The Murder of Tiona Smith

 

On the morning of November 6th, 2005, children in a Baltimore, Maryland neighborhood called Woodlawn were playing outside when they stumbled upon something unexpected behind a home: the body of a woman. Police were called, and it was soon determined that the deceased woman was a 23-year-old Baltimore resident named Tiona Smith.

It was almost immediately clear that Tiona’s death was a murder. She had been brutally beaten and stabbed. An autopsy officially ruled that Tiona was killed by multiple sharp force injuries. Over two decades have passed since this brutal killing, and both investigators and Tiona’s loved ones are still left with two unanswered questions: who killed Tiona? And why?

Throughout the investigation, detectives have been able to piece together a timeline of the events leading up to Tiona’s murder. On November 5th, 2005, Tiona went to her job at a McDonald’s on Cranbrook Road in Cockeysville. Tiona’s shift ended at 10:45 PM, after which she and a friend boarded an MTA bus, presumably to make their way home. 

Reports state that Tiona’s friend got off the bus a few stops before Tiona. Tiona then got off the bus at the Eutaw and Fayette street drop-off. A CCTV camera captured Tiona at that bus stop. The same cameras also captured a white car driving by the stop. Witnesses later told police that they saw Tiona getting into that vehicle.

A few hours later, around 1:15 AM, residents in the Woodlawn neighborhood heard sounds of a woman screaming. According to detectives, the residents “believe that what she was yelling was 'no' or 'stop' several times, and then the voice stopped calling out.” Hours later, at 11:00 AM, the children playing in that neighborhood came across Tiona’s body. She was still dressed in her McDonald’s uniform. 

Tiona’s family members have said that they do not know why Tiona was in the neighborhood where her body was found, as she had no known connections to that area. The driver of the white vehicle that Tiona was seen getting into is also unknown as well. No persons of interest or suspects have ever been publicly named in Tiona’s case.

Tiona’s mother has still not given up on finding justice for Tiona. In 2023, her mother told reporters, “I do not want revenge. I want justice for my daughter because she deserves it. Whoever took her life, they didn't give her that life. They had no right to take her life.”

If you have any information that could help solve the murder of Tiona Smith, please contact authorities in Baltimore at 410-307-2020 or bcopd@baltimorecountymd.gov.

Sources:
ABC 2 Baltimore

Baltimore County PD

CBS News

WBAL TV 11

The Murder of Damesha Hunter

 

Damesha Hunter was only 32 years old when her life was tragically taken on October 14th, 2010. The young woman was found shot to death inside her home in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Damesha’s death has been a devastating loss for her loved ones, especially her four children. This loss continues to be amplified by the fact that Damesha’s killer(s) have still not been brought to justice. 

Damesha’s husband, Laroye Hunter III, told police that he was at work at the time of the murder, but that he spoke to Damesha on the phone shortly before she was killed. Laroye explained that, during their phone conversation, he heard someone come to Damesha’s front door. He said that Damesha put down the phone to see who was at the door and never returned.

Laroye then said that he went home to check on Damesha and found that she had been shot inside the residence. Police were called, and Damesha was pronounced deceased on the scene. Her death was ruled a homicide.

Damesha’s friends and family describe her as a loving mother who was a friend to all. On the surface level, a motive for Damesha’s murder seems difficult to determine - as she did not have any known enemies. However, a closer look into Damesha’s relationships and the events leading up to her murder may hold the answers.

Relationship with Laroye Hunter III.

An investigation into Damesha’s murder was immediately launched, during which homicide detectives learned that Damesha’s husband, Laroye, had been abusive towards Damesha several times throughout their relationship. In 2006, while Damesha was eight and a half months pregnant, she called police after Laroye reportedly “pushed her to the ground, hit her in the mouth with his shoe and tried to strangle her.” 

This incident occurred after Damesha confronted Laroye about having a new girlfriend. The charges were later dropped after Damesha did not show up in court. Damesha and Laroye continued their relationship off-and-on during the following four years. They got married in January 2010.

On March 18th, 2010, it was determined that Laroye was not the father of Damesha’s youngest child. That same date, Damesha sought out a protective order against Laroye, stating that he pushed her to the floor and tried to choke her. The protective order was granted and was still in effect at the time of Damesha’s murder.

Despite the protective order, it appears that Damesha and Laroye were still in contact in the months leading up to her death. In fact, Damesha called the police just days before the murder, stating that Laroye was hitting her while she was trying to drive home. Police looked for Laroye that evening but were unable to locate him.

After Damesha’s murder, Laroye was arrested for violating the protective order. He was not charged with anything related to Damesha’s murder. To this day, he has not been labeled a suspect.

A mysterious letter.

Police also learned that, on September 16th, 2010, Damesha received a letter in the mail from a woman who identified herself as “Kee Kee”. In the letter, Kee Kee told Damesha that she had been in a relationship with Damesha’s husband Laroye for about two years - and now she was approximately 4 months pregnant with his baby. 

After Damesha’s murder, police made a public appeal for “Kee Kee” to come forward. They also asked for anyone who might know Kee Kee to contact authorities as well. It’s unknown if they ever received any substantial leads from this appeal.

A lack of updates.

There have been very few updates provided about the investigation into Damesha’s murder.

It’s likely that detectives have kept details of their investigation under wraps due to the fact that it is still ongoing. In 2022, the OSBI made another public appeal for anyone with information about Damesha’s murder to come forward. Still, no arrests have been made.

Investigating agency.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is in charge of Damesha’s case. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact authorities at 800-522-8017 or submit a tip online.

–

Sources:
KTUL
News on 6
Oklahoma Cold Cases
Tulsa World

The Disappearance of Shelayah Gonzalez

 

Shelayah Renee Gonzalez vanished at the age of 21 on July 16th, 2005. The young woman lived in Brooklyn, New York at the time of her disappearance. Shelayah was reportedly last seen at her residence in the 1100 block of Winthrop Street in the New York City borough. She disappeared at some point following that final sighting and has never been seen or heard from again.

There are very few details available about Shelayah’s case. The circumstances/events leading up to her disappearance are unclear. The one detail that has been publicly shared is that Shelayah had a son who passed at 24 months old in June 2005 - less than a month before she vanished. 

In January 2011, approximately five and a half years after Shelayah’s disappearance, her aunt made the following post on CNN’s iReport site: “My niece, Shelayah Renee Gonzalez, has been missing since July 16, 2005. She lost her 24-month-old son in June and disappeared from home less than a month later. Her mother and I looked all over NYC for her to include contacting the NYPD and placing posters in neighborhoods that she has grown up in. We are still in contact with the NYPD and have hit a stone wall because of her age. We've been unable to get any new information on her although we feel that the NYPD has information concerning her disappearance or current location.”

Now, nearly two decades have passed since Shelayah’s disappearance, and there have not been any updates. She remains missing today, and her disappearance is considered a cold case. The loss of Shelayah’s son followed by the disappearance of Shelayah herself must have been devastating events for her family members. They deserve closure and answers about what happened to Shelayah.

If you have any information that could help solve the disappearance of Shelayah Gonzalez, please contact the New York Police Department at 212-473-2042.

Sources:

Charley Project
CNN
NamUs
Track Missing
Websleuths

The Disappearance of Samson Peters

 

Samson Peters has been missing since July 2023. The then-43-year-old was last seen in Casselberry, Florida - where he was living at the time. Samson usually kept in consistent communication with his children and his significant other, but he abruptly fell out-of-touch on July 18th. Knowing this was unusual, Samson’s worried loved ones contacted police to report his disappearance.

On July 23rd, 2023 - five days after Samson’s last known contact - his vehicle was found parked along State Road 192 near St. Cloud, Florida. According to police, there were no signs of foul play at the scene. However, there were no signs to indicate Samson’s whereabouts either. 

Samson’s ex-wife told News 6 that Samson does not have any ties to the area where his car was found, so it’s unknown why he would drive there. The ex-wife also told reporters that Samson’s family was “concerned for his well-being because [Samson] was dealing with depression and facing eviction before he disappeared.” It’s unknown if investigators believe this plays a role in his disappearance.

Samson remains missing today. The Seminole County Sheriff's Office has investigative agency over his case. If you have any information that could lead to Samson’s whereabouts, please contact authorities at 407-665-6650.

Sources:
Charley Project
Missing Persons Center
Orlando News

The Murder of Lavoris Watkins

 

The afternoon of December 22nd, 2012, was a frigid one in Lansing, Michigan. Known for its cold winters, Michigan is a state in which its residents often keep their windows and doors closed during the season to help keep the cold air out of their homes. This is why a resident in the 1000 block of Kelsey Avenue grew concerned after a neighbor’s door had been left ajar for an extended period of time. 

A security check was requested at the residence. Once first responders arrived, they found an unresponsive woman inside the home. The woman was soon identified as 26-year-old Lavoris Watkins, a lifelong Lansing resident and a mother-of-two. Lavoris was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Police initially did not reveal Lavoris’ cause of death. However, after a few days, it was confirmed that she died from a gunshot wound. A public appeal was made for anyone with information about Lavoris’ killer(s) to come forward. Unfortunately, over a decade has passed and Lavoris’ murder remains unsolved.

A motive for Lavoris’ killing is also unknown. Her loved ones described her as a caring mother who was always willing to lend a hand. It does not appear that she had any known enemies or conflicts with others at the time of her death. 

The Lansing Police Department has investigative agency over this case. If you have any information that could help solve the murder of Lavoris Watkins, please contact authorities at (517) 483-4600.

Sources:
Lansing PD
Michigan Criminal Lawyers Blog

Michigan live

The Disappearance and Murder of Kristen Galvan

Kristen Galvan was only 15 years old when she vanished on January 2nd, 2020. She was last seen at her grandmother's home in Spring, Texas. Kristen left the home on the day of her disappearance and never returned. She was never seen alive by her loved ones again.

Despite the fact that Kristen left on her own accord, her loved ones immediately began to worry for her safety. Kristen's family members began to suspect that she had been sold into trafficking by an older boy whom she had been hanging out with prior to her disappearance. That boy was later identified as Aryion Jackson - a Houston-based rapper who used the stage name Yung Corleon. 

Kristen actually vanished with Jackson prior to January of 2020. During this time, Kristen's family learned that Jackson was also a pimp who had sex trafficked over a dozen girls and young women, including Kristen, at a house on Bissonnet Street. Kristen was at the house for about a week and a half before she was rescued. Unfortunately, she vanished again two and a half weeks later. 

Over the following years since this second disappearance, several leads were followed in an attempt to locate Kristen. Little did the family know, Kristen's remains had actually been found just weeks after she vanished. On January 29th, 2020, female human remains were found in Missouri City, Texas. Investigators were unable to identify the remains and subsequently labeled the unidentified female as "Jane Doe". 

It took several years, but during the summer of 2025, the human remains were finally identified as that of Kristen Galvan. After the remains were identified, investigators revealed that they believe Kristen was bound with duct tape before being stabbed to death. 

Kristen was a victim of murder, and her killer(s) have still yet to be apprehended. However, in the years that Kristen was murdered, many theories were investigated - from Kristen being trafficked in Atlanta, to someone claiming to be Kristen messaging a private investigator working the case. Now that it's known that Kristen has been deceased since 2020, many other questions have arisen...such as, who impersonated Kristen in 2021, and why? Why did it take so long for Kristen's remains to be identified? And perhaps the most haunting question: who killed Kristen?

Bissonnet Street.

As previously noted, Kristen was rescued from a house on Bissonnet Street just two and a half weeks before her January 2020 disappearance. When she vanished for a second time, her family inevitably wanted to investigate both the house and Aryion Jackson.

Kristen's family went to Bissonnet Street to search, but they saw no signs of her. Jackson was questioned, but he claimed that he did not have any knowledge of Kristen's whereabouts. In fact, he denied knowing Kristen altogether. Jackson was later sentenced to 27 years in prison after pleading guilty to sex trafficking minors with force, fraud or coercion.

Aryion Jackson (image source)

Jackson has not been charged with anything related to Kristen's current case. 

The Atlanta lead.

During the spring of 2021, authorities publicly announced that they, too, believe that Kristen is a victim of sex trafficking. In fact, people have reported that they've seen Kristen's picture on a website that is well-known for prostitution. Rumors also began to swirl that Kristen was being trafficked in Atlanta. 

A private investigator hired by Kristen's family traveled to Atlanta to follow these leads. She reportedly found some of the girls listed on the website, but she was unable to find Kristen. 

Latasha's testimony.

That same month, the private investigator was contacted by a woman named Latasha who claimed to have been held against her will and trafficked out of the same Atlanta house as Kristen. She mentioned that Kristen was pregnant at the time. Latasha said that she managed to escape from the traffickers and felt guilty about leaving Kristen behind. 

The private investigator noted that Latasha provided information about Kristen that "nobody else would have known". However, Latasha later spoke to the FBI, and her testimony was deemed as not credible. 

The baby.

At an unknown date in the spring/summer of 2021, the private investigator received a Facebook message from a person claiming to be Kristen. The messages said that she had borrowed a phone from a man who "did not know the rules". The message also said that she had just given birth in a Port-a-Potty and was forced to leave the baby behind, and she wanted her mom to go get the baby.

On June 3rd, 2021, a deceased infant was found in a Port-a-Potty in Houston, umbilical cord still attached. A test was requested to see if the baby's DNA was a match to Kristen's DNA. Four months later, the private investigator received a text saying that the DNA was not a match.

Other remaining questions.

Although the DNA from the deceased infant was reportedly not a match to Kristen, it seems odd that the private investigator never received the requested documentation with the DNA results. It also seems suspicious that the private investigator received a message that Kristen had given birth in a port-a-potty, and then a deceased infant was found in one. It's possible that someone was pretending to be Kristen - but who? And why?

The private investigator tried to get in touch with Latasha at a later date and learned that Latasha had passed away. She messaged some people on Latasha's Facebook friend list to see what happened. She was told by a friend that she was murdered, but Latasha's mother said that she had suffered an aneurism. 

The unidentified remains.

As previously noted, female human remains were found in Missouri County, Texas on January 29th, 2020 - just weeks after Kristen's disappearance. Investigators were unable to make an identification and labeled the deceased as a Jane Doe. 

Kristen's mother reportedly learned about said human remains during 2022, when she came across the Jane Doe's (now-deleted) NamUs profile. She subsequently asked law enforcement to test the remains' DNA to see if the body belonged to Kristen. The law enforcement officers working the case reportedly told Kristen's mother that they did not believe the remains belonged to Kristen. DNA was not tested at that time.

July 2025: DNA is finally tested.

In July 2025, Kristen's mother finally provided a DNA sample to be compared to the unidentified remains. The following month, Kristen's mother was notified that the DNA had been a match; the remains did, in fact, belong to Kristen Galvan. At that point, it was confirmed that Kristen had been a victim of murder of five years earlier.

No arrests have been made for Kristen's murder. The case is still ongoing. Anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of Kristen's killer(s) is asked to contact the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office at 936-760-5800.

-
Sources:
Charley Project
The Guardian

KHOU
YouTube

The Disappearance of Cheretha Morrison.

 

Cheretha Morrison vanished in Chicago, Illinois on February 26th, 2021. That day appeared to begin as a regular day for the then-37-year-old woman. Cheretha dropped her daughter off at Earle Elementary School in the Englewood neighborhood that morning as usual. After that, she seemingly vanished. Cheretha has never been seen or heard from again.

According to reports, Cheretha had plans to meet up with her adult son that morning, but she never showed up. She also did not answer any calls or texts from her son. The concerns for Cheretha began to build even more later that afternoon, after she did not arrive to pick her daughter up from school. At that point, Cheretha’s loved ones felt something had gone wrong.

Three days later, Cheretha’s car was found in the Rogers Park area - approximately 20 miles away from where she was last seen. The car had a parking ticket on the windshield. There was also reportedly “a substantial amount of cash” inside the vehicle. However, there were no additional signs of Cheretha herself.

Cheretha’s sister noted that Cheretha had gotten parking tickets from that area before, leading the family to believe that Cheretha was visiting someone she knew and had visited before in the past. It was also noted that Cheretha’s car was found parked in a tow-zone - which indicated that she only intended to park there for a brief period of time; perhaps while running a quick errand, but she never returned.

Cheretha was approximately three to four months pregnant at the time of her disappearance. One of Cheretha’s nieces stated on The Vanished Podcast that the family believes the father of the unborn child is the same man who fathered Cheretha’s young daughter, but they were not completely positive of the child’s paternity. The status of Cheretha’s relationship with this man at the time of her disappearance is unclear.

There is very little information available about the investigation into Cheretha’s disappearance. Her loved ones still hope to receive answers. If you have any information that could help solve the disappearance of Cheretha Morrison, please contact the Chicago Police Department at 312-747-8380.

Sources:
CBS News

Charley Project
Chicago Sun Times
The Vanished Podcast