Kaelyn Blessinger
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – It has been 25 years since Amber Hoopes vanished from her grandparents home on Lincoln road in the dead of night. Since September 14th, 2001; many things have changed around the Idaho Falls region, but one thing remains the same, everyone is still wondering where Amber is.
Before she went missing, Amber had a bright future. Although she was very reserved and kept her social circle tight, she was a very kind and loving soul. She was the nanny for two young kids, both of whom she adored. She was a devoted big sister to her two younger siblings and was an aspiring chef.
“She wanted to go to culinary school,” Audra Burgener, Amber’s Aunt, reflected. “That’s what her plan was, to go to Rexburg at BYU.”
Amber’s family agreed she was a wonderful cook who made especially delicious desserts. She was also very devoted to her church and was a bright light in her family’s lives. But on the night of September 14th, 2001, that light would be darkened as she suddenly vanished from her grandparents home in the middle of the night. Her disappearance was not just a runaway, all of her belongings were still accounted for in her room and her car remained in her grandparents driveway. When Amber’s grandfather, Norris Burgener, noticed his shop’s truck was also missing, they knew something was horribly wrong.
“I knew something was terribly wrong,” Audra said. “She would never have left on her own. Never. She had nowhere to go.”
The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office was called immediately and family was notified.
“I was part of the patrol team that was working that night,” Sergeant Bryan Lovell, the Public Informations Officer for the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, recounted. “And so I responded there and spoke with Ambers grandparents and started getting the details of what was out of the ordinary.”
From the missing truck to the lack of missing personal belongings and knowing Amber was not the type to leave without warning, this set off several red flags for Sergeant Lovell. “We were investigating her as a missing person right off the bat.”
Foul play was suspected.
The shop truck was located hours later, the keys were in the ignition and the hood was still warm, according to officers on the scene. However, Amber and her abductor were nowhere to be found. Officers and community members would continue searching for Amber but there was no sign of her or who could have taken her.
The family was immediately suspicious of a former worker in Norris and Kathleen’s Auto Body shop, Keith “Mark” Glen Hescock. He left the shop on bad terms and would later return to issue Norris a chilling threat.
“Keith said, I’ll make it my lifelong vendetta to ruin you,” Audra said.
However, officers couldn’t pin him to the case. And it wasn’t until 9 months later, they would have their suspicions confirmed when a 14 year old girl was abducted from her trampoline in the middle of the night.
“[Hescock] had driven by about two weeks earlier and had seen us outside in our yard,” Megan Lentz, the abduction survivor said. “He then came back and it just so happened that day. He had seen all of our sleeping bags and blankets out on the trampoline, so he knew we were going to be out there that night.”
Megan was abducted, assaulted multiple times, and then chained to the bed. After Hescock had left for work, she was able to make her escape, break the zip ties on her wrists and legs before using a fire extinguisher to break the chains around her waist. She then called her father’s business and escaped from Hescock’s house.
“She was able to escape during that,” Sergeant Lovell said. “If she hadn’t escaped; we would still be looking for her today.”
Megan survived and now police were certain Hescock was behind Amber’s disappearance as well. Officers went to his house to arrest him for what he’d done to this young girl. However, he noticed them waiting for him and fled the scene, leading to a high speed chase past Heise and Kelly Canyon. Hescock wounded an officer and killed K9 Rik before taking his own life. It would never be confirmed if he was responsible for Amber’s disappearance but relief was felt by all of his victims, like Megan.
“Those officers risked their lives for a 14 year old girl that they didn’t even know. And K9 Rik gave his life for me,” Megan said. “I learned later that evening that my offender died that day as well. My nightmare was really over.”
Hescock took his secrets to the grave, leaving Amber’s location a mystery. But hope for finding her has yet to dwindle. Even after all of these years, no one has given up their search. Officers continue to look through her case and the many other missing persons across Idaho, hoping to find new answers or leads. And the constant improvement of new technology has kept hope alive that answers will be found.
Amber’s case also created Missing Persons Day, which is a day all about remembering those who have yet to come home as well as offering support to the hundreds of families missing their someone.
“What would it mean to both of you to see Ambers case come to a close?” Local News 8 asked.
“It would just be extraordinary,” Audra said. “It would, like I said, it would. Your heart would be full. I don’t, I don’t know. It’s hard to even imagine. It’s been so long.”
“If I could wish for one thing to happen for the span of, of my career personally, that it would be that Amber is found and that would be. That would be the best,” Sergeant Lovell said.
Amber still has yet to be found, leaving a family with a missing piece. They all are still waiting for their missing daughter, granddaughter, sister, and niece to return home for a proper burial and much needed closure.
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