Amanda Lee Fravel went missing on Friday, June 13, 1986 from Las Vegas, Nevada. She was supposed to go home to see her mother in California. Her mother had even sent her an airplane ticket for the trip. She was to board June 14th. However, Amanda never boarded any plane and never arrived in California. Hers is the Case of the Month for October 2020.
From NamUs, we know the following:
Amanda’s case status is endangered missing since June 13, 1986. She was last seen alive in Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada.
Amanda was born on May 9, 1966. She is white with brown hair (may be bleached) and green eyes. She is approx. 5′ 4″ – 5′ 5″ (64 – 65 Inches) tall and weighs approx. 110 – 115 lbs. Her nickname is Mandi.
Amanda took very well care of herself. Her dental hygiene was perfect but alas, according to NamUs, no dental records are on file. No fingerprints either but there is DNA.
It seems unknown what clothes and/or jewelry she was wearing the last time that she was seen. She had a tattoo of a rose on her left hand. She didn’t have a car and hitchhiked a lot.
On the last day that she was seen alive, Amanda left her apartment on South 3rd Street, Nevada that she shared with a roommate to pick up her paycheck from Taco-Bell. Afterwards she was supposed to visit her ex-boyfriend Xavier. I am not sure about his last name. Amanda never picker up her pay at Taco-bell and she never visited Xavier. Amanda’s roommate was a man called Lew Frank. If you read up on this case you will see that many believe that this is a false name.
Amanda left near evening. I have not found what she did during the day on the 13th.
There are pictures on the Internet that show Amanda in high school graduation dress but they don’t indicate from which high school she gradated.
The pictures that were used for missing persons posters remind me of the photography style of David Hamilton. I wonder who took these pictures that circulate on the internet. Not because I wish to point an accusing finger but because I wonder about her network in Las Vegas.
When exactly Amanda left California and why she picked Nevada, I don’t know. She stayed with friends and family before moving into an apartment of her own. Soon it became clear that the expenses were too high so either a roommate moved in or she moved into an apartment with a roommate.
When Amanda did not arrive home in Rancho Cordova, CA to visit her mother, she and Amanda’ stepfather traveled to Las Vegas. They met Xavier, Frank, and upon arrival at the apartment, they found two near-starving kittens. Amanda loved animals and would never have allowed her pets to be without food or water.
Most curious, they found Amanda’s belongings packed. I have not been able to find what ‘packed’ exactly means. Just clothes and personal items or did this include furniture as well? Who packed and what is left? Was there maybe a diary or a stack of pictures? It could help to retrace the last days of her life.
Amanda’s mother and stepfather apparently didn’t trust Frank. He is reported as older than Amanda, roughly late 40s, had many young visitors at the apartment, and somehow he wanted to open a brothel. Officially, there is no suspect in Amanda’s case but Lew Frank (or Frank Louis or maybe Louis Frank) should be asked some more questions.
There is nothing online about Amanda’s youth in California, her father, her home life, her dreams, or plans for the future. Foul play is suspected.
Contact Information
If you have any information about this case please contact the Las Vegas Metro Police. Ask for Sgt. Zachary Burns or call him at (1)702-828-3563. You can also email the information to address [email protected]. Amanda’s Case Number is 86-26112.
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In the series “Case of the Month” I highlight old cold cases. These posts are not an in-depth analysis and of course, more information can be found online and in newspaper archives.
We need to get these cases back in the mainstream media, to get people talking again, and if anything, to make sure that we do not forget the victims. Just because their cases are unsolved does not mean that we can forget about them.
I encourage you to share this post on your own social media platforms. By sharing these posts, the cases reach new networks, new connections, and new news feeds. Maybe one day these updates will pop up in the right person’s news feed. This may be someone who can actually help advance the case and that is my goal.
Thank you.