On July 17, 2000 — 10 years ago today — 22-year-old Mount Pleasant resident Elizabeth “Liz” Nicole Forshee-Syperda disappeared from her East Madison Street apartment sometime between 10:30 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. She left behind all her belongings and never claimed her last paycheck or accessed her bank account again.

Her roommate — who was at work when Liz disappeared — said the apartment door was locked from the outside and that Liz had no access to a vehicle.

One month before, Liz’s estranged husband Michael Syperda (whom she met when she babysat his children) had a violent confrontation with Liz and her roommate. After she vanished, he pled guilty to assault in that case and received a suspended sentence and parole.

Although law enforcement cannot link Michael Syperda to the disappearance (he refused to take a polygraph), Liz’s family believes he was involved. He now lives in Colorado.

Liz’s mother Donna Forshee travels from Sacramento, California, to Mount Pleasant every year on the anniversary of Liz’s disappearance. She hopes that her public presence at remembrance ceremonies will remind the public and law enforcement about the need to find Liz.

For the 10th anniversary of Liz’s vanishing, Donna Forshee paid for a billboard near New London, Iowa, that informs drivers of the disappearance and offers a $20,000 reward for information.

When she disappeared, Elizabeth was 5-feet-4 and weighed 150 pounds. Her long brown hair is naturally curly and her eyes are hazel. She has piercings in her ears, tongue, and left nipple; and a heart tattoo surrounds her navel. She was last seen wearing a t-shirt, black jeans, white Nike athletic shoes, a diamond and emerald ring, a wedding ring, and a diamond “Year 2000” necklace.

Liz’s disappearance was highly publicized and the area was saturated with missing person posters, but law enforcement received no information to indicate foul play or to reveal the location of the missing young woman.

If you have any information concerning this case, please contact the Mount Pleasant Police Department at 319-385-1450 or the Iowa DPS Missing Person Information Clearinghouse.

To make an anonymous report, call the Greater Burlington Area Crime Stoppers at 319-753-6835.