Sunday, December 1, 2024

The Disappearance and Murder of Miranda Rodriguez

Source: Facebook

Miranda Rodriguez vanished in Houston, Texas on August 25th, 2017. The then-24-year-old woman vanished around the time Hurricane Harvey flooded the city.  Reports state that Miranda was last seen at a hotel off of I-45 and Airport. She planned to go to her parent's house to wait out the storm, but she never arrived. Miranda's loved ones never saw or heard from her again.

Miranda's family members searched for her tirelessly in the days following the storm. Unfortunately, no sign of her was found. The police investigation seemingly did not turn up any clues either. Miranda's disappearance quickly faded into a cold case. 

On July 12th, 2022, nearly five years after Miranda vanished, a man was hired to clean out a backyard on Peach Creek Drive in southeast Houston. While on the job, the man spotted a human skeleton while cleaning the yard's built-in barbecue pit. It took nearly a year, but on July 3rd, 2020, the human remains were identified as that of Miranda Rodriguez. 

Miranda's family was reportedly not familiar with the address where her remains were found. Police stated that a family with children was living at the address during July 2022. At this time, there are no reports to indicate that this family has any connection to Miranda. Police also noted that the barbecue pit appeared undisturbed when Miranda was found, indicating that it had not been used in quite some time.

Although an exact cause of death has not been revealed, Miranda's case is being investigated as a homicide. In November 2023, a monetary reward was announced in exchange for information that could lead to an arrest. Since then, though, updates on the investigation have been scarce.

If you have any information that could help solve Miranda's murder, please contact the Houston Police Department at 832-394-1872 or Crimestoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477).

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Source:
ABC 13
Charley Project
Facebook
FOX 26 Houston
KHOU 11
My Texas Daily

Thursday, November 28, 2024

List Series: Thanksgiving Mysteries

 A list of five unsolved cases featured on True Case Files involving disappearances and murders that took place on or around the Thanksgiving holiday. Links to full case write-ups are provided.

Listed by date of occurrence - recent to oldest.

The Disappearance and Death of Nicole Mallatt.










Missing: 
November 26th, 2019

Age at disappearance: 36

Remains found: November 3rd, 2020

Location: Bates County, Missouri

Details:

Nicole Mallatt was looking forward to Thanksgiving 2019. The 36-year-old woman planned to prepare the Thanksgiving meal with her four children, and she was excited to spend quality time with them.  Unfortunately, this never got to happen, as Nicole vanished on November 26th, 2019 - just two days before the holiday.

At the time, Nicole lived with her boyfriend, Brad Shreve, and their four children in Bates County, Missouri. Their home, located on SW County Road 3508, sat in a rural area. Nicole was last seen that evening near her residence, just down the street.

Reports indicate that Nicole's ex-husband, Richie Mallatt, picked her up near her home that night. Richie later told investigators that they spent approximately 45 minutes together before he dropped her off in the same area where he had picked her up. Despite being only a short walking distance from her house, Nicole never returned home. 

Nicole was reported missing on November 29th, 2019. A few days later, searchers found Nicole's backpack, shoes, and cell phone alongside a creek located near the area where she was last seen. Investigators also searched Nicole's residence but did not disclose if any evidence was found. 

For nearly a year, no further signs of Nicole emerged. Then, on November 3, 2020, a farmer plowing his field made a chilling discovery. He found a pair of sweatpants with a human femur bone inside. Additional human remains were uncovered nearby, alongside the same creek where Nicole’s belongings had been found a year earlier.

The remains were identified as Nicole Mallatt's. However, an autopsy yielded inconclusive results, and the cause of death could not be determined. While many suspect foul play, her death has not been officially ruled a homicide. Nicole's case remains unsolved, leaving her family and community searching for answers.

Full story: The Suspicious Disappearance and Death of Nicole Mallatt.


The Murder of Amy Lynn Hanson.











Date: November 30th, 2014

Age: 25

Body found: November 30th, 2014

Location: Red Rock, New Mexico

Details:

Amy Hanson was only 25 years-old when she was found deceased on November 30th, 2014. The young woman lived in New Mexico at the time of her death; she was last seen by her family at her father's house in Tohatchi. That day, Amy celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday with her family. The next day, Amy's sister invited Amy to go shopping with her. Amy declined, saying that she already had plans to go with friends.

That phone conversation was the last interaction Amy had with her family; what happened after that remains a mystery to this day. The following day, a father and son spotted a human body in an arroyo in Red Rock, New Mexico. Police were called, and the body was later identified as Amy Lynn Hanson. Her death was caused by blunt force trauma. Amy's manner of death has been labeled as a homicide.

Details about the investigation into Amy's murder are scarce, and no suspects have been publicly identified. Nearly a decade later, her case remains unsolved, leaving her family and community seeking justice.

Full story: The Murder of Amy Lynn Hanson.


The Disappearance of Eugene Wekesa.










Date: 
November 24th, 2010

Age at disappearance: 22

Last seen in: Bellevue, WA.

Details:

Eugene Wekesa has been missing since November 24th, 2010. The then 22-year-old man lived with his mother in Bellevue, Washington at the time of his disappearance. Eugene vanished the day before Thanksgiving; that day initially began as a typical day for a family preparing for a holiday. Eugene's mother went shopping at a local Safeway to buy groceries and other items for their meal. When she returned home, she realized she had forgotten a few items. Eugene offered to go to Safeway to retrieve those items.

Surveillance cameras from the store captured Eugene entering and exiting the Safeway store by himself. Eugene then returned to his home, but quickly realized that he, too, had forgotten an item. Instead of going back to Safeway, he opted to walk to the Crossroads Mall shopping center-which is located near his residence. Eugene never returned home and has never been seen or heard from again.

Although Eugene reportedly left the house to buy something, he left behind his wallet. He also left his keys and cell phone behind. After Eugene was reported missing, investigators located the footage of him at Safeway - but unfortunately that did not yield any clues to his disappearance. Footage was also pulled from Crossroads Mall, but there was no footage of Eugene at the shopping center that day. It appears that he never actually made it there. 

There has been no sign of Eugene since that day. His disappearance is considered suspicious. Several years have passed without any clues; Eugene's case is now considered a cold case.

Full story: The Disappearance of Eugene Wekesa.


The Murder of Priscilla Pimentel.










Date: 
November 23rd, 2006

Age: 24

Body found: November 24th, 2006

Location: Queens, New York

Details:

Priscilla Pimentel was only 24 years-old when she was found murdered inside her own apartment on November 24th, 2006. The young woman was living in Queens, New York at the time of her death. Most of Priscilla's family members lived in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; she was due to join them in Bethlehem for Thanksgiving on November 23rd, 2006, but she never arrived.

Priscilla's absence at Thanksgiving immediately set off alarms for her family members. The following day, Priscilla's four siblings traveled to her apartment in Queens to check on her. Upon their arrival, they discovered their worst fears: Priscilla was dead. She had been brutally stabbed to death. 

The scene in Priscilla's apartment was nothing short of horrific. Her bedroom and bathroom walls were streaked with blood. Priscilla herself was found in her bathtub with her hands bound behind her back. Her beloved Jack Russell terrier, Gucci, was found stabbed to death by her side. Both of their bodies were covered in green paint - which Priscilla had recently used to paint her walls. 

Several years have passed since Priscilla's murder, but it still remains unsolved. No suspects or persons of interest have ever been publicly announced.

Full story: The Murder of Priscilla Pimental. 


The Disappearance of Lucero 'Princess' Sarabia.










Date:
November 26th, 2004

Age at disappearance: 21

Last seen in: San Antonio, TX.

Details:

On the evening of November 25th, 2004, Lucero 'Princess' Sarabia attended a Thanksgiving party on Babcock Road in San Antonio, Texas. Princess got into an altercation with another female guest during the gathering and was asked subsequently asked to leave. A man named Richard Chabes Jr. offered Princess a ride, which she accepted.

Around 2:00 AM, Princess called her mother and told her that she was at Chabes' apartment and that he was going to drive her home sometime soon. Unfortunately, she never returned home, and her family never heard from her again. Chabes later told police that Princess decided to walk home instead of accepting a ride. However, there does not appear to be any evidence that verifies Chabes' version of events. 

Princess was eight months pregnant at the time of her disappearance. Her loved ones have never believed that she vanished voluntarily. Despite the suspicious circumstances surrounding Chabes, he has never been publicly labeled as a suspect in Princess' disappearance.

Full story: The Disappearance of Lucero 'Princess' Sarabia.


Wednesday, November 27, 2024

The Disappearance of Lucero Sarabia

Image result for lucero sarabia

Lucero "Princess" Sarabia has been missing since November 26, 2004. At the time of her disappearance, the 21-year-old woman was eight months pregnant. Before she vanished, Princess attended a Thanksgiving party at the San Antonio, Texas, home of her ex-girlfriend's cousin. During the gathering, she got into an altercation with another female guest and was subsequently asked to leave.

A man that Princess met at the party named Richard Anthony Chabes Jr. offered to give her a ride home, which she accepted. Around 2:00 AM, Princess called her mother and told her that she was at Chabes' apartment and that he was going to drive her home sometime soon. Unfortunately, Princess never returned home and has never been seen or heard from again. 

Family members reported Princess missing later that day, prompting police to question Chabes. He told investigators that around 6:00 AM, Princess chose to walk home from his apartment—located about a mile and a half from her house—instead of accepting a ride. Just a few days later, Chabes abruptly packed his belongings and moved out of the apartment. 

When investigators searched the premises, they discovered blood on the walls and carpet. However, the amount of blood was insufficient to suggest a fatal injury. It remains unclear if forensic testing was conducted on the blood. Despite these findings, Chabes has never been publicly labeled as a suspect by police. Some reports state that he has been cleared of suspicion, but a reasoning for this has not been provided. 

At the time of her disappearance, Princess was married but living with her parents, as she was separated from her husband, John Albert Reeves Jr. The couple had two children together, and Princess was pregnant with their third child when she went missing. Despite their separation, reports indicate that Princess and John were still seeing each other. However, it does not appear that John is considered a suspect or person of interest in her disappearance at this time.

Lucero 'Princess' Sarabia remains missing today. The San Antonio Police are investigating her disappearance. If you have any information that could lead to her whereabouts, please contact 210-207-7660.

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Sources:

Sunday, November 24, 2024

The Murder of Milana Li

 

Milana Li was only 13 years-old when she was found deceased near her family's Beaverton, Oregon home on May 10th, 2022. The young girl was last seen alive on May 8th. Milana left her home around 4:00 PM that afternoon to take a walk along the Westside Regional Trail to Barrows Park. Milana regularly walked this route and was typically only gone for half an hour to an hour. When she did not return for her 8:00 PM curfew, her family members began to worry. Milana was reported missing the following day.

Milana and her family are originally from Kazakhstan. The family moved to Beaverton a few years before Milana's untimely death. Milana's mother lives full time in Beaverton with their children, while Milana's father travels back and forth between Beaverton and Kazakhstan, where he runs a business. Members of the community in Beaverton described Milana and a quiet and sweet young girl. When she was first reported missing, police classified her as a runaway-despite the fact that she has no history of such behavior. 

Shortly after 2:00 PM on May 10th, police received a call about "suspicious circumstances" in a small stream at Westside Linear Park. When officers responded the scene, they found the body of a young girl in the water. A short time later, the young girl was identified as Milana Li. 

An autopsy determined that Milana died by homicide. Police initially remained quiet about the investigation but maintained that there was no threat to the community. Still, Milana's death was both devastating and shocking to the people of Beaverton. That shock was amplified days later, when it was revealed that another teenager had been arrested and charged with Milana's murder.


The suspect: Daniel Ryan Gore.



On May 21st, 2022, it was announced that Daniel Ryan Gore was arrested and charged with Milana's murder. Gore was only 16 years-old at the time of the killing, but prosecutors quickly decided to try him as an adult. Gore has a criminal history dating back to 2020. He is currently facing second-degree theft, second-degree arson, and criminal mischief charges in an unrelated case.

In February 2022, Gore violated his probation. Prosecutors recommended that he be held in a juvenile detention center since he had already run away from two different shelters for minors with pending criminal charges. However, the judge ultimately decided to allow Gore to live with his father and stepmother in Salem. He ran away two weeks after this ruling.

In April 2022, Gore's father told Salem authorities that he believed his son was in Beaverton. For unclear reasons, those authorities failed to notify the Beaverton police. Gore's whereabouts remained unknown until his arrest for Milana's murder.

At the time of his arrest, police did not release information on how they tied Gore to Milana's case. Per the prosecution's request, the judge sealed the probable cause affidavit. It wasn't until Gore's 2024 trial that more details about the events leading up to Milana's murder were revealed.

November 2024: Gore's trial.

During Gore's trial, District Attorney John Gerhard told the jury that Gore was a teenage runaway who "worshipped gory music and serial killers." However, Gerhard noted the obsession with such things is not what drove Gore to kill. Instead, it was his own "dark decisions." 

“It was his choice to take a vulnerable girl who trusted him and followed him into the woods," Gerhard told the jury. It was noted that, during May of 2022, Milana was trying to become friends with an older crowd when she met Gore. As previously noted, Gore had run away from his father's home in Salem back in February of 2022. At the time Milana and Gore became acquainted, Gore was living in a tent in a wooded area near Progress Ridge.
 
Milana and Gore agreed to meet up on the afternoon of May 8th. According to testimony/evidence presented at trial, the two spent that afternoon "aimlessly riding buses up and down Southwest Scholls Ferry Road" before Gore led Milana to a secluded area near his tent where he raped her and strangled her to death. 

Gore's defense attorneys argued that Milana's sexual encounter with Gore was consensual, and there was otherwise no other evidence that Gore killed her. The jury ultimately sided with the prosecution and found him guilty of first-degree murder. 

Gore is due to be sentenced on December 2nd, 2024. 

Sources:

Sunday, November 10, 2024

The Disappearance of Winter Angel Rose Parks

 

Winter Angel Rose Parks has been missing since 2009. The then-22-year-old was last known to be in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The last confirmed communications from Winter occurred on July 29th, 2009; she contacted both Tulsa Police and her mother that day. The exact date of her disappearance is unclear, but it appears that her family members have not seen or heard from her since the summer of 2009.

Winter was homeless at the time of her disappearance. She frequented the Day Center in the 400 block of west Archer Street but was also known to stay at other shelters in the Tulsa area. Winter was also receiving Social Security disability benefits due to being deaf. The last known activity on her Social Security account occurred in September 2009. The account has since been inactive.

There are very few additional details available about Winter's disappearance. News about her case has been minimal. Several years have passed without any sign of Winter; her disappearance is considered a cold case.

If you have any information that could help solve Winter's disappearance, please contact the Tulsa Police Department at 918-596-9183.

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Sources:
Charley Project
Oklahoma Cold Cases
Tulsa Police Department
Uncovered

Saturday, November 2, 2024

The Disappearance of Anastasia Ferriera

 

Anastasia Ferriera has been missing since March 2023. The then-19-year-old was last seen in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Reports state that Anastasia's phone last pinged in the 8000 block of Central Avenue Northeast on March 16th, 2023. She has never been seen or heard from again.

According to Charley Project, Anastasia attended a party on Charleston Street on the evening of March 15th, 2023. At some point, an argument broke out and Anastasia was asked to leave. Her phone pinged for the final time the next day. Anastasia's social media accounts also seemingly went silent as well.

In July 2024, the Missing People in America blog shared a missing persons' flyer about Anastasia's case. The flyer says "Anastasia was 19 when she went missing, she was meeting with a man she knew, as text messages showed they were meeting up. She has not been seen or heard from since." 

Source: Missing People in America

There is no further information about this man. The post does not elaborate on whether or not Anastasia planned to meet up with the man at the party on March 15th, or on the following day when her phone pinged for the final time. There are very few additional details available about Anastasia's case.

Anastasia remains missing today. If you have any information that could lead to her whereabouts, please contact the Albuquerque Police Department at 505-768-2020.



Sunday, October 13, 2024

The Disappearance and Murder of Keisha Roman

 

Keisha Roman vanished at the age of 29 on March 22nd, 2009. The young woman was last seen at her residence in Binghamton, New York. Months later, on September 21st, 2009, Keisha's remains were found in a rural area in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. Her death was ruled a homicide.

According to a memorial page for Keisha on FindaGrave.com, she faced legal challenges in the years leading up to her death. In 1996, she was sentenced to eight years in prison for manslaughter but was released in 2000 after serving just four. Following her release, Keisha briefly pursued acting, landing a role in the 2003 indie film Summers of Tomorrow. However, her legal troubles resurfaced a few years later, and she was arrested again in 2007 on various charges.

The events leading up to Keisha's disappearance are unknown. The Binghamton Police note that Keisha was "reported missing from her Oak Street residence in the City of Binghamton." After Keisha was reported missing, her case seemingly went cold until her remains were found several months later.

Keisha's remains were discovered in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, approximately 20 miles from Binghamton, near the New York state border. Because her body was found in Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania State Police took over as the lead agency in the investigation. Just days after the discovery, police confirmed that Keisha had been a victim of homicide.

Years later, her murder remains unsolved. There is scarce information about Keisha's life before she disappeared. According to her memorial page, she was married at the time of her disappearance and is survived by a son. Beyond that, there has been minimal coverage on Keisha's case.

If you have any information that may help solve Keisha's homicide, please contact the Pennsylvania State Police - Gibson at (570) 465-3154 or submit a tip with the Binghamton Police.

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Sources: