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The Disappearance of Sandra Crispo
● Case Stalled
Adult Female
Massachusetts
Sandra E. Crispo | Missing Since 2019
| Full Name | Sandra E. Crispo |
| Age | 54 |
| Height | 5'6"–5'9" |
| Weight | 125 lbs |
| Eyes | Hazel |
| Hair | Brown |
| From | Quincy, MA (formerly) |
About Sandra
Sandra E. Crispo
Sandra E. Crispo was 54 years old and a devoted grandmother to three young boys. She had lived in Quincy, Massachusetts for much of her life before making a significant change in the spring of 2019: she moved to Hanson, Massachusetts to be closer to her daughter, Laina McMahon, and her grandchildren. Laina worked long hours as a registered nurse in Boston, and Sandra took on the primary role of caring for the three boys during the day.
Sandra did not own a cell phone or a computer. Her daughter and her family were her primary connection to the outside world, and she communicated through her landline. She had been in Hanson for only three months when she disappeared. According to Laina, Sandra was a homebody who was completely devoted to her grandchildren and would not leave without word.
She left behind her dog, who was found without food or water. A watermelon she had cut up and prepared for her grandchildren was in the refrigerator. Sandra disappeared with her shoes and her purse. She has not been seen or heard from since the afternoon of August 7, 2019, and there has been no activity on her bank account since that date.
01
Background
What We Know
On August 7, 2019, Sandra's daughter Laina drove to her mother's house and dropped off her three young boys as usual before leaving for work. That afternoon, Sandra had problems with her car and her son-in-law, Tim McMahon, picked her up with the children to take the vehicle to a mechanic. On the way back, Sandra stopped at the Cumberland Farms store near her home to buy cigarettes. She was recorded on the store's security cameras. Those are the last known images of Sandra Crispo.
Tim dropped Sandra off at her home at 47 Spofford Avenue at approximately 5:00 p.m. The following day, August 8, Sandra's mechanic tried to reach her about the car repairs and could not. He called her daughter Laina, who also tried to reach her mother and was unsuccessful. On August 9, Laina went to the house. She found the back door unlocked, the lights and air conditioner still on, and Sandra's dog alone in the house without food or water. The mattress in Sandra's bedroom had been lifted and the bed boards removed. A watermelon cut and ready for the grandchildren was in the refrigerator. Sandra's shoes and purse were gone. There was no other sign of what had happened to her.
Laina filed a missing persons report. The Hanson Police Department investigated and found no evidence of foul play, but noted that the circumstances were suspicious. Neighbors later reported hearing a loud argument from the direction of Sandra's home the night she disappeared. Sandra had no cell phone, no computer, and no digital presence. There has been no activity on her bank account since August 7, 2019.
Case Timeline
How It Unfolded
August 7, 2019 — Afternoon
Last Confirmed Sighting — Cumberland Farms
Sandra's son-in-law, Tim McMahon, drives her to drop off her car at a mechanic and then stops at the Cumberland Farms store near her home so she can buy cigarettes. Security cameras record Sandra at the store. This is the last known image of her. Tim drops Sandra off at 47 Spofford Avenue at approximately 5:00 p.m. Neighbors later report hearing a loud argument coming from her direction that same evening.
August 8, 2019
Mechanic Calls — No Answer
Sandra's mechanic tries to reach her about the car repairs and gets no response. He contacts Laina, who also tries to reach her mother. Sandra does not answer. Laina is unable to reach her.
August 9, 2019
Laina Goes to the House — Sandra Is Gone
Laina arrives at her mother's home to find the back door unlocked, the lights and air conditioner still running, and the dog alone without food or water. In Sandra's bedroom, the mattress has been lifted and the bed boards removed. A cut watermelon prepared for the grandchildren is in the refrigerator. Sandra's shoes and purse are absent. Laina files a missing persons report.
August–September 2019
Police Search Expands — State Police Join
Hanson Police conduct searches of the town and return to Sandra's home multiple times to collect additional evidence. By the end of September, Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Plymouth County DA's office join the investigation. Investigators canvas 16 streets, conduct more than 200 door-knock interviews, review available surveillance footage, and contact MBTA and rideshare services operating in the area. Canines, the State Police Airwing, and underwater drones are deployed to search woods, swamps, and waterways. Sandra's car is seized from the mechanic.
2019 — Present
Case Remains Open — No Answers
Sandra has not been found. No charges have been filed. Her case remains open and is investigated by Massachusetts State Police and Hanson Police. In 2024, Laina revealed publicly for the first time that she believes members of her own family know more about what happened than they have told investigators, and that neighbors heard a loud argument from Sandra's home the night she disappeared. The Plymouth County DA has confirmed the case remains active. Sandra's daughter has described living in a state of ongoing grief without resolution.
02
Investigation
The Investigation
The investigation into Sandra Crispo's disappearance has been active since August 2019 and has been one of the most extensive missing persons searches in southeastern Massachusetts in recent years. By the end of 2021, the Plymouth County DA's office reported that investigators had canvassed 16 area streets, completed more than 200 door-knock interviews, reviewed all available surveillance footage in the vicinity, contacted public transit and rideshare services, deployed canines and the State Police Airwing, and used underwater drones to search nearby water bodies and swamp areas. Sandra's basement was excavated. No physical evidence of her whereabouts has been recovered through any of these efforts.
The conditions found at Sandra's home when Laina arrived on August 9 have remained a focus of the investigation. The displaced mattress and bed boards, the dog left without care, the unlocked back door, and the absence of Sandra's shoes and purse are details that investigators have continued to examine. The absence of any digital trace is notable because Sandra owned no cell phone or computer, removing the digital records that often provide a trail in missing persons cases.
In 2024, Sandra's daughter Laina stated publicly for the first time that neighbors reported hearing a loud argument from Sandra's home the night she disappeared, and that she believes members of her family know more about what happened than they have disclosed to police. No arrests have been made. The Plymouth County DA has confirmed the investigation remains open. Anyone with information is urged to contact Massachusetts State Police Detectives at 508-894-2600.