Her Neighbors Heard Her Being Murdered In Her Apartment, And Six Years Later, She Was Found In The Woods

In March 1998, 24-year-old Stacey Colbert was murdered at around 3 a.m. in her apartment in Columbus, Ohio. Six years later, her remains were found 30 miles from her apartment. Her killer still walks free, and her case has gone cold.

The previous year, Stacey had graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in marketing. She had been working at American Electric Power for about six months.

In college, she was part of the sorority Alpha Delta Pi. She was known for being pure, trusting, and always smiling.

"She had this spirit about her; she was so determined and such a light, and her personality; incredible," said Danielle Nusbaum, Stacey's older sister.

"She was very creative, and she lit up a room whenever she went in...She really was a fierce friend, and she would defend you to the ends of the earth."

On March 24, 1998, at around 5 p.m., Danielle received a call from Stacye's coworker. The coworker told her that Stacey had not been to work all week, and she hadn't called in sick either.

Danielle knew something horrible must have happened because her sister wouldn't miss work like that. She immediately called their parents.

Danielle had left multiple messages to her sister the day before, on March 23. Stacey never called her back. Initially, Danielle hadn't been alarmed. She figured that Stacey must have been traveling. But the call from Stacey's coworker made her realize that something was wrong.

After Danielle called their parents, she rushed over to Stacey's apartment, which was just two miles away. When she arrived, she found that Stacey's car, wallet, and purse were still there.

Ohio Attorney General - pictured above is Stacey

Her cat was missing, and a box of mostly uneaten breadsticks was on the counter. The receipt for the breadsticks was dated March 21, 1998, at 5:58 p.m.

The refrigerator door was wide open. Some cabinets were open as well, and there was milk on the kitchen island. Stacey was nowhere to be found. Danielle called the police. They began investigating right away.

On March 22 at around 4 a.m., a couple who lived in the unit above Stacey were awoken by terrifying screams and loud banging noises coming from her apartment.

They did not call the police, but the next day, at about 2 a.m., one of the neighbors knocked on her door and received no response. The neighbor found her cat outside.

A vigil was held for Stacey at Ohio State, and more than 5,000 people showed up. Her sorority sisters made flyers to spread the word.

Stacey's employer helped with the search as well. They printed thousands of flyers a day and held onto her job for months, hoping she would return. Despite everyone's efforts, Stacey remained missing.

On November 27, 2004, a hunter looking for a lost dog in the woods in Delaware County ended up discovering a body. The location was about 40 minutes from Stacey's apartment. Soon enough, Danielle received a call from the police, confirming that the remains belonged to her sister.

The cause of death could not be determined due to the condition of the remains. To this day, no one has been charged for Stacey's murder. Stacey and Danielle's father passed away in 2007 without ever knowing what really happened to his younger daughter.

In 2022, Danielle helped start a Facebook page called "Finishing Stacey's Fight" to push for justice in her sister's case. Friends of Stacey have also created a GoFundMe page to raise funds for a private investigator.

So far, they have raised $5,712 of their $15,000 goal. If you are interested in making a donation, you can visit the page here.

Anyone with information on Stacey's murder is asked to contact the Delaware County Sheriff's Office at 740-833-2892.

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