Janis Marie Stavros, at age 42 years old, had a network of friends and family around her in 2002- a network of people who loved her.
Despite the fact that her divorce from her husband Michael Stavros was finalized in May of 2001, the two remained close friends. Close enough that they still saw each other occasionally and spent time together.
In late 2001, Janis was dating, and living with, a new boyfriend. This man was Robert Butcher Jr., and he seemed to fit right into Janis’ life, including her network of friends and family around her.
On January 1, 2002, Janis and Robert went to dinner at her ex-husband Michael’s house. Janis’s daughter Meghan was also there at the dinner.
It’s not always the case when exes can continue to be cordial with each other, let alone have dinners together.
Janis and Robert left Michael’s house that evening around 10:00 p.m. They were headed home as Robert had to be up early the next day for work
Robert did indeed wake up around 6:00 a.m., and Janis was still asleep. He kissed her goodbye and headed out the door.
When he returned home, Janis wasn’t there. In fact, the next two days her daughter, Meghan, and ex-husband Michael tried to reach her. As their attempts failed, they grew more and more anxious and nervous.
It would be January 4, 2002, two days later, that Michael and Meghan reported Janis as missing. Robert said he had no idea where she was.
Janis had disappeared.
Where is Janis Marie Stavros?
Janis, newly divorced, was living in Canyon Rim, Utah, just south of Salt Lake City, Utah.
Janis also had begun dating and living with, a man by the name of Robert Butcher Jr. Their relationship appeared to be happy, and uneventful, and Robert seemed accepting of Janis’s friendship with Michael.
THE DISAPPEARANCE.
The series of events leading to her disappearance seemed to have started on January 1, 2002, so we will start there.
New Year’s Day. For most, it’s a time of fresh beginnings, celebrations with friends and family, and making plans for the upcoming year.
The country was still reeling from the 9-11 terrorist attacks that happened just a few months prior. So people were really needing a new start and a reason to look ahead and be hopeful. And if you were around during those times, you know that feeling. The feeling of being scared, unsure, confused, sad, and angry.
On January 1, 2002, Janis and her boyfriend Robert would go to dinner at Michael’s house, along with her daughter, Meghan.
The evening progressed as usual. Food, laughter, and conversation. Everyone was having a good time
Around 10:00 p.m., Robert and Janis got up to leave. Robert had to be at work the next day, and they all said their goodbyes and left.
The next morning was Wednesday, January 2, and Robert woke up at 6:00 a.m. for work. Janis was still asleep when he left the house that morning.
During the day, daughter Meghan tried calling her mom a few times but received no answers.
The next day, January 3rd, was more of the same. Meghan asked Michael if he had heard from her mom. He said he hadn’t, so he also tried reaching her.
Finally, on January 4th they spoke to Robert, who shockingly told them he hadn’t seen her since the morning of January 2nd.
Meghan and Michael were immediately shocked and concerned. This was not like Janis at all. She stayed in touch regularly, and she was never the type to just up and leave and go somewhere- especially without telling anybody. Something felt wrong.
And, they knew Janis’s pick-up truck was still in the driveway. If she had left, had someone picked her up?
It would be January 4th when Meghan and Michael decided to alert authorities of Janis’s disappearance.
THE SEARCH.
By all accounts, it does seem authorities did take Janis’s missing person report seriously. We know in many cases of missing adults, there is a delay, or a lack of urgency, in investigating.
Friends and family were interviewed. Robert stuck by his story that she was there the morning of January 2nd, but gone when he returned home from work. There was no explanation as to how she left since her truck was still in the driveway.
One interesting fact came up during the interviews- while everyone said that Robert and Janis had a good relationship, daughter Meghan said that was not necessarily the case. She said her mother had mentioned to her that they were having problems. This was news to Michael, who truly thought everyone was going well.
This also led people to look at Robert a little more closely. It was also Robert who was the last person to see Janis.
On January 9th, authorities executed a search warrant at Robert and Janis’s home.
Honestly, seeing that they executed this warrant just 5 days after she was reported missing, is somewhat impressive. I know we like to see immediate action, but there were zero clues as to Janis’s whereabouts. As far as authorities knew, she could have left town on her own with someone else. Obviously family knew this wasn’t the case, but law enforcement generally works on different beliefs and must have evidence of some kind to move forward.
Perhaps they did, and it wasn’t shared publicly.
They ended up removing 34 items from the home, including bank statements, a computer, and also some guns and knives.
It was noted that there were some small amounts of blood detected, but nothing to indicate a struggle or a crime.
They also searched Janis’s pickup truck and ended up taking 9 items from it, which included, oddly enough, cleaning supplies.
I feel like cleaning supplies out in the open in any missing person case, or crime scene, is a bit of a red flag, but I also suppose there are logical explanations for that as well. I mean, everyone has cleaning supplies, right?
There were a few other alarming discoveries during the search and investigation.
First, Janis’s cell phone was left behind. But, it was early 2002, we weren’t as attached to our phones then, and maybe she didn’t want to be tracked if she had just left.
Second, her bank account and credit cards were untouched and there was no evidence that any money had been withdrawn or taken. Generally, someone who leaves on their own needs money to get where they are going, right? Unless they had planned ahead and stashed some.
Thirdly, Janis’s beloved pets were left behind, including her new puppy that she adored.
Everyone said she would never leave behind her pets.
So, was anything at all missing that authorities, or even family, could identify? The simple answer: No. Nothing was found to be missing, which caused even more growing concern with Michael and Janis’s family.
Also, on January 9th, the day that the search warrant was executed, Robert would be arrested and his criminal history would become known to the family
He was arrested on parole violation charges and for being in the possession of firearms. Robert was a convicted felon and was not allowed to own or be in possession of any type of firearm.
As it turned out, Robert had quite a lengthy criminal history which included stints in federal prison.
It’s unclear if Janis was aware of his history or not.
Friends and family tried to rally for more coverage of Janis’s case, hoping that someone out there had information that could help them.
While they hoped and prayed that maybe she had just run away somewhere and was living a new life on a beach or in a new city, they felt that it was very possible that Janis had met with foul play.
CANYON RIM, UTAH.
Canyon Rim, Utah is part of the Salt Lake City Greater Metropolitan area. The area known as Canyon Rim is located just south/southeast of the city.
In 2000, Canyon Rim had a population of 10,428 residents. Interestingly, it actually merged with Millcreek in 2010 to create its own census-designated area.
Most of Canyon Rims Recreation Area is primitive and undeveloped land. There is one commercial resort and a few campgrounds, but as for development- that’s about it.
Miles of sheer rock walls, deep canyons, and rugged terrain make up most of Canyon Rim Recreation Area.
However, just before you cross into what is considered the ‘recreation area’ there is a developed area with residential neighborhoods, shops and small businesses, and four-lane highways.
This part of Canyon Rim is what you’d consider the Salt Lake City area.
This is the area where Janis lived with Robert at the time of her disappearance.
They were living at 2910 East 3215 South Street. (That’s quite a mouthful, why do we name streets like this?
Looking at this area on Google Maps, it is a residential neighborhood. Small homes, fairly close together. Small businesses, shops, churches, and an overall busy little area.
However, it is only about a mile to enter the recreation areas, which is the complete opposite.
It’s hard to imagine anything happening at the house without someone seeing or hearing. The houses are literally right next to each other. Which makes me wonder- did they- Janis and Robert- ever even make it home that night after they left Michael’s house?
I don’t believe there are any witnesses to them arriving home, or Robert leaving for work the next morning, although that’s easily verifiable with his job, I suppose. Depending on what type of job he has, that is.
There are a couple of bodies of water in the area that are notable. The Great Salt Lake to the west is only about 20-25 miles away and is the largest. Known for the high salt content in the water, and for bodies floating with ease due to that salt content. However, bodies have surfaced in the Great Salt Lake, one found in a barrel recently as the water levels have declined.
To the south, about 30 miles is the Utah Lake. Smaller than the Great Salt Lake, but large enough in its own right.
I always take note of bodies of water because that’s a spot where people can be easily concealed and go unfound. There are also a few ways a body can end up in the water, it doesn’t necessarily mean foul play. It could be an accident, a suicide, or something more sinister. But it has happened, and wherever Janis is, she remains hidden.
Canyon Rim, being part of the greater Salt Lake City area, I wanted to note the options for travel coming out of Salt Lake City. First, there is a large international airport. Of course, with all of Janis’s belongings and money and ID left behind, it isn’t believed she took a flight anywhere, at least under her own name.
There’s also the Amtrak train which can take you from the east coast to the west coast. And of course, several major highways make car travel very easy also.
While this all took place near the very remote part of Canyon Rim Recreation Area, being so close to Salt Lake City itself opens up many options.
But where does one even begin to look? There weren’t any clues pointing in any one direction, and manpower for authorities is limited. And the media wasn’t really picking up the story and sharing it.
Definitely a huge, huge, struggle for Janis’s family.
If we are suspicious of the boyfriend, we can look at the timeline provided by her ex-husband, Michael, and her daughter, Meghan. They said Janis left the home around 10:00 p.m., on January 1, and that was the last time they saw or spoke to her.
What happened from there? Did they even make it home that night?
Janis’s friends and families continued to search for her and to try and raise awareness about her story.
In 2006, It was a friend of hers who had the idea of putting up billboards around Salt Lake City to help drum up leads. Everyone believed that someone out there had to have more information or had to know something.
This did bring in some tips, but nothing that led to Janis or even them learning what may have happened to her.
We haven’t covered many missing persons in Utah, but Utah is home to a few higher-profile cases.
Susan Powell disappeared from West Valley City, Utah under suspicious circumstances. In 2012, her husband, who was a primary person of interest in her case, killed himself and their two sons. Susan Powell remains missing.
Macin Smith was last seen on September 1, 2015. His family had recently moved to St. George, Utah, and 17-year-old Macin was allegedly having a hard time adjusting. Macin Smith remains missing.
Dylan Rounds was last heard from on May 28, 2022, in the early morning hours before heading out to do some farm chores. He had recently moved to Lucin, Utah from Idaho to live out his dream of being a farmer. While foul play is suspected in his case, Dylan Rounds remains a missing person.
Overall Utah seems a pretty quiet place however for crime and missing persons. In fact. NPR.org has Utah listed as the 4th safest state in the United States, just behind Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire.
But that is little consolation to the families of the missing.
I wish I had more info to share with you on the disappearance of 42-year-old Janis Stavros, a loving mother, and a friend to so many.
Her disappearance, and lack of clues, are beyond frustrating.
What do you think happened to Janis Marie Stavros?
Janis Stavros is described as a Caucasian woman, standing 5’2” tall and weighing around 110 pounds when she was last seen in January 2002. Janis was 42 years old then, and would today be 65 years old.
She has brown hair and hazel eyes and usually wears eyeglasses. She also often went by the nickname ‘Jan’.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office at 801-743-5826.
