18 year old Colleen Perris was last seen in Plantation, Florida on September 30, 2000. She disappeared after telling her family she was taking a short trip to Coral Springs.

Background

Colleen Perris was born on May 24, 1982 to parents Nick and Nancy Perris. She is an only child who loved singing, dancing and sports.

At the time of her disappearance she was taking summer classes and was about to get her high school diploma.

She worked as a hostess at a restaurant, and had recently purchased plane tickets for a December vacation to Colorado. The plane tickets were never used.

Her family says it’s highly uncharacteristic of her to leave without warning. She did not have a history of running away.

Disappearance

At approximately 3:00 pm on September 30, 2000, Colleen Perris was last seen at her family’s residence near Flamingo Boulevard and Sunsrie Boulevard in Plantation, Florida. 

She received a call from an unknown person, then informed her family she was going to Coral Springs to get something to eat and would be back between 5:30-6:00 pm.

Colleen never returned home and hasn’t been heard from since. The family had a planned trip to a Marlins game that evening, which Colleen missed.

Investigation

Detectives have been unable to trace the call she received before her disappearance.

All of Colleen’s personal belongings were left behind at home, except for her cell phone and purse which she took with her.

On October 6, 2000, a family member located her vehicle, a white 1994 Mazda MX-6 with Florida plate D48-PIE, in the parking lot of a shopping plaza in Tamarac, Florida near Pine Island and McNab Road.

Authorities found no indication of foul play at the scene. Colleen’s cell phone and purse were missing from the car, which had been left locked with the windows rolled up.

No fingerprints were able to be taken from the exterior of the car due to rain.

Colleen’s father said she liked to play pool at the Bull and Cue sports bar at that shopping center, but her family is unsure why she would have went there.

Authorities focused on Colleen’s uncle as a person of interest, as he had reportedly offered to help get her a job modeling lingerie. When detectives asked him to take a polygraph he refused. The uncle denies having anything to do with her disappearance.

Colleen’s family is offering her life insurance and college tuition money as a reward for information leading to her location. “The total reward at this point is $30,000. We want to know who called her at 3 Saturday September 30th,” her father, Nick Perris, told WSVN.

Four years after her disappearance, her parents made the decision to stop paying for her cell phone. Her dad had been calling it to leave messages for his daughter for years.

Police do not believe Colleen left on her own accord, but are unsure of the exact circumstances surrounding her case. 

In November 2007, Colleen was declared legally dead.

Appearance

White female born on May 24, 1982. Colleen has blonde hair, hazel eyes, stands 5’2, and weighs 95 pounds. She had red highlights in her hair at the time of her disappearance.

Her ears, tongue, and belly button are pierced. She has a butterfly tattoo on her lower back, as well as Chinese letters on her ankles, and a band around one of her ankles.

Investigating Agency

If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Colleen Perris please contact the Plantation Police Department at (954) 797-2118, or Broward Crimestoppers at (954) 493-TIPS.