosecutor agreed to reduce the charge and sentence of a murder case, but before the closing arguments, a meeting in the judge's chamber might change everything. Additionally, the father of the victim was about to forgive the accused killer due to a dramatic event.
EpisodeDisappearance at the Dairy Queen
PodcastDateline NBC
Inspector John Calabrese suggests a new strategy for detective Mack to sneak inside the mind of a killer and take away his control with psychological jujitsu.
58:57 - 1:03:17 (04:20)
Summary
Inspector John Calabrese suggests a new strategy for detective Mack to sneak inside the mind of a killer and take away his control with psychological jujitsu.
EpisodeDisappearance at the Dairy Queen
PodcastDateline NBC
Searchers, guided only by a crude map drawn by the killer, found the burial site of Cindy Zarzycki near a river about 25 feet from a bridge.
1:03:17 - 1:09:18 (06:00)
Summary
Searchers, guided only by a crude map drawn by the killer, found the burial site of Cindy Zarzycki near a river about 25 feet from a bridge. The area was described beforehand by a psychic, and the killer was amazed at how accurate the description was upon arrival.
EpisodeDisappearance at the Dairy Queen
PodcastDateline NBC
Art and Connie describe how they helped find the remains of Cindy Zarzycki who had been missing since 1986.
1:09:18 - 1:13:51 (04:33)
Summary
Art and Connie describe how they helped find the remains of Cindy Zarzycki who had been missing since 1986. With the determination of Cindy's family and friends, justice was served and her killer was sentenced.
EpisodeDisappearance at the Dairy Queen
PodcastDateline NBC
After years of searching, the remains of Cindy James were finally returned to her family in 2008.
1:13:51 - 1:17:47 (03:56)
Summary
After years of searching, the remains of Cindy James were finally returned to her family in 2008. DNA evidence confirmed her identity and brought some closure to her loved ones, while also serving as a warning to potential perpetrators that even the smallest traces of evidence can lead to their prosecution.