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Elaine Graham met her husband Stephen in 1976 while working at Cedar's

Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. She had just moved there after completing nursing school in Connecticut.

Stephen was an intern at the time, but he graduated and became a doctor. He and Elaine married in 1979.

They had what seemed like the perfect life. They honeymooned in Europe for several weeks

and then came home and worked at the respective jobs. Elaine a nurse at the hospital

and Stephen a doctor at his own practice across the street. Two years later in 1981,

they had a daughter, Elise. In six months after that, the family moved into their dream home.

Elaine loved learning, so she enrolled in classes at California State University.

During the spring semester of 1983, Elaine had classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

On Tuesdays, Elaine's mother-in-law looked after two-year-old Elise.

On Thursdays, Elise was cared for by a babysitter who lived close to the college campus.

On April 17, 1983, St. Patrick's Day, Elaine dressed herself in jeans and a plaid shirt.

She filled the diaper bag and her own backpack and took her daughter to the babysitter's house.

Elaine left Elise with the babysitter around 9.30 a.m., promising to be back around 2 p.m. when her class

was ended. Elise waited for her mother to come pick her up, but two o'clock passed, and then three,

and then four. Elaine had been murdered, but Elise was too young to understand

why her mommy would never come pick her up again.

From A&E, this is Cold Case Files. I am Brooke, and here's the spectacular Bill Curtis

with a classic case, The Closers.

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