Allyson Dalton, a 20-month-old toddler, was last seen on July 27, 1998, at her mother's apartment in Strasburg, Virginia. Allyson's mother, Sylena Jo Dalton, was found dead at 2:25 p.m. on the same day by one of her co-workers. She had been stabbed five times in the chest. Allyson was missing, along with some of her baby bottles. Authorities presume that she was abducted by the murderer(s).

According to witnesses, Sylena and Allyson were together at the apartment at around 7:45 a.m. on the day of the incident. Sylena's neighbors reported that they did not hear any disturbance or screaming on that morning, but one of them saw a man putting a baby in a truck. The murder weapon was taken from the scene.

Sylena was seeking child support from her sometime boyfriend, Daniel E. Pompell, who was also supposed to take DNA tests to establish paternity. Pompell informed the police that he was at Sylena's apartment at approximately 9:00 a.m. on the day of the incident, and he left after knocking on the door since nobody answered. At the time of the murder, Pompell was the prime suspect, but he has never been charged with any crime in connection to Sylena's death or Allyson's disappearance. Authorities searched his home following the murder, and he has since cooperated with the investigation.

Sylena's mother filed a suit against Pompell in 2000, seeking $1.5 million in damages for her daughter's wrongful death. However, the lawsuit was later dismissed due to lack of evidence. To date, Allyson's whereabouts remain unknown, and the case remains unsolved. Authorities continue to investigate the case and seek any leads that may help them locate Allyson or bring those responsible for her disappearance to justice.