Friday, December 15, 1995
On Friday, December 15, 1995, the Shelly and John Markley help their children get ready for school, with Shelly putting her youngest son on the bus at approximately 8:30am. [2] All other whereabouts of the couple was unknown until approximately 10:36am, when they couple was spotted in Bloomfield, Ohio, roughly 5 miles from their home in Bristol Township, Ohio, through a drive-through window of a Bank One branch. A $1,000 check was made out to cash and signed by Shelly from their account. [3] The bank teller recalled seeing John driving the pickup truck with Shelly in the middle seat and an unidentified man in the passenger seat. [4]
Their children returned home on Friday afternoon to find the house unlocked and empty. There was no note explaining their parents' absence, the coffee pot was still on, John's wristwatch, an item he rarely removed was left on a shelf, Shelly's cigarettes and lighter, items which she normally carried was left behind, a gun cabinet in their master bedroom which was usually kept locked was left opened, and the gun was missing. [5] A small safe was found open with papers inside scattered, and protective tarps for Johns 1978 Chevrolet Corvette was also missing. [6]
The following day, with no sign of John and Shelly and the couple failing to show up to the funeral of John's sister, which was scheduled that day, relatives reported the couple missing to authorities
