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| The Daily Collegian Online [ Friday, Feb. 25, 2000 ]Missing woman's family, friends still cling
to hope In 1991, Shawna Condon, 10, and Todd Condon, 12,
went to their Aunt Iris's house and were told their mother, Brenda, was missing. The 29-year-old bartender disappeared Feb. 27
after her shift at the bar formerly known as Carl's Bad Tavern in Bellefonte. Nine years later, Shawna and Todd are still
searching for the answers to solve the mystery. "We want some closure in the case — we just need
to know," said Todd Condon at a press conference yesterday at the Pennsylvania
State Police barracks at Rockview. Todd and his sister, who was embracing her
8-month-old daughter Brenda, both appeared distraught as they sat in front of
several television, radio and newspaper reporters to discuss the case of their
missing mother. The conference was held in an attempt to shed
light on the case and bring forward new information that could lead to an
answer, said Trp. Joseph G. Cigich, the investigating officer. Since Brenda Condon's disappearance, state police
have continued the investigation by interviewing bar patrons, family, friends
and acquaintances of Condon. Condon, who was described as a 110 pound, 5'4"
white woman with reddish-brown, shoulder-length hair, was last seen by several
local patrons of the bar between midnight and 1 a.m. Feb. 27, 1991. Prior to her disappearance, Condon was reportedly
talking with a man unknown to the patrons at the bar, police said. Patrons
completed composite sketches of the man, who remains unknown. When a co-worker of Condon's arrived to open the
bar at 3 p.m., he found her car in the parking lot and the door of the bar
unlocked. While there were no obvious signs that foul play had occurred
overnight, a pair of her gray cowboy boots were found in the men's restroom,
police said. "The rumor mill has run rampid," Cigich said. "We
haven't substantiated any of the allegations." Condon's sister Iris Myers and her best friend
Bonnie Unch were at the press conference with Condon's children yesterday. All
four have different ideas about what happened the night of Brenda Condon's
disappearance and whether she is still alive. "I'll never believe it," said a teary Shawna
Condon of her mother's possible death. Condon added she will continue to believe
her mother is alive until proven otherwise. After the press conference, Todd Condon was
trembling when said he is optimistic about his mother. "I'm hopeful that she's still alive, but given
the time frame, it's difficult," Todd Condon said. Myers said she thinks she knows the person
responsible for Condon's disappearance and also believes her older sister didn't
leave the bar alive that night. "I've kind of made up my own mind," said Myers,
adding Brenda was not the type of person who would have disappeared on her own
will. However, Myers is optimistic her perpetrator will
eventually be found. Unch, who said she has been Condon's best friend
since kindergarten, said she also has several ideas about the night of the
disappearance. "It had to do with where she was," said Unch,
adding she believes Condon was either kidnapped or never even left the bar. Unch
holds onto the belief that Condon is still alive. "I still have my hopes that the phone will ring
and it will be her after all these years." While Brenda Condon's family and friends have
different ideas about her disappearance, they agree they need closure. Shawna Condon, who named her daughter after her
mother, said her baby helps to ease the pain of the situation. "Since she (Shawna's mother) can't be here, it's
something that's a part of me," she said. "These nine years have been atrocious," said Todd Condon. "We want some answers." http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2000/02/02-25-00tdc/02-25-00dnews-10.asp |
