Hi this is George Cook of Let's Talk Honestly. If you visit my site often you know how I feel about the lack of coverage missing black women receive in the media. On this page I will try to do my part to remedy that sad situation. I will post a story about a different African American woman who is missing every week. This page will be updated every Wednesday.I can be contacted at george@letstalkhonestly.com or by phone at 908 963 3824. You can get updates on this page by email by clicking HERE or by following it on one of the sites below:
Merrell Stewart of Louisiana a 26-year-old woman missing since Thursday night, according to the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office.
Merrell Stewart has not answered her cell phone, reported to work or attended school since that evening, relatives told investigators. Relatives reported her missing Friday, after she missed her son's first birthday, said sheriff's Maj. Malcolm Wolfe.
Chicago police today issued a missing person's alert for a 20-year-old woman who last seen by her family earlier this month.
Porsha Delano was last seen by her family on Jan. 16 but police believe she may be with people on the 7300 block of South Maplewood Avenue or the 4700 block of West Madison Street, both in Chicago.
She is described as African-American, 5 foot 2, 155 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair.
Anyone with information about the woman is asked to call Wentworth Area Special Victims Unit detectives at 312-747-8385.
Elizabeth Turner is missing!
Can you help find an Omaha woman who has been missing since November 11th? Her name is Elizabeth Turner and she is 31-years-old.
The Omaha Police Departments Missing Persons Unit says Turner was last seen on November 11, 2009 near 30th and Ames Avenue. Turner was wearing a blonde wig and a grey sweat suit trimmed in pink.
Turner suffers from schizophrenia and left her purse and ID behind.
Elizabeth Turner is described as being an African-American female, 5 4 tall weighing 170lbs. She has brown eyes, black hair and possibly a blonde wig.
If anyone knows the whereabouts of Elizabeth they can contact 444-5636 or 444-7867.You can also text OPD and your tip to CRIMES (274637).
Jerryell Myesha Foster is missing
Jerryell Myesha Foster of Baltimore was last seen Tuesday November 24 2009 at approximately 8:20 p.m.
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5 2
Weight: 120 lbs
Age: 22
If seen PLEASE call one of the following numbers:
410-243-1957
443-563-5626
443-739-1471
Regina McDaniel II is missing!
Relatives of a Detroit woman missing since Nov. 3 are praying shes still alive and that shell return home safely to family including her 2-year-old son. Regina McDaniel II was last seen leaving her home in the 200 block of Merton. She was last seen wearing a pink jacket, blue jeans and leopard print boots. READ MORE HERE.
Could 1 killer be responsible for several missing black women in Cleveland?
Six badly decomposed bodies found at the home of a convicted rapist facing a new rape allegation were females and all were homicide victims, the coroner's office said Sunday. All are believed to believed to have been killed at the hands of Anthony Sowell a convicted rapist.Read more HERE or watch video of this story below:
10/20/09 LISA SPENCE IS MISSING
Mirmar ( Florida ) Police need help finding a missing Miramar woman who was last seen leaving her neighborhood on Oct. 7th.
The family of Lisa Spence, 35, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, reported her missing after she failed to report for work at Bella Beauty Supply. Her friends are concerned.
Police have searched her neighborhood and turned up nothing. They suspect foul play.
Anyone with information about her disappearance is asked to call Broward Crimestoppers at 954-493-TIPS.
10/01/09 Body of Mia Nichols found
This is George Cook and I would like to give my condolences to Mia's family whom I had the chance to meet last year at Mia's vigil and to all of her family and friends. This one hurts a little more than the rest. If her family and friends were any indication Mia was a great person.
Mia Nichols HALETHORPE, Md. The body of a woman found last Saturday in a wooded area in a Baltimore suburb has been identified as that of long-time Vineland resident Mia Nichols, Lt. Jim Monahan of the Baltimore County Police Department Homicide Unit said on Thursday.
Monahan said Nichols was identified using dental records. Her ex-boyfriend, Tyrone Lamont Webb, was arrested Wednesday and charged with first-degree murder, Monahan said.
Police had suspected foul play in the disappearance. They initially questioned Webb, but released him without charging him.
A 38-year-old mother of three, Nichols was originally from Bridgeton, but moved to Vineland with her family at a young age.
< align=leftp>She moved to Baltimore about 15 years ago, where she worked as an assistant administrator for Volunteers of America. Before being reported missing, she was last seen leaving her job on the afternoon of Oct. 28, 2008.
Her body was found in a wooded area of Windsor Mill, Md., which lies just west of Baltimore.
Video of Mia Nichols Vigil
The parents and friends of Mia Nicolls speak at vigil-- George Cook of letstalkhonestly.com speaks at vigil
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MITRICE RICHARDSON IS MISSING!
Authorities are searching for 24-year-old Mitrice Richardson, who disappeared shortly after being released by the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department. Some are now blaming the police for her dissapearance.
GASTONIA POLICE SEEK HELP IN FINDING MISSING WOMAN
A 22-year-old North Carolina woman has been missing since leaving her Windy Hill Drive home through a bedroom window April 19, according to Gastonia Police.
Gastonia Police say they want the public's help in finding Priti Ashley Porter, who was reported missing by her mother. She left home without taking any personal items, according to a police report.
Anyone with information about Miss Porter's whereabouts is asked to contact Gastonia Police Detective Shane Lewis at 704-866-6879.
08/26/09 Hattie Gertrude Brown Is Missing
Age: 48 Sex: Female
Race: Black Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown Height: 54
Weight: 155 lbs
Missing From: Halifax, Virginia
Missing Since: 05/16/2009
Details: Ms. Brown was last seen on May 16, 2009 at a Sheetz gas station outside South Boston, VA. Abandoned and burned, her silver 2003 VW Jetta was found on a farm in Halifax County July 7, 2009. Ms. Brown was last seen wearing a sleeveless top and pants with side stripes.
Contact: VSP Special Agent Troy LaRue at 434-352-7128 or South Boston Police/Halifax County Sheriffs Office at 434-476-3334.
08/03/09 DARLENE WILSON IS MISSING
RALEIGH 7/25/09 5:58 PM -- The N.C. Center for Missing Persons has issued a Silver Alert for a missing endangered woman, Darlene Wilson.
Citizens are asked to be on the lookout for Darlene Wilson, who is believed to be suffering from dementia or some other cognitive impairment.
Anyone with information about Darlene Wilson should call Donald Hall at the Warsaw Police Department at 910-296-2150.
Hair Color: Black Hair Length: Medium Eye Color: Black
Reporting Law Enforcement Agency: Warsaw Police Department
Contact Information: Donald Hall at 910-296-2150
Location of Incident: Ms. Wilson was last seen at 137 Marion Place, Warsaw NC.
Location Last Seen: Ms. Wilson was last seen at 137 Marion Place, Warsaw NC.
Vehicle Description:
Ms. Wilson is believed to be in a gray work van with tinted windows.
08/01/09 JOSSETTE BEEKS IS MISSING
Police are asking for help finding a missing Kansas City, Mo., woman.
Jossette Beeks, 40, was last week Wednesday leaving the area of 12th Street and Woodland Avenue. She was in a gold 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee with temporary tags.
Officers said she may appear dazed and confused as the result of several strokes.
Police asked anyone who may have seen Beeks to call 816-234-5136.
EMMA CAROLL IS MISSING
The search continues in Bryan County for Emma Carroll. The 83-year old woman has been missing from her home near Pembroke since Saturday evening. She suffers from dementia and has wandered from home several times in the past but has been found quickly on those occasions. Now, Georgia Search and Rescue has been called in to aid in the search today.
Red Cross needs help feeding and supplying searchers. Anyone who can donate meals or snacks, bug spray and hand sanitizer is asked to please call the Savannah chapter of the Red Cross at 912-651-5300. There are expected to be approximately 100 searchers on the ground by the end of the day.
Carrie M. Mack is Missing
RACINE The mother of a missing 18-year-old woman is extremely worried about her daughter, and is asking for the communitys help to find her.
Carol Brown said her daughter, Carrie M. Mack, is schizophrenic and bipolar and has not been taking her medication. Shes in a vulnerable state of mind, Brown said. Her mind turns against her. She loses touch with reality.
Brown has reported her daughter missing to Racine police, and is asking anyone who may have seen Mack in the past two weeks to call authorities.
The longer she stays off her meds, she can become violent, Brown said. She can become a danger to herself and others.
Read more HERE
NIKKI MCPHATTER IS MISSING
UPDATE: NIKKI MCPHATTER FOUND DEAD
COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - The body of a Charlotte woman who disappeared while in Columbia has been found, and Richland County deputies say they've arrested the man who killed her.
Over the course of the past week, investigators identified 29-year-old Theodore Roosevelt Manning IV as being responsible for the disappearance of Nikki McPhatter.
Detectives found McPhatter's Honda Accord and her body in Fairfield County, which neighbors Richland County.
"It's a tough scene, it's a remote area, but we do believe that she's been deceased for a while," says Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Rodney Monroe.
Richland County deputies arrested Manning at 7:00pm Thursday at his house on Bluff Road in Gadsden.
05/30/09 UPDATE ON NIKKI MCPHATTER CASE
Witness found in McPhatter case
Nikki McPhatter, 30, of Charlotte, has not been seen since May 4. Police said on May 20 that they suspect she was a victim of foul play.
Police say they have located a witness in the case of a missing Charlotte woman, Nikki McPhatter, who was last seen in Charlotte on May 4.
On Thursday, police said they were looking for a man named Teddy who might have information about the US Airways employee. Police said Friday that Teddy is cooperating with detectives and he is being considered a witness in the case.
Police have also focused on an ATM video from Columbia that shows three men trying to use McPhatter's debit card.
McPhatter, 30, was last heard from on May 6 when she called at friend 11:43 a.m., asking for gas money. At 6:52 p.m., three men in a gold Buick tried to use McPhatter's Navy Federal Credit Union card at a Wachovia bank branch on Farrow Road.
Police are also searching for McPhatter's car, a 2003 black Honda Accord with a North Carolina license plate that reads PHATTAH.
CMPD has set up a 24-hour hot line to take tips on the McPhatter case. Anyone with information should call 704-336-6034.
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Original Nikki McPhatter Story
Neighbors of a woman who has been missing for more than two weeks are asking for the public's help in finding Nikki McPhatter, a 30-year-old Charlotte woman.
McPhatter was last seen May 4, leaving her home on Rozumny Drive, in a northwest Charlotte neighborhood near Brookshire Boulevard.
Fellow workers at USAirways, where she is a ticket agent, say she rarely missed work. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police issued a request last week from the public for help in the case.
She was driving a black 2003 Honda Accord with N.C. license tags PHATTAH.
She is African-American, 5 feet 5 and 150 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. Anyone with information in the case is asked to call Crime Stoppers, 704-334-1600. Read more HERE
04/22/09 Kristen Parms is missing
RIVIERA BEACH -- The family of 15 year-old Kristen Parms reported her as missing from Dwyer High School in Palm Beach Gardens on Wednesday, April 15.
Parms reportedly walked away from the school campus during school hours and has not been seen since.
She is described as 506, 110 lbs, with brown eyes, and long black hair. She was last seen wearing a pink shirt, black pants, silver shoes, and silver earrings.
Anyone with information about Kristen Parms is asked to contact the Riviera Beach Police Department - Det. Shawn Vance or Detective Sgt. Pat Galligan at (561) 845-4123.
03/18/09 Tajah Monique Hilliard is missing
UPDATE: 03/09/09 The search for Tajah has been called off. It is now believed that she was not abducted and went voluntarily with the man she was last seen with
COLUMBIA, SC (WMBF) - An Amber Alert has been issued from a 17-year-old female said to have been abducted in Columbia on Tuesday.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division describes Tajah Monique Hilliard as a black female, standing 5 feet 3 inches and weighing 130 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Hilliard, however, was said to be wearing green contacts at the time she went missing.
Investigators say she was last seen at 9:35 a.m. at Manning High School wearing grey sweatpants, a sky blue shirt with a white T-shirt and white Nike hi-top shoes.
Officials believe her abductor is a black male, and could be riding in a white 2002 Ford Taurus with South Carolina tag 545 0CL. The vehicle, according to police, is also missing as well.
Anyone who has information on the whereabouts of Hilliard is asked to call 911 immediately, or contact the Clarendon County Sheriff's Office at (803) 435-4414.
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PAMELA BUTLER IS MISSING
WASHINGTON - DC Police are seeking assistance in locating 47 year old Pamela J. Butler
Butler was last seen shortly before 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 12 in the 5800 block of 4th Street, NW.
Butler is described as a dark complexioned black female, 5’3” tall, weighing about 120 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair.
It is unknown at this time the type of clothes Ms. Butler was wearing at the time of her disappearance.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 202-727-9099.
May God bless the souls of both Mariah Roundtree & Jalen Mellete. Condlocences to the families of both.
The public is being asked to help locate two Wakpala South Dakota area teens who have been missing since 02/08/2008 not seen since 5 p.m. Sunday on Promise Road between Promise and Whitehorse on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.
Missing are Mariah Roundtree, 17, and Jalen Mellette, 16. They were in a maroon, 2001 Chevrolet Malibu with no license plates. A dealer's sticker from Stan Puklich Cheverolet is on the trunk.
Mariah is 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs 125 pounds. She has brown hair and dark brown eyes and is Native American and African American. She was wearing a white South Pole hooded sweatshirt with a brown and green front, blue jeans and black and silver Nike Air Jordan basketball shoes.
Jalen is 6 feet, 1 inch, weighs 130 pounds and has black eyes and hair. A Native American, he was wearing a white Echo sweater, blue jeans and blue and white Nike basketball shoes.
Anyone with information about the teens is asked to call the Mobridge Police Department at 845-5000, BIA Police Department 701-854-7241, Eagle Butte Police Department at 964-2155 or the nearest law enforcement agency. Calls also may be made to the TIPS Hotline at 800-745-0734.
VIDEO: CANDLELIGHT VIGIL FOR MIA NICHOLS SATURDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2009 >
PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. (MyFOX ATLANTA) – Authorities were still searching for a missing Paulding County woman Thursday. Laneeka Varnado vanished Monday and her family members from out of town have joined in the search.
Varnado was reported as missing by her family on November 25, 2008.
Varnado is described as a 22-year-old black female, about 5'5" and weighing approximately 105 lbs.
Authorities said Varnado left her residence in Paulding County on November 24, 2008 to attend a function at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta
Varnado called her father throughout the night to let him know of her whereabouts. The last phone call was made around 11:13 p.m. to her father. She advised him that she may stop at another location on her way home, but that she would call him to let him know if she did.
Varnado has not been heard from since.
Varnado was last seen driving a silver 1999 Mercedes SLK230 passenger car with Georgia tag - ASK6592
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Laneeka Varnado is asked to call The Paulding County Sheriff’s Office at 770-443-3010
11/02/08 Mia Nicholls is missing
Baltimore City police are searching for a missing woman.
Mia Nichols, 37, has been missing since October 28. She is described as 5'4" and 115 pounds.
Police say her family hasn't heard from her and she hasn't reported to work.
"It's very unlikely that she would just leave them," said Troy Harris.
Nichols has three children.
Police aren't saying why but they do believe she is in danger. Anyone with information should call police.
3 Newark NJ Women Missing
La'Quanda Jerry of Newark NJ, a 15-year-old female who is a habitual runway was last seen at Broad and Market Streets (3rd Bureau/Downtown area). La' Quanda's mother, Tanya Jerry, reported her missing on April 23, 2008, from the home where they reside at 121 South 14th St.
On June 19, 2008, 38-year-old Shareese Phillips was reported missing by her grandmother, Mary Phillips. She spoke to her grandmother and told her that she was with a male friend who lived in Stephen Crane Village.
On the Aug. 26, 2997, Gloria Howard reported her 37-year-old daughter Tamika Howard missing. She was last seen on Mother's Day. Tamika Howard frequents the area of Clinton Avenue and 21Street.
Anyone who may have had recent contact with these individuals or has any information about their whereabouts is urged to contact police at (973) 733-7273 or (973) 733-6000.
Body of Chantel Bryant found
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. (WAVY.com) -- Virginia Beach police say the remains found near Mount Trashmore last week are those of a woman missing from Norfolk for eight months.
For the family of 35-year-old Chantel Bryant, neighbors say Monday's news will provide closure, but likely more pain.
"I think support is really going to be pivotal for them at this point," said Toshiba Fentress.
Last week, Virginia Beach police spent 24 hours in a wooded area near Mount Trashmore, taking pictures and examining the area with gloved hands.
In February, neighbors told WAVY.com that Bryant would never abandon her children.
At the time, Norfolk police said the man who reported Bryant missing was inside her Kimball Terrace home with her. He told police when he woke up one morning her keys and car were there, but she was gone.
Toshiba Fentress says she thinks someone targetted Bryant.
"This stemmed from some type of incident relationship she had with someone, it was not, I don't feel like it was a random act of violence."
A question now for police in two cities as they try to fit the missing piece of this puzzle.
08/30/08 Rose Faeflen is Missing
Police are seeking help in locating a 15-year-old girl who ran away from her township home earlier this month.
Rose Faeflen was last seen on Aug. 9.
Police think she may be in the Trenton area, or possibly the Bristol area of Bucks County, Pa.
She is described as black, between 5 feet 2 and 5 feet 4 inches tall, about 110 to 120 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair.
Anyone with information about Rose's whereabouts is asked to call Ewing police at (609) 882-1313.
06/11/08 Raven Lumpkin is missing
Raven Umpkin is from Cleveland and only 14 years old. She is 5 feet 3 inches tall, 158 pounds, and was last seen wearing black shorts and a red jersey. Anyone with information on this case should contact Cleveland Police at 216-623-5005. Learn more by clicking here: Raven Lumpkin
Shannon Duhon is Missing
Ms. Duhon of Port Arthur Texas was last seen wearing a navy blue pullover, blue jeans and white tennis shoes. She is described as having shoulder length orange hair and a nose piercing. She is approximately 5'10", 205 lbs and medium build. If you have any information about Duhon call the Port Arthur Police Department. Learn more about this case here: http://www.kfdm.com/news/police_25724___article.html/department_port.html
03/26/07 Tasha Arrington is missing
The Carlisle police department are searching for Tasha Arrington, 14, who was last seen by her family at her residence on E. Penn Street at 6:30 a.m. on Monday, March 17.
The family does not suspect foul play and believes that Arrington may have gone to the Harrisburg City area.
Arrington is described as a black female, 5 foot 5 inches, 125 pounds, black hair and brown eyes.
Police ask anyone with information contact them at 243-5252.
Lyvetta Cole is missing
Lyvetta Coyle, of Lynchburg, Va., is reported to be missing in Durham. According to police, the 20-year-old black female was reported missing after taking a bus to the Bull City. She has not been in contact with her family and she may not be taking her medication.
Coyle is 5'6" tall and weighs 160 pounds with long, dark hair.
Anyone with information on Coyle’s whereabouts is asked to contact the police at (919) 560-4427
Missing LaToya Cole 01/23/08
LaToya Cole has been missing since Dec 09, 2007 and is believed to have been abducted from her home. Learn more about that by clicking here: Latoya Cole
LaToya Cole, 25, went missing from her home at 61 Sherwood Lane in Jackson on Dec. 9.
She is a black woman about 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs 195 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes.
Cole has multiple pierced ears, a pierced tongue and a gold tooth in the left front of her mouth. She also has three tattoos - the word 'Toya' and roses on her breast, a 'G-Man' tattoo on her right shoulder blade and a leopard on her left upper arm.
Anyone with information should immediately call the Jackson Police Department at 425-8400 or Crime Stoppers at 424-8477. A $1,000 reward is set for anyone who has information leading to Cole's whereabouts.
12/26/07 Missing, CHIOMA EZRONESHA GRAY
Chioma Gray ________ Andew Tafoya
DOB: Apr 27, 1992 Sex: Female
Missing Date: Dec 13, 2007 Race: Black
Age Now: 15 Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
Missing City: OXNARD Weight: 115 lbs (52 kg)
Missing State : CA Hair Color: Black
Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown
Chioma was abducted by Andrew Tafoya on December 13, 2007. A felony warrant for Kidnapping was issued for Andrew on December 14, 2007. They may travel to Mexico in a white 2008 Acura TSX with the California license plate 6AXX928. Andrew has multiple tattoos.
12/19/07 Missing, Constance Anderson
height 65 to 68 inches
weight 150 to 160 pounds
Clothes on at time of disappearance- White T-shirt, white head rag, black "Fila" athletic shoes.
Circumstances of disappearance -Unknown. Constance was last seen at approximately 11:00pm at her residence in the vicinity of the 400 block of Albert Lewis Way in Mansfield, LA. She called a friend at approximately 1:30 am and indicated she would be coming over to their house but never arrived.
If you believe you have any information regarding this case that will be helpful in this investigation please contact: DeSoto Parish Sheriff's Office at (318) 872-3956
Family Members Of 5 Boys Who Disappeared 31 Years Ago Have Renewed Optimism Cops Will Crack Case Reporting
John Slattery NEWARK (CBS)
Authorities believe they are finally closing in on solving a 30-year-old cold case in Newark that resulted in the unsolved disappearance of five teenagers.
Police are hopeful they can crack a major cold case that's gone unsolved for more than 30 years. Five teenagers vanished on a summer day in 1978. And now, as CBS 2 HD has learned, the family members of those missing have new reason for hope.
Over the last 30 years, Helen Simmons has saved every newspaper clipping she saw on the case, storing them in rolls of protective plastic. They're clips that tell of a mystery never solved, that claimed her nephew, Michael McDowell.
"After 30 years, you're no longer grieving, but you're wondering," Simmons said.
Also wondering is Lillie Williams, who has never gotten over the disappearance of her son, Melvin Pittman.
"All these years, I'm just waiting to get an answer about whether he's dead or alive. I'm quite sure he's not alive," Williams said.
It was on a hot summer day in August 1978 when five teens, 16 and 17, who'd never been in trouble, disappeared from their own neighborhood. They came to be known as the "Clinton Avenue Five."
"It's probably the most sensational case this city had in the past, in its history," Newark Police Director Garry McCarthy said.
Suddenly gone were Randy Johnson, Michael McDowell, Melvin Pittman, Ernest Taylor and Alvin Turner. That day, the five had played basketball at a local park. Some of them then went to their homes to change their clothes before meeting up again at Clinton Avenue and Fabyan Place. They were to help a local contractor, Lee Evans, who was moving. Evans claims they helped him load up his truck with boxes and deliver them at his new house.
Evans said he then brought the five back here where he'd picked them up. But police say no one ever saw them return. They vanished.
"There's never been any evidence, no remains recovered, and at this point, this case is still being carried as five missing kids," McCarthy said.
Evans said he was given a polygraph test, which he passed.
"Yeah, I passed it," he said.
But as for the details of that day, Evans did not want to talk on camera.
"No, I just don't want to talk in public," Evans said.
None of the five had fingerprint records. Their social security numbers were never used.
"Thirty years later, we're still working on that case. Our cold case unit is working on that case as we speak," McCarthy said.
Not only are they working on it, but Newark Mayor Cory Booker said this cold case is heating up.
"We've made a lot of strides. We found a lot of solid evidence and we're engaged in it right now," Booker said.
Police will not say what advances they've made, whether its bodies they've located or suspects about to be charged. Whatever it is, the families are suddenly hopeful for a resolution.
"They've just given us indications that they are close; that they do have leads; that they're following up on leads," Simmons said.
Detectives have recently met with the families. Angela Williams is Melvin Pittman's sister.
"You think they will get an arrest? "I know they will [make an arrest," Angela Williams said.
Whatever the news, and whenever it breaks, the families are not expecting good news.
"They were murdered, pure and simple," Simmons said.
But it now seems the final chapter of this long-running mystery may soon be written.
The search for the five missing teens prompted investigators to search far and wide. They reviewed lists of victims in the Atlanta serial killings in the late 1970s and early '80s; the mass suicides in Jonestown, Guyana in 1978; and the Chicago serial killings of John Wayne Gacy.
The missing five were not among them.
30 Years Later -- 5 New Jersey Teens Still Missing
Posted: August 19th, 2008 09:24 AM EDT
Story by wnbc.com
Thirty years ago, five teenage boys vanished after playing basketball in Newark, N.J. They were never heard from again.
Their remains were never found, Social Security numbers never used -- and no arrests have ever been made. But the community has never forgotten its tragic loss.
Melvin Pittman, 17, Randy Johnson, 16, Ernest Taylor, 17, Alvin Turner, 16, and Michael McDowell, 16, who have become known as "The Clinton Avenue Five," vanished Aug. 20, 1978. Wednesday marks the 30th anniversary of their disappearance.
The case, which is New Jersey's oldest cold case, remains open. But after 30 years without any solid leads, it's unclear what, if anything, is left to find.
And although most of the boys' family members are dead, the community remembers.
An annual memorial service is held at Clinton Avenue Presbyterian Church. On Sunday, the Rev. Alfred Johnson led an 11 a.m. service at the church on 16th Street.
News 4 New York talked to family members of Michael McDowell, one of the missing boys.
"You can't make five people disappear by yourself," said Michael's aunt Helen Simmons. "So there are other people involved and when there are other people involved ... somebody would talk ...but nobody has."
Facts Of The Case
The teens were last seen entering the pickup truck of a man who reportedly offered them summer part-time work -- and they were never seen again. Police questioned the contractor, Lee Anthony Evans, and cleared him of suspicion after he passed polygraph tests.
"He had a conversation with my mom, and I came back outside and saw my brother get in a truck with Lee Evans -- a green pick up truck -- and drive off," said Terry Lawson, Michael's sister. "We never saw him again."
Several days after the boys disappeared, one of their mothers got a phone call from a man who said he would tell her where the boys were for $750. Police traced the call to a payphone at Union Station in Washington, D.C., but by the time they arrived, whoever had made the call apparently had fled.
The investigation has taken detectives all over the country.
Detectives checked military records, religious cults, the bodies from Jim Jones' 1978 mass suicide in Jonestown, Guyana, according to Reuters, and the victims of Chicago serial killer John Wayne Gacy, who was executed for the rape and murder of 33 boys and men -- to no avail.
In 1996, police followed a lead from a psychic who had previously helped detectives find the body of a missing boy in a drainpipe. The psychic had a vision the boys' burned remains were buried in a five-acre field near Newark International Airport. Searchers came up empty-handed.
The boys' Social Security numbers were never used. Only one of the five had dental records; none had fingerprints, Reuters reported.
"You have to wonder what transpired,'' Sgt. Derek Glenn, a spokesman for the Newark Police Department, told Reuters on the week of the 20th anniversary of the disappearance. "Even one of them alive, having made contact in some fashion or form, even through a third person, hasn't happened.''
Police initially believed the boys had run away, but the family said they weren't the type to do that. Just one of the boys, McDowell, of East Orange, got into trouble once for a fistfight, but the others -- sophomores and juniors at Weequahic High School -- never got into trouble at all, according to The New York Times.
"For sure we know they haven't run away," said Lawson. "Something happened to them, and 30 years later we know it's not good ... else we would know something."
But despite the disturbing, painful facts of their disappearance, there was precious little media coverage at the time. It was 1978 -- a decade after the Newark riots -- and many speculated that the reason local papers -- even The Star-Ledger -- and media outlets failed to cover the story at the time was because it was about five black boys.
On the 25th anniversary of the disappearance, a New York Times article read, "The five black youths never entered the public consciousness the way some white, middle-class missing children do."
The advent of the Internet might have made it a different story today, but there was no World Wide Web when the boys disappeared. Today, Web surfers would be hard-pressed to find any information apart from one or two articles marking the 20th and 25th anniversaries of the boys' disappearance.
"They just weren't considered important enough to go after," said Simmons. "I just want to know what happened."
Only two of the original detectives who worked on the missing persons case remain involved. One died and one retired to Florida. A new detective, Rasheed Sabur, is involved.
No arrests have ever been made in the decades-old case, which some investigators call one of the most baffling missing persons cases in history.
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