Unsolved Crimes International Org. Column in Web Mystery Magazine, Summer 2005

Vivian Paola Montanez Castellanos

It is, perhaps, the most haunting case Unsolved-Crimes has helped publicize: the story of a missing child, heartbroken parents, justice denied, and a terrible uncertainty that continues after more than sixteen years.

Vivian Paola Montanez Castellanos was a beautiful child, twenty-two months old with dark hair and dark brown eyes, living with her family in Cucuta, Colombia. She was, like all children, the joy of her parents. On June 21, 1988, Vivian's nanny took her for her daily trip to the park. They did not return. The nanny had conspired with others to kidnap the child.

The ransom demand came quickly. The kidnappers wanted the equivalent of twenty thousand U.S. dollars for Vivian's safe return, a sum that the family was only too happy to exchange for their daughter and which they immediately began putting together. Meanwhile Colombian police launched an investigation, which included a wiretap on the Montanez's phone.

Police were able to trace one of the kidnapper's phone calls to the family and arrests followed quickly. But Vivian was not found with any of the criminals that were arrested. To this day, what happened to the little girl is unknown.

Nestor Montanez, Vivian's father, accompanied one of those responsible to a mountain area where he was told that the girl had been abandoned. Vivian had obviously been there at some point for, after a search, the father found a diaper, baby food and, most importantly, one of Vivian's baby shoes. Nothing else was discovered.

One of the other kidnappers had another story. Nestor was told that, instead of being abandoned, the little girl had been sold to child traffickers in Venezuela who, in turn, sold the toddler into adoption into the United States.

This was an especially heinous crime and those involved were arrested within three days and all were convicted. Yet, they were only sentenced to three years in prison and some served only eight days. If anything could be used as an example of justice denied, it would truly be the case of Vivian Paola.

Even after more than sixteen years the family desperately wants the truth as to what happened. But most importantly, if Vivian is still alive, they want her to know that she has a family who loves her and wants to know her.

Here are the few clues that might still reunite Vivian Paola with her family:

It is thought that if Vivian were sold into adoption in the United States the most likely place would have been Colorado.

If she were alive today, Vivian would be 18 years old. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children released an age-enhanced sketch of how Vivian might have looked at thirteen years of age. Project EDAN released a sketch in February of this year of how she might look today. Pictures of Vivian as a toddler and the enhanced sketches can be found at the Unsolved-Crimes website in the Abducted Children Casebook.

Someone, somewhere, perhaps in Colombia, Venezuela or the United States can provide information about what really happened to the child and can put an end to nearly two decades of pain and uncertainty. If you have any information about Vivian Paola Montanez Castellanos you should contact the Springfield, Illinois office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation at (217) 522-9675.

Pictures of Vivian can be found at: http://www.unsolved-crimes.com/montanez.html. Information about Project EDAN which supplied the current age enhanced sketch can be found at: http://nymissing.com/edan/modules/tinyd4/index.php?id=1

Vivian Paola is missing but she is not and will never be forgotten.