Pennsylvania State Police continue cold case investigation of missing woman from 1970, husband had ties to Hackettstown area
HUNTINGTON MILLS, PA (Luzerne County) -The Pennsylvania State Police continue their investigation into the disappearance of 20-year-old Ilonka Cann, who would be 73-years-old today, Corporal Robert S. Betnar said in a press release Sunday.
Ilonka was last seen at her Cann Farm home, 70 Cann Road, in Huntington Township on or around May 26, 1970, Betnar said.
Ilonka was married to Charles Cann, II, at the time of her disappearance and they had one child together. She was reportedly pregnant at the time of her disappearance and she had no known physical or mental issues, Betnar said.
“Ilonka was never seen or heard from again since the date and time of her disappearance,” Betnar said.
Her husband of two years saw her at 7:20 a.m. before he went to his teaching job at the Berwick Junior High School. When he returned home at 3:30 p.m., Ilonka was gone and the couple’s 15-month-old son was alone in the house, crying in his crib upstairs. She has never been heard from again.
Charles reported her missing the next day. An extensive search of the area, including a dive team checking a nearby pond, turned up no indication of Ilonka’s whereabouts.
“Charles Cann II’s parents resided in the area of Hackettstown and, reportedly, he may have traveled to this area in and around the time of Ilonka’s disappearance,” Betnar siad.
The investigation into Ilonka’s disappearance continues to this day with investigators draining two ponds and excavating an island on the Cann Property in July of 2022, Betnar said.
“The facts and circumstance surrounding Ilonka’s disappearance are suspicious and police continue to treat this investigation as a homicide,” Betnar said.
Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers is offering $5,000 reard for information that can result in Ilonka’s case being solved. Individuals can submit tips to the Pennsylvania State Police at 570-822-5400 or Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers at 1800-4PA-TIPS (8477).
Individuals may also submit tips on the Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers website.
