The Disappearance of Keyonna Cole

Keyonna Cole has been missing since February 10th, 2019. The 27 year-old woman lived in Brooksville, Florida prior to her disappearance. She was raising a three year-old son. On the evening of her disappearance, Keyonna was last seen after 11pm, walking down Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard towards Broad Street. She never returned home and has never been seen or heard from again.

Three months before her disappearance, Keyonna was the victim of an attempted homicide at the hands of her ex-boyfriend Dwayne Williams. Williams reportedly attacked and strangled her. Keyonna was 5 months pregnant at the time of the attack, and she unfortunately lost her baby as a result. Williams was arrested after the attack but was released on bond at the time of Keyonna's disappearance. Keyonna was scheduled to attend a deposition regarding the case on February 11th, 2019 but she never showed up. 

Dwayne Williams

According to loved ones, Keyonna was worried about testifying in the case. She was reportedly receiving threats in the weeks leading up to her disappearance. Keyonna's family members believe that Williams has information about her disappearance, but at this time no arrests have been made in the case.

Keyonna's case remains unsolved. If you have any information that could lead to her whereabouts, please go here to submit an anonymous tip.

List Series: Betrayed by Blood Vol. II

As explained in the original 'Betrayed by Blood' list, over 50% of the murder victims each year are killed by someone known to them--such as a significant other, acquaintance, co-worker, etc. Out of the 50% of murder victims killed by someone known to them, almost half of those victims are killed by members of their own family. Below is a list of five more cases in which the victim was killed by a member of their family, and ultimately betrayed by their own blood.

Pamela & Helen Hargan
Reportedly killed by Pamela's daughter/Helen's sister, Megan Hargan

Pamela Hargan (63) and her daughter Helen Hargan (23) were found shot to death in Pamela’s McLean, Virginia home on July 14th, 2017. When their bodies were first discovered by the Fairfax County police, it was believed the deaths were a murder-suicide. In fact, it was originally reported that Helen killed her own mother before turning the gun on herself. However, within days investigators found evidence that suggested that something else happened. Investigators eventually declared that Pamela and Helen had been murdered, and the crime scene had been staged to look like a murder-suicide.

For over a year, investigators did not reveal if Pamela’s older daughter/Helen’s older sister Megan Hargan (35) was a suspect or not. They did, however, reveal that Megan had attempted to make fraudulent wire transfers from Pamela’s financial account on the day of the murders. After several months of investigating, Megan was finally arrested and charged with the murders of her mother and sister in November 2018. Other relatives of the Hargans state that they are not surprised by Megan’s arrest at all. Pamela’s sister Tammy North said that she believes the murders were motivated by money and jealousy. Pamela had recently bought Helen a house that she was preparing to move into before she was killed. Tammy believes that Megan was jealous about this, as she and her 7 year-old daughter could not afford to move out of Pamela’s home.

Megan remains behind bars as the charges are pending. [read more]

MaSarah Ross

MaSarah (pictured left) and her mother, Ronkeya, were both murdered by MaSarah's father, Lester Ross

During 2009, 3 year-old MaSarah Ross lived with her father, Lester Ross, and her stepmother, Sharon Ross in Haines City, Florida. MaSarah's mother/Lester's ex Ronkeya Holmes made plans to pick MaSarah up for a visit on October 18th, 2009. Unbeknownst to Ronkeya, she would not be able to pick up her daughter that day. MaSarah had already been dead for months. Lester had killed her and hid her body inside of a freezer at his home. He told his wife Sharon that MaSarah’s death was an accident, but still reportedly threatened to kill Sharon if she ever told anybody about it. Lester had allegedly been abusive towards Sharon for years and she reportedly feared for her life during this time.

In order to hide the fact that he had murdered his own daughter, Lester decided that he had to kill Ronkeya as well. Before Ronkeya arrived at their home on October 18th, Lester asked Sharon to buy rat poison and melt the pellets on the stove. He then instructed her to mix the rat poison into a bottle of Coke from their refrigerator. Sharon followed Lester’s commands, and then left the Coke bottle on their kitchen counter.

At some point, Lester gave the Coke to Ronkeya. A few hours later, Sharon stumbled upon Lester with Ronkeya’s lifeless body inside his home office. Lester forced Sharon to help him move both Ronkeya and MaSarah’s bodies into his car. He then forced Sharon to drive to an orange grove in Winter Haven to help bury their bodies. Over a year later, in December 2010, Sharon lead authorities to their grave sites. It took over a year for the remains of Ronkeya and MaSarah to be positively identified, but once they were, Lester was indicted on murder charges. In 2015, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. [read more]

Alexus Watkins
Murdered at the age of 20 by her 16 year-old brother, Kevon Watkins

Image source: thecrimejournal.com

Alexus Watkins was murdered by her younger brother, Kevon Watkins, on February 3rd 2018. At the time of the murder, Alexus and Kevon lived with their mother Latoya Watkins in Macon Georgia. Similar to many 16 year-olds, Kevon enjoyed playing online video games. In fact, on the day of the murder, Kevon changed the password to the family's WiFi connection in an attempt to block his siblings and mother from slowing down the internet while he played video games. When Latoya learned this, she unplugged the internet router and took it into her bedroom. Kevon then went to her room to confront his mother.

According to Latoya, it appeared that Kevon was about to hit her--which is when Alexus intervened. Alexus ran into the room and grabbed her brother, and that point, he began to take out his anger on his sister rather than his mother. A struggle ensued between the two, but according to Latoya, it did not seem like a serious fight at first. Then, Kevon began to choke Alexus. Both their younger sibling and Latoya attempted to pull Kevon off Alexus to no avail. Eventually, Latoya called the police. Paramedics attempted to revive Alexus once they arrived, but unfortunately it was too late. She died at the hospital just a few hours later. 

Kevon was arrested on the scene and charged with murder. During the summer of 2019, he waived his right to a jury trial and opted to have a judge hear his testimony instead. His defense attorneys argued that he did not intend to kill Alexus, however the prosecutors argued that he did intentionally choose to put her in a chokehold which resulted in her death. The judge ultimately found Kevon guilty of the murder charges. In August 2019, he was sentenced to life in prison. [read more]

Billy Fretwell

Billy and his mother, Karissa, were both allegedly murdered by Billy's father, Michael Wolfe

Billy Fretwell (3) and his mother, Karissa Fretwell (25) vanished from their home in Salem, Oregon on May 13th, 2019. Concerns for their safety immediately arose, especially because Karissa was in a contentious situation with Billy's father, Michael Wolfe. Karissa and Michael had an affair years earlier that resulted in Karissa getting pregnant with Billy. Michael reportedly wanted Karissa to have an abortion, but she refused. Michael had no plans to leave his wife.

A few months before Billy and Karissa vanished, Karissa sought child support from Michael. A judge granted that request, which Michael was unhappy about. He became an immediate suspect in the disappearances of both Billy and Karissa--and nearly two weeks after they were reported missing, he was arrested and charged with murdering them both. Their remains were found a few weeks later, on June 15th.

Michael remains behind bars as his charges are pending. [read more]

Jamie Haggard
Allegedly murdered by her half-brother, David Haggard

Jamie Haggard (27) vanished in Kenmore, Washington on June 9th, 2016. Two years later, her dismembered remains were found in a suitcase in a wooded area in Snohomish County. Jamie's death was classified as a homicide but no arrests were immediately made.

Over a year later, in October 2019, Jamie's half-brother David Haggard was arrested and charged with her murder. The two reportedly lived together around the time of Jamie's disappearance, and they often argued about their house and drug use. Just days before her disappearance, Jamie told friends that she feared for her life. Another friend reportedly called the police after David allegedly sent him a picture of Jamie tied up in a bathtub. By time the police arrived at the house, Jamie denied that her brother had hurt her and instead blamed it on another roommate in the house.

According to court documents, Jamie and David fought on the morning of her disappearance--and then Jamie's loved ones never saw or heard from her again. Prosecutors believe that David killed Jamie that day before dismembering her and setting her remains on fire. He remains behind bars as the charges are pending. [read more]

The Disappearance of Amaria Hall

Amaria Hall has been missing since July 7th, 2019. Prior to her disappearance, the 16 year-old girl  lived with her family in Trenton, Michigan. Amaria was known by many as a smart and well-rounded teenage girl. She was a good student and involved many extra-curricular activities. However, Amaria also suffered from asthma, anxiety, and other ailments that required her to be on medication. Her health conditions also caused her to miss a fair amount of school, so she was taking online classes to catch up during the summer of 2019. 

Around 3am on the morning of Amara's disappearance, her mother reportedly heard their sliding glass door open and close. Her mother fell back asleep shortly thereafter, but woke up a few hours later to go to church. When Amaria's mother went to wake her up, she was nowhere to be found. Her mother then found a note written by Amaria that said she had run away and did not want to be found. She reportedly brought a bag of clothes and a few pair of shoes with her, but she left her inhaler and other medications behind.

About a month after her disappearance, Amaria called her family. During the call, she said that wanted to come home but she was being prevented from doing so. The line went dead before her family could respond. Amaria has never been seen or heard from again.

Shortly before her disappearance, Amaria received a package from a man in his 40s whom she had met on social media. Her mother believes that this man lured Amaria to run away. Her mother also fears that Amaria has fallen victim to sex trafficking. 

There is a $10,000 reward being offered for anyone with information that could lead to Amaria's whereabouts. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please go here to submit a tip.

The Murder of Delcia Mejia

Delcia Mejia was only 16 years-old when she was murdered inside her family’s Miami, Florida home on September 17th, 2004. The teen was last seen alive by her family the previous evening. Delcia reportedly said goodnight to her mother Delcia Oliva and stepfather Raul Mata around 11pm on September 16th. Delcia’s mother left for work the following morning around 5:30am, but she did not check on Delcia as she believed she was sleeping and did not want to wake her up. Delcia’s stepfather Raul left for the home around 7:45am—he also said that he did not check on Delcia before he left, but he also assumed she was asleep. Raul returned to their home less than two hours later, around 9:15am. At this time, Raul reportedly discovered Delcia’s body in her bed. She had been stabbed to death.

Over a decade has passed since Delcia’s death, and police have not made any arrests in connection with her murder.  However, a detective working the case has stated that Raul is a suspect in the case. He has been reportedly been “extensively questioned”, but he has never been charged with anything related to the case. However, the detective also stated that they are open to exploring other suspects as well. He explained, “even though common sense dictates that we look at [Raul], I don’t want us to be oblivious to anyone else. I don’t want the people out there to focus all of their attention on Mr. Mata. If there is any bit of information out there that will lead us to another individual, I am all ears” Despite this, though, Raul has still not been ruled out.

A murder weapon was never found, but detectives reportedly have DNA that could lead to a suspect. They are hoping that the advancement in DNA technologies could help them identify the killer. Meanwhile, investigators are encouraging anyone with information that could help solve Delcia’s case to contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477) 

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UPDATE (9/27/20): Raul Mata has been arrested and charged with Delcia's murder. The arrest was made after investigators were able to use new technology to match DNA found under Delcia's fingernails to Raul. This type of technology was reportedly not available to investigators back in 2004 when the murder occurred. 

Investigators believe the murder occurred after Raul made several inappropriate sexual advances towards Delcia. He later separated from Delcia's mother and moved to California where he started a new life with a new wife and children. Authorities were able to track Raul down, and he was arrested in California on September 26th, 2020.     

Shortly after his arrest, Raul Mata used a pen to stab himself in the femoral artery. He was transferred to a hospital where he later died from his injuries. 

The Murder of Jonah Golden

Jonah Golden was only 19 years-old when he was shot to death during the early morning hours of April 23rd, 2016. Jonah lived in Jacksonville, Florida, and on the evening of April 22nd, he attended a party at a home in Ortega Farms. Just hours before he went to the party, Jonah posted an ominous message on Facebook, stating: "If today my last day Jus Make Sure I Come Home to You Lord." While it's not believed that Jonah knew that violence would erupt at the party that night, the Facebook post suggests he had a premonition that something bad was going to happen.

The men who threw the party said that they invited around 25 to 30 people, but more and more people started to show up as the night continued. Police were reportedly called to the home three times that night before things turned violent. The initial police calls came from neighbors, who complained about the number of cars parked on their street and the noise level of the party. The police did not break up the party following those calls. The men throwing the party said that they eventually tried to break up the party themselves but were unable to gain control of the situation. Fights began to break out, and around 2:30am, shots began firing. Jonah ended up being shot and killed in the front yard. Another 18 year-old male was shot as well, but survived the injuries. The police were called again, but the shooter(s) fled the scene before the officers arrived.

Months after the shooting, investigators announced that they were searching for a person of interest named Kyon Wilkes (pictured below). Investigators did not elaborate on whether or not they believe Kyon was involved in the shooting, however they did state that they believe he has information about the incident. Now that years have passed since the shooting occurred, it is unclear if investigators still consider Kyon to be a person of interest.

Kyon Wilkes

Jonah's family members are hoping to one day receive answers in his case. They believe that there are individuals who attended that party who have yet to come forward with information. There is an $8000 reward in place for anyone with information that could lead to Jonah's killer. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact 866-945-8477 to submit a tip.

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[Unsolved Party Mysteries Vol. II]
[Unsolved Mysteries with Haunting Social Media Posts]

The Disappearance and Murder of April Parker

April Parker was reported missing in Monticello, New York on May 26th, 2014. Prior to her disappearance, the 31 year-old woman was living on Terry Lane in Monticello. Around two weeks after April was reported missing, skeletonized remains were found in a wooded area behind the Sleepy Hollow apartment complex--not far from April's home. It took over a month for the remains to be identified, but on July 25th, 2014, the remains were positively identified as that of April Parker. Investigators classified her death as a homicide.

An exact cause of death has never been publicly revealed.  However investigators do not believe that April's murder was a random act of violence--they believe she was killed by somebody she knew. Still, no arrests have been made and no suspects have been publicly been identified.

April's murder remains unsolved, and very few details about the investigation are available. If you have any information that could lead to April's killer, please contact 845-791-TIPS (8477) to submit an anonymous tip.

List Series: Runaway Theories Gone Wrong Vol. II

As explained in the original 'Runaway Theories Gone Wrong' list, many children and teens who go missing are runaways. According to statistics, one and seven children between the ages of 10 and 18 will run away at some point. With those statistics being relatively high, many police departments will classify missing children/teens as runaways unless they see evidence that shows otherwise.

Similarly, many adults go missing on their own accord as well. Statistics show that the majority of missing persons cases are solved, and many missing people are found alive. Often times, a missing person will not be classified as endangered due to lack of evidence that something harmful has occurred. Unfortunately, though, there are many cases of both missing children and adults who are mistakenly believed to be missing on their own accord. These cases are often later reclassified as endangered, however by that point, a lot of valuable investigation time has passed. Below is a list of 7 cases of both children and adults who were originally believed to be missing on their own accord. 

Kayann Canfield

Kayann Canfield has been missing since October 21st, 2013. The 24 year-old woman lived in Toppenish, Washington at the time of her disappearance, and she had recently moved into a new place just two weeks before she vanished. Kayann was last seen visiting a friend in Wapato. She reportedly sent a text message to her stepfather and asked him to pick her up. Her stepfather agreed, but a short time later, Kayann sent him another message saying she got a ride from someone else. She never made it home and has never been heard from again. 

Kayann reportedly struggled with drug and alcohol abuse. Due to this, investigators initially stated that they believed she was a 'runaway'. However, Kayann's family members disputed this from the beginning. Her grandmother stated that Kayann would never willingly abandon her son, nor would she stay out-of-touch with her family members. 

On November 5th, 2013, Kayann's mother found clothing that belongs to Kayann in a ditch near the west end of Toppenish. The clothes were freshly washed and clean, and it appeared that they had  recently been dumped in that location. This seemed quite suspicious to investigators, and it ultimately led them to take another look at the case. After a second look, investigators announced that they believe Kayann met with foul play. Her case remains unsolved today. [read more]

Hailey Dunn

Hailey Dunn was only 13 years-old when she vanished on December 27th, 2010. She was last seen at her mother's home in Colorado City, Texas, where she lived with her mother Billie, her brother David, and Billie's boyfriend Shawn Adkins. Shawn reportedly told investigators that he last saw Hailey around 3:15pm, after she told him that she was going to her father's house and then a friend's house for a sleepover. However, Hailey never arrived at her father's house or her friend's house--nor did she ever have plans to meet up with either. 

Despite the suspicious circumstances, police initially believed that Hailey was a runaway. They believed it was possible that she was in hiding. However, it only took days for investigators to change their tune and reclassify Hailey's case as an endangered missing child. Suspicions began to build against both Shawn and Billie--especially after investigators found evidence that suggested both were very interested in murder and sexual sadism. Additionally, there was evidence that Shawn had child pornography in his possession. Still, investigators did not have evidence to charge either with anything related to Hailey's disappearance.

In March 2013, human remains were found in Scurry County. A month later, those remains were identified as that of Hailey Dunn. Her death was classified as a homicide. To this day, Shawn Adkins remains the only person of interest in the case, but no arrests have been made. [read more]

Tisa Gantt

Tisa Gantt has been missing since January 2nd, 2007. Before her disappearance, the 36 year-old woman was last seen in Titusville, Florida. Tisa had recently filed sexual assault charges against a man named Edwin Deon Morris after he reportedly raped her near S. Deleon Ave. Tisa was very nervous about filing charges, as she feared that Morris would retaliate against her for telling the police what happened.

Despite these circumstances, police initially believed that Tisa left on her own accord. Her family has never believed this, as they do not believe Tisa would voluntarily be out-of-touch with her loved ones. As the investigation continued, police eventually began to think that something sinister happened to her. About a year after Tisa’s disappearance, a team of investigators searched the home of Edwin Morris, but reportedly nothing significant was found. Still, investigators returned to the same spot in 2011 and 2015 to conduct further searches. Morris has officially been named as a person of interest in Tisa’s disappearance. He is currently in prison on for an unrelated conviction, and at this time he has not been charged with anything related to Tisa’s case.

Tisa remains missing today. [read more]

Tabitha Tuders

Tabitha Tuders vanished at the age of 13 on April 9th, 2003. She was last seen by her family members at their home in Nashville, Tennessee. That day began as a typical day for the Tuders family. Tabitha's father left the home for his job around 7am, while Tabitha was eating breakfast and watching TV. Just like every other day, Tabitha planned to walk to her bus stop on 14th and Boscobel Street to board the school bus at 8am. A few witnesses saw her walking towards that direction before 8am, but unfortunately Tabitha never made it to the bus stop or to school that day. When she did not return home that afternoon as planned, her parents called the school only to find out that she had not attended her classes at all that day. Tabitha was then reported missing around 6pm that evening.

Due to Tabitha’s age, authorities initially treated her disappearance as a runaway. Her parents have never believed that she left on her own accord; she has no history of running away and she was a straight-A student who took pride in her perfect school attendance record. Additionally, Tabitha left behind all of her personal possessions and money. Eventually, investigators reclassified Tabitha's case as an abduction.

Over the years, there have been numerous potential sightings of Tabitha, but nothing has panned out. Investigators have also received numerous leads and tips--but she still remains missing today. In August 2020, investigators received a tip that lead them to searching local property for any sign of Tabitha, but unfortunately those searches came up empty. Tabitha remains missing today. [read more]

Priti 'Ashley' Porter

Priti “Ashley” Porter vanished from her family’s home in Gastonia, North Carolina on April 19th, 2009. The 22 year-old lived with her parents at the time, and she was last seen by her mother Tanya Davis. By Tanya’s account, Ashley said goodnight to her around 10pm. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary during their exchange. Then, the following morning, Tanya wanted to borrow a coat from Ashley’s closet, but when she tried to enter her room, it was locked. After Tanya’s knocks went unanswered, she asked her husband to break down the door. Once they entered Ashley’s room, they were shocked to realize that Ashley was not there, and the bedroom window screen had been removed. She has never been seen or heard from again

It appeared as if Ashley had removed the screen herself so she could exit through the window. Due to this, initial police reports on Ashley’s case characterized her disappearance as “not a crime - missing person.” Ashley’s mother stated that Ashley had an ex-boyfriend who her parents did not approve of, and he was not welcome in their home. Due to this, Ashley’s mother thinks it is possible that Ashley snuck out of their home that evening to meet up with him. Still, this has never been confirmed and Gastonia Police have stayed tight-lipped about the investigation into Ashley’s disappearance to avoid jeopardizing the investigation. The police have, however, said that they no longer think Ashley is missing on her own accord. In fact, they now believe that foul play was involved in her disappearance.

Ashley left behind her cell phone, purse, and numerous other personal items. Her case remains unsolved today. [read more]

Candice Parchment

Candice Parchment was only 15 years-old when she vanished from her family's Forest Park, Georgia home on April 28th, 2010. According to her mother, Candice voluntarily left the home that evening. Once Candice's mother reported her missing, she was classified as a runaway. Although Candice left the home on her own accord, her family and friends still worried about her--especially since Candice had gone through a traumatic experience in January 2010, two months before her disappearance. On an afternoon in early January, Candice called her mother and asked her to come pick her up at an abandoned house in Forest Park. Once Candice's mother found her, Candice ran to the car and said that she had almost been raped by two older boys. Candice's mother begged her daughter to reveal the identity of her attackers, but Candice refused. 

When Candice went missing in late April 2010, it was initially unclear if the January 2010 assault and her disappearance were related. While Candice's mother was inevitably concerned about the January incident, it appeared Candice had voluntarily left the home in April. Candice's loved ones feared for her safety, but continued to hold out hope that she would return home alive. Unfortunately, in December 2010, the case took an unexpected turn when human remains were found underneath an old mattress in a wooded area near Candice's home. Investigators immediately suspected the remains belonged to Candice, and those suspicions were confirmed just a day later. At that point, it was clear Candice had been murdered--she was reportedly stabbed and strangled to death. 

By October 2011 of the following year, Candice's murder remained unsolved. Then, while cleaning out her house, Candice's mother found Candice's diary. From the diary entries, Candice's mother learned the identities of the men who had attacked Candice in January 2010: Marshae Hickman and Jermaine Robinson. After reading the entries, Candice's mother was certain that these two men were also responsible for her daughter's death. She immediately turn the diary over to police.

Marshae was eventually charged with Candice's murder, while Jermaine was charged for his role in the January 2010 rape. Jermaine ended up pleading guilty. Marshae pleaded not guilty to the murder charges and went to trial in April 2013. He was ultimately found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. [read more]

Erin Foster & Jeremy Bechtel

Longtime friends Erin Leigh Foster (18) and Jeremy Bechtel (17) vanished together on April 3rd, 2000. The two teens were born and raised in Sparta, Tennessee. On the day , they took Erin’s car to go visit a mutual friend right outside of town. They spent the day there, and then Erin and Jeremy left their friend’s house in Erin’s car that evening. Witnesses spotted them in the car just outside of Sparta around 10pm that evening. They never made it home and have never been seen or heard from again.

The exact circumstances surrounding the pair’s disappearance are unclear. At first, investigators believed that Erin and Jeremy were runaways. However, as time passed without any trace of them, this theory became unlikely. Neither of them have accessed their Social Security Number since they vanished, and Erin never renewed her driver’s license.

Erin's car vanished with them. The case remains unsolved and White Plains police are investigating. 

The Murder of Kayla Freeland

Kayla Freeland was shot to death inside her Jacksonville, Florida apartment on February 6th, 2016. The 20 year-old was reportedly found by her boyfriend around 10am. The boyfriend told police he had left their Arlington Village apartment to go to a convenience store. When he returned, he found Kayla dead. Kayla's young son, who was just a day away from celebrating his first birthday, was found unharmed in the apartment. Investigators immediately classified Kayla's death as a homicide.

No persons of interest have been publicly named in the case. Very few details about the investigation are available, and the case remains unsolved. Just days after Kayla's death, her mother made a public appeal for anyone with information to break the "code of silence" and come forward. Unfortunately, years have passed without any arrests or further news on the case. 

If you have any information that could lead to Kayla's murderer, please call 866-845-TIPS to submit an anonymous tip. 

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[List Series: Unsolved Home Invasion Mysteries Vol. II]

The Disappearance of Shawna Jones

Shawna Jones has been missing since August 25th, 2017. The 42 year-old woman was last seen on Walter Street in Charlotte, North Carolina. According to her roommate Earnest Cooper, Shawna borrowed his car that evening and never returned home. Earnest reported her missing two days later.

Various reports state that Shawna had advanced cancer at the time of her disappearance--but the type of cancer has not been disclosed. Earnest said that she had been losing a lot of weight prior to her disappearance, and she was also in severe pain as a result of her condition. It is unclear where Shawna was headed when she left her home on the evening of August 25th, although Earnest said that it's possible that she went to South Carolina to visit friends. However, Earnest also said that his credit card--which was in Shawna's possession--was used at a carwash in Charlotte 6 days after her disappearance. Earnest reportedly believes that Shawna was the one who used the card, though this has never been able to be confirmed. 

A few days later, the car Shawna was driving (pictured below) was found abandoned on a ramp along Interstate 26 in Summerville, South Carolina. Summerville is located approximately 200 miles away from Charlotte. There was no sign of Shawna on the scene and she has never been seen or heard from again. 

There are unfortunately very few other details available about Shawna's disappearance. If you have any information that could lead to her whereabouts, please go here to submit an anonymous tip.

The Disappearance and Murder of Hailey Dunn

One of the last known images of Hailey Dunn(13), taken on Christmas Day 2010. She vanished from her home in Colorado City, Texas just two days later. In March 2013, her remains were found in Scurry County. Her death was labeled as a homicide.

 

Hailey had spent Christmas 2010 at her mother Billie Jean Dunn's Colorado City, Texas home, where they lived with Hailey's older brother David Dunn and Billie's new boyfriend, Shawn Adkins. According to those who were close to her, Hailey did not like Shawn and often felt afraid of him. Despite this, Hailey seemed to enjoy herself on Christmas. Her grandmother Connie Jones stated that Hailey was in good spirits that day--she was excited about the things she had gotten for Christmas, especially her new iPod. Unfortunately, this was the last time that Connie ever got to see Hailey alive--as she vanished just days later.

Hailey and David with their mother Billie, and her boyfriend Shawn Adkins

Billie reported Hailey missing on the afternoon of December 28th, 2010. She told police that Hailey was last seen by Shawn a day earlier. By Shawn's account, Hailey left the home on foot after telling him she was going to her father's house and then to her friend's house for a sleepover. However, Hailey's father Clint Dunn said that Hailey never arrived at his house--nor did she ever arrive at her friend's house. Said friend would later tell police that she and Hailey never actually had plans to meet up that day.

Investigators initially treated Hailey's disappearance as a runaway, but reclassified her case to a 'missing child' status just days later. In January 2011, Hailey's disappearance gained national attention after Nancy Grace and other mainstream media outlets reported on the case. Around this time, suspicions began to build against both Shawn and Billie. Many found Shawn's version of events questionable, especially because nobody was able to corroborate his statements. Additionally, many found the behaviors of both Shawn and Billie to be odd for people searching for a missing daughter. The couple reportedly hosted a New Year's Eve party just days after Hailey went missing. Shawn and Billie celebrated the new year as if nothing was wrong, then tearfully pleaded for Hailey's safe return during a publicized candlelight vigil a 48 hours later.

In the months that followed Hailey's disappearance, investigators followed many leads and obtained many warrants. Shawn and Billie took polygraph exams, and both reportedly failed. An abundance of additional evidence was gathered as well, but Hailey herself remained missing. Despite all of the evidence, Hailey's case appeared to grow cold as years began to tick by without any sign of her. That finally changed in March 2013, when human remains were found in a remote area of Scurry County. Over a month later, those remains were confirmed that of Hailey Dunn. Her death was classified as a murder. 

Although Hailey's remains were found years ago, no arrests have been made in the case. Her father Clint Dunn has continued to prioritize finding justice for Hailey. Clint, amongst many others, believes that Shawn Adkins and Billie Dunn are the persons responsible for Hailey's disappearance and death. The abundance of evidence in the case suggests this as well.

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Early into the investigation, detectives were able to obtain access to cell phone and bank records belonging to both Shawn and Billie, which revealed a bit more information about the events leading up to Hailey's disappearance. On the morning of December 27th, 2010, Shawn arrived at his job in Snyder around 6am. He then got into a fight with his boss and ultimately ended up quitting. Shawn left his job approximately 10 minutes after arriving. He told detectives that he went straight from Snyder to his mother's house in Big Spring...but the cell phone pings prove otherwise. Between 6:35 and 6:56am, Shawn's phone pinged off of a tower in Colorado City--an approximate 48 miles away from Big Spring. His phone did ping off of a tower in Big Spring later that day, between the hours of 9:38am-2:40pm. Shawn claimed that he was back in Colorado City at 3pm and saw Hailey for the last time at 3:15pm. However, the cell phone pings confirmed that Shawn was still in Big Spring at 2:40--making it very unlikely that he was able to travel back to Colorado City by 3pm.

Distance from Big Spring to Colorado City--approx. 40 miles. (Google maps)

Hailey's older brother David confirmed that Shawn was back at their home in Colorado City by 4pm. David reportedly returned to the house to find it locked. He banged on the door for 5 minutes before eventually entering the home through a window. Once inside, David noticed that Shawn was already inside the house with their uncle. The uncle was heard saying he could not believe anyone would hurt a child, to which Shawn replied, "it's like killing a deer." It's important to note that at this point, David was unaware that his sister had gone missing. Hailey was not reported missing until nearly 24 hours later. This conversation that David overheard took place approximately 45 minutes after Shawn claims that Hailey left the house to go to her father's house.

Later that evening, Shawn picked Billie up from her job in Snyder. The couple stopped at two different ATM machines, where Billie withdrew money totaling in $140. Billie originally said that money was withdrawn so they could by gas and groceries, but investigators stated that the couple used the cash to buy narcotics. It concerned investigators that Shawn and Billie were possibly using narcotics inside a home where children were present. Their concerns continued to build once investigators search the bedroom and computer that Shawn and Billie shared. These searches left investigators with over "250 pages of materials focused on mass murderers, serial killers, sexual sadism, and family member murders."There was also evidence found that Shawn accessed child pornography. 

On March 17th, 2011, Billie was arrested and charged after lying to police about the whereabouts of Shawn --who was reportedly in her house at the time police came to look for him. Billie claimed that her and Shawn were broken up by this point, but she still attempted to cover for him. In June 2011, she was sentenced to probation for the charges. Billie served her probation over 250 miles away in Travis County, where she moved after her arrest.

Billie Dunn in court (oaoa.com)

After this, news about Hailey's case seemed to fade. Shawn Adkins remained a person of interest, but he was not arrested or charged with anything related to Hailey's disappearance. It would be another two years before any significant updates in Hailey's case. Unfortunately, the next big update was the discovery of her remains in March 2013. After the remains were identified, her loved ones' worst fears were confirmed: Hailey had been murdered. Investigators have never publicly revealed her cause of death, but her father said that he was told she most likely died of blunt force trauma.

In the years that have followed the discovery of Hailey's body, Clint Dunn has dedicated himself to finding justice for his daughter. In recent years, he has used social media to plead for help and to share his thoughts on the case. Clint continues to maintain that both Shawn and Billie were involved in Hailey's death. He believes that Shawn attacked Hailey with help from Billie either in the attack itself and/or in covering up the crime. Clint also said that investigators do not often update him on the case, but he has continued to push for the arrest of both Shawn and Billie.

Clint and Hailey Dunn

Clint Dunn's appeals on social media caught the attention of an unnamed individual who reportedly found several items belonging to Hailey in a public place during late spring/early summer 2011. The individual who found the items was in middle school at the time, and did not know Hailey or about her disappearance. Due to this, the individual did not tell authorities about finding the items. Years later, in 2019, the individual--now an adult--saw one of Clint's posts about Hailey's case. It was then that the individual remembered that one of the items found years earlier had the name 'Hailey Dunn' on it. The individual then messaged Clint to tell him about it. The items and the location where they were found have not been publicly revealed, but Clint stated that they were found in an area that was searched numerous times in the initial stages of the investigation.

As of today, Hailey's case still remains unsolved. There is a $15000 reward in place for anyone with information that leads to the arrest of Hailey's killer(s). If you have any information that could help the investigation, please go here to submit an anonymous tip.

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[List Series: Runaway Theories Gone Wrong Vol. II]

List Series: Missing Far From Home Vol. II

 It is a family's worst nightmare to have a loved one go missing. When a beloved person suddenly vanishes, those who care for that person are likely to experience fear, anxiety, and extreme stress. Those feelings are likely to be intensified when a person goes missing while in a place outside of their own hometown--especially if that person is not particularly familiar with the area. As explained in the original 'Missing Far From Home' list,  this impacts family's ability to aid in the search for their loved one--especially if they live in a completely different location and are unfamiliar with the places their loved one might have gone. Below is a list of 5 more cases of individuals who have unfortunately gone missing while away from their hometowns. All of these cases remain unsolved today. 

5. Jeremy Howard

Jeremy Howard (19) vanished from La Jolla Cove in San Diego, California on December 24th, 2015. Jeremy is originally from Seattle, Washington, but three months before his disappearance, he travelled to San Diego to stay with his sister and brother-in-law. He was reportedly scheduled to fly back home to Seattle on the day he vanished.

Jeremy disappeared at some point between 5:30am and 6:00am. He and his brother-in-law were at La Jolla Cove together, watching the waves and looking for the seals. At some point between 5:30 and 6:00, the brother-in-law stepped away for approximately ten minutes. When he returned, Jeremy was gone. He has never been seen or heard from again. 

The water near the cove was searched, but they were unable to locate Jeremy or any sign of him. Investigators are also open to the theory that he left the cove on foot, and they are hoping that witnesses will come forward. Jeremy remains missing today. [read more]

4. Terrence Woods Jr.

Terrence Woods Jr. has been missing since October 5th, 2018. The 26 year-old is originally from Maryland, however at the time of his disappearance he was in Orogrande, Idaho. Terrence worked as a production assistant for British docu-series Gold Rush: White Water. They were filming this particular season around Pinman Mine. 

Terrence's co-workers said that he was acting 'strangely' before his disappearance. As the film crew was wrapping up for the day, Terrence reportedly took off running towards a nearby cliff. When his co-workers went over to the cliff to see if he had fallen, they noticed he was already 15 feet down the cliff, running towards the woods. Some of the crew members waited by a nearby main road to see if Terrence would emerge from the woods. He never did, and he was reported missing by 5:30pm that evening. 

A widespread search of the surrounding areas did not turn up any signs of Terrence. He has never been seen or heard from again. The case remains unsolved. [read more]

3. Nancy Bromet

Nancy Bromet vanished while in the midst of a cross-country move from Florida to California with her boyfriend Jesus Julio Cruz. The 37 year-old woman and Cruz left Florida on November 12th, 2015. Nancy did not have a phone of her own, so she used Cruz's cell phone to communicate with her family. She last spoke to her family members on November 17th, 2015. Nancy used Cruz's phone to call her sister, and she 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. Nancy's family members have never seen or heard from her again.

Cruz later told Nancy's family members that they arrived in California on November 19th, 2015. He explained that, 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. The El Centro Police Department is handling Nancy's case, though her family members question whether or not she ever made it to California at all.  They believe it's possible that something might have happened to her following that final phone call on November 17th. Nancy's disappearance remains unsolved. [read more]

2. Zachary Porter

Zachary 'Zack' Porter vanished at the age of 25 on July 23rd, 2013. At the time of his disappearance, Zack lived in McMinnville, Oregon with his parents and his young son. The day he vanished, Zack traveled an approximate 3-hour drive away to North Bend to sell his motorcycle to a man who had purchased it off Craigslist. It has been confirmed that he did, in fact, make to North Bend and he completed the sale. However, at some point while Zack was still in the North Bend area, his family received text messages from his phone that they do not believe came from Zack himself. Zack also told his parents that he was going to get a ride home from the motorcycle buyer, but he never returned home and has never been seen or heard from again.

Investigators were able to track down the buyer, who told them that he actually did not give Zack a ride home. He told investigators that Zack arranged to meet with a friend at the nearby Myrtlewood Factory who would give him a ride home instead. Investigators obviously questioned this, since Zack never returned home and there does not appear to be any record of him at Myrtlewood Factory. Zack’s parents have confirmed that Zack did reach out to several friends to ask for a ride home, but was unable to find someone willing to make the 3-hour drive.

It is not believed that Zack is missing on his own accord. His case remains unsolved today. [read more]

1. Derek Lueking

Derek Lueking has been missing since March 17th, 2012. The 24 year-old lived in Knoxville, Tennessee at the time of his disappearance. He was first discovered missing by his roommate, who was alerted when Derek did not show up to his job on the morning of March 17th. This was uncharacteristic of Derek, so his roommate contacted Derek's parents. Derek's parents then traveled to Knoxville to search for their son.

Derek's parents soon learned that Derek had searched the Great Smoky Mountains on his computer shortly before he vanished. He also purchased maps of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a tent and sleeping bag, in addition to a military survival manual, a compass/thermometer, a pocket knife with a sharpener, a fire starter, parachute cords, granola bars, and other survival items. On the surface, this does not seem too unusual, as Derek's parents describe him as an avid camper and hiker. Derek's computer also revealed that he booked a room at the Microtel Inn--a micro-hotel in Cherokee, North Carolina. Cherokee is an approximate two hour drive from Derek's home in Knoxville.

Derek's parents went to the hotel, where they saw surveillance footage that showed Derek checking in during the early morning hours of March 17th, 2012. The cameras captured Derek later exiting the hotel around 4am. This is the last confirmed sighting of him. Derek's parents then traveled to the nearby hiking trails, where they found Derek's car parked at the Newfound Gap area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Due to the fact that Derek had purchased numerous camping/survival items prior to driving to Cherokee, his parents at first that he might have just gone for camping trip in the mountains. However, many of the items Derek had purchased, including the tent, had been left in his car. Additionally, a note written by Derek was found inside the car. It simply read, "Don't follow me."

Derek has never been seen or heard from again. A search of the surrounding areas did not turn up any clues to his whereabouts. Derek's case remains unsolved today. [read more]

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Previously on the list:

• Erika Lloyd

The Murder of Ci'Lina Deloney

Ci'Lina Deloney was only 21 years-old when she was found murdered on January 16th, 2017. Prior to her untimely death, Ci'Lina lived on the Comache Nation reservation in Oklahoma. She had been married since she was 16 years-old, and she and her husband raised a daughter together. According to Ci'Lina's sister, Journee Toathy, Ci'Lina was struggling financially and emotionally in the months leading up to her death. In October 2016, Ci'Lina was at work when she learned that three men had broken into her home and robbed her family. Ci'Lina's husband, daughter, and sister Journee were inside the home during the robbery, and all three of them were held at gunpoint. After learning about the robbery, Ci'Lina rushed home from work to comfort her daughter. She lost her job shortly thereafter.

During the following months, Ci'Lina's financial struggles worsened. She ended up moving to a motel in Lawton as a result. Ci'Lina last spoke to her family members on January 15th, 2017. The following day, Ci'Lina's family members saw a Facebook post about a body that had been found on Northwest Paint Road. They reportedly had an unsettling feeling that the body was belonged to Ci'Lina. Shortly thereafter, their fears were confirmed: Ci'Lina was a victim of homicide. She had been shot numerous times. 

Throughout the investigation, detectives learned that Ci'Lina was last seen alive at a Wal-Mart located approximately 10 miles away from where her body was found. She was reportedly seen getting into another person's vehicle in the Wal-Mart parking lot. Ci'Lina's vehicle was found abandoned in the parking lot as well, but it did not yield any clues in her case. Detectives have reportedly identified the driver of the car that Ci'Lina left in, but they were never able to locate the vehicle itself.

In the months that followed Ci'Lina's murder, a man named Darnell McDaniel was labeled as a person of interest. However, August 2017--over 7 months after Ci'Lina's death, investigators confirmed that McDaniel was no longer considered a person of interest. Since then, detectives have not publicly confirmed the identities of any other potential persons of interest--though the investigation has remained active. According to a website dedicated to raising awareness to missing and murdered indigenous women titled Justice for Native Women, over 50 people have been interviewed about Ci'Lina's murder. Additionally, three people agreed to taking polygraph exams. All three people passed.

Ci'Lina's murder remains unsolved. If you have any information that could lead to her killer, please call (580) 492-8477 to submit an anonymous tip. 

The Murder of Randisha Love

 

Randisha Love was murdered inside her family's Fulton County, Georgia home on January 12th, 2016. That day began as a seemingly typical day for the 17 year-old girl. Randisha attended school at Westlake High and then took the bus home in the afternoon. She called her mother at 4:15pm and asked her to bring home some dinner. Nothing seemed unusual about the phone call. Unfortunately, at some point between the time the call ended and 9pm that evening, Randisha was shot several times. She was found by her mother and brother after they returned home shortly after 9pm. 

Both investigators and Randisha's family are unsure of a motive for her murder. Nothing was missing from their home, so a robbery was quickly ruled out. Additionally, police found no signs of forced entry inside the home, which indicates that Randisha was likely killed by somebody she knew and had allowed into the residence. It appears that Randisha was targeted--but investigators still do not know who targeted her or why. Detective Stewart Webb of the Fulton Police told reporters, "We’re still trying to figure out why this girl would have been targeted. There’s no obvious reason this should have happened to her." 

Randisha had aspirations to one day join the Air Force. She participated in her school's ROTC program and got good grades in her classes. By all accounts, it appeared that Randisha was a typical high school student without any known enemies. Still, investigators believe that one of Randisha's classmates might have information about her killer. In an appeal to the public for information, Detective Webb explained, "I’d like to reach out to the student body of Westlake High School. There’s at least two grades there that were attending school during the time of the murder. I would like them, their families to talk about it and if they have any information, rumors, talk that they heard in school that year, to please contact Crime Stoppers or the Fulton County Police Department."

If you have any information that could lead to Randisha's killer, please contact 404-577-TIPS (8477) to submit an anonymous tip.

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[List Series: Unsolved Home Invasion Mysteries Vol. II]

The Murder of Jade Winston

Jade Winston was only 18 years-old when she was found murdered inside her Carrier Mills, Illinois residence on August 17th, 2007. A neighbor called Saline County police shortly before 11pm that evening to report hearing a gunshot coming from Jade's apartment. Officers were sent to the scene, where they found Jade in a pool of blood with a single gunshot wound to the head. A 9mm semi-automatic pistol was found under her left leg. The clip from the gun was found in her left hand. Jade's death was subsequently labeled as a homicide--though it appeared that the scene might have been staged to make it look like a suicide. 

Investigators immediately began searching for Jade's killer. Meanwhile, Jade's family barely had any time to grieve before another tragedy struck: Jade's 22 year-old brother, Jerome Mitchell, was killed in a car accident just two day later. As investigators were checking out the alibis and questioning people about Jade's death, her loved ones were mourning the loss of two beloved family members. 

Jerome Mitchell and Jade Winston (image source: KFVS12 News)

Early reports about Jade's murder investigation stated that detectives received help from several agencies and had looked into numerous potential persons of interest, but unfortunately they were unable to officially label anyone as a suspect. Investigators reportedly looked into hearsay evidence about an acquaintance of Jade's making threatening phone calls to her just two weeks before her death. The threatening calls were allegedly centered around jealousy involving a boyfriend. However, the acquaintance has never been publicly identified and investigators were unable to materialize any evidence from the alleged phone calls.

Other than that, very little information about the case was released to the public. Then, three years after Jade's murder, her aunt April Scales was quoted in an article that provided a few more details. In the article, April said that she and numerous other family members believe that the deaths of Jade and Jerome are connected. On the night of Jerome's car accident, he reportedly left his house to confront someone about Jade's murder. April explained, "[Jerome] was going to pursue those or someone responsible for Jade's death. I believe he was run off the road." 

It is unclear who, exactly, Jerome went to confront that night. There was a passenger who was in the car with Jerome at the time of the accident. The passenger survived the accident, but he told investigators that he did not remember how or why the accident occurred. Oddly, investigators also told April that this man and Jerome apparently did not know each other prior to that night. The man told investigators that he was walking around Harrisburg when Jerome picked him up. The accident happened shortly thereafter. 

Investigators have not stated whether or not they believe Jade's murder and Jerome's death are connected. Jade's case remains opened and unsolved. If you have any information that could lead to Jade's killer, please go here to submit an anonymous tip.

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[List Series: Unsolved Home Invasion Mysteries Vol. II]