Excavation underway of yard, abandoned well in search for woman missing since 1987

SANGAMON COUNTY, Ill. (WAND) - The search is continuing for an Auburn woman who went missing more than 40 years ago.

22-year-old Brenda Bottoms was last seen getting into a car on North 5th St. in Auburn in June 1987.

The Sangamon County Sheriff's Office started reviewing old case files in Brenda's disappearance in 2025. The investigation resulted in detectives re interviewing people and conducting new interviews.

As a result, the sheriff's office said it now has credible information on the location of evidence in Brenda's disappearance and new information on the suspect vehicle.

On Wednesday, August 5, 2026, detectives, the Illinois State Police, The Laborer's Disaster Response Team, and the Sangamon County Water Reclamation District responded to a residence in Auburn.

With cooperation from the homeowner, an excavation of the resident's backyard was started with the focus on an abandoned well.

The excavation and search of the location and well as well as additional locations is ongoing. The sheriff's office is not commenting on any potential evidence found.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call Sangamon County Investigations at (217) 788-8427.