GIRARD — Charlotte Nagi Pollis, 28, of Girard, was reported missing 30 years ago and those who have been working to find her say the leads have lessened.

March 12, 1994, was the day her family last saw her, and while the investigation remains open, news circulation of her story continues to keep the conversation also open as years go on.

Girard Police Chief John Norman explained information has come in slowly, but “anytime we get something on that case, we get with the family.”

“Her brother Ali and I are good friends, so anytime we get a lead, we’ll give them a call, or if they get a lead or information, the same. The leads and information that come in on that have been very few and far in between,” Norman said.

The last lead, Norman said, was brought to Girard PD’s attention last year. “Without looking at the case, I can’t really tell you a date,” Norman said. “But the last time we got some information we vetted, it didn’t really turn out to be anything.”

Much of the information that has been received by the department, as with most open investigations, is kept confidential, Norman added.

In regard to the latest lead, Norman said it was “more like information,” and it wasn’t an eyewitness lead. “It was kind of a discussion with a person who recalled that time period.”

Norman continued, “A lot of times we get phone calls or some information whenever Unsolved Mysteries runs her episode on some TV stations, and that’ll generate some phone calls.”

Charlotte Pollis’ brother, Ali Nagi, who worked for the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office at the time of her disappearance on March 12, 1994, said he transferred to the Girard Police Department and helped work on the case for the last 30 years.

“Close to November or December, I got in touch with a bounty hunter who needed help capturing Paul (Charlotte Pollis’ husband) for failure to appear at a court hearing,” Nagi said. “I can’t say exactly what it was for, and he was hiding somewhere in McDonald close to where I was living, and so they asked me for help finding him. And I was more than happy to.”

Nagi said while he was helping to find Paul, he couldn’t help but acknowledge his allegations against Paul, whom he believes played a part in Charlotte Pollis’ disappearance.

“Some people do still contact us, but a lot of people have passed away, but it’s not so fresh in people’s minds,” Nagi, 57, said. “‘Unsolved Mysteries’ still airs it a couple of times a month, so that’s one of the biggest things that Congressman Jim Traficant had done for us, and I’m very appreciative of that. It’s still out there, just not as much as it used to be. It’s a cold case, and a lot of the younger folks don’t know it as well, so it’s hard to get leads from people.”

As for Nagi’s memory of the day, he said he remembers it “extremely well.”

“We were supposed to go out and celebrate my birthday,” Nagi said. “She contacted my wife and told her that she wasn’t feeling well, and that she would have to reschedule. That night Paul left a message on my answering machine, and the tone and scaredness in his voice, while saying he couldn’t find her, made me think he murdered my sister.”

Nagi continued, “The police report made an error that they later changed. It said Paul Pollis reported her missing, but he never did that. My parents reported her missing.”

Nagi said Charlotte and Paul’s children are not willing to speak about their mother’s disappearance.

Nagi mentioned many details that were eventually brought to his attention that have made him suspicious of Paul, since 1994. “Paul is on the loose,” Nagi said. “He did serve some jail time, but he doesn’t really have a place. In the summertime, he likes to live in the woods.”

Nagi gave thanks Monday to news and social media for continuing to inquire about the search.

“Jim Traficant has done the most out of anybody to help me get this case solved,” Nagi said. “We’ve put it on ‘Unsolved Mysteries’, and I’ve tried every major TV network, but they won’t do anything for me. If there are any police departments or agencies out there that specialize in cold cases, we will accept any help from any agencies that want to help us out.”

Nagi continued, “In the 30 years that I’ve been a spokesperson for the family, I’ve been through all of the media, and I would like to express my appreciation and thank you to every news media that has taken the opportunity to help me with my sister’s case. I couldn’t have done this for 30 years without every single one of you people helping out. I appreciate every one of you with the utmost respect from my heart.”

THE CASE

Paul Pollis, who was 27 at the time, was not available to police days after his wife’s disappearance, but returned to Trumbull County several months later.

Police charged him with obstructing official business because he wasn’t available for questioning and didn’t show for a polygraph test, which was scheduled three days after Charlotte Pollis was reported missing.

A judge dismissed the charges, saying Paul Pollis had a Fifth Amendment right to remain silent. The judge said Paul Pollis had cooperated with police by speaking with them and allowing a search of his home shortly after she was reported missing.

Norman said in 2019 that cases like this can be frustrating and can affect investigators.

“At times you have to let it go, if not it’ll beat you up,” Norman said. “The anniversary dates are always tough on you. You question yourself and ask, ‘What did I miss; what did we miss; did we do everything right?’

“It’s tough on you as a human being, let alone as being an investigator. It can get a person to start having doubts on your abilities.”

Nagi said the family hopes one day to have an answer for what happened to his sister.

Have an interesting story? Contact Daniel Newman by email at dnewman@tribtoday.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @TribDNewman.