More than four decades after Amber Elizabeth Scholz disappeared from her apartment in Rock Springs, Wyoming, her family continues to search for answers, Cowboy State Daily reports.
Despite years of police investigations, family efforts, and renewed interest from cold case detectives, the mystery surrounding Scholz’s disappearance remains unsolved.
Scholz was just 21 years old when she vanished on November 8, 1981, in the midst of a contentious custody battle with the father of her 2-year-old son. Her family, now spread across Ohio, refuses to give up hope of learning what happened to the young mother.
Amber Scholz was only 19 years old when she made the bold decision to leave her Ohio home and move to Rock Springs, Wyoming, with her infant son. Her motivation was love — she followed her partner, John Burkhardt, after he moved there. Her family, especially her parents, had grave concerns about the move, urging her to reconsider. But Scholz remained determined, packing her car and using only a paper map to navigate the nearly 1,450-mile journey.
Her family’s fears were eventually realized. The relationship with Burkhardt quickly deteriorated, and by 1981, Scholz had moved out of their shared home. The couple was locked in a bitter custody battle over their son, Lance, when tragedy struck.
On the night of her disappearance, Scholz attended a party with friends. Witnesses say she was last seen around 3:30 a.m., when friends escorted her back to her apartment at Plaza Court Apartments on Dewar Drive.
The next day, concerns began to mount when Scholz failed to show up for work. Her employer reached out to her family, and when they were unable to contact her, her father reported her missing.
When investigators entered her apartment, they found no signs of a struggle, but the scene was unsettling. Her coat, purse, wallet, eyeglasses, and an uncashed paycheck were left behind, and it appeared she had been preparing a monthly budget when she abruptly left. Her young son was with Burkhardt that night, according to her sister, Roberta “Bobbie” Lenhof.
These details fueled fears that foul play was involved, and authorities, along with Scholz’s family, suspected the worst.
Over the years, Scholz’s disappearance has cast a long shadow over her family. Her sister, Bobbie Lenhof, recalls waking up in Ohio on the night Scholz vanished after experiencing a nightmare. She told her mother she had a bad feeling about Amber, but her mother assured her everything was fine and they would hear from her soon.
That phone call never came.
“I would never stop… I would never give up. I just don’t know who you reach out to anymore,” Lenhof said in a recent interview.
Lenhof described her sister as a loving, loyal, and fiercely protective person who adored her son. She believes her sister would never have voluntarily left him behind, reinforcing the family’s belief that something terrible happened to Amber.
Both of their parents have since passed away, unable to see closure in their daughter’s case. Now, it’s up to Lenhof and their eldest sister, Diane, to continue the search.
Despite the passage of time, the Rock Springs Police Department insists the case is still open. Cmdr. Amanda Salazar and Detective Jennifer Saloga are now leading a renewed push to review case files, witness statements, and potential leads.
“We haven’t by any means closed this case… And we will continue trying to get answers for this family,” Salazar said.
Over the years, police conducted interviews with Scholz’s family, friends, and key persons of interest. One notable effort came in 2012, when detectives traveled to Ohio to reinterview family members, including John Burkhardt and his son, Lance, who had since returned to the state.
Burkhardt remains a primary person of interest, though no charges have ever been filed. During the 2012 interviews, detectives noted that Burkhardt’s behavior raised suspicion. After he agreed to speak with them, he eventually requested an attorney, cutting the interview short.
Police also collected DNA samples from Scholz’s mother and sisters, hoping it might help in the event that remains were ever found.
After Burkhardt returned to Ohio with Lance, Lenhof made an effort to reconnect with her nephew. She recalled their emotional reunion at Burkhardt’s mother’s home.
“The first thing out of his mouth was, ‘Where is my mom?’” Lenhof said.
Her heart broke, but she told him the truth:
“Sweetheart, I would love to answer that question for you, but I really can’t.”
She assured him that his mother loved him deeply and would never have abandoned him. In an unexpected twist, Lance eventually moved in with Lenhof after Burkhardt lost custody of him. He lived with Lenhof and her children until he moved out at age 18.
Today, Lance is reportedly doing well, married, and living a happy life in Ohio.
Detectives have pursued several potential leads over the years. At one point, suspicion fell on one of Scholz’s former bosses, but that lead ultimately went nowhere. Police have tested items from her apartment for fingerprints, but no evidence of interest has emerged.
One bizarre twist came from a psychic consultation. At the urging of a friend, Lenhof visited a psychic who claimed Scholz was at the bottom of an abandoned mine near an old barn. The information brought to mind an old photograph Amber had sent her family, showing her smiling in the snow after a skiing accident. The image of her sister lying on her back with her arms and legs spread in the snow has haunted Lenhof ever since.
More than 40 years later, Amber Scholz’s case remains unsolved, but her story is not forgotten. Her family and police continue to seek leads, and her name is one of several on the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation’s missing persons database.
Her case is one of eight unresolved disappearances in Sweetwater County. Others include:
- Mischa Averle Johannessen, a 17-year-old who vanished on November 6, 2023.
- Terry Meador, who disappeared while hunting in 2018.
- Kimberly Kay Novak, missing since 1992.
- Clifford Haux, David Fantin, David Vernon Lovely, and David Williams, all of whom remain missing since the 1980s and 1990s.
For Lenhof, the fight for justice and closure is personal. She has sought help from missing person search groups, worked with police, and stayed in touch with detectives. Even as the years pass, she remains as determined as ever to find her sister.
Her vivid memories of the night Amber disappeared — her sudden nightmare, her gut feeling that something was wrong — remain with her.
“I would never stop… I would never give up,” she said.
With renewed police efforts and the hope that someone with information might come forward, her family continues to seek the truth. What happened to Amber Scholz on that November night in 1981? Until that question is answered, her family’s search will continue.
