It was a perfect day for a hike on September 25th, 1981 when Thelma Pauline Melton ventured out into the woods of the Great Smoky Mountain with two friends. Walking ahead of them at one point, Thelma sped up around a hilly bend, slipping out of sight. A few minutes later, they reached the same spot, expecting to see her, but Thelma wasn't there. Despite extensive search and rescue efforts, no trace of Thelma was found. She had simply vanished. For decades, family and friends lived with unanswered questions, haunted by the mystery of how someone could just disappear so completely, without a trace.

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