Still Missing: What Happened to Rachel Conger?

A 30-year-old mother vanishes from the Paris, Tennessee area — and nearly 17 years later, she is still missing.

• Name: Rachel “Railyn” Conger
• Last Seen: March 13, 2008
• Missing From: Como, Tennessee
• Current Age: 47 (30 at time of disappearance)
• Height: 5’2″
• Weight: 128 lbs
• Eyes: Green
• Hair: Blond/brown (brown hair dyed blond)

WHO IS RACHEL CONGER?

In March 2008, 30-year-old Rachel Conger lived in Como, Tennessee — an unincorporated community in western Henry County.

📸: Community United Effort

Rachel (also known as “Railyn”) lived with her 13-year-old daughter, Amber Simmons, who she gave birth to before later marrying Paul Conger. The two were married in 1997.

At 50, Paul was approximately 20 years older than Rachel, was retired from the Tennessee National Guard, and was a self-employed construction contractor. Like Rachel, Paul also had children from a previous relationship.

According to Tennessee Missing and Unsolved (TMAU), Rachel and Amber moved out of the home they shared with Paul, amid what reportedly became an “unstable” and “abusive” environment, due to Paul’s behavior.

In a blog post on a website dedicated to Rachel’s search, Amber stated that she witnessed Paul abuse her mother for more than ten years, and claimed he had even threatened to kill her on many occasions.

Community United Effort (CUE) states that the couple’s separation came around two months before Rachel’s disappearance.

The two eventually began spending time together again, with Amber claiming that Paul had threatened Rachel to not leave him. Furthermore, Rachel still had belongings at Paul’s home, and was still in contact with him as she worked to move all her items to her new house.

RACHEL GOES MISSING

On Wednesday, March 12, 2008, Amber shared that Rachel and Paul were riding around town together as she borrowed a friend’s truck to pick up a couch. Later that evening, Rachel came home, and Paul was with her. Amber says that Paul told them he was going home to shower.

📸: Rachel & Paul (The Cinemaholic)

Paul later left the home, and while he was gone, Amber claims that her mother told her:

While he was gone, my mom told me what was going on, she said that he said if we didn’t let him in our lives then he would burn the house down with us in it, then she told me if I heard anything during the night to crawl out of my window, run to my friends house and call the police. Then she told me I will always love you no matter what happens. I had to walk to my friends house and get my cell phone charger. When I came back he was at the house so I quickly went to bed, not wanting to see him.
bringrachelhome.blogspot.com

Amber woke up the next morning to find Rachel was not home.

When I woke up on March 13th, 2008 my mother was not there. The bed was unmade, dishes were in the sink, and the back door was open. All of those things were very unlike her.
bringrachelhome.blogspot.com

That same morning, The Charley Project reports that Rachel was spotted in Paris, riding with Paul in the borrowed truck.

According to CUE, at 9:33 a.m., an acquaintance called Rachel’s phone, but Paul answered and seemed upset and distressed. The caller did not to speak to Rachel at the time.

CUE reports that around 10:20 a.m., a witness saw Paul at his home alone, stating that Paul drove home and stayed only a few minutes before leaving.

Amber says that she called her mother several times that day, but she never answered.

By 11 p.m., Amber says that she had contacted everyone she knew, but no one had seen her mother or Paul. She then went to spend the night with her grandmother.

Both Rachel and Paul would later be reported missing after no one could get in contact with them. During a 2023 interview with The Mike Weatherford Show, Henry County Sheriff Josh Frey (Monte Belew was the Sheriff at the time of Rachel’s disappearance) said that one of Rachel’s co-workers came to the Sheriff’s Office to report her missing, and that law enforcement then launched search efforts. Amber says that she attempted to personally report Rachel missing, but was told she was too young to do so herself.

Frey went on to say that on March 15, the borrowed truck was found abandoned near Paul’s home, and Rachel’s wallet, cell phone, and medication were inside.

The next day, March 16, Paul’s body was discovered by family in the woods off of Briarpatch Lake Road, roughly 500 yards from his home. Authorities determined he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Due to the circumstances, law enforcement feared Rachel may be the victim of a murder/suicide — but she was nowhere to be found.

THE SEARCH IS ON

Sheriff Frey stated on March 17, land searches began with help from the Sheriff’s Department, Paris Police Department, Tennessee Highway Patrol, and local rescue squads. He says the land searches took place in several areas near where Paul’s body was discovered, and continued until March 28. This also included a search of Paul’s home.

Frey stated searches also stretched north into the Land Between The Lakes area, as cell phone records showed that a call to Rachel’s phone pinged off a nearby tower around the time she disappeared.

After Rachel vanished, Amber went to live with her grandmother , but she never stopped looking for her mother. The same year, at just 13-years-old, Amber helped organize several fundraisers and recruited some of the nation’s best search and rescue teams to help find her mother. Amber has participated in interviews with several media outlets over the years, and has made many blog posts describing the events that led up to her mom’s disappearance.

Rachel’s disappearance sparked wide-reaching attention at the time, and a benefit concert was organized in September 2008 at the former Casey Jones Amphitheatre in Jackson.

In 2013, a team of nearly 40 forensics students from Townson University searched several areas around Land Between the Lakes.

In 2022, an episode of “Secrets, Lies & Private Eyes” focused on a private investigators’ efforts to help find answers in Rachel’s case.

Despite the efforts and national attention, no sign of Rachel or her remains have ever been discovered.

THE SEARCH CONTINUES

While law enforcement believes Rachel was likely killed, the fact that her remains have never been discovered has continued to haunt her family, as they’ve been unable to provide a proper burial.

📸: Facebook / Bring Rachel Home

Despite turning cold, authorities have reiterated over the years that the case remains open.

According to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, Rachel was last seen in a burgundy tank top with pink lettering, black sweatpants, and tennis shoes. Rachel’s nose and tongue are pierced, and she has tattoos on both ankles, her left foot, her back, and her left wrist.

If you have any information that could help Rachel’s family find answers, call the Henry County Sheriff’s Department at (731) 642-1672.