Columbus, NE - After more than 40 years, a missing persons mystery is solved and a cold case is closed.

Melvin Uphoff and Jackie Rains-Kracman both disappeared in the fall of 1965, one month apart.  At the time, the Butler County Sheriff believed they ran away together.  Both families of the missing people believed it was more sinister.  It turns out, the sheriff was right. 

Uphoff would be 73 now. The father of four was 30 when he disappeared from Rising City on October 24, 1965.  Jackie Rains-Kracman is 61.  She was just 18, a young mother of two, when she vanished from Columbus in September of 1965.  In 2007, Former sheriff, Leo Mesiter told Action 3 News, "It haunts me. I want to find Mr. Uphoff and walk him right down main street in Rising City and let everyone know he's alive."

Meister investigated both disappearances and determined the couple planned to run away.

The Nebraska State Patrol picked up the cold case a few years ago and had the couple listed on its website as "missing."  Now their pictures are gone.  The case is closed.  The couple today tells the state patrol, they want to be left alone and want privacy.

The news backs up what the former sheriff found in 1965.  Meister says Melvin and Jackie worked together at the Coop, were having an affair and took money from the Coop in a check writing scheme to fund their trip.  The families didn't want to believe the sheriff.  In 2007, Jackie's brother, Jim Rains told Action 3 News, "For her to just up and leave her children and not ever come back, that's not my sister. I have a hard time believing she would do that."  Jim had always believed the two had been murdered.

Melvin's daughter, Michele Sells, was just 3 when her dad disappeared.  She had this to say in 2007, "I just want to know what happened to him that night. I'm a mom and I can't imagine driving away from my boys and never ever seeing them again. I can't imagine. It blows my mind."

The State Patrol will only say a tip came in and investigators found them in another state. Again, the couple asked for privacy.  

Michele Sells says she doesn't know what's worse, finding out her dad was dead or that he abandoned his family and has been living a new life.

Reported by Michelle Bandur: Michelle@action3news.com