10 years later, family and police continue search for Arensdorf

For the first time in a decade, the mother of a missing Dubuque woman is talking about the disappearance of her daughter.

Next week marks the 10-year anniversary of the day Crystal Arensdorf, then 20, vanished from a Dubuque bar.

Police say she was last seen at Knicker's Saloon in the early morning hours of July 4, 2001 when she was asking for a ride to East Dubuque. Her family hasn't seen or heard from her since.

Barb Beam says she will likely never get again get a hug from her daughter.

"I know Crystal wouldn't hurt her family like this," Beam said. "She wouldn't just leave and not get ahold of us."

The family says they've tried it all. They've talked to psychics and traveled across the country. They've even physically dug underground looking for her remains.

"I think it gets harder as the years go by because, oh my gosh it's been 10 years," said Crystal's sister, Jen Puetsc. "What has happened?"

In the weeks and months after Crystal disappeared theories about what happened that night consumed the Dubuque Police Department.

Hundreds and hundreds of leads poured into police, but those tips never lead to answers.

Dubuque Police Capt. Kevin Klein has been on the case since day one. He's still searching for that one missing piece.

"We believe our investigation is complete," Klein said. "We believe we are just one phone call away from somebody helping us with this case."

One rumor suggested Crystal was secretly involved with illegal drugs.

"Everybody thought that Crystal was partying with people who used meth," Klein said. "All indications from our investigation show that's simply not true. "

Klein says police investigated everyone who was at the bar that night. Investigators interviewed several persons of interest, including a few who took and failed lie detector tests.

But Klein says there has never been enough evidence to arrest anyone.

"Somebody who was close to her at closing time either saw her get into a vehicle with somebody or knows who she left with," Klein said.

"I have four people I suspect," Beam said. "They weren't supposedly there, no. "

Puetsch said she believes somebody knows something that they are not telling.

"I do, full force," Puetsch said. "There's somebody. There's too many eyes that night."

But until those questions are answered, the family still holds out hope. just in case.

"Crystal, if you are out there, please come home," Beam said. "We love you."

The family says they'll never stop searching.

To mark the 10-year anniversary of Crystal's disappearance, Dubuque police put Crystal's picture on electronic billboards all over the city of Dubuque.

If you know anything about this case, police ask you to call them.