Naman Shrestha
The fifth episode of NBC’s podcast ‘Dateline: Missing in America’ season 5 delves deep into the mysterious disappearance of a 28-year-old mother of one named Marilyn “Niqui” McCown, who went missing in Richmond, Indiana, in the summer of 2001. While shockwaves were sent across the community, her loved ones were left desperately searching for her and for some answers. The Richmond Police Department followed up on all the clues and witnesses, but they only led to dead ends.
Niqui McCown Was Gearing Up For Her Wedding When She Vanished
Born around 1973, Marilyn Renee Nicole “Niqui” McCown was the beloved daughter of Barbara McCown and was raised in a loving household alongside her nine siblings, including sister Michelle McCown, in Richmond, Indiana. In her teenage years, Niqui got into a romantic relationship with Steven Johnston. In 1992, she welcomed their daughter, Payton, into the world and embraced motherhood. However, the couple broke up a few years later as their relationship deteriorated. Niqui then dated Bobby Webster, whom she had already dated in high school for a while. A few years later, the couple got engaged and scheduled their big day for August 18, 2001.
With the wedding less than a month away, Niqui and Bobby were busy finalizing things for the ceremony. On July 22, 2001, after Bobby returned home from trying on suits, he couldn’t find Niqui anywhere. He called her family members and friends, asking if they knew where she was. Panic-stricken, he and a few others went to her parents’ home in Richmond. Her mother, Barbara, claimed that Niqui dropped Payton off at the house and went to the laundromat. It is alleged that Niqui told her mother that some guys at the laundromat bothered her. Barbara allegedly told her to get her things from there and return to the house. Unfortunately, she didn’t come back after leaving the house that time. The following morning, on July 23, Bobby reported 28-year-old Niqui missing.
Niqui McCown’s Disappearance Remains a Mystery to This Day
While Niqui McCown’s family and friends searched for the missing woman, the police allegedly believed that she had cold feet due to the wedding. As the investigators delved deeper, they spotted her in surveillance footage from the Village Pantry convenience store near the laundromat in Richmond at 3:19 pm on the fateful day. Despite searching the area and talking to people, the detectives found no leads. They also searched Niqui and Bobby’s apartment, where they didn’t find any evidence of a crime. However, her family grew suspicious of Bobby, noting that the wedding preparations were canceled and that he allegedly tried to return his wedding band. During his interview with the Richmond Police Department on July 25, 2001, he provided a solid alibi; though authorities claimed he did not pass a polygraph test.
Although he was considered a person of interest, he maintained his innocence, claiming he loved Niqui and was looking forward to the wedding. A few months later, in November 2001, the investigators got a break in the case as they found Bobby’s car, a black GMC Jimmy, which Niqui had been driving at the time of her disappearance, around the Meadows of Catalpa. They found no signs of struggle inside the car but discovered her folded laundry. Interestingly, the car was found near the apartment complex where her ex-boyfriend, Steven Johnston, resided, sparking new suspicions in the case. As the detectives dug deeper into Niqui’s relationship with Steven, they reportedly uncovered allegations that he had been physically abusive and unfaithful to her. However, after he passed the polygraph test, he was dismissed as a potential suspect.
The authorities also considered one of Niqui’s co-workers, Tommy Swint, as a person of interest. He was a correctional officer at the prison where Niqui was employed. According to investigative reports, he did not provide the detectives with solid alibis, and former colleagues alleged there had been workplace complaints against him from multiple women. However, there wasn’t enough evidence to arrest him for Niqui’s disappearance. After several years, in 2010, when he was indicted for a 1991 homicide in Dayton, Ohio, he took his own life as officers tried to arrest him at his Phenix City, Alabama, residence. Nearly three decades later, the detectives are still investigating the case, hoping to find new clues and evidence that could lead to answers.
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