Rachael Runyan: The Little Girl Who Sparked the First Alert System

In 1982, three-year-old Rachael Runyan was playing at a neighborhood playground in Sunset, Utah. She was only a few steps away from her mother when she disappeared.

Her abduction shook the entire community. Posters went up, search parties scoured the area, and hope grew thinner with every passing day. Weeks later, Rachael’s body was found in a creek bed far from home.

Her murder was never solved. But her case left a lasting mark, it led to the creation of Utah’s “Rachael Alert” system, an early version of what became the Amber Alert used across the country today.

Decades later, her killer has never been identified. But her story reminds us that change can come even from tragedy, and that remembering these children is how we make sure they are never truly forgotten.