Without a Trace: The Disappearance of Amy Billig--A Mother's Search for Justice

by Greg Aunapu, Susan Billig

A chilling account of the 1974 disappearance of seventeen-year-old Amy Billig describes her mother's harrowing twenty-five year quest to find her missing child, a search that led her into the dangerous biker subculture of drugs, sex, violence, and brutality. Original.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, Audiobook

368 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 1, 2001

Reviews

[Sabrina Rutter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once you read this book you will never forget it.

[Amy Lawson]

Intense! Susan Billig was an amazing woman. Great reading.

[Jlsimon]

This book is a riveting story that would have been a 5 star if it weren't for the fact that Aunapu felt the need to drag this story on and on and on and on and on and on and on. Does that seem a bit harsh? Wait until you've read this book and instead of reading what's happening next you are getting erroneous details like what fabric the chair is made out of, or the amount of lighting that is haloing the judge in the court room. I mean seriously? Do I care? No! This story had so much to offer but all I've wanted to do for days was get to the end of the book because I was tired of all these meaningless details. Really shame on the editors for ever letting this book be released in this condition.

Other than that the story of Sue Billig is one worth reading. It is heart wrenching and it should never be forgotten what parents go through when their child has been taken. Sue's courage is to be commended. Her family that stood by her and helped her through it all deserve praise. The majority of the law enforcement in the beginning should be brought up on charges for accomplices to the crime, but that's just me. I think anyone in law enforcement who had the opportunity to act on this case and did not do so was negligent of their duties.

Alright that's quiet enough commentary. This book prompts more than a little frustration and rage from the reader, at least if you are prone to empathy. I feel a great deal for Amy's family and friends, their loss is one I can only pray never to have to endure.

I would recommend this book to readers of true accounts, but if you get frustrated with a lot of unnecessary detail do be prepared to skim.

[♥ Marlene♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sad book this is. When I picked this book to read (Based on the raving reviews on amazon) I did not know what it was about. Yes someone was missing. Then I started reading and felt so sorry for Susan. I think this is one of the saddest books I've ever read. Here I was thinking, please find her now.
After I've read it I still had a lot of questions and could not forget the characters. For me that means it is a good book. That even when you've read it you still keep thinking about it.

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story of a mother looking for her missing daughter is sometimes interesting but mostly just frustrating and sad. The only satisfying parts are the aspects of the case that are ultimately resolved (spoiler alert): a creepy anonymous caller who torments the mother turns out to be a customs officer, an extortion attempt made by a couple of idiotic teens, etc. Be prepared for lots of blind alleys and dead ends.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great true crime book - very riveting and fast paced through the whole book. The partial title of the book A Mother's Search for Justice is exactly what this mother went through to find the answers to her daughter's disappearance. This mother went into the depths of outlaw biker gangs to try and find out what happened to her daughter. It has been a long time since I read a true crime book that kept me wanting to read it to the end. This is definitely a five star read!

[Koren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is mostly about a mother's search to find her daughter who was kidnapped by a biker gang or at least one person from a gang. The mother travels all over the United States following leads. I found it incredible that so many people were dishonest in an attempt to get money from her. Most people would not give her information unless she paid them first. One person led her on for years. I admired her tenaciousness but often wondered if she was making wise decisions. About half way thru I got bored with this, as it was just more of the same throughout the book. I wanted something to happen. The ending was very sad.

[Susan Moss · Rating 4 out of 5]

My friend Alan Aunapu, father of author Greg, gave this book to me 20 years ago (so proud of his son)... and I only just got around to reading it. Well-written account of a teen girl's tragic disappearance and a mother's vow to keep searching. I will hug my daughter a little more tightly when I see her next... 💔

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A difficult true crime story that breaks your heart . With the turn of every page I found myself thinking , " I can't even imagine " …

As sad as this story is , one thing shines through and that is this mother's love for her daughter . If only....

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dark Side Of Humanity

I gave this book a 5 star rating because it truly drew you into the turmoil and terror that that this mother lived through in her pursuit of answers to her daughter's disappearance. I wonder if any of us readers could go on year after year as Sue Billig did? You learn how really cruel people are through crank calls from strangers and one being a federal employee. Bikers trying to extort money for leads that were fabricated. The horrible illness that befell both husband and wife. It is amazing this family stayed together.

I would have liked knowing about the son, Josh. Hopefully he is at peace with this tragedy.

[Meaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of the unsuccessful search for Amy Billig, a teenager who disappeared in 1974. A good, solid and painstakingly detailed (as well as very compassionate) retelling of the story, with cooperation from Amy's mother Susan. The desperate efforts Susan—who has recently died—made to find her only daughter are heartrending. The author himself knew Amy slightly when he was a child. Although the real story has no conclusion, given that Amy is still missing, Aunapu is able to wrap up the book well by giving his own, very plausible theory on what happened to her.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very sad and touching story of a mother's search for her daughter, who vanished many years ago and was never seen again. I have read it several times and also shared it with my mother. It is very touching and inspirational, it reminds you that a mother's love truly knows no bounds.

If you enjoy reading true crime, I highly recommend this one.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

From back of book "On March 5, 1974 - the same day that rival motorcycle clubs roared through suburban Miami in celebration of their annual "Bike Week" - seventeen-year old Amy Billig left home to meet a friend for lunch...and vanished."

This story is about a mother's searching for her daughter, justice, answers and closure.

Excellent book!

[Dan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ill written Banal Story

What a waste of time this was. The unsolved mystery remains unsolved after the victim's Mom takes us on a series of moronic dead ends. The interesting parts of this would have made a boring magazine article. A worthless piece of poorly written trash which wasted my time. The author should pay *me* for making me sit through this garbage.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

very quick read, and very puzzling story. I wish there was always a concrete answer to these kind of mysteries.

[Ashley-Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a child, my favorite show was "Unsolved Mysteries." I liked to scare myself, and the tales told by a gravely-voiced Robert Stack certainly fit the bill, far more than even "Tales from the Crypt." While most of the stories have been lost from my memory as I came into young adulthood, one story always stayed with me: that of Amy Billig, apparently kidnapped from the comfort of her own home, by a rove biker gang. Amy's case wasn't even featured on "Unsolved Mysteries" until over a decade after she disappeared, and somewhere in the mid-90's, I happened to tune into "Good Morning America" when Sue Billig, her mother, made an appearance to discuss her ongoing search. I paid attention to both programs closely, but neither could have possibly delved into the full details of Sue's 31-year search for her missing daughter, with all the twists, turns, and ultimate heartbreaks that awaited her. A short but elegant woman, Sue Billig presented as the definition of tenacity as stared down the worst of Florida's biker gangs, crossed continents, outmaneuvered police across almost a dozen states, and ignored death threats in a frenzied effort to find her missing child.

Despite learning some time ago that Sue had passed on in 2005, I found myself flipping through chapter after chapter, hoping for the resolution she so dearly deserved. Normally, I don't care to spoil things for people, but knowing the outcome did nothing to lessen the fever pitch of the story's conclusion, and if anything, made the central character that much more relatable. It also intensified the feelings of anger and frustration the reader experiences for her, when the Billigs mortgage everything they own to pay out not to one or two extortion and ransom attempts, but nearly a dozen. The Billigs pay faithfully on every one, until they run out of money and assets to leverage; subsequently, their caution is forced by the reality that they still had one child at home that need their support and attention, too.

I was especially taken aback by the sheer inhumanity demonstrated by those who tried to cash in on the Billig's pain, including the pair of teenage boys who had the audacity to belittle Sue Billig, in public, years later with no remorse of their behavior, a cadre of lawmen who never so much as left the state despite promising to search far and wide, and an ex-biker who admitted to "owning" Amy and took Sue all over the country with one promise after another that this next town would be their final stop. Unfortunately, they were not alone in their attempts to latch on to the notoriety offered the Billigs as a result of Amy's disappearance, nor were they unique in prolonging the family's suffering. Uncovering the trail of the man who harassed her via telephone for more than 20 years, only to make it far enough to trial with a strategy of blaming Sue herself for both the torment he inflicted on her and her daughter's disappearance, was at times so emotionally wrenching I nearly gave up on the book.

However, it's important to know that the writing wasn't the problem; the vile behavior and legal strategy of the harasser was. Make no mistake; Aunapu's forward writing style does not have the velvet, empathetic touch of Ann Rule, but his ability to grapple with the emotional punch of the material is not in question. His writing is meticulous and nearly as determined as Sue herself; he leaves no consideration unevaluated as he writes chapter after chapter about the twists and turns of Amy's disappearance and the subsequent crusade to find her. Even as Sue embarks on many of the most dangerous errands alone, the fast-paced, breathless style of writing transports the reader to the underground biker bars, clandestine strip clubs, and seedy motels that became a trail of breadcrumbs that Sue followed like a pirate seeking treasure. Except the X always marked only the promise of the greatest gift: a reunion with her daughter.

It made me hug my own daughter a little closer that night.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

For some reason, reading this massively put the impact of missing people right into my heart. I read a lot about unsolved mysteries and disappearances, and Amy Billig's name had met with my eyes a few times but due to the length of her disappearance (she was last seen in 1974) I had her figured for long gone. I don't think I'm wrong and I don't think she was alive for much more of 1974.

Sue Billig's devotion to her daughter even when everyone, even police officers and lawyers, were telling her to give up, that Amy was dead, that Amy was a brainwashed sex slave in a biker gang, that Amy didn't want to come home, that Amy had so easily forgotten who she was (I doubt massively that 17 years can be erased so easily) is a level of devotion that even the fiercest of mothers can only dream of. Even twenty years after the fact, she searched. Only when she put Amy's name on a gravestone with the 1974 date as her death date did she begin to find some closure. Sue passed away in 2005 and the world is worse for it.

It is infuriating, knowing that Amy is still listed on the Charley Project, 43 years after she was last seen. Every time I turned the page and Sue was pursuing a lead that could have led to Amy, the knowledge that Amy has never been found itched in the back of my mind. I so, so badly wanted for the words to morph together and say, it was another Amy on the Charley Project, it's someone else, we found her in the 1980s and she's been fine ever since. But no.

I will be thinking of Amy Billig even though I think she has not seen the last 43 years. And I will be thinking of all the other missing people out there who need such definitive accounts, and who need Sue Billigs in their lives.

[Burt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waterfront Thrift Store in Milton, Florida, had a copy of Without a Trace available for $1.99. I didn’t know anything about the book, but I took a chance and I thought that the book was compelling from start to finish.

On March 5, 1974, 17-year-old high school senior Amy Billig disappeared from Coral Gables, Florida. Her disappearance coincided with Daytona, Florida’s Bike Week. An investigation revealed that Amy had likely “fallen in with” some outlaw bikers on the way to Daytona. Without a Trace is about Amy’s mother, Sue’s, desperate attempts to find her daughters.

The Billig disappearance is a tragic story. Without a Trace’s real appeal is the disclosure of the culture surrounding the outlaw motorcycle gangs. The lifestyle and “values” of these groups are almost impossible to believe - but the look into their world keeps the pages turning.

Without a Trace is a quick, terrific read. However, as with all nonfiction, the twists and turns in the case aren’t always satisfying. I highly recommend this book.

[Anilou · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Mother's Agony

The straightforward telling of a mom's search for her teenage daughter has Sue Billig crisscrossing the country and traveling to England.

Amy, age 17, vanished on her way to her father's gallery in Coconut Grove, Florida. For decades, her parents refused to call off the search. For much of that time, a stranger called frequently at all hours, claiming to have knowledge of Amy Billig's whereabouts. He furnished details about the girl that were known only by those very close to her.

Greg Aunapu kept me guessing up to and including until the last page. This book is an up close and personal account about a family's despair and hope.

[Katy Koivastik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Legendary journalist Edna Buchanan got it right in her cover blurb: This book will blow you away.”

Author Greg Aunapu and co-author and mother of the missing Amy Billig, Susan Billig, have put together a page-turner chronicling a mother’s indefatigable quest. Sue Billig leveraged everything she had, including money, her family’s home, and many, many years of her life in her efforts to find Amy. She fearlessly consorted with bikers and endured 22 years of telephone harassment by a man who turned out to be a United States customs agent.

[Terry Pray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping story about a tragic kidnapping and it's aftermath

This book is so compelling you can't put it down. you're drawn into the story and feel you're living the events alongside Sue. What one mother will do to try to find her daughter is sometimes frightful, frantic, hopeful and crushing all at the same time. I don't know if I'd have the strength to do the same.

[John Paul Cortez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

Very good book. I couldn't stop reading and praying and hoping Amy was found. Would recommend this book to others. It's one of those books you can't stop reading until you know what happened.

[Jey Lehew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put this down

Raw, heartbreaking and real. I hated that what I was reading was not Hollywood, but true life, and I felt blown away that Sue survived decades of pain in more ways than one. This book was very well written.

[jane bradford · Rating 5 out of 5]

A parents worst nightmare

Barely put this book down until it was finished.
Poor family, there was definitely no stopping Sue, what a woman!
Excellent read, would completely recommend

[art norton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read

This book takes you on an emotional journey of one mothers persistent search for her daughter. It is a rollercoaster ride for the reader! The author did a wonderful job of making you feel you were right with Sue

[Roger Holliday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loves the book very interesting.

I liked every it kept your attention the whole way through reading it. I'm glad that Sue Billig loved her daughter so much she never gave up looking for even when she had cancer. Very brave mother.

[Lisa Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

sad story about missing Amy Billig and all of the efforts her parents went through to find out what happened to her.

[Cody Shipley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book very well written.

Heartbreaking story of a mother's search for her daughter. She was relentless in looking for her child. She is a great Mother.

[Jennifer Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing

This was by far one of the best books i have read...I couldn't put it down! Sue Billig's search for Amy shows that a mother's love knows no boundaries.

[Danielle Hale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sad story. I don't know how Sue was able to continue following all of the leads that she was given, with very little in return. Not knowing what happened would eat at me.