‘I came home, Amber Hoopes did not’: Survivor shares story to honor Idaho’s missing
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IDAHO FALLS — Survivors, victims, their families and law enforcement met at the Bonneville County Courthouse on Saturday to remember all of Idaho’s missing people and remind the community that the searches are never over.
In August, the Idaho Falls City Council dedicated Sept. 12, 2026, as Missing Persons Day. It falls two days before the 25th anniversary of the disappearance of 20-year-old Amber Hoopes of Idaho Falls.
On Sept. 14, 2001, Hoopes disappeared in the middle of the night, and hasn’t been seen since.
“Today, Amber Hoopes is still missing, but through her disappearance, Amber Hoopes has come to represent hundreds of other missing persons in the state of Idaho,” the city’s proclamation says.
After a rendition of “Amazing Grace” by Thunder Ridge High School’s advanced choir, many of Hoopes’ loved ones spoke, telling the large crowd about their journey to find her and about who she was before the abduction.
Hoopes’ aunt, Audra Burgener, spoke about the day her niece went missing — just three days after the terrorist attack on New York City.
“Our country was grieving, and the world had stopped due to an unimaginable tragedy,” said Burgener. “Because of that, Amber’s disappearance received very little attention.”
Hoopes isn’t the only missing person from eastern Idaho. Many others have been missing for years, or even decades.
During Saturday’s gathering, Bonneville County Sheriff Sam Hulse listed various missing-person cases over the years to raise awareness. Among them was David Butler.
“He was 59 years old when he went missing. We know that his vehicle was in the Snake River, and his wife was recovered from that vehicle, but we’ve never found him,” Hulse said. “Darwin Vest disappeared from the downtown area here in 1999. He was 48 years old.”
He said he hopes to bring closure to these families one day.
He also asked those in attendance to advocate for updates to crime technology tools to help find them.
“There are far too many missing, 183 across the state,” said Hulse. “Remember that, as law enforcement, when we ask for our crime labs to be updated in the state, all of that matters in these cases.”
Hoopes’ mother, Hevenlee, thanked the community for their support over the last quarter century, and shared stories about her before her disappearance.
A few days before Hoopes’ disappearance, Hevenlee said she felt compelled to go see her daughter after work in the middle of the day. After ignoring the feeling a few times, she finally caved. Today, she’s grateful for those moments.
“I walked in through the front door, and she was sitting behind the counter,” said Hevenlee. “As I’m looking at her, this thought came to my mind that said, ‘Look at her. Really look at her. Isn’t she beautiful?’”
Hevenlee expressed appreciation to Sgt. Bryan Lovell, for his help and support to their family over the years, as they’ve continue looking for Amber.
‘I’m choosing to step out of the shadows’
A kidnapping survivor shared her story publicly for the first time. Megan Lentz explained that on June 5, 2002, she and her two younger sisters convinced their parents to let them sleep outside on the trampoline that night.
Hours later, Megan, who was 14 at the time, woke to find a man — later identified as Keith Glenn Hescock, 42 — standing above her.
“All of a sudden, this hand just came to my mouth, and with the other hand, he just made the (be quiet) motion,” said Lentz.
Lentz said Hescock threatened to kill her if she did not come with him.
“He pulled out a gun and said … he had killed people before, and would do it again if he had to,” said Lentz.
They walked down the street before taking off on his motorcycle. They stopped in a neighborhood she recognized near her dad’s workplace. Once in the house, Lentz said Hescock told her that his family was away for three days. During that time, she would be his ‘sex slave.’
Lentz was locked in a room for hours and sexually assaulted.
When Hescock tried to call out of work the next morning, his employer told him no and that he had to come in that day.
While getting ready for work, Lentz said she asked him as many questions as she could. One of the questions was whether he knew what happened to Amber Hoopes.
“When I asked him that question, he looked me in the eye. He looked down at the ground, and then he looked right back at me, and said, ‘No,'” said Lentz. “That was all I got out of him about that.”
She said that Hescock zip-tied and chained her to the bed, before putting duct tape over her mouth and earplugs in her ears.
“Every single time I would wake up, I was praying. ‘Lord, I want to go home. I want to see my family,'” said Lentz. “I can’t get out of this. I need your help.”
After hours of struggling, Lentz said she finally reached her mouth and ears, pulled off the duct tape and took the earplugs out. From there, she said a miracle occurred.
She noticed a basket above her with mail, printed with the name “Keith Hescock.” She learned and memorized his name and address, which became instrumental in leading police to his home later on.
The next miracle occurred when Lentz again tried to break through the zip-ties.
“I remember in my head praying again, ‘Lord, please help me. You have got to get me out of here,'” said Lentz. “I pulled on my arm, I pulled down, and my zip-tie snapped.”
Miraculously, all of her zip-ties snapped open with the next attempt.
Lentz said she broke through the chain by hitting it with a nearby fire extinguisher. She threw herself against the hollow wooden door, broke it down and rushed to the kitchen to find the phone.
“I called my dad’s secretary, and I said, ‘Misty, I’m at this address. I’m just across the street. You’ve got to come get me now,'” said Lentz.
Minutes later, Lentz saw the woman’s car outside, prompting her to run out of the home and toward freedom.
Arriving at home, still wrapped in the chain, Lentz was reunited with her distraught parents and spoke with law enforcement, giving them Hescock’s name, address, and telling them the horrors she had been through that night.
“As soon as I say his name, they immediately radio off to the others, and they’re out,” said Lentz. “They knew who he was because they had dealt with him with Amber Hoopes and with Stephanie Crane.”
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This led to a high-speed car chase with police, and ended with Hescock taking his life.
“I’m here because I’ve been asked to be here, and it brings a lot of emotions,” said Lentz. “Survivor’s guilt is very real. It’s difficult to be here as someone who survived.”
Lenz said she decided to publicly share her story because of the importance of Missing Persons Day and to raise awareness of those who have yet to be found.
“I don’t need people to know my name. But today, I’m choosing to step out of the shadows because this isn’t just about telling my story, it’s about using it,” said Lentz. “I came home. Amber Hoopes did not. So many others have not. If showing my face and telling my story after all these years causes one person to remember something — if it causes one person to speak up, and to have the courage to do so, then it was worth it.”
