Family desperate for answers in decades-old investigation in Salisbury

SALISBURY, Md. – 22 years ago, a Salisbury woman vanished without a trace, leaving her family desperate for answers. To this day, detectives are still working to answer a heartrending question: What happened to Patricia Dudek?

January 7th, 2002

“She was downstairs in the living room on the couch when I was leaving. She asked me if I wanted a ride, and I told her no, I could make it, and I left. And that was it,” said Jennifer Contreras as she sat down with 47 ABC WMDT.

Jennifer didn’t know that that icy-cold morning of January 7th, 2002 would be the last time she’d see her mother, better known as Patty.

“I didn’t want to let her [give me a ride], because we had a baby at the house,” Jennifer remembered. “He was only three months old, and I didn’t want her outside in the weather. It was nasty, it was cold, it was ice, it was snow.”

Midterms were coming up, but Jennifer couldn’t focus on school that day. “I remember telling my best friend at the time that I felt something was wrong. Like, the pit of my stomach, something told me something was wrong,” she said.

When Jennifer got back to her home on Hemlock Street in Salisbury that afternoon, that gut feeling twisted into a knot. Patty’s car was in the driveway, but the mom that Jennifer loved so much, was nowhere to be found.

“I tried calling her multiple times with no answer. And that’s when I knew. Something told me I was never going to see her again,” Jennifer said. “I was only 15. I was terrified.”

Scared to be alone in the house, Jennifer found safety at a friend’s house. The search for Patty: only beginning.

The Search Intensifies

“We went around places to see – she hung out certain places that I knew she would go. And, nothing. I just kept going to school to keep busy, to keep my mind busy,” Jennifer said.

On January 10th, Jennifer admitted the unthinkable; mom was missing. Salisbury Police were notified, and investigators asked the public to help find Patty.

At the time, she was described as a woman in her 30’s, standing at about 5’7″, weighing approximately 130 pounds, blue eyes, and curly blonde hair. Patty was last seen wearing a tan jacket, a dark sweatshirt, dark pants, and Reebok shoes.

As for Jennifer, she was desperate to find her mom.

“She had substance abuse problems. So, I know she wanted to get help. She struggled. But, that’s kind of where I thought she might have been,” Jennifer explained. “But, I also knew she wouldn’t leave me. She never would have left me at that house by myself. She would have made sure I was with my dad, or I was somewhere safe.”

A New Reality

Jennifer describes her mom as a woman with boundless love to give; a familiar face working behind the bar at La Tolteca in Salisbury, an avid fan of the soap All My Children, someone who couldn’t say ‘no’ to a good bowl of macaroni and cheese, always snapping pictures.

“She was a giving person. She always gave everything to everyone else,” Jennifer said. “I trusted her with everything. She knew everything about me. We were very close.”

Jennifer’s love for her mom has never faded. However, as the years stretched on, and investigators tirelessly chased countless leads, a new and even more heartbreaking reality started to sink in.

“The end goal is always to locate the person. As this case progressed, leads were developed, and information was learned,” explained Detective Sergeant Ryan Brittingham of Salisbury Police. “We’ve come to the conclusion, beyond our reasonable doubt, that there is going to be no location of her alive.”

“Like a puzzle piece”

In 2021, the FBI and Salisbury Police teamed up to offer a $10,000 reward in Patty’s case. And while detectives say that did spur some new information, with time – technologies become obsolete, and memories fade; making for an aging case that detectives are still puzzling over.

“Cell phones weren’t a big thing. It was still a lot of household phones, people via phone lines. Pagers were still really big in the early 2000’s,” explained Lieutenant Brandon Caton of Salisbury Police. “There have been some leads in there that weren’t fruitful. But, we take it all the way to the finish line, every time, no matter what they are.”

However, detectives could get closer to finding more answers, if the key person picks up the phone.

“Like a puzzle piece. If you have one piece of the puzzle, you might not know how important it is,” said Det. Sgt. Brittingham. “It could be vehicles, noises, voices; anything like that, that you could hear every day could be insignificant to you. But, because we know other elements, it could be important.”

A Personal Case

Detectives say this case is personal, and a resolution is crucial.

“Keeping their mom in the forefront of their minds is something they always do,” said Lt. Caton. “We just want them to know that we’ve done, and are doing, everything we can.”

Salisbury Police Chief Dave Meienschein echoed that sentiment, saying detectives will not give up.

However, until those key clues are brought to light, the painful wait continues for Patty’s family.

“I want her. That’s what I want out of this. I want my mom. I can’t go to a cemetery,” Jennifer shared. “Even the slightest thing that they don’t think is relevant could be relevant. Any information, it does not matter what it is, just tell the police. Reach out to somebody. Any little detail could change [this investigation].”

22 years of lost memories; moments cherished between mother and daughter, grandmother and grandkids, that this family will never have. Through it all, one of Patty’s lessons still guides Jennifer every day.

“She showed me how to love my kids without being here to show me how to love my kids,” Jennifer said fondly. “I love my kids with all my heart. And, I would do anything for them. They know that. They know that. I get that from her.”

Provide Information

If you think you know something about Patricia Dudek’s case, you are urged to contact law enforcement. Contacting Crime Solvers at (410) 548-1776. Salisbury Police are also accepting information, and they can be reached at (410) 548-3165. You can also submit tips to the FBI by calling (410) 265-8080. Tips may be submitted anonymously.