Sharon Ann Shechter

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Monroe County Sheriffs Office Ny (NY)

Missing From:

Perinton, New York

Summary:

Sharon Ann Shechter, a 35-year-old mother of three from Perinton, New York, disappeared on December 9, 2001, while on her way to pick up her children from her estranged husband's home. Her blood-spattered van was found abandoned three days later at a Days Inn motel in Gates, New York. Authorities now treat the case as a suspected homicide, though her body has never been recovered.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

On December 9, 2001, Sharon phoned her mother Sandra Poole at approximately 12:00 p.m. and said she planned to pick up her three children from her estranged husband Alan's residence that afternoon. Sharon finished holiday shopping and had dinner at a restaurant in Macedon, New York with a friend, Mike Pieramico. At approximately 5:00 p.m., Pieramico last saw Sharon as he exited her driveway on Nettlecreek Road in Perinton. He watched her plug in outdoor Christmas lights and started her van so it would be warm for her departure. Sharon was wearing a white Cape Cod sweatshirt, blue jeans, a long blue denim jacket, and athletic shoes. She was never seen or heard from again and failed to pick up her children that evening. Sharon was not reported missing by her husband Alan despite his custody of the children; instead, her coworkers reported her missing on December 10 when she failed to appear for work. On December 12, 2001, her red/maroon 1992 Dodge Caravan (NY license plate U457WP) was discovered abandoned in the parking lot of the Days Inn motel located at the 1200 block of Chili Avenue in Gates, New York. Blood was discovered inside the vehicle; authorities have not publicly announced whether the blood was determined to be Sharon's.

Additional Details:

Sharon had been estranged from her husband Alan Shechter and was in the midst of a difficult divorce. She met Alan at a party during the summer of 1988 and they married on February 18, 1989. The couple had three children together between 1992 and 1997. In early 2000, Sharon filed for divorce. In October 2000, Sharon alleged domestic abuse and received an order of protection against Alan. He was charged with second-degree criminal contempt after violating the order when he grabbed her in front of her home. The order expired on November 21, 2001, and had not been renewed. The divorce proceedings were set to be finalized in court mere days after Sharon vanished. Following the van's recovery, Alan Shechter retained a lawyer and stopped cooperating with investigators. The three children were instructed by the sheriff's office not to speak to the press. In the months following Sharon's disappearance, Alan refused to allow the children to see their maternal grandmother, Sandra Poole. Sandra Poole fought in family court for visitation rights and was granted privileges eighteen months after Sharon disappeared. In November 2001, just before her disappearance, Sharon was mentioned in the Democrat and Chronicle for compiling a family cookbook titled 'Bobbies Kitchen from Generation to Generation.' Friends and relatives posted 3,000 posters with Sharon's picture throughout Monroe County stores, gas stations, and bus stops. In 2015, Sharon's mother discovered old journal entries written by Sharon while moving; these were turned over to Monroe County Sheriff's investigators and were believed to offer new clues about her life at the time of disappearance. In February 2018, Sheriff's Investigator Michael Shannon announced the investigation was being handled as a homicide due to circumstances in the case. Authorities have looked into whether Lawrence Timmons, a former Perinton resident with a criminal history of kidnapping and assault, was involved, but concluded he was not in New York State at the time of Sharon's disappearance. Authorities are looking for a 5'7" tall Jamaican male with scars on his left arm and cheek in connection with the case, though he is not considered a suspect. The case remains unsolved and open with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.

Case Last Updated:

Apr 23, 2026