Where’s Mere & Nancy Jean? Mom/Daughter Disappear Four Years Apart

Ambiguous loss, or one without closure, is oftentimes extremely painful for those left without answers. When a person goes missing, it creates this experience for family members. They feel a whirlwind of emotions: hope, fear, sadness, worry, wonder, and more. It leaves unanswered questions and what-ifs replaying in the mind like a movie on repeat. Imagine the horror a family feels when two members of the same family disappear within years of each other. The Medina case is an example of this exact situation. Sadly, the case remains unsolved 40 years later.

“Ambiguous loss makes us feel incompetent. It erodes our sense of mastery and destroys our belief in the world as a fair, orderly, and manageable place.” — Pauline Boss

Nancy Jean Medina lived in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in 1984. Times were different then. The city was quiet, slowly transitioning into the modern spot it’s known as today. Many transients passed through; some made the city their new homes. Corruption and scandals were plentiful, and crime was rampant. Law enforcement had few resources available to them for tracking missing-person cases. Except for high-profile cases, most flew under the radar.

The 36-year-old mother of three had recently split with her second husband, igniting a nasty divorce.

The Disappearance of Nancy Jean Medina

On the evening of August 4, Nancy Jean dropped her two youngest kids off at the babysitter’s house on Choctaw Road. She planned to watch movies with her oldest daughter. She drove her brown 1974 Chevrolet Impala into the night and vanished into thin air.

Police learned that Nancy had a first husband. They divorced years earlier. He was well-known to law enforcement. Nancy Jean had even provided him with an alibi when police suspected him of murder.

Nothing suggested either man was involved in her disappearance.

Two weeks after Nancy Jean disappeared, authorities found her vehicle near the entrance of the Spring Lake Amusement Park. The now-defunct park was located about 20 miles from the babysitter’s house. The car had been stripped. Police stated there were possible signs of a struggle inside the vehicle, but did not give any specific details.

Without any leads, the case eventually went cold.

The Disappearance of Meredith Ann Medina

Four and one-half years later, another member of the Medina family disappeared.

Meredith “Mere” Medina was Nancy Jean’s stepdaughter (her father was Nancy Jean’s estranged husband). She was 12 years old when Nancy Jean disappeared. By 1989, Mere lived in Midwest City with her dad. On February 14, he reported Mere missing.

Police blew off the report, assuming Mere was a rebellious teenager who had run away from home. They classified her case as “runaway” and headed off to the next call. After all, kids come back when they’re hungry or tired. They assumed Mere would return home at some point. It was the late ‘80s, after all, a decade when police blamed hormones when kids disappeared from home.

Like Nancy Jean, Mere hasn’t been seen since.

Nancy Jean is now in her 70s, if she is still alive. Mere is in her mid-50s.

What Happened to Nancy Jean and Mere?

Is it a coincidence that two members of the same family, connected to one man, disappear within years of each other? Did Nancy Jean’s decision to divorce lead to her disappearance? Was Meredith running away from a secret in her house? Did she find out information she shouldn’t have known? Or, could unknown individuals have assisted in the disappearances? Sadly, those questions may never be answered.

Know something? It’s well beyond the time for answers. Share what you know with an email to the Cold Cases Unit at cold.case@osbi.ok.gov.