The last customer of the night at the Payless Shoe Source in the suburbs of Salt Lake City, Utah,

bought a pair of size 10.5 black steel-toed work boots with with green stitching and size 10 tennis shoes.

Margaret Ann Martinez, the 50-year-old store clerk, rang the shoes up.

She had been getting ready to close the store the day after

Valentine's Day in 1994. No doubt she was eager to get off work. She was this close to vacation to freedom. But something horrible happened

next, something that would prevent her from ever leaving that store.

Margaret's husband, Louis Martinez,

grew worried around 930 that night

when Margaret didn't show up after her shift.

She didn't answer the store phone.

According to the police report, at 10 o'clock,

Louise called and the phone kept ringing.

This was not normal, because when the cash register is closed the phone will only

ring three times, then a busy signal is heard.

Louise thought that Margaret was probably working late to get the store in shape for the manager.

But Louise, who worked as an air traffic automation specialist at the Salt Lake International Airport was concerned enough that he

went to check on her at the store. Right away he saw signs of a break-in as

he broke his way in. He saw the open safe. He saw his wife's purse.

Again from the police report.

When he arrived, he noticed the glass broken halfway out of the front door.

This was the bottom half.

Louise broke the rest of the glass out of the door and went in.

...