April Irene Vlk: Missing from Hilton Head Since 1991 - Unsolved Case

Missing Person: April Irene Vlk

Details from a Government Source: Circumstances of Disappearance

April Irene Vlk was last seen on September 17th, 1991 September 12th, 1991, on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. She stopped at a church in the 280 block of Seaside Villas while members were dining. Witnesses reported she was crying, appeared terrified, barefoot, and had bleeding feet. She requested cardboard to make a sign, intending to hitchhike off the island. She has not been seen or heard from since.

Source: NamUs #MP5611 (entered March 24th, 2010).

• Last Contact: September 17, 1991 (Tuesday); another source said she was last seen on September 12th; another said September 11th. I think the September 12th date is most likely the accurate one. It was a Thursday.

The Island Packet. March 8th, 2008.

• Last Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, 280 block of Seaside Villas. Google Maps.
• Age When Disappeared: 37  
• DOB: Between September 18, 1953, and September 17, 1954 (calculated from age on the day she went missing)  
• Sex: Female  
• Height in Inches: 64 (5’4”)  
• Weight in Pounds (lbs): 160  
• Ethnicity: White / Caucasian  
• Hair Color: Dark blond/strawberry  
• Eye Color: Green  
• Scar or Distinctive Characteristic: Pierced ears  
• Clothing and Accessories: Shirt, jeans (no further details provided)

BMI: April Irene Vlk had a BMI of 27.47, calculated from her height (64 inches) and weight (160 lbs). This places her in the overweight category by BMI standards, though it’s just food for thought as BMI doesn’t account for all body types.

Transportation: No vehicle or specific transportation details entered into NamUs. She was thought to be going hitchhiking at the time of her last sighting.

Parents: George and Hazel VIk

Clothing and Accessories

At the time of her disappearance on September 17, 1991, April Irene Vlk was reported wearing a shirt and jeans. No additional accessories (e.g., jewelry, purse) were noted in the NamUs report. However, this individual was barefoot when she disappeared. That is as per a news article in the Macon Telegraph on August 31st, 1994. This aligns with the NamUs description, which says that she had bleeding feet.

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Commentary and Research

By: Shane Lambert
Original Time of Writing: March 18th, 2025

Has April Irene Vlk Been Found?

As of this writing, April Irene Vlk remains missing. Online presence debating her case is sparse. She has only occasional social media mentions and hits on niche missing persons sites. There are no recent news breaking new ground, leaving her disappearance a cold case 34 years later.

What stood out while reading her NamUs profile was her emotional state, her intent to hitchhike, and the fact that she had bleeding feet. Furthermore, she was last seen at a church, a place where Do Gooders go. This suggests that she might have been seeking help before fleeing. The cardboard she requested would almost certainly have been to make a sign for hitchhiking.

The Hitchhiking Angle: A Risky Escape?

April wasn't exactly "last seen hitchhiking" as the ominous missing person's phrase is so often stated. However, she'd stated her plan to hitchhike off the island of Hilton Head. That stated plan opens unsettling possibilities that most who are familiar with missing person cases will be familiar with.

Furthermore, April appeared to be dependent on hitchhiking while in a distraught state. Her judgment could have been well off. However, that she was crying when last seen does open up an increased chance of suicide.

The fact that she was barefoot and had bleeding feet is a very odd detail in the case. It could simply mean she couldn't afford new shoes after her old ones were lost, stolen, or became too painful to wear. That she was dependent on hitchhiking could corroborate the idea that she had limited funds.

But assuming that she is behaving rationally, the crying and barefoot state might be her way of trying to get help from any philanthropists at the church. Both call attention to her need for assistance.

Furthermore, someone barefoot in public might deliberately leave their shoes behind if they do not want someone they are residing with to know that they are gone.

But lastly, I would say someone barefoot in public could be someone who is just mentally gone.

Comparisons to Other Cases: Emma Fillipoff

The descriptions of April Irene Vik's behavior and situation do resemble similar descriptions of missing person Emma Fillipoff. The two cases are not related in an investigative way. But the themes do resemble one another.

Fillipoff is a more modern missing person case from Vancouver Island, Canada. Both cases feature a barefooted woman, who seems afraid of something that others can't see, and who has plans of hitchhiking very soon.

Fillipoff never stated she was going hitchhiking but a witness later came forward, claiming he gave her a ride. Fillipoff is thought to have survived her ride and so that brings suicide more into the picture with her case. But neither individual has ever been located after their respective disappearances.

The 'call for help' that's common among suicidal people seems prevalent in both cases.

April Irene Vlk: A Deeper Dive

Could a known predator link to April’s case?

I did a timeline for serial killer Bobby Jack Fowler. I found evidence that he was about 7-8 miles from April's last known location a couple of years earlier.

I'm not sure if he stayed in the area. But the next presumed location of his that I learned about wasn't until 1993 when he is thought to have attacked a couple of teenagers in Oregon.

Fowler attacked women, mostly younger than April. However, he did attack hitchhikers and his age range is not limited to young women or upper-teen children.

By my research, he was staying long-term in Hilton Head as of December 1989 when I think he was cited for drunk driving. That means he had a vehicle about 21 months before April disappeared in the area. I think he is someone to keep in mind in this case because he was a hitchhiker killer. But further research into where his footsteps went is needed before a more confident statement could be made.