In July of 1991, 48-year-old Diane L. Hoppert left her home in Owego, New York, planning to

travel east on Interstate 88 toward Albany. She was headed to New York’s capital city to attend

a work-related seminar. The route would take her through quiet rural stretches of upstate New

York—past towns like Oneonta, Cobleskill, and areas near Howes Cavern and Schenectady.

At the time, Interstate 88 was a relatively quiet highway. Long distances separated exits, and in

the early 1990s there were no cell phones to quickly call for help if something went wrong.

Unfortunately, something did.