Overview of Simone Ridinger
Simone was an avid hitchhiker, free spirit, and independent young woman.
She planned to hitchhike to her family home in Martha's Vineyard for Labor Day weekend following her shift at the Rainbow Restaurant. Coworkers interviewed claimed that Simone finished her shift, changed, and immediately began looking for a ride outside of the restaurant. They didn't see which car picked her up, or approximately when she left that day in 1977.
The trail ended there, until a man came forward in 1986.
After reading a piece about Simone's disappearance in the newspaper in 1986, Simone's case became active once again.
The man, who is now deceased, claimed that he was pulled over by a state trooper around 6:45 AM while travelling up to Cape Cod. He said that the trooper had a girl in his car that was also going to Cape Cod, and asked on her behalf if he could take her there. The man obliged, and he dropped her off at the Hyannis airport rotary a few hours later. Information strongly suggests that the man did in fact encounter Simone, as he provided an accurate description of her down to her duffle bag and shoes. He last saw Simone walking towards a restaurant after he dropped her off. Since that tip in 1986, no further solid leads have been produced.