Sunday, January 26, 2020

The Disappearance of Rachel Mellon Skemp

Rachel Mellon Skemp was only 13 years old when she disappeared from her family’s Bolingbrook, Illinois home on January 31st, 1996. On that day, Rachel stayed home from school because she had a sore throat. She was kept company by her unemployed...

Rachel Mellon Skemp was only 13 years old when she disappeared from her family’s Bolingbrook, Illinois home on January 31st, 1996. On that day, Rachel stayed home from school because she had a sore throat. She was kept company by her unemployed stepfather, Vince Mellon. 
According to Vince, he and Rachel played video games together during the early afternoon before Rachel decided to take a nap. Vince then decided to take their family dog for a walk in subzero temperatures. He left the door unlocked while he was gone. The dog apparently escaped from his leash during the walk, which caused Vince to be gone longer than he intended to be. When he finally did return home, he reportedly did not check on Rachel.
Around 3:15pm, Rachel’s half-sister returned home from school and realized Rachel was not in her room. Around 5pm, Rachel’s mother returned home from work and learned from her daughter that Rachel, who was too sick to go to school that day, wasn’t home. Bolingbrook police were called around 6:00pm, but since Rachel ran away once before the previous summer, they did not begin investigating until the following morning. It was then that the police officers discovered that Rachel’s blanket and pillows were missing from her bed. However, those were the only items missing. 
Despite the fact that temperatures were far below freezing at the time of Rachel’s disappearance, her winter coat and corresponding winter gear were still inside the house. Police also located Rachel’s diary, which had an entry where she had written about how her step father Vince, the man who had been a parent to her since was a toddler, had kissed her on the mouth and touched her inappropriately. Other than these findings, police did not find any evidence of a crime scene or any information on Rachel’s whereabouts.
Vince has been a long time suspect in Rachel’s disappearance. He had scratches on his body after her disappearance which he blamed on injuries he got while repairing his car. He also has a long record for domestic violence and he has failed lie detector tests in connection with Rachel’s disappearance. Four years after she vanished, in January of 2000, a grand jury convened. Vince repeatedly plead the fifth during his questioning. Ultimately, no indictments were handed down.
Rachel remains missing today. Sometime after 1996, her family left Illinois and moved to Tennessee—which is where they were living when the grand jury began to investigate. Ironically, the police officer who was involved in arranging the grand jury was Drew Peterson, who later went on to be convicted of murder himself. (you can read about his cases here.) There are now other detectives in charge of Rachel’s case. If you have any information about her disappearance/whereabouts, please contact the Bolingbrook police department at (630) 226-8600.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

The Disappearance of Elaine Park


20 year-old Elaine Park disappeared on January 28th, 2017
On the night prior to her disappearance, Elaine slept at her ex-boyfriend’s home in Calabasas, CA. On the morning of her disappearance, Elaine’s ex-boyfriend said that she had abruptly woken up that morning and appeared to be in “some sort of panic.” Surveillance footage shows her leaving her ex-boyfriend’s home at 6:05am. Elaine has not been seen or heard from since.
On February 2nd, Elaine’s car was found on Pacific Coast Highway, just south of Corral Canyon Road in Malibu. The doors were unlocked, the keys were in the ignition and her backpack, phone, computer and cash were inside the car. There were no signs of a struggle at the scene, however, there was no sign of Elaine either–and her whereabouts are still unknown. 
Police say that Elaine’s ex-boyfriend and his family have been cooperative in the investigation and that there is currently no reason to suspect that they are involved in her disappearance.
There is currently a $500,000 reward for any information about Elaine and her disappearance. If you have any information, please visit here.
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Monday, January 20, 2020

The Disappearance of Jessica Garino


Jessica Lynn Garino disappeared at the age of 21 on January 23rd, 2012. She was last seen at her home Goldsboro, North Carolina. Jessica had moved to Goldsboro from Unicoi, Tennessee in December 2011. According to her family members, Jessica moved to North Carolina to get clean and have a fresh start.

However, one of Jessica's roommates in North Carolina was a heroin dealer. Additionally, she was dating a 52-year-old man named Carson Cameron, who was a known drug user as well. Despite this, Jessica's family believed she had every intention of getting clean, as she was committed to her outpatient treatment program. 

On the day she vanished, Jessica was seen at the drug rehabilitation center. Jessica also spoke to her sister on the phone that day, and she promised that she would call her again in a week after she got paid. Unfortunately, Jessica never got back in touch with her family. 

After weeks of not hearing from her, Jessica’s family reported her missing in Tennessee. The Tennessee authorities lead the case to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations. Those authorities interviewed Jessica’s boyfriend Carson, and her roommates as well.

Carson told investigators that Jessica abruptly left in the middle of the night and never returned. Jessica’s roommates, on the other hand, told a very different story. They told investigators that both Carson and Jessica were both gone for a few days, but Carson eventually returned alone.

A month after Jessica vanished, records revealed that her food stamp card was used in South Carolina. Her family members do not believe it was Jessica herself who used the card. Other than that, investigators have received very few leads about Jessica’s case. Carson Cameron has stopped cooperating with investigators. He has since been arrested on other unrelated charges, but still refused to speak about Jessica even while in police custody. 
Jessica remains missing today and both North Carolina and Tennessee authorities are investigation her case. If you have any information that could lead to her whereabouts, please contact the Wayne County, North Carolina Sheriff’s Office at 919-580-4065 and/or the Erwin, Tennessee Police Department at 423-330-4604.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

The Disappearance of Dulce Alvarez


Dulce Alvarez vanished from a playground in Bridgeton, New Jersey on September 16th, 2019. The 5 year-old little girl was spending the day with her mother and siblings. In the image below, Dulce is seen inside a local ice cream shop. Her mother bought Dulce and her siblings ice cream before stopping by the park where she was last seen. 


Once at the park, Dulce and her 3 year-old brother went to play on the swings while their mother waited in the car with their 8 year-old sister. A short time later, the 3 year-old boy returned to the car in tears, saying that he could not find Dulce. After briefly searching the park, their mother called 911 to report Dulce missing. 

Police then issued an Amber Alert, and asked local residences to be on the lookout for a man who they thought might have taken Dulce away in a van. However, police later announced that the man was just somebody they wished to interview. In October 2019, a sketch was released of the man, who was reportedly seen at the park with two children under the age of 5 around the same time Dulce vanished.

Dulce Alavez sketch

Many searches have been conducted in the park and in the surrounding areas, but unfortunately no trace of Dulce has been found. In January 2019, police announced that they have made "significant progress" in the investigation, but did not elaborate any further. Dulce still remains missing today, and there is a $75,000 reward in place for information that could lead to her return.

If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the New Jersey State Police Missing Persons Unit at 609-882-2000, ext. 2554, or the Bridgeton police at 856-451-0033. 
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Tuesday, January 14, 2020

The Disappearance & Death of Harley Dilly


Harley Dilly has been missing since December 20th, 2019. The 14 year-old boy vanished after leaving his family's Port Clinton, Ohio home to walk to school. The surveillance image on the right was captured between 6am and 7am on the morning of Harley's disappearance. This is the last known sighting of Harley. He never arrived at school and has not been seen or heard from again. 

The search for Harley has been widespread. Law enforcement agencies have reportedly searched approximately 150 acres surrounding the area where Harley was last seen. The searches included canine search & rescue teams and helicopters, but unfortunately no significant clues were found. However, investigators did state that they did not find any evidence that Harley was abducted. Investigators also initially stated that they were treating Harley's disappearance as a runaway, but they are still concerned for his safety. 

At this time, there has been very little information shared about why investigators think Harley might have run away. Harley's mother reportedly told police that Harley asked if he could stay home from school that morning because he was not feeling well, but she denied his request. Still, it is unclear if that would prompt Harley to not return home.

Since his disappearance, Harley's family members have made numerous public pleas for Harley's safe return. An official statement from the family appealed to Harley directly by stating, "Harley if you hear/read this, please come home we miss you, your family misses you. You are not in trouble. We love you." 

There is a $7000 reward being offered for information that could lead to Harley's safe return. If you have any information, please contact the Port Clinton Police Department at (419)-734-312.
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UPDATE (1/14/20): Harley's body has been found.

Police stated that they searched a vacant house in Port Clinton, where they found his jacket and glasses on the second floor. From there, police searched the chimney, where they found Harley's body. It is believed that Harley got trapped into the chimney on accident, however police have not stated why they think he entered the chimney. The investigation is ongoing. 

Rest in peace, Harley.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

The Disappearance & Presumed Murder of Aranda Briones

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16 year-old Aranda Briones has been missing since January 13th, 2019. The teen left her Moreno Valley, California home that day after telling her family that she was going to spend the day with a male friend from school. Aranda never returned home that evening and has not been seen or heard from again. The male friend (who was later identified as 18 year-old Owen Shover) stated that he dropped Aranda off at Moreno Valley Community Park between 6 and 6:30pm. However, investigators looked at footage of the park, and Aranda was not seen at any point that day. Additionally, the male friend said that he saw Aranda get into a four-door grey sedan. Aranda’s family reportedly does not know anybody with a car of that description, and said car was not seen on the park’s surveillance footage either.

According to Aranda’s brother, her Snapchat map feature placed her phone at a completely different location on the evening of January 13th. A female friend reportedly told Aranda’s family that she noticed Aranda’s Snapchat was showing her in Rubidoux that evening. When the friend texted Aranda to ask what she was doing there, Aranda’s phone was abruptly shut off. The phone has not been turned on again.

The investigation into Aranda’s disappearance has picked up quickly. Moreno Valley police began investigating a day after she was last seen. Shortly thereafter, the FBI and Riverside County sheriff’s human trafficking task force have joined the search. Investigators did not initially reveal the name of the male friend Aranda was last seen with, but it was clear from the very beginning that Aranda’s family is suspicious of his story.

A few weeks later, the male friend was identified. Two brothers named Gary Shover (21) and Owen Shover (18) were arrested and charged with Aranda’s murder. At that point, Owen was identified as the friend who told police that he dropped Aranda off at Moreno Valley Community Park the day she was last seen. At this time, investigators have not released a motive and Aranda’s body has still not been found. The FBI has made it clear that the investigation is still ongoing, and they are still encouraging anybody with information to contact them.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

The Disappearance of Nathaniel Holmes

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Nathaniel Holmes has been missing since December 19th, 2017. The 17-year-old was last seen at his high school in Westminster, Colorado. Nathaniel had only been attending the high school for five weeks at the time, but according to his father Ben Holmes, he had already gotten into trouble quite a bit. Ben stated that Nathaniel appeared to be "on something" when he returned from school the day before his disappearance. Since Ben had to work, Nathaniel was sent to his mother's house so he could be monitored. 

His mother dropped him off at school the following morning, but he never attended his classes. Nathaniel instead went to the principal's office and asked to speak with a friend. The principal denied his request to call the friend out of class, and Nathaniel left the building after that. He called his mother and told her that he was going to a friend of his father's house and did not need to be picked up. Nathaniel has never been seen or heard from again.

Authorities believe Nathaniel left on his own accord. Still, Nathaniel's family members say that his disappearance is completely out of character. He left behind many personal items, including his iPad. It is unclear where Nathaniel was actually headed after he left his school. Investigators said that there is no evidence of foul play, but clues about what actually did happen have been far and few in between.

There is a $10,000 reward in place for anyone with information about Nathaniel's disappearance. If you have information that could help the investigation, please contact the Westminster police at 303-658-4360.


The Disappearance of Jared Chavis

19-year-old Jared Chavis, circa 2017.

Jared uploaded the picture on the left to his Facebook page on December 26th, 2017. He was going through an exciting time in his life at this point—he had recently completed ten months in the Air Force and was now pursuing work as a technician. Jared also had recently relocated from his hometown in Louisiana to Houston, Texas. He moved in with his father’s niece and began to search for work opportunities in the Houston area. By all accounts, it appeared that Jared’s future was headed in a positive direction. With all of this in mind, Jared’s family and friends were shocked to learn that Jared seemingly vanished into thin air on January 12th, 2018.
On the evening Jared was last seen, he spoke to his mother on the phone around 9pm. Less than two hours later, Jared was last seen getting into vehicle at the 8800 block of Westheimer Road in Houston. The car was driven by a man known only by the nickname ‘Bolt Suave’. According to police, Jared was riding in the back seat of the car, and he got into an argument with ‘Bolt Suave’ at some point during the drive. The verbal argument eventually escalated to shots being fired. Witnesses told police that Jared never exited the vehicle. He has never been seen or heard from again. ‘Bolt Suave’ has allegedly been on the run ever since the incident occurred.
Investigators have not commented on whether or not Jared was wounded or killed by the gunfire that occurred in the car. They are also remaining silent about other details of the case in order to protect the investigation. However, ‘Bolt Suave’ has been named as a person of interest in the case and police are actively looking for both him and Jared.
A $10000 reward is being offered for any information that could help the case. If you have any information that could lead to their whereabouts, please contact the Houston Police Department at 832-394-1840.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

List Series: Missing Person Cold Cases Classified as Runaways

An estimated 1.6-2.8 million teenagers in the United States run away from home each year. (source) There are a variety of different reasons a teenager might run away, and there are also many various dangers that teenagers face upon running away. Still, statistics show that most teens do return home--about 77% percent return within one week, and approximately only 7% of teens are missing for longer than a month. (source) There is always cause for concern when a teenager runs away, and when a runaway is gone for a prolonged period of time, those concerns intensify. There are certain cases where authorities reclassify a case labeled as a runaway to an endangered missing person. However, there are still numerous cases in which the runaway classification is maintained--even if the person has been missing without a trace for a prolonged period of time. Below is a list of seven such cases that are still classified as runaways, despite the fact that they have been missing for years.

7. Angel Wilson

Angel Wilson vanished at the age of 17 on August 10th, 2007. The teen lived in Spokane, Washington, and she was reportedly a habitual runaway since the age of 13. Angel dropped out of high school her sophomore year. While her father had custody of her, he stated that Angel rarely ever stayed at his home--instead, she opted to stay with friends...but she never stayed in the same place for long. When she turned 17, Angel's father granted her permission to marry a 21 year-old named Will Wilson. She moved into Will's house after getting married, but the couple often argued about Angel's alleged drug use. On the day Angel was last seen, Will reportedly caught her smoking methamphetamine inside their home. Will then gave her an ultimatum to quit using drugs or their relationship with end. This angered Angel, and she reportedly stormed out of the house. Will awoke the following morning and found her wedding ring on a nightstand. She has never been seen or heard from again.

Due to the fact that Angel was a habitual runaway, it is easy to understand why authorities classified her as such this time. However, there has not been a single trace of her for over a decade. In the past, Angel always returned home or at least stayed in touch with friends. While she might have left her home on her own accord, it does not seem likely that she has purposely stayed away after all this time. Angel's disappearance remains unsolved. [read more]

6. Adrianna Garcia

Adrianna Garcia was only 15 years old when she vanished without a trace on December 29th, 2004. That day, Adrianna left her family’s Tulsa, Oklahoma home to walk to a friend’s home that was located several miles away. She never arrived at her friend’s house and has never been seen or heard from again. Police classified Adrianna as a runaway, even though she had no prior history of running away. Her family members do not believe she would voluntarily leave; they stated that she had a happy home life and was close to her siblings. 

It is unclear why police would label Adrianna as a runaway. Over 15 years have passed, and police have yet to comment on their reasoning behind classifying her as such. Adrianna is still labeled as a runaway to this day, and her case remains unsolved. [read more]

5. Heather Lewis

Heather Lewis vanished at the age of 13 on April 4th, 2003. The young teen was last seen at her middle school in Ely, Nevada. Heather was sent home from school that day after she got suspended for having cigarettes in her possession. After leaving the building, Heather never made it home and has never been seen or heard from again.

Both Heather's family members and authorities believed she ran away from the get-go. Heather and her mother were having trouble getting along at the time and she was reportedly unhappy at home. However, it appears Heather intended to have a completely normal day on the day she disappeared. She left the house with only her school items, and none of her friends were able to provide information about where Heather might have gone. Since years and years have passed since Heather was last seen, her family members now believe she came to harm after running away. Despite this, she is still classified as a runaway and her disappearance remains unsolved today. [read more]

4. Sophie Reeder
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Sophie Reeder has been missing since May 19th, 2017. The 15 year-old left her residence in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that evening and never returned.  The last known sighting of her was captured by surveillance cameras on West Davie boulevard around 10pm that evening. Sophie was never seen or heard from again after that.

Sophie has been classified as a runaway, however the authorities worry she may have been a victim of human trafficking or an online predator. She ran away once before, but was only gone for a day. This time around, Sophie left behind all of her belongings and there has not been any activity on her mobile devices since the day she disappeared. Investigators were able to search Sophie’s computer after she vanished; it was there that they found evidence that she may have fallen victim to human traffickers or an online predator. However, investigators have not elaborated on said evidence and there are very few other details on what exactly they found on her computer.

Despite the belief that Sophie fell victim to trafficking, authorities still classify her as a runaway to this day. Her disappearance remains unsolved. [read more]

3. Andrew Mayorga
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Andrew Mayorga was in the midst of moving across the country when he vanished on January 4th, 2007. The 17 year-old previously lived with his mother in Washington state, but during late December 2006/early January 2007, Andrew began traveling towards Louisiana--where he planned to live with his grandmother. During his trip he decided to stop in San Antonio, Texas to stay with a man known as the family's "honorary grandfather" during the holiday season. During his stay in San Antonio, Andrew worked for this man at his law firm. 

The "honorary grandfather" reportedly went to check on Andrew on the evening of January 3rd, and noticed he was not in his bed. However, many of his personal items and his pet dog were still at the home. Once Andrew was reported missing, authorities determined that he was last seen the following morning around 7:30am, standing on a corner near Travis Park. This is the last confirmed sighting of him. 

Despite the strange circumstances surrounding his disappearance, authorities classified Andrew as a runaway. There was a theory put forth that he might have met somebody on MySpace--but before authorities were able to search the computer Andrew was using, the 'honorary grandfather' threw the computer away. While this seems suspicious, authorities have still not labeled this man as a suspect and have continued to label Andrew as a runaway.  His case remains unsolved today. [read more

2. Ciara Stacho
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16 year old Ciara Stacho has been missing since August 7th, 2015. She was a frequent runaway and authorities believe that she left on her own accord. Ciara had actually run away from her Inkster, Michigan home weeks earlier, but had been keeping in touch with her loved ones and updating her social media pages regularly. In fact, in early August, Ciara texted her mother to tell her that she was ready to come home. Her mother was excited for her daughter’s return, but Ciara never showed up as planned. All additional contact between Ciara and her loved ones ceased on August 7th, 2015. This was also the last time that Ciara accessed her social media pages.

Although Ciara had a history of running away, she has never gone this long without contacting her family members or friends. There have been no credible sightings of her since her disappearance. Despite this, Ciara's status still remains as a runaway, and her case remains unsolved. [read more]

1. Nachida Chandara

Nachida Chandara has been missing since March 14th, 2007. She was only 15 years old at the time she was reported missing, and there are very few details about available about the circumstances around her disappearance. What is known is that Nachida was last seen at her family’s home in Phoenix, Arizona the day disappeared. She left her home sometime after 10pm, and never returned again. After she was reported missing, authorities classified Nachida as a runaway.

Two months later, in May 2007, investigators were somehow able to verify that Nachida was in Detroit, Michigan. She was believed to be using the name Lisa Tran as an alias. It is unclear how investigators received this information, and there have not been any other known sightings of her since May 2007. Over a decade has passed since Nachida was last seen, but she is still classified as a runaway. Her case remains unsolved. [read more]

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

The Murder of Damaris Reyes Rivas


Damaris Reyes Rivas (pictured left) was only 15 years-old when she was brutally murdered by a group of MS-13 gang members on January 8th, 2017Venus Romero Iraheta (pictured right) was one of the 10 gang members who participated in the attack. She was only 17 years-old at the time. Damaris lived in Gaithersburg, Maryland prior to her death, however she was killed in Springfield, Virginia. 
Damaris’ murder is believed to be motivated by the December 2016 murder of 21-year-old Christian Sosa Rivas. Christian was Venus’ boyfriend, and he referred to himself as the leader of his MS-13 clique, known as the Harrison Clique. At some point before his death, Christian reportedly angered members of two other MS-13 cliques: the Coronados and the Via Satellites.
It is believed that the leaders of those cliques were angry about Christian falsely claiming his title as a gang leader. On the day of Christian’s murder, Damaris allegedly texted him and asked him to meet her at a park in Dumfries, Virginia. Damaris herself was actually not at the park, though. Instead, a group of gang members from the other cliques met Christian there and proceeded to attack him. 
On the day Damaris was murdered, she was asked to meet Venus and the others at Lake Accotink Park in Springfield. Damaris thought they were meeting to smoke marijuana, but when she showed up, she was ambushed by the group of gang members from Christian’s clique, all ranging from ages 15 to 21. 
A series of cell phone videos revealed that they tortured and interrogated Damaris for several minutes. One video shows Damaris being forced to stand naked in the 21-degree weather, while another video shows Damaris laying in a pile of leaves in her own blood.
Venus was the main assailant in the attack. She admitted to investigators that she said “see you in fucking hell” before she stabbed Damaris 13 times. Damaris was then left to die; she unfortunately succumbed to her injuries around 20 minutes later. 
Other MS-13 gang members went back to the park to retrieve her body, and they eventually dumped her in a puddle near an industrial park. Damaris’ body was found about a month later.
All of the 10 people involved in Damaris’ murder have been convicted. Venus was most recently sentenced; she received 40 years in prison. She offered an apology at her sentencing, stating, “I know I made the biggest mistake of my life. I am sorry.”

The Disappearance of Christina Voltaire

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22-year-old Christina Voltaire vanished during the evening of January 8th, 2011. She was last seen at her apartment in Winter Haven, Florida, where she lived while she was studying nuclear medicine at Keiser University. Christina lived by herself at the apartment, but she knew at least one other person who lived at the complex: Charles Pierre-Gilles. Charles is also the brother of Christina’s ex-boyfriend Dieuseul Pierre-Gilles.
On the day Christina vanished, Charles’ car broke down so he asked Christina if he could borrow hers. Christina agreed, and Charles went to her apartment to get her keys. When he got there, Charles said that Christina was laying on her bed in a black robe and doing homework. She didn’t speak of any plans to go out that night—in fact, Christina told Charles that she wasn’t feeling well. 
However, when Charles returned to her apartment 45 minutes later, Christina was gone. The robe she was wearing was left lying on the bed and there were no signs of a struggle in the apartment. Charles thought that she had just stepped out for a minute, and he decided to wait for her. After hours passed with no sign of her, Charles reported Christina missing.
Charles was very cooperative throughout the investigation. Christina’s ex/Charles's brother Dieuseul, on the other hand, refused to speak with investigators and immediately hired a lawyer. Dieuseul did speak to the media, though. He told reporters that he and Christina had broken up almost a year earlier, after he found out that he wasn’t the father of her infant daughter. Her daughter unfortunately passed away of undetermined causes around the time they broke up.
Police have not named any persons of interest in Christina’s disappearance. Prior to vanishing, Christina told her father that Dieuseul was aggressive, and she was afraid of him. Christina’s mother stated that she felt Christina had to choose between Dieuseul and Charles, however Charles denies having a romantic relationship with her.
Christina remains missing today. The investigation into her disappearance is still open. If you have any information that could help lead to her whereabouts, please contact the Winter Haven Police Department at 863-291-5858.

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Sources:
Charley Project
Forumotion
Lakeland Ledger, (2)

Sunday, January 5, 2020

The Disappearance of Nancy Bromet


Nancy Bromet has been missing since November of 2015. The 37-year-old woman was going through some major changes in her life at the time of her disappearance, and many of those changes were documented on her Facebook page. Nancy made the image on the left her Facebook profile picture on November 3rd, 2015. Just two days later, she updated her relationship status to "in a relationship." 

Though the page does not state the name of the person she was in a relationship with, her family and friends have confirmed that the man in question was a truck driver named Jesus Julio Cruz. That same day, Nancy also posted that she had moved from Sunrise, Florida to Bakersfield, California. 

According to Nancy's family members, Nancy and Cruz actually left Florida to travel to California on November 12th, 2015. The couple left Nancy's father's house that morning. Nancy has never been seen by her family members again. 

Nancy reportedly did not have a cell phone of her own at the time, so she communicated with her family through Cruz's phone. Nancy's last known communication with her family occurred on November 17th, 2015 - when she reportedly called her sister and indicated that she was in distress. After that call, Nancy's father spoke to Cruz and said that he would buy Nancy a plane ticket home if Cruz dropped her off at the airport. 

Upon hearing that suggestion, Nancy was heard asking Cruz "well, what do you think?" before the phone call dropped. When Nancy's father called back later, Cruz told him that Nancy was asleep. She never contacted her family again after that call.

Cruz later told Nancy's family members that they arrived in California on November 19th, 2015. He explained that on the following day, he dropped Nancy off at a shopping center in El Centro so she could buy groceries while he made deliveries in his truck. Cruz stated that when he returned to the shopping center two hours later, Nancy was nowhere to be found. Her family members reported her missing two days later, on November 22nd.

It is uncharacteristic for Nancy to be out-of-touch with her family members for this long, and her loved ones are suspicious about Cruz's version of events. Although Cruz said that Nancy was last seen in El Centro, her family members are questioning whether or not she ever made it to California at all. Still, the El Centro police are in charge of investigating Nancy's disappearance. If you have any information that could lead to her whereabouts, please contact the authorities at 760-352-2111.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

The Disappearance of Andrew Mayorga


Andrew Mayorga was only 17 years-old when he vanished on January 4th, 2007. Around the time of his disappearance, Andrew was going through some major changes in his life. He had been living in Washington state with his mother, but recently decided to move to Louisiana to live with his grandmother. 

On his way across the country, Andrew stopped in San Antonio, Texas to spend the holiday season with a family friend who Andrew referred to as his “honorary grandfather.” That family friend was well known to both Andrew’s mother and grandmother. Both had worked for the man’s law firm in San Antonio, and while Andrew was staying with him, he worked at the law firm as well.

Andrew and his grandmother reportedly spoke on the phone each day since his arrival in San Antonio. The day before he vanished, Andrew’s grandmother decided to drive from Louisiana to San Antonio to come pick him up. Unfortunately, Andrew disappeared before his grandmother arrived. 

The family friend he was staying with told Andrew’s grandmother that he checked Andrew’s bedroom the evening of January 3rd to see if the teen was in bed, and he was not. It is unknown if Andrew left the house through the door or a window. According to San Antonio detective Courtney Weytrich, “it’s unknown how he actually walked away and disappeared from that location.”
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Andrew vanishes suspiciously.

Andrew’s grandmother stated that Andrew left behind “everything that was important to him,” including his wallet, clothing, and even his pet dog. He was spotted for the last time around 7:30 AM on January 4th, standing on the corner of Soledad and Travis near Travis Park; an area he frequented.

Due to the fact that Andrew left all of his important items and his beloved dog at the house where he was staying, it appeared that he intended to return there. He never did and has never been seen or heard from again. Andrew was later reported missing. 

Suspicions about the 'honorary grandfather'.

While working at the 'honorary grandfather's' law firm, Andrew had access to a computer that he also used to access his MySpace page. Andrew’s grandmother was aware of this and suggested that the computer’s hard drive be searched for possible clues. However, before it could be searched, the honorary grandfather threw the computer away. 

While this seems quite suspicious, especially since it is still unclear how Andrew left the man’s house, investigators have not named this man as a suspect. In fact, both investigators and family members have stated that they believe it is possible that Andrew left on his own accord. 

Investigator's runaway theories.

Detective Weytrich put forth a few theories, stating, “we’re thinking that he met somebody ​during his walks downtown. [Or] he met somebody on MySpace, since MySpace was an outlet to other states, other areas. We don’t know if he met somebody, and they provided a plane ticket or a bus ticket to leave San Antonio. Being 17, the airlines and the bus stations will not ID or question you for leaving. You can come and go as you please on the airlines and buses if that’s your choice of transportation.”

For unknown reasons, the honorary grandfather Andrew was staying with in San Antonio has not been publicly identified. Despite the fact that he vanished under seemingly suspicious circumstances, Andrew is still considered a runaway to this day. 

Hope for answers.

Andrew’s family members hope that somebody with potential information could come forward and help bring Andrew home. If you have any information that could help, please contact SAPD’s Missing Persons Unit at 210-207-7660.

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Sources:
Charley Project
Fox San Antonio
KSAT
News 4 San Antonio

The Murder of Blaze Bernstein


Blaze Bernstein (19) was a pre-medical student at University of Pennsylvania when he disappeared in Orange County, California on January 2nd, 2018. At the time of his disappearance, Blaze was spending his winter break from school visiting his family and hometown in southern California. On the evening of the 2nd, Blaze was picked up from his parents’ house by Samuel Woodward (20), an acquaintance Blaze knew from high school. He never returned home that night, and his parents reported him missing after he failed to show up for a dentist appointment on January 3rd.

When investigators questioned Woodward, he told them that after he picked up Blaze, he drove the two of them to a nearby Hobby Lobby parking lot to “catch up.” Later, the two of them drove to Borrego park. Woodward told police that Blaze got out of the car at the park and never returned. He said he waited for Blaze for an hour before driving to his girlfriend’s house. He never heard from Blaze again after that. Police immediately noticed several inconsistencies in Woodward’s story. When questioned about his girlfriend, Woodward apparently could not remember her last name or where she lived—despite the fact that he told police that he went to her house after Blaze’s disappearance. Additionally, Woodward had abrasions on his arms, which he blamed on being in a fight club.

On January 9th, 2018, Blaze’s body was found in Borrego park. He had been stabbed to death. Just a few days later, Woodward was arrested for Blaze’s murder. The arrest came after investigators found DNA evidence that linked him to the crime scene. In fact, certain evidence they found made investigators believe that Woodward had returned to the crime scene days after the murder as well. 

Related image
Samuel Woodward (left) following his arrest.
While investigating the nature of Blaze and Woodward’s relationship, it was revealed that the two were not close friends in high school. They weren’t reportedly enemies either; they just simply didn’t run in the same social circles. However, police found text messages that Blaze sent to two different female friends in June of 2017 that indicated that Woodward had hit on him. Blaze, who was openly gay, seemed happy about this interaction. If Woodward had actually hit on Blaze, investigators found this interesting—because Woodward told had previously investigators that Blaze had kissed him on the lips as they sat in the car on the evening of January 2nd, 2018, and that the kiss was unwanted. Woodward told investigators that he pushed him away and called him derogatory names after that.

After investigating Woodward’s background, police found that he was a member of a Neo-Nazi group called the Atomwaffen Division. The group is described as “relatively small, but incredibly anti-Semitic and hateful.” Since Blaze was both gay and Jewish, the prosecution decided to charge him with a hate crime as well. When the hate crime charges were announced, prosecutors stated that they believe Woodward murdered Blaze because of his sexuality. The Santa Ana district’s attorney announced the enhancement in Samuel’s charges after finding evidence on his cell phone, laptop, and social media accounts that reveal his hateful intentions. The DA also explained that the evidence included “a large number of texts and images that spew hate at every protected group.”  The content is described as very homophobic, misogynistic and anti-semitic.

Samuel currently remains behind bars as he waits further court proceedings. He has pleaded not guilty.