2002-07-23, The Baltimore Sun, 'Halethorpe woman missing since

shopping trip Saturday' by AP, (Newsbank )

TOWSON - Baltimore County police are seeking a Halethorpe woman who disappeared Saturday on a shopping trip to
prepare for her son's birthday party.

Michelle Lee Rust, 25, was last seen at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. She is 5 feet 4 inches tall, 140 pounds with red hair and blue
eyes, police said. Rust is diabetic and must take insulin.

Police said they found Rust's van in the Lansdowne area Saturday night and consider her disappearance suspicious.
Anyone with information is asked to call county police at 410-307- 2020.

2002-07-23, Catonsville Times, 'WEB ALERT: POLICE NEED HELP

TO FIND MISSING WOMAN' by No author credited, (Newsbank )
Baltimore County police on Tuesday were requesting the public's assistance in locating a Halethorpe woman who had
been missing since Saturday.

According to police reports, Michelle Lee Rust, 24, of the 1800 block of Clark Boulevard, was last seen by her family at
9:30 a.m. on July 20. At that time she was thought to be on her way to buy some items for her son's birthday party.

Rust drove away in a green 1998 Dodge Caravan, which was found later in the day near the intersection of Clyde Avenue
and Zion Road in Lansdowne. Rust is described as a white female with red hair and blue eyes.

She is 5'4" tall, weighing 140 pounds, and was last seen wearing a black V neck top, white gold cross necklace, blue
sapphire ring and a diamond engagement ring. She is diabetic and requires insulin therapy.

Anyone having information is asked to contact the Baltimore County police communications staff at 410-307-2020, or the
Wilkens Station, Precinct One, at

410-887-0872.

-Marcia Ames

2002-07-24, The Baltimore Sun, 'Search continues for Halethorpe mother

missing since Saturday' by Sandy Alexander, (Newsbank )
Family, friends and concerned community members have been plastering telephone poles and store windows throughout
the Baltimore area with pictures of Michelle Lee Rust of Halethorpe, hoping someone can provide a clue to her whereabouts.

Rust, 24, left home Saturday morning on a shopping trip and has not been seen since. Baltimore County police have
termed her disappearance suspicious.

But a department spokesman said yesterday that there have been no new developments since Rust's car was found
abandoned in a Lansdowne neighborhood Saturday afternoon.

The posters say Rust is 5 feet, 4 inches tall, 140 pounds with red hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a black V-
neck shirt, a cross necklace, a blue sapphire ring and her diamond engagement ring.
 "We are just hoping and praying [the posters] will trigger some memory," said her husband's uncle, Norm Rust, who is
acting as a spokesman for the family.

According to the family, Rust went to do some last-minute shopping for her son's 3rd birthday party at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.
The party was to be that afternoon at her home on Clark Boulevard, so her absence was noted right away, said Norm Rust.
"Our concern was very quick and our attempt to find her was very quick," he said.

Rust said family members are not sure where she was headed; she liked to shop at several stores in the area. Her green
1998 Dodge Caravan was found on Clyde Avenue in Lansdowne.

The family is also concerned because Michelle Rust is diabetic and requires insulin injections.

Rust, whose maiden name is Lins, is a lifelong resident of the Halethorpe and Arbutus area who graduated from
Lansdowne High School. Her family is active in the nondenominational Halethorpe Community Church, where Rust frequently
helps with children's programs. She has been a stay-at-home mother since her son was born.

"She is an incredible wife and mom," said Norm Rust. "She loves children. ... She is a girl of character and faith."

Anyone with information is asked to call Baltimore County police at 410-887-0872.

2002-07-27, The Baltimore Sun, 'Search planned by family, friends of

missing woman' by No author credited, (Newsbank )
HALETHORPE - Family and friends of Michelle Lee Rust, a Halethorpe woman who has been missing since July 20, will
coordinate a search of the community today in hopes of finding clues to her disappearance.

Volunteers are asked to gather at 9 a.m. at the Halethorpe Community Church, 1312 Francis Ave., where they will be
organized into groups. Rust, whose 25th birthday is today, has not been seen since she left her home on Clark Boulevard at
9:30 a.m. July 20 to shop for her son's birthday party.

Rust is white, 5 feet, 4 inches tall, weighs 140 pounds and has red hair. Police have termed Rust's disappearance
suspicious and continue to investigate.

2002-07-31, Catonsville Times, '$10,000 Reward In Search For Michelle

Lee Rust' by Marcia Ames, (Newsbank )
As week two of the investigation into Michelle Lee Rust's disappearance drew to a close on Friday, the family announced a
$10,000 reward for her recovery.

The award is being offered through the local Metro Crime Stoppers program.

Rust, who recently turned 25, was last seen by her family at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 20, her son's third birthday,
leaving her Clark Boulevard home in Halethorpe. She was thought to be going shopping in preparation for his birthday party
that day, but she never showed up for the party.

Although Baltimore County police investigators say they are dealing with a "missing person" case, not a crime, Rust's
disappearance is considered "highly suspicious " according to Sgt. Vickie Warehime, a police department spokeswoman.

"She wouldn't just up and go " said Raymond Lins, Rust's father, announcing the reward on Aug. 2 at police department
headquarters in Towson.
 Lins was accompanied by Michelle's father-in-law, Dwight Rust.

Both men declined to identify individuals who have contributed to the reward money, but Lins said they included family
and friends, as well as people who don't even know Michelle Rust.

Lins volunteered that his and the Rust families both are "very loving."

He said they have endured the past two weeks by having faith in God.

"I just find myself waking up in the middle of the night and just praying " he said.

Michelle Lee Rust, whose maiden name was Lins, is described as a white female with red hair and blue eyes, 5'4" tall,
weighing 140 pounds. She was last seen wearing a black V-neck top, white gold cross necklace, blue sapphire ring and a
diamond engagement ring.

Rust is diabetic and requires insulin therapy, and probably was carrying a black backpack containing her medicine.

She left home driving a green 1998 Dodge Caravan, which was noticed at about 11 a.m. on July 20 parked on Zion Avenue
in Lansdowne, near the corner of Clyde Avenue and an entrance to Hillcrest Park.

A key was broken off into the driver's side lock. Police later recovered the van as part of their investigation.

Michelle and her husband, who is also named Dwight Rust, have been married about six years, according to her father-in-
law.

She is a graduate of Lansdowne High School, and has always lived in the Arbutus-Halethorpe area.

Informational fliers have been posted on utility poles and storefronts across southwest Baltimore County, and a
community-wide search was conducted July 27 by friends, family and other volunteers concerned for Michelle's well being.

Nevertheless, police still had no suspects and no motive for the disappearance, Warehime said Friday.

Police are interested particularly in knowing whether anyone was seen riding in the van with Rust on July 20.

Anyone having information about this case who wishes to be considered for the reward should call Metro Crime Stoppers
at 410-276-8888. If the information requires an immediate response from police, call 911 first, then immediately contact
Metro Crime Stoppers.

Callers can remain anonymous. Any information is welcome, no matter how trivial it may seem to the caller.

Also this past week, the FBI has posted information about Rust's disappearance on its national Missing Persons Web site,
at www.fbi.gov/mostwant/kidnap/kidmiss.htm.

Contact Marcia Ames via e-mail at [email protected].

2002-07-31, Arbutus Times, 'Neighbors continue grassroots effort in

search of Rust' by Marcia Ames, (Newsbank )
As Baltimore County police on Monday continued their investigation into the disappearance of Michelle Lee Rust,
concerned citizens continued their volunteer efforts as well.

"(We) appreciate the prayers and efforts of so many neighbors and friends " said Norm Rust, Michelle's uncle by marriage.
"It is wonderful to see God work through his people."
 For the past few weeks, Norm said, a number of private citizens have searched off and on for possible clues to the fate
of Michelle Lee Rust, a Halethorpe resident who has been missing since July 20.

No organized searches have been scheduled since July 27, when more than 250 people turned out to comb the greater
Arbutus community for information.

At that time, volunteers were advised to travel in pairs, be polite when asking questions, and beware of entering a private
home. Amateur search parties should not handle what appears to be physical evidence, but should call 911 as soon as
possible.

Rust, 25, whose maiden name is Lins, was last seen by her family at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 20, leaving her Clark
Boulevard home. She was thought to be going shopping in preparation for her son's birthday party that day, but she never
showed up for the party.

Rust is described as a white female with red hair and blue eyes, 5'4" tall, weighing 140 pounds. She was last seen wearing
a black V-neck top, white gold cross necklace, blue sapphire ring and a diamond engagement ring.

A missing person report on Rust, including a photograph, is available online from the FBI's Web site,
http://www.fbi.gov/mostwant/kidnap/rust.htm.

Rust is diabetic and requires insulin therapy, and probably was carrying a black backpack containing her medicine.

She left home driving a dark green 1998 Dodge Caravan, which was noticed at about 11 a.m. on July 20 parked on Zion
Avenue in Lansdowne, near the corner of Clyde Avenue and an entrance to Hillcrest Park.

A key was broken off into the driver's side lock. Police later recovered the van as part of their investigation.

Rust is a graduate of Lansdowne High School, and has always lived in the Arbutus-Halethorpe area. She and her husband,
Dwight Rust, have been married for about six years.

Police welcome any information related to this case, no matter how trivial. They are interested particularly in knowing
whether anyone was seen riding in the van with Rust on July 20.

A $10,000 reward for Rust's recovery is being offered through Metro Crime Stoppers. Anyone having information who
wishes to be considered for the reward should call 410-276-8888. If the information requires an immediate response from
police, call 911 first. Callers can remain anonymous.

Contact Marcia Ames via e-mail at [email protected].

2002-08-03, The Baltimore Sun, 'Family offers reward for information' by

Jonathan D. Rockoff, (Newsbank )
The family of Michelle Lee Rust, a missing Halethorpe woman, offered a $10,000 reward yesterday for information on her
whereabouts.

Rust, 24, was last seen July 20, when she left her home on Clark Boulevard to go shopping.

"She wouldn't just up and go, and we want to find her," said Raymond Lins, her father, who announced the reward at
Baltimore County police headquarters with Dwight Rust, Michelle's father-in-law.

The police continue to treat the case as a missing-person investigation, said Sgt. Vickie Warehime, a police spokeswoman.

"It's not a criminal investigation at this point, but it is being investigated as highly suspicious," Warehime said.
 Described as being 5 feet 4 inches tall and 140 pounds with red hair and blue eyes, Rust is a diabetic and requires insulin
injections. She left her house about 9:30 a.m. July 20 to do some last-minute shopping for her 3-year-old son's birthday.
Warehime said Rust, who had been married for six years, had never been missing before and had no known motive to run
away.

"We don't know if it's foul play," said Lins. "You can't dwell on that. She's just missing."

There have been no developments in the case since her van was found abandoned the afternoon of July 20 in Lansdowne.
Friends and family have papered the community with posters and canvassed the area for clues to her disappearance.

Dwight Rust said family members are supporting each other. "We just all kind of hang on to each other," he said. "It's a
very difficult thing to go through."

Those with information who are seeking the reward should call Metro Crime Stoppers at 410-276-8888. Information also
can be provided to the Baltimore County police by calling 410-307-2020.

2002-08-07, Arbutus Times, 'Reward is latest move in search for woman'

by Marcia Ames, (Newsbank )
As week two of the investigation into Michelle Lee Rust's disappearance drew to a close on Friday, the family announced a
$10,000 reward for her recovery.

The award is being offered through the local Metro Crime Stoppers program.

Rust, who recently turned 25, was last seen by her family at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 20, her son's third birthday,
leaving her Clark Boulevard home in Halethorpe.

She was thought to be going shopping in preparation for his birthday party that day, but she never showed up for the
party.

Although Baltimore County police investigators say they are dealing with a "missing person" case, not a crime, Rust's
disappearance is considered "highly suspicious " according to Sgt. Vickie Warehime, a police department spokeswoman.

"She wouldn't just up and go " said Raymond Lins, Rust's father, announcing the reward on Aug. 2 at police department
headquarters in Towson.

Lins was accompanied by Michelle's father-in-law, Dwight Rust.

Both men declined to identify individuals who have contributed to the reward money, but Lins said they included family
and friends, as well as people who don't even know Michelle Rust.

Warehime refused to discuss any details of the investigation, but Lins volunteered that his and the Rust families both are
"very loving."

He said they have endured the past two weeks by having faith in God.

"I just find myself waking up in the middle of the night and just praying " he said.

Michelle Lee Rust, whose maiden name was Lins, is described as a white female with red hair and blue eyes, 5'4" tall,
weighing 140 pounds. She was last seen wearing a black V-neck top, white gold cross necklace, blue sapphire ring and a
diamond engagement ring.

Rust is diabetic and requires insulin therapy, and probably was carrying a black backpack containing her medicine.
 She left home driving a green 1998 Dodge Caravan, which was noticed at about 11 a.m. on July 20 parked on Zion Avenue
in Lansdowne, near the corner of Clyde Avenue and an entrance to Hillcrest Park.

A key was broken off into the driver's side lock. Police later recovered the van as part of their investigation.

Michelle and her husband, who is also named Dwight Rust, have been married about six years, according to her father-in-
law.

She is a graduate of Lansdowne High School, and has always lived in the Arbutus-Halethorpe area.

Informational fliers have been posted on utility poles and storefronts across southwest Baltimore County, and a
community-wide search was conducted July 27 by friends, family and other volunteers concerned for Michelle's well being.

Nevertheless, police still had no suspects and no motive for the disappearance, Warehime said on Friday.

Police are interested particularly in knowing whether anyone was seen riding in the van with Rust on July 20.

Anyone having information about this case who wishes to be considered for the reward should call Metro Crime Stoppers
at 410-276-8888. If the information requires an immediate response from police, call 911 first, then immediately contact
Metro Crime Stoppers.

Callers can remain anonymous. Any information is welcome, no matter how trivial it may seem to the caller.

Also this past week, the FBI has posted information about Rust's disappearance on its national Missing Persons web site,
located at www.fbi.gov/mostwant/kidnap/kidmiss.htm.

Contact Marcia Ames via e-mail at [email protected].

2002-08-21, Arbutus Times, 'Missing person case needs boost in ratings,

interest' by Lois Woods, (Newsbank )
I think (Michelle Lee Rust's) picture should be broadcasted on "America's Most Wanted " since Baltimore County's finest
can't seem to find any clues and consider this just a missing person.

My prayers are with the family.

2002-09-18, Arbutus Times, 'Divers find no evidence of Rust in Hillcrest

pond' by Marcia Ames, (Newsbank )
Baltimore County police are continuing their investigation into the July 20 disappearance of Michelle Lee Rust.

According to Cpl. Ron Brooks, a police department spokesman, a dive team from the police marine unit performed
underwater training exercises last week at the Hillcrest Park pond.

"There was no specific search for Ms. Rust "1 said Brooks, adding that no evidence was found that could be related to her
disappearance.

Michelle Lee Rust, 25, was last seen by her family at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 20, leaving her Clark Boulevard home.
She was driving a dark green 1998 Dodge Caravan, which was later noticed and recovered on Zion Avenue in Lansdowne, near
the corner of Clyde Avenue and an entrance to Hillcrest Park.

A key was broken off into the driver's side lock.

 Rust is described as a white female with red hair and blue eyes, 5'4" tall, weighing 140 pounds. She was last seen wearing
a black V-neck top, white gold cross necklace, blue sapphire ring and a diamond engagement ring.

A $10,000 reward for Rust's recovery is being offered through Metro Crime Stoppers. Anyone having information who wishes
to be considered for the reward should call 410-276-8888. Callers can remain anonymous.

2002-11-26, The Baltimore Sun, 'We'll never stop looking' by Laura

Barnhardt, (Newsbank )
Ray and Gwen Lins never imagined they'd spend a Thanksgiving without their 24-year-old daughter, Michelle Lee Rust.

Since July, when she mysteriously disappeared on her son's third birthday, the Lins have kept hoping that she would show
up on their doorstep in Arbutus. It's too much for them to imagine any other outcome.

"We'll never stop looking for her," Rust's father, Ray Lins, said yesterday as the couple appealed for the public's help in
finding their daughter.

From the beginning, Baltimore County detectives termed Rust's disappearance suspicious. But now, police say they
believe she was a victim of foul play.

"There's no logical explanation for her disappearance," said Bill Toohey, a county police spokesman. "By all accounts, she
was devoted to her son and would never have left him or her family."

Rust was supposed to go to Wal-Mart to buy supplies for her son's birthday party, to be held at her house on Clarke
Boulevard the afternoon of July 20. But, police said, no one saw Rust leave her house or drive away in her green Dodge
Caravan.

The van was found later that day on Clyde Avenue in Lansdowne.

"One of our hopes is that someone saw the car," Toohey said.

Rust's bank and credit card accounts have not been touched, confirming her family's hunch that she did not leave on her
own.

Initially, family, neighbors and friends plastered telephone poles and storefronts in the area with missing posters. Then
they formed search teams in hopes of finding Rust, who is diabetic. As time went on, a $10,000 reward was offered, which still
stands. Yesterday, her parents talked with reporters again about their only daughter, hoping the news media attention would
spark someone's memory.

They talked about how she loved children, especially her son.

"She was upbeat about everything," her father said. "She was willing to help anyone with anything."

A lifelong resident of Arbutus, Rust graduated from Lansdowne High School. She sang in the choir and helped with
children's programs at Halethorpe Community Church. Rust also had worked at a day care center before she became a stay-at-
home mother.

"Her son is only 3. He doesn't understand all this," Ray Lins said. "We just tell him the truth: `Mommy's missing, and
everyone is looking for her.' "

So far, detectives have been able to rule out only Rust's parents as suspects, based on their alibis on the day of their
daughter's disappearance.
 Police are talking with other relatives and neighbors, including Rust's husband of five years, but have not named anyone
as a suspect in the case.

"Sometimes, you see stuff, and it doesn't mean anything at the time," her father said. "We ask anyone out there who
thinks they might know anything about what happened to her -- no matter how small -- to come forward."

Rust is described as white, 5 feet 4 inches tall and 140 pounds with red hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call police at 410-307-2020, or Metro Crime Stoppers, which is offering a
reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to an arrest and indictment, at 410-276-8888.

2003-07-16, Catonsville Times, 'Rust disappeared one year ago' by Marcia

Ames, (Newsbank )
One year ago Sunday, a young wife and mother vanished without a trace - no body, no bones, no nothing.

When asked, police still say Michelle Lee  Rust is missing - not dead or murdered, just missing - because they have scant
evidence with which to work.

But her parents, Gwen and Ray Lins, don't expect to see her again, not in "this life."

"I'm not going to tell you I have no hope " Gwen said last week, straining to hold back tears.

"You have to have hope " said Ray, reaching for his wife's hand.

That said, they frankly label Rust's disappearance a case of murder.

On July 20 last year - her son's third birthday - Rust reportedly left her Clarke Boulevard home in Halethorpe at 9:30 a.m.
and was not seen again by her family or friends.

Early investigation indicated she drove away in her green 1998 Dodge Caravan to do some shopping. But no one reported
seeing her behind the wheel, and the van was found empty a short while later, parked near the corner of Clyde Avenue and
Zion Road in a Lansdowne residential neighborhood.

Foul play

After four months on the case, police declared foul play. They didn't have evidence of a robbery - for example, no one had
used Rust's credit or ATM cards or pawned her jewelry.

But murder would be difficult _ though not impossible _ to prove without a body.

"All we know is that she disappeared " police spokesman Bill Toohey said recently.

"There has been no activity on her financial accounts " he said, adding that Rust didn't have the means for creating a new
identity to cover her tracks, even if she wanted to.

"And there has been no information developed at all that indicates she would want to leave and go off on her own "
Toohey said.

"That's why the detectives believe foul play was involved."

Meanwhile, taking into account their daughter's medical condition -  Rustneeded regular injections of insulin to control
her diabetes - the Linses already figured a worst possible scenario two days into the investigation.

Devoted mother
 "There is less than a 1 percent chance that she just up and left - way less " said Gwen, citing Rust's devotion to her son and
plans for his third birthday party.

"If somebody took her, are they going to take care of her insulin?" Gwen said, posing a second option.

"The answer there is no. So that leads to the only conclusion you can have - she's dead."

The Linses, whom police have ruled out as suspects, are careful not to reveal evidence, suspects, motives or "dirty
laundry" that might jeopardize the investigation or subsequent prosecution.

And they "hope and pray"  Michelle's husband, Dwight "D.J." Rust, is innocent, but his activities and whereabouts that day
still give police cause to wonder.

The Linses say their daughter was "taken" before reaching the end of her street that morning, possibly before leaving her
house. And, at some point, she was murdered and her body disposed of, they believe.

No trace of evidence

The crime was planned with care to leave no trace of evidence, they say, but eventually the killer or an accomplice will
drop a clue.

"No crime is perfect " Gwen said. "We may not know today or tomorrow, but eventually somebody is going to make a
mistake."

Asked last week whether he knew what happened to his wife of six years _ his sweetheart since they were freshmen at
Lansdowne High School D.J. Rust said he was "really not sure."

He said his friends and family were helping him and his young son deal with the loss, which has been overwhelming at
times.

"It's affected the family a great deal " he said. "[Our son] asks about her a lot ... and we really don't know what to say. ...
We really don't know what happened.

"But whatever happened, I'd like to find answers.

"I'd like for if anybody knows anything or saw anything, to call police."

At the time of her disappearance, Michelle Lee Rust was described as a white female, almost 25 years old, standing 5 feet
4 and weighing 140 pounds. She had red hair, blue eyes and was wearing a black, V-neck top, a cross attached to a chain
around her neck, a blue sapphire ring and a diamond engagement ring.

A cash reward of $10,000 is being offered through the end of July for information on her whereabouts. Anyone with
information can call Metro Crime Stoppers at 410-276-8888 to qualify for the reward. Callers may remain anonymous.

E-mail Marcia Ames at [email protected].

2003-07-28, The Baltimore Sun, 'Woman's fate still unknown year later'
by Laura Barnhardt, (Newsbank )
When Halethorpe resident Michelle Rust was last seen the morning of July 20, 2002, she and her family were busy
preparing for her 3-year-old son's birthday party.
 There were balloons to pick up. Sandwiches to make. A cake to bake. She and her husband and their parents had stayed
up late the night before putting together party favors. By 9:30 a.m., Rust was on her way to Wal-Mart to pick up a flower for
her husband's grandmother, whose birthday was the same day. She never made it.

A half-hour after she left, her husband, concerned that she hadn't returned home, called her parents' house to see if she
had stopped by. But no one was alarmed - she might have stopped to pick up some last-minute party supplies. When an hour
passed, her mother, Gwen Lins, started to worry a little more. But her biggest concern was still whether she ought to start
baking a cake or whether her daughter had already bought one.

Three days later, the family was frantically searching for Michelle Rust's body. A year later, they're still looking.

"There's no finality. Twenty-four hours a day, it goes through your mind: Where is she?" said her father, Ray Lins. "People
use the word closure. We love her. We miss her. And we don't know what happened."

Rust's disappearance is on a lot of people's minds these days. One year ago, hundreds of volunteers in Halethorpe,
Arbutus and Lansdowne were out circulating missing-person fliers, searching parks and fields and praying that someone would
quickly find the 24-year-old woman, who is 5 feet 4 inches tall, 140 pounds, with red hair and blue eyes. She was last seen
wearing a black V-neck shirt, a cross necklace, a blue sapphire ring and her diamond engagement ring.

Baltimore County police suspect that the young mother was a victim of foul play. They have searched the Rusts' house
twice, along with four vehicles, including her husband's. They've interviewed dozens of people who thought they might have
spotted Rust. They've administered polygraph tests to friends and family. A $10,000 reward was offered by her parents.

Police haven't ruled out her husband, Dwight Rust Jr., as a suspect. But, said Baltimore County homicide Detective Lenny
Taylor, "Everyone is suspect, except for her parents."

Dwight Rust's extramarital affairs have fueled community wide speculation about what happened to his wife. Relatives
and friends said Michelle Rust told them that if she were ever killed, one of her husband's former girlfriends would be
responsible. Those statements were communicated to investigators, according to police reports.

"I made mistakes in the past," Dwight Rust, 25, said in an interview last week, referring to those relationships. "But don't
have anything to do with Michelle's disappearance. just know she didn't leave on her own."

The search begins

Dwight Rust was the last person to see his wife July 20. He said he saw her green Dodge Caravan round the bend on their
street, although police say no one actually saw Michelle Rust driving it.

The family started searching right away checking the woods nearby and visiting hospitals and pharmacies. Because
Michelle Rust recently had been found to have a type of diabetes that requires insulin shots, her parents thought she might be
unconscious somewhere.

"We called all the hospitals, and began looking for her van, thinking maybe she had passed out," her mother said. "We
didn't panic right away."

Michelle Rust's father-in-law went looking for her minivan and found it parked in front of a row of houses on Clyde
Avenue in Lansdowne, a few miles from her home.

The ignition key was broken off in the door, but relatives and police couldn't find the rest of the key chain, her purse or
anything else that would provide clues about what had happened.

Relatives organized search parties and made thousands of missing-person fliers, but their initial optimism was fading fast.
 "By Tuesday, we knew we were looking for a body," Ray Lins said. "Everything that could possibly happen is going through
your mind. You're looking through Dumpsters crying. It's bad."

Hundreds of people eventually joined the search for Rust, posting 30,000 to 40,000 fliers throughout the area on just
about anything that was standing still.

"A lot of people helped that we didn't know," said Gwen Lins. "People were bringing by meals, to the point we couldn't
eat it all. So many people joined the search for Michelle - people we've never met."

Some of the laminated posters can still be seen on utility poles and bulletin boards.

Nothing can prepare a family for a year like this - leads that don't pan out, a little boy who has just turned 4 and still
wonders where Mommy is, the erratic media interest, the insensitive speculation of strangers.

A difficult year

"You keep thinking over and over: What did we miss? Was there something she may have said that we aren't
remembering?" Gwen Lins said. "It just never stops."

Sometimes a stranger will come up to them with a blunt question about whether Michelle Rust's husband has been
arrested.

To that, Ray Lins said, their response is always the same: "We pray and hope he is not responsible."

Dwight Rust, who began dating this future wife in ninth grade, maintains his innocence. He misses his wife every day, he
said.

The couple graduated from Lansdowne High School in 1995, and he proposed at a fancy dinner in Catonsville the next
year. They married in 1997.

Their families are still close. Dwight Rust works with his father repairing refrigerators and air-conditioning and heating
units for a chain of convenience stores. His mother helps take care of Dwight and Michelle Rust's son, whom relatives have
asked not be named out of concern for his well-being.

"We think about [Michelle] all the time," said Dwight Rust Sr. "It's difficult. You try to support your son and your grandson.
As he gets older, he asks more and more questions. When you leave, I think he wonders if you'll come back."

The Rust and Lins families are members of Halethorpe Community Church. t has been a hard year for the congregation.

Looking for answers

July 20 marked the one-year anniversary of Michelle's disappearance. Yesterday was her birthday.

"We know she's with God in heaven," said the Rev. Joe Cadden, pastor at the church. "But we do need answers and to
know the truth, especially for her family."

He has known Michelle since she was a child. "She was my Michelle-Bell," Cadden said. "She was so beautiful and had the
sweetest spirit."

At the July 20 service, Cadden preached about pressing on in the face of adversity. "God's ways aren't always our ways.
We aren't always going to understand," he said. "We have to trust him. But it's easier to say when your kids are home safe."

Cadden was there when Rust's parents made another public appeal two weeks ago. "We feel someone out there saw
something," Ray Lins said. "We haven't lost hope that someone will come forward."

Police, too, made an appeal. "Relationships change," Taylor said. "Someone who wasn't willing to talk then may be now."
 But as the anniversary of her disappearance passes, Taylor said police will continue to press the search for Michelle Rust.
"The case will not be closed until we know what happened."

2004-07-21, Arbutus Times, 'Second anniversary for Rust disappearance'

by Marcia Ames, (Newsbank )
On a July morning two years ago, former Halethorpe resident Michelle Rust left home for a brief shopping trip, her
husband has said.

But she never returned.

On Tuesday this week, the anniversary of her disappearance, Baltimore County police were still asking the public's help in
solving the case.

"We're always interested in information, no matter how trivial it may seem " said Bill Toohey, a county police spokesman.

"The reward is still out there $10,000 now II he said.

What little information police have about the case is well known to many Arbutus and Catonsville residents, having been
publicized numerous times in the local print and broadcast media.

On July 20, 2002 - her son's third birthday - Michelle Lins Rust reportedly left her Clarke Boulevard home at 9:30 a.m. and
was never seen again.

The early investigation indicated she drove away in the family's green 1998 Dodge Caravan to do some shopping. But no
one reported seeing her behind the wheel, and the van was found empty a short while later, parked near the corner of Clyde
Avenue and Zion Road in a Lansdowne residential neighborhood.

About four months into the investigation, police announced that Rust's disappearance was the result of foul play. There
was no reason to believe she might have wanted to desert her family or that she was living elsewhere under an assumed
name, police said.

Police did not say what foul play they had in mind, other than to say robbery was unlikely. No one had used Rust's credit
or ATM cards or pawned her jewelry.

Unless the woman's body were found, murder would be difficult to prove, they said.

Meanwhile, taking into account their daughter's medical condition - Rust had diabetes and needed regular injections of
insulin - Rust's parents have long since concluded that she probably is dead.

At the time of her disappearance, Michelle Rust was described as a white female, almost 25 years old, standing 5 feet 4
and weighing 140 pounds. She had red hair, blue eyes and was wearing a black V-neck top, a cross attached to a chain around
her neck, a blue sapphire ring and a diamond engagement ring.

The $10,000 reward is being offered through Metro Crime Stoppers for information on Rust's whereabouts. Anyone with
information is advised to take no action other than to contact Crime Stoppers at 410-276-8888 and the police department at
410-307-2020. Callers can remain anonymous.

E-mail Marcia Ames at [email protected].

2005-07-21, Arbutus Times, 'Doubts continue to linger' by Marcia Ames,
(Newsbank )
Michelle Rust's parents are sure she's dead.

Ray Lins can sense it, he says. He just doesn't know where, why, how or exactly when his daughter died.

"I don't think about too much else except about Michelle and the case and what could have happened " Lins Il said
recently, anticipating the third anniversary of the disappearance of his youngest child, and only daughter.

"We want to put everything to rest."

Police aren't saying Rust is dead. Officially, she's listed as missing as a result of foul play.

But a desire to perhaps jog a memory prompted local detectives to display oversized posters at last week's Lansdowne
Volunteer Fire Department carnival.

The posters also will be up at this week's Arbutus Volunteer Fire Department carnival, which runs through Saturday, July
23, at 5200 Southwestern Blvd.

The 30-by-44-inch posters include photographs of Rust and a request for information about what might have happened to
her.

A private reward of up to $10,000 is being offered in connection with Metro Crime Stoppers.

One week shy of her 25th birthday when she was last seen, Michelle Lins Rust is described as a blue-eyed, red-haired,
white female, 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighing 140 pounds. She had diabetes and needed regular insulin injections.

Her husband, Dwight 'D.J." Rust, was the last person known to have seen her, according to police.

The early investigation indicated that Michelle had driven from her Clark Boulevard house in Halethorpe that morning to
shop, police said.

She was expected to return for her son's third birthday party later in the day.

After she failed to return on time, her green, 1998 Dodge Caravan was found empty near the intersection of Zion Road
and Clyde Avenue in Lansdowne by her father-in-law, Dwight Rust.

Since the initial investigation, police, family and friends have conducted several searches but recovered no new evidence,
police said.

About four months into the case, police announced their conclusion that foul play was involved in Rust's disappearance.
They had ruled out the possibility that she would want to abandon her family or that she could do so without being found.

Rust didn't have the ability to create a new identity that would cover her tracks, police said.

Further investigation revealed there had been no transactions on Rust's financial accounts.

No money was withdrawn via ATM, no credit cards were charged, no checks were cashed after she disappeared. Nor has
any of her missing personal property, such as the clothes and jewelry she had been wearing, turned up.

For Gwen Lins, the missing woman's fate was obvious just two days into the investigation. Lins is sure her daughter
wouldn't stay away voluntarily and, if a stranger had abducted her, that person wouldn't tend to her health-care needs.
 "If somebody took her, are they going to take care of her insulin?" she said, shortly before the first anniversary of her
daughter's disappearance.

"The answer is 'no.' So, that leads to the only conclusion you can have she's dead 11 she said then.

D.J. Rust asked that anyone with any information call the police.

"Somebody's got to know something he said. "The littlest bit of information 11 could mean something, even if they don't
think it will."

Anyone having information about the Michelle Rust case is asked to call police at 410-307-2020 or Metro Crime Stoppers
at 1-866-7 LOCKUP. Callers may choose to remain anonymous.

Callers to Metro Crime Stoppers may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $10,000.

2006-02-08, Arbutus Times, 'Lucky's closing a fortunate turn of events for

resident' by Michele D. Manigault, (Newsbank )
Dwight Rust never thought he would own his own business.

The 53-year- old Relay resident figured that he would work in the maintenance department for Lucky's Superettes until
retiring to spend more time with his family.

But life turned upside down Oct. 17 when Rust learned that his employer for 16 years had filed for bankruptcy.

Rust, who said he worked in the refrigeration business with his father for many years before coming to Lucky's, was
almost immediately out of work.

"They called at 11:30 at night and said, 'Change all of the locks and get the money out of the stores.'" Rust said. "That's
how I found out. One second you have a job, and the next second you don't."

Now Rust, who said his final duties were to close down the 11 stores in the chain, has more work than ever.

He and two other former Lucky's employees have leased two stores and have contracts to purchase three additional
stores.

Rust works 16-hour days, renovating stores during the day and waiting on customers at night at the Millersville store the
group is leasing.

The store on Jumpers Hole Road opened Jan. 24 under the group's new name Luckies.

The Luckies on Mountain Road in Pasadena is under contract and scheduled to open Feb. 15.

Rust said he and his partners also hope to lease the former Lucky's store on Fort Avenue in south Baltimore.

It is set to open in March as another Luckies.

"If the other company hadn't have gone bankrupt, I would never have done this he said. "It was a shocking thing, but it
opened up an opportunity for me."

He and his partners, Pasadena residents Charles Jones and Stephen Ellison, used a $1.6 million loan, $800,000 of their
savings and money from the sale of personal property to fund the acquisition and renovation of the four stores in Anne
Arundel County and one in Baltimore City.
 "I've known these guys forever Rust said. "We work really well together, and we're doing most of the renovations for the
stores ourselves. It's work that we all know how to do."

The Lucky's store on Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard and another store in Severn are under contract for purchase.

If the sale is approved by the District of Maryland Bankruptcy Court, Rust said those stores could open in April or late
spring.

"We thought about buying the Arbutus and the Baltimore Highlands stores, but we decided against it " Rust said, declining
to give a reason for the decision.

"These were all high -volume stores said Catonsville lawyer Arthur Rhoads, who lI is handling disbursement of stores in
the chain. "There was a lot of interest in the property."

The Arbutus store was among many stores in the area that prominently displayed posters seeking information on Dwight
Rust's daughter-in-law Michelle Rust, who went missing July 20, 2002.

According to Baltimore County police, there have been no developments in the search for the woman, who disappeared
three years ago on her son's third birthday.

"You think about it every 11 single day " Dwight Rust said. "It's something that is always with you. It's something that
never goes away. It's the hardest thing I've ever been through."

2006-02-15, The Jeffersonian, 'Bankrupt Lucky's becomes Luckies' by

Michele D. Manigault, (Newsbank )
Dwight Rust never thought he would own his own business.

The 53-year-old Relay resident figured that he would work in the maintenance department for Lucky's Superettes until
retiring to spend more time with his family.

But life turned upside down Oct. 17 when Rust learned that his employer for 16 years had filed for bankruptcy.

Rust, who said he worked in the refrigeration business with his father for many years before coming to Lucky's, was
almost immediately out of work.

"They called at 11:30 at night and said, 'Change all of the locks and get the money out of the stores."" Rust said. "That's
how I found out. One second you have a job, and the next second you don't."

Now Rust, who said his final duties were to close down the 11 stores in the chain, has more work than ever.

He and two other former Lucky's employees have leased two stores and have contracts to purchase three additional
stores.

Rust works 16-hour days, renovating stores during the day and waiting on customers at night at the Millersville store the
group is leasing.

The store on Jumpers Hole Road opened Jan. 24 under the group's new name-

Luckies.

The Luckies on Mountain Road in Pasadena is under contract and scheduled to open Feb. 15.

Rust said he and his partners also hope to lease the former Lucky's store on Fort Avenue in south Baltimore.
 It is set to open in March as another Luckies.

"I

"If the other company hadn't have gone bankrupt, would never have done this he said. "It was a shocking thing, but it
opened up an opportunity for me."

He and his partners, Pasadena residents Charles Jones and Stephen Ellison, used a $1.6 million loan, $800,000 of their
savings and money from the sale of personal property to fund the acquisition and renovation of the four stores in Anne
Arundel County and one in Baltimore City.

"I've known these guys forever 11 Rust said. "We work really well together, and we're doing most of the renovations for
the stores ourselves. It's work that we all know how to do."

The Lucky's store on Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard and another store in Severn are under contract for purchase.

If the sale is approved by the District of Maryland Bankruptcy Court, Rust said those stores could open in April or late spring.

"We thought about buying the Arbutus and the Baltimore Highlands stores, but we decided against it Rust said, declining
to give a reason for the decision. 11

"These were all high-volume stores " said Catonsville lawyer Arthur Rhoads, who is handling disbursement of stores in the
chain. "There was a lot of interest in the property."

The Arbutus store was among many stores in the area that prominently displayed posters seeking information on Dwight
Rust's daughter-in-law Michelle Rust, who went missing July 20, 2002.

According to Baltimore County police, there have been no developments in the search for the woman, who disappeared
three years ago on her son's third birthday.

"You think about it every single day Dwight Rust said. "It's something that is always with you. It's something that never
goes away. It's the hardest thing I've ever been through."

E-mail Michele D. Manigault at Michele D. [email protected]

2006-07-19, Baltimore Messenger, 'Family still looking for Rust Woman's

disappearance still puzzled' by Marcia Ames, (Newsbank )
The blue-eyed, red-haired Halethorpe woman would have turned 29 next week.

Those words are enough for many residents to recall her name,  Michelle Rust, and the mystery surrounding her
disappearance July 20 four years ago.

As in years past, Rust's family is marking the anniversary by asking for anyone with unreported information to call police.

Michelle's parents, Ray and Gwen Lins, have spoken to the Arbutus Times in the past but did not return calls this year.

"God's grace allows us to go on with our lives, but the grief and the heartache still remain " said Joyce Lins, Rust's paternal
grandmother.

"Not knowing what really happened to Michelle is always nagging at the back of our minds " she said. "She was, and is,
very dear to us."
 Though police still list her as missing, her parents have said they assumed early on that she most likely was dead. They felt
the devoted wife and mother wouldn't have wanted to miss the July 20 party celebrating her only child's third birthday.

Rust's body has not been found.

And if she was the victim of foul play, as police eventually concluded, chances were slim that Rust, a diabetic, would
receive the regular insulin injections she needed.

"It became evident to us as the years passed that we would not see Michelle again this side of heaven " her grandmother
said.

The early investigation indicated that Michelle had driven from her Clark Boulevard house that morning to shop, leaving
her husband, Dwight "D.J." Rust, and son behind.

She never returned.

On a search hours later, Michelle's father-in-law, Dwight Rust, found her green, 1998 Dodge Caravan empty near the
intersection of Zion Road and Clyde Avenue several miles away in Lansdowne, according to police.

Subsequent searches by police as well as family, friends and volunteers turned up nothing. The clothes and jewelry she
had been wearing and the insulin kit she carried were not recovered either.

A few months later, police announced that foul play was involved in Rust's disappearance.

She would not have wanted to abandon her family, nor could she have done so without being found, they concluded.

Police also said the young woman didn't have the means to create a new identity to cover her tracks.

Robbery appeared not to have been a motive, as there were no transactions on Rust's financial accounts after she
disappeared.

No one used her bank cards, credit cards or checks.

So what were the crime and the motive?

More importantly, who was involved?

Someone knows and isn't saying, according to Lins.

Police spokesman Bill Toohey said last week that there was "nothing new at this moment. She is still considered missing."

D.J. Rust, who spoke to Patuxent Publishing Co. last year, could not be reached for comment for this article.

At the time of her disappearance four years ago, Michelle Lins Rust was described as 5-foot-4 and 140 pounds. She was
wearing a black, V- neck top, a cross attached to a chain around her neck, a blue sapphire ring and a diamond engagement
ring.

Anyone having information about the case is asked to call police at 410-307-2020. Callers can choose to remain
anonymous.

E-mail Marcia Ames at Marcia [email protected]

2006-08-09, Catonsville Times, 'Teen still feeling impact of missing

woman's absence' by Marcia Ames, (Newsbank )
Four years ago last month, an 11-year-old Halethorpe boy said goodbye to one of his best adult friends.
 "She said, 'I'll see you next Tuesday at volleyball,'" Chuck Cadden said last week, recalling the words and the date, July 19,
2002, he last saw Michelle Rust.

He didn't see her that next Tuesday.

He never saw her again.

As many people in and around that small community south of Arbutus know, Rust went missing from her Clark Boulevard
home July 20, 2002, and never returned.

Now 15 and entering his sophomore year at Western School of Technology and Environmental Science, Cadden says he
will never forget the smiling, red-haired young woman.

But he fears that others may.

That sentiment accounts for green-and-blue graffiti he painted a few weeks ago on a Catonsville High School shed, where
such art is allowed.

Signed by his graffiti tag, Scam, and painted in fat letters and numbers, "In loving memory 7-20 Michelle" greets all who
pass by.

It was still there last week.

"It touches us,” said Rust's father, Ray Lins, who has known Cadden's father, the Rev. Joe Cadden, for about 20 years. "It's
special to us because Chuckie is like our family."

Lins explained that many children who attended Halethorpe Community Church four years or more ago knew and loved
his only daughter, who helped with the independent Christian congregation's youth activities.

"She was likable, cute as a button and liked kids” said the elder Cadden, pastor at the church. "She just had a passion and
a heart for people."

Like Chuck, many young people mourned her absence and prayed for her return.

Or at least for closure to the case.

"The buzzword is closure” Joe Cadden said, explaining the difficulty for anyone, especially a child, to deal with grief in this
situation. "It just tears your heart out when you see your child hurting."

For his son and many of the other young people who knew Rust, her disappearance was a first experience in losing a loved
one.

"You can't plan for it the minister said. "You certainly don't want to plan for it. And four years later, you're almost in the
same spot."

Baltimore County police continue investigating the case and periodically seek the public's help for new information that
might solve the mystery.

Detectives still list Michelle Lins Rust as missing, not dead.

But as was true within months of her disappearance in 2002, they said foul play was involved.

Rust's parents have said they assume she is dead. The devoted wife and mother wouldn't have wanted to miss the July 20
party celebrating her only child's third birthday that year, they said.

Chuck Cadden said the graffiti homage to Rust has helped ease his pain, as it puts her name where passersby can see it
and remember.
 He also wrote poetry on previous anniversaries of her disappearance.

"It helped me release things that I wouldn't really say to people " he said, adding II that he plans to continue doing
something every July to memorialize his friend.

As much as he wants people to remember Rust, Cadden said, he also wants someone to step forward who knows why and
how she disappeared.

"It's still an open case,” he said. "You've got to get that closure."

Anyone with information about the case should call police at 410-307-2020.

E-mail Marcia Ames at Marcia [email protected]

2007-02-22, The Jeffersonian, 'Missing woman's husband files for divorce

in Howard' by Marcia Ames, (Newsbank )
The husband of Michelle Rust, the Halethorpe woman missing since 2002, wants a divorce.

D.J. Rust Jr. testified in a Howard County courtroom last week that he has not seen his wife since July 20, 2002, and has no
reasonable hope of reconciling with her.

The 29-year-old Rust was the last person to see his wife, then 24, and has been watched by police since then.

Indeed, a Baltimore County detective was in the courtroom Feb. 13 to observe the divorce proceedings before Court
Master Mary Kramer, who told Rust she would recommend that a Circuit Court judge grant the divorce and give him sole
custody of his and Michelle's son.

"The rest of it is just a matter of paperwork," Kramer said, adding that Rust probably would receive the divorce decree by
mail in less than a month.

Under Maryland law, when a couple has been living apart for more than two consecutive years without a reasonable
expectation of reconciliation, both partners have grounds for divorce.

Although Rust lives in Baltimore County, the Howard County courthouse in Elliott City was most convenient for him, according
to testimony.

Rust continues living in the house he and his wife shared in the 1800 block of Clark Boulevard and has had custody of their
only child, who turned 7 last summer.

Michelle Rust had been due at her son's third birthday party the day she disappeared.

Police concluded within months that foul play was involved in the disappearance. No one has been charged.

In his search for her that day, Michelle's father-in-law, Dwight Rust Sr., found her green, 1998 Dodge Caravan empty near
the intersection of Zion Road and Clyde Avenue, in Lansdowne.

Michelle's parents, Gwen and Ray Lins, said they had seen her late the previous night, along with her husband and son.

Although her parents soon said their only daughter, who had diabetes and needed regular insulin injections, was likely
dead, police have not found her body or the clothes and jewelry she was last seen wearing.

Baltimore County police spokesman Bill Toohey declined to comment on the divorce proceedings, but said the
investigation into Michelle Rust's disappearance continues.
Carroll Bollinger, a Baltimore County police detective assigned to the case, said outside the courtroom that he was there only
to observe.

He said police intend to continue observing Rust's activities until his missing wife is found.

D.J. Rust declined to comment for this article, as did Michelle's parents.

Posters seeking information on the case have described the missing woman as a 24-year-old, blue-eyed white woman
with red hair. She stood 5 feet 4 and weighed 140 pounds.

When last seen, she was wearing a black V-neck top, a white gold cross necklace, a blue sapphire ring and a diamond
engagement ring.

Police ask anyone with information about her disappearance to call 410-307-

2020.

E-mail Marcia Ames at Marcia [email protected]

2010-03-31, Washington Examiner (washingtonexaminer.com), 'Mom

vanishes on shopping trip for son's birthday' by Scott McCabe
(https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/mom-vanishes-on-shopping-trip-
for-sons-birthday)
On the morning of July 20, 2002, Michelle Lee Rust left her house in Baltimore County to buy party supplies for her 3-year-
old son's birthday party. She never returned home.

The circumstances surrounding Rust's disappearance offer few clues about what happened to the 24-year-old. Rust's car,
a 1998 Dodge Caravan, was found abandoned later that morning on a nearby residential street, with the key broken off in the
driver's door keyhole. Rust also took no personal belongings with her before she disappeared. Her credit cards and bank
accounts have remained unused since that day.

Authorities believe that Rust might have been abducted before she even got into her car, and may not have driven away
from her home voluntarily. Her parents think she is dead, according to reports.

Family members say it would be highly unusual for Rust to disappear without notice. She had lived in the Halethorpe area
her entire life, and worked at a day care center before the birth of her son. Rust's husband, Dwight 'D.J." Rust, was the last
person to see her before she left her house. He reported her missing when she did not return home from the store after an
hour.

Michelle Rust has red hair and blue eyes, is 5 foot 4 and weighed about 140 pounds when she disappeared. On the day
she was last seen, she was wearing a black V-neck shirt, a white-gold chain necklace with a diamond cross pendant, a sapphire
ring, and a diamond engagement ring. She was also wearing a permanent retainer on her lower teeth and purple nail polish.
Rust might have had a black backpack with her to carry her insulin kit; she is diabetic and needs to give herself regular insulin
injections.

Since Rust's disappearance, her husband has filed for divorce and also sought custody of their young son. No suspects
have been charged in the case, but police believe Rust's disappearance was the result of foul play.
 If you have information regarding this case, you may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $12,000. Please contact the
Homicide Unit's Unsolved Case Squad at 410-887-3943 or the Communications Team at 410-307-2020. If you wish to remain
anonymous you can also contact Metro Crime Stoppers at 866-7LOCKUP.

2020-01-01, Baltimore County Government (baltimorecountymd.gov),

'MICHELLE LEE RUST' by No author credited
(https://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/departments/police/unsolved/missin
g-persons/rust-2002)
Baltimore County police have completed numerous interviews and a thorough study of the evidence and have concluded
that the disappearance of Michelle Rust was the result of foul play.

Rust disappeared on the morning of July 20, 2002 as she was making preparations for her three-year-old son’s birthday
party. It was first believed that she disappeared while going to the store to buy supplies for that party. However, interviews
with various witnesses have determined that no one saw Mrs. Rust actually leave her house on Clark Boulevard in Arbutus,
and no one ever saw her behind the wheel of her vehicle, a green 1998 Dodge Caravan. The van was found on Clyde Avenue in
Lansdowne soon after her disappearance.

Investigators have also found that there has been no activity on any of the missing woman’s financial accounts. No money
has been taken, for example, from ATMs, and no checks have been written on her account. In addition, her credit cards have
not been used – or found – and there has been no trace of her personal property, such as the clothes and jewelry she was
wearing that day.
 
All credible leads have been investigated with no results, and a $12,000 reward has not generated any meaningful leads. This
indicates to detectives that no one has had any encounters with the missing woman.

As in any investigation, detectives have attempted to rule out suspects by determining individuals’ whereabouts and
activities on the day of the disappearance. So far investigators have been able to rule out only her mother and father as
suspects. 

Finally, family members say that Michelle Rust loved her three-year-old son, and would not have disappeared on her own,
leaving the child behind. She is also a diabetic and dependent on insulin. This adds more weight to the conclusion that she has
been the victim of foul play.

Michelle Rust was 24 years old at the time of her disappearance. She is described as a white female, 5'4" tall, 140 pounds,
with red hair and blue eyes, and she had a permanent retainer on her lower teeth. At the time, she had a cut on the ball of her
right foot. She was wearing a black V-neck shirt, a princess cut sapphire ring, a diamond engagement ring and a white gold
cross necklace with diamonds. Her maiden name is Lins.

Anyone with information regarding this case may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $12,000.
2022-02-21, ABC 2 Baltimore (wmar2news.com), 'Michelle Rust case
remains unsolved for nearly 20 years' by Mark Roper
(https://www.wmar2news.com/marylandmysteries/missing-in-maryland-
the-disappearance-of-michelle-rust-remains-unsolved-for-nearly-20-years)
TOWSON, Md. — A Baltimore County woman has been missing for nearly two decades. Police say she went to the store
and never returned home.

Michelle Rust was last seen on July 20, 2002, and her family has been without answers ever since.

A lot has changed in the Halethorpe community since the summer of 2002, but one thing which hasn't changed is the love
Ray and Gwen Lins have for their missing daughter Michelle Rust.

Michelle’s father Ray said “every day, I think about it. Every day I go over everything, hoping I might find something.”

The pain of having a daughter disappear has taken its toll on Michelle's father.

“It’s a struggle for me really to get by the day. I mean, I had to go to a psychiatrist and a psychologist myself. And it sort of
helped, but well, he told me when I first went in, it’s not going to go away, you just have to deal with it the best you can,” Ray
Lins said.

Saturday July 20, 2002, Michelle Rust and her husband Dwight were planning to host a birthday party for their three-year-
old son that day.

Michelle’s mother Gwen Lins said “I got a phone call about 9:30, maybe quarter of ten, and Dwight called me and he said
‘do you know where Michelle is?’ and I said no, I thought she was home and he said she went to the store.”

The family went on a search for Michelle right away.

They checked several nearby Walmarts, hoping a surveillance camera might have caught a glimpse of Michelle on video
but there was no sign of the 24-year-old missing mom.

“And as we were going to the Walmarts, Gwen got a phone call, and said that they found her van,” Ray Lins said.

“They canceled the party. We canceled the party. We knew she was missing, and everybody was just frantically looking for
her. And his father, everybody was looking, his family and our family. And his father ended up being the one that found the
van,” Gwen Lins said.

Baltimore County Police Cpl. Donna Carter said “the key actually was in the driver’s side door, broken off, inside of that
caravan when it was found. Neighbors in the area were questioned about anything they may have seen. And, unfortunately
nobody saw anything leading to how that van got there or who may have driven it.”

It was a spot along Clyde Avenue near Zion Road in Lansdowne, and a few miles from her house in Halethorpe where
Michelle's father-in-law discovered that first and only clue into her disappearance.

“We went over there. The van was there, the cops were, the police were there and everything and the window was down
about that far. They looked for the keys, they went to the houses, and nobody had seen anything,” Ray Lins said.

Finding Michelle's 1998 green Dodge Caravan but no sign of Michelle brought out Ray's worst fears.

“I mean, I just filled up, it was just a natural emotion. I just couldn’t hold it back,” Ray Lins said.
 Michelle's husband at the time, Dwight Rust Jr. declined to go on camera to talk about this case but said he thanks
WMAR-2 News for looking into Michelle's disappearance after all these years, and he hopes this will help things moving
forward.

Police said people who knew Michelle told investigators she had said if anything ever happened to her, that one of her
husband's ex-girlfriends might be responsible.

In the twenty years since, police have only ruled out two people as suspects in this case, Michelle's parents, Ray and Gwen
Lins. So, we asked Ray and Gwen who do they think is responsible for their daughter's disappearance.

“What we think really doesn’t make any difference. It’s what you can prove,” Gwen Lins said.

Baltimore County detectives believe Michelle fell victim to foul play. “Her credit cards were never used, there was no ATM
activity, her checking account never had checks written against it, so foul play was assumed. Also, she was a diabetic and she
was a devoted mother, so it just doesn't make sense,” Carter said.

Both Gwen and Ray also believe something terrible happened to their daughter and that she is dead.

“But we find peace knowing where she is, because we believe in a God that’s stronger, and we believe when you die, you
have eternal life and you’re going to go to heaven,” Gwen Lins said.

It is that faith which has brought this family some closure.

Meanwhile, much of the science and technology used in finding a missing person has changed over the last 20 years: DNA,
cell phone tracking, cell phone video along with doorbell cameras are just a few of the resources police can now use to get
answers for worried families.

“A person doesn’t just disappear off the face of the earth. It's just so hard not being able to give all of these families’
answers. With as many missing persons and cold cases that we have, we try to work them and no case is ever too cold.
There’s no information that’s too small. We’re always hoping to get that little piece of information that can bring closure to
somebody,” Carter said.

Anyone with information about this case who could help find answers for both Michelle's family and detectives is asked to
contact the Baltimore County Police Homicide and Missing Persons Unit, 410-887-3943.