"Within a couple of weeks we knew she'd been murdered, because we knew she would never leave her children."

That's what Norine Higuchi Brown's childhood friend Maria told Dateline years after Norine vanished. And the people who knew Norine best have always said the same thing: she adored her two babies. She would never have walked away from them.

But on the night before her 32nd birthday, December 12, 1990, Norine walked out of her home in New Hyde Park, New York, and never came back.

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A Late-Night Errand

It was 11 p.m. when Norine left the house. Her husband John said she'd gone to the Pathmark supermarket on Jericho Turnpike, about a mile away, to pick up ingredients for Christmas cookies. It wasn't unusual for Norine to shop late — she preferred it when the stores were quieter.

But on this night, she never came home.

The next morning, John called Norine's friend Elaine and told her Norine hadn't returned. He mentioned they'd argued the night before and asked if she had come to stay with her. She hadn't. He then asked Elaine to drive to the Pathmark and check the parking lot.

When Elaine arrived, she found Norine's station wagon. It was locked, with wrapped Christmas presents sitting in the back.

No one at the store remembered seeing Norine inside. No one saw her in the parking lot. She had left home with only $45 and without her wallet or identification.

The Husband

From the beginning, the people closest to Norine looked toward John Brown.

Elaine Commando told investigators that John and Norine's marriage had been troubled. When police moved to search the home and property, John refused and hired an attorney. He did not participate in the organized searches for his missing wife. Within a few years of her disappearance, he had moved on, remarried, and had more children.

John Brown has maintained his innocence. He has never been named a suspect in his wife’s disappearance, and no charges have ever been filed.

35 Years Without Answers

Norine left behind two children who were under two years old when she vanished. Her friends never stopped looking for her, and over the decades, a small but determined group of people has kept her name alive, pushing for answers that have never come.

The Nassau County Police Department continues to carry her case as open.

In our full episode, we go deeper into the marriage, the night she disappeared, and the details of this case that have never sat right with the people who loved her. This is a story that deserves to be heard.

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Missing Person: Norine Higuchi Brown

Norine Higuchi Brown has been missing from New Hyde Park, New York since December 12, 1990. She is a biracial (Asian/White) female of German and Japanese descent with brown hair and brown eyes. At the time of her disappearance, she was 31 years old. She was last seen wearing a dark-colored wool coat, red slacks, and white sneakers.

If you have information, contact the Nassau County Police Department at (516) 573-8800.