Tuesday, August 9, 2022

List Series: Mother-Daughter Mysteries

A list of mysterious cases involving mother-daughter duos. Some of these mothers and daughters have vanished, while others have been murdered. The loved ones of these pairs are now left to mourn the mother and the child - while also hoping to find justice for both. All of these tragic cases remain unsolved today. 

The Murders of Tasjunique Graham & Bailey Simon


Tasjunique Graham (23) and her young daughter Bailey Simon (3) were shot to death in their Conway, South Carolina home on September 28th, 2020.  Police were sent to their home on Suggs Street around 7:30 PM that evening after receiving calls about a shooting. When the officers arrived, they found Tasjunique dead from gunshot wounds. Bailey had also been shot and was in critical condition. She was rushed to the hospital, but she succumbed to her injuries two days later. 

Prior to her death, Tasjunique was serving in the South Carolina National Guard as a truck driver and was also working in the nursing field. On top of that, she was raising her daughter Bailey. Loved ones of the mother-daughter duo described the pair as happy and kind. Tasjunique was known as a generous young woman and was not known to have any enemies. A motive for the killings remains unknown.

Bailey's father was incarcerated at the time of the murders, so he has been ruled out as the shooter. Other than that, very little information about the investigation has been revealed.



The Disappearances of Amber Aiaz & Melissa Fu

Amber Aiaz and her daughter Melissa Fu have been missing since November 22nd, 2019. The mother, then 34, and daughter, then 12, vanished under incredibly suspicious circumstances. Amber was working that day; transporting groceries from her store in Las Vegas to her other location in Irvine. Melissa stayed at home with her stepfather/Amber's husband, Cheng Zhang.

According to Zhang, he heard a knock on their door around 4:30 PM. When he opened the door, he was greeted by a man and a woman that he did not recognize. Zhang then said that he felt something "misty" on his face that caused him to collapse and fall unconscious. When he awoke later, Melissa was gone -and there were bloodstains on the carpet and in the kitchen. Zhang also found a handwritten note with a message written in Chinese. The message stated that Amber and Melissa were okay and would be returned in a few days as long as Zhang did not call police. The note also instructed Zhang to clean up the apartment to hide any evidence that a crime and/or kidnapping took place. 

Zhang followed the kidnapper's instructions and received several notes over the next few days, assuring him that Amber and Melissa would be returned safely as long as he continued to cooperate. When those notes stopped, and Amber and Melissa did not return, Zhang finally contacted police. 

Zhang's bizarre recollection of events raised many questions about his potential involvement, but after weeks of thorough and relentless investigation, authorities eventually ruled him out. The FBI is now involved in the search, which unfortunately remains unsolved today.



The Disappearances and Keir & Chloe Johnson

Keir Johnson and her daughter Chloe Johnson have been missing since April 30th, 2017. The young woman was 34 years-old at the time of her disappearance, and little Chloe was only 8 months-old. The pair was last seen at their home in Hampton, Virginia. Keir had made plans to bring Chloe to Buckroe Beach, where they would spend the day with one of Keir's friends. The mother and daughter never showed up at the beach, nor did they ever return home. They have never been seen or heard from again.

Two weeks later, Keir’s car was found abandoned at a trailer park in Newport News, Virginia. The vehicle did not provide any information about Keir or Chloe's whereabouts. It is not believed that the pair is missing voluntarily, as many of Keir's personal items were left behind. Additionally, any items that might be needed for Chloe - such as baby clothing, diapers, bottles, etc. were left behind. 

Keir and Chloe remain missing today. So far, no persons of interest or suspects have been publicly named. 


The Murders of Kathy & Samantha Netherland

Kathy Netherland (48) and her daughter Samantha Netherland (16) were found brutally murdered inside their Bardstown, Kentucky home on April 22nd, 2014. Kathy's father stumbled upon the horrific scene after he visited their home that morning. Both Kathy and Samantha had been brutally beaten and their throats were slit.  Autopsies confirmed that Kathy died from several gunshot wounds, while Samantha had been bludgeoned and stabbed to death. 

The murders of Kathy and Samantha occurred while the family was still mourning the loss of Bob Netherland - Kathy's husband and the father of Samantha and their older daughter, Holly. Bob had died from cancer just months before Kathy and Samantha were murdered. Investigators often first look at the spouse as a suspect in murder cases - but in this particular case, there was no spouse or significant other. Due to this, police initially had very little to work with.

Over the years, several theories have emerged about the murders. There has been speculation that Kathy and Samantha were killed as part of a gang initiation. There has also been speculation that their murders are related to other murders and disappearances in the Bardstown area. Unfortunately, said cases all remain unsolved today - including the murders of Kathy and Samantha.



The Murders of Heather & Kira Radcliffe

Heather Radcliffe (28) and her daughter Kira Radcliffe (6) were brutally murdered inside their Gainesville, Florida home on December 9th, 2006. Gainesville authorities were called to their home around 6:30 that morning after a neighbor noticed that flames were erupting from the roof of the house. Authorities initially thought they were responding to a fire caused by an electrical issue, but they soon discovered that the fire had been set on purpose in an effort to cover up the murders of the mother and daughter. 

It appears that Heather was the intended target of this attack, and Kira was killed after the murderer(s) noticed her on the scene. An autopsy confirmed that Heather had been shot three times-once in the chest and twice in the head. Kira died of a combination of both strangulation and smoke inhalation. It is believed that Kira was awoken by the gunfire, and that the assailant attacked the young girl after she tried to use her mother's phone to call for help. It's also believed that the killer left their house and then returned shortly thereafter with gasoline to start the fire.

Years have passed without any answers in their case. Investigators looked into Kira's father, but he was cleared after his alibi was established. Investigators also looked into Heather's also ex-boyfriends and her work associates, but so far, no arrests have been made. It is believed that Heather and Kira were killed by someone that Heather knew, but a motive still remains unclear. 





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