Disappearance of Nikole Betterson

In September of 1977 2-year-old Nikole Betterson's family was involved in a car accident that killed her mother, Susan. Nikole and her father were not injured in the accident. Because of her mother's death, Nikole would receive Social Security benefits. 

Nikole would last see her mother's parents around Christmas of the same year. Her father was then dating another woman named Barbara. The last time the grandparents saw them Jarrett told them that they were going to move to Nevada or California from their home in Dearborn, Michigan. 

For the next 20 years, Susan's parents had no clue what had happened to their granddaughter. In 1977 they would hire a private investigator to find Nikole so that they could reconnect. It was found that Barbra and Jarrett had ended up marrying and living in Las Vegas. Jarrett had been collecting the Social Security meant for Nikole up until she was 18. The problem is that there was no evidence of Nikole being alive or in Jarrett's custody by the time he left Michigan. 

This information lead to police involvement and they would contact Jarrett. He would ask them for some time to meet with detectives and discuss Nikole's whereabouts. This however never happened as Jarrett would kill himself and Barbra leaving no information behind. 

Before their deaths, Barbra mailed a letter to Nikole's grandmother. She asked for forgiveness for "all the wounds we put in your hearts with our tragic youthful blunders." She included a money order of $900 to pay for their cremations. 

Though there is no evidence of foul play happening in the case, it is suspected. 

Nikole is a biracial white/black female and was 2-years-old at the time. She  

SOURCES:

NamUs

Doe Network

Charley Project

International Missing Persons