Growing up, Coleen’s nickname was “Miss America”, because she was the ‘girly girl’ out of her three sisters.

Coleen was one of four children in her family, who grew up in Ohio, but lived in Fort Myers, FL as teenagers. Coleen’s sisters remember her as being full of life, funny, and bubbly. She was the “bright star of the family”. At age 22, Coleen had a daughter, named Erica, who went to live with her paternal grandparents in Michigan.

“30 years of not having any answers, it’s not fair. Especially when I’ve gone almost my whole life without her” - Erica Platon, Coleen’s daughter.

Coleen was last seen on December 2, 1989.

She was last seen in the area of Gladiolus Drive in Fort Myers, FL. Not much is available about her exact location or why she was in this area.

“She deserved to be here, to watch me grow up and live my life and be a part of my family when that comes one day” - Erica Platon, Coleen’s daughter.

Two weeks later, Coleen’s remains were found.

Egland's body was discovered by a passerby in a wooded area near a rest stop off of I-75 near Daniels Parkway in Fort Myers, FL on December 17, 1989. Egland's body was found nude under palmetto bushes. A coroner determined that Coleen had been killed approximately three days earlier, on December 14, 1989, and that she had suffered severe injuries to her head and face.

“A piece of our heart was taken away that day. It was just, phew, our beam of light left us” - Carrie Egland, Coleen’s sister.

Where the case stands today.

“They say time heals all wounds, it doesn’t, every year at this time it is hard for all of us” - Carrie Egland, Coleen’s sister.

Today, nearly 33 years after her untimely death, Coleen’s case remains open and is considered a cold case. There are no leads or suspects at this time. In recent years, Coleen’s family held a vigil for her passing, to remember her and to raise awareness for her case. If you have any information, please contact Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers at (800) 780-TIPS (8477) or the Lee County Sheriff’s Office’s Major Crimes Unit at (239) 477-1000. 

“I’m always hopeful that scientifically something can be done, or morally, someone will be able to move past any fears they’ve had in the past and come forward” - Carrie Egland, Coleen’s sister.