Friday, November 10, 2023

List Series: Midwest Mysteries vol. 1

The following is the first installment of a new posting series: Midwest Mysteries. This list contains unsolved murder or disappearance from each state in the East North Central region of the Midwest: Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Links to more detailed write-ups and tip submissions for each case are provided.


MIDWEST MYSTERIES: VOLUME ONE.

OHIO:

The Disappearance and Murder of Candice Taylor (2017)

Source: NBC4i
Candice Taylor vanished at the age of 21 during March 2017. The then-21-year-old was last seen in the northeast area of Columbus, Ohio. She was reported missing by her mother on March 17th, 2017.

Twelve days later, a set of human legs were found in a garbage truck at a garbage sorting facility on the northwest side of Columbus. It took nearly two years, but in January 2019, investigators announced that the partial remains belonged to Candice Taylor. Her case was then shifted to a homicide investigation.

There are far more questions than answers about Candice's murder. Candice was dead within 12 days of being reported missing, yet her mother continued to receive texts from Candice's phone until June 2017. At the time her mother received the messages, Candice's remains had already been found, but had yet to be identified. 

It's clear that the messages Candice's mother received were not from Candice herself. Whoever sent the messages did so with the intention of making it seem as if Candice were alive and well - so it's likely that this person is involved in Candice's murder as well. However, this is all just speculation - as police have never publicly announced any suspects or persons of interest.

Candice's murder remains unsolved.

If you have any information that could help solve Candice's case, please submit a tip.

Read the full write-up on Candice's case.


MICHIGAN:

The Disappearance of Tamala Wells (2012)

Source: Charley Project

 Tamala Wells has been missing since August 6th, 2012. The then-33-year-old woman lived with her children and boyfriend in Detroit, Michigan at the time of her disappearance. Tamala was reportedly last seen leaving her residence on the evening she vanished. She has never been seen or heard from again.

Three days after her disappearance, Tamala's car was found abandoned a few blocks away from her home. The car contained some of her clothing and a few personal items, but otherwise no further clues to her whereabouts were found.

Over the years, there has been speculation that Tamala's live-in boyfriend, Rickey Tennant, is involved in her disappearance. He made comments about Tamala giving him a "headache" years after her disappearance - which seemed a bit insensitive. However, police maintain that Tennant has cooperated with the investigation.

Tamala remains missing today. No suspects or persons of interest have been publicly announced. 

If you have any information that could help solve Tamala's case, please submit a tip.

Read the full write-up on Tamala's case.


INDIANA:

The Disappearance and Murder of Jorden Sopher (2006)

Source: Charley Project

  Jorden Sopher vanished in Wabash, Indiana on May 23rd, 2006. The then-18-year-old was staying with friends, but on the day of her disappearance, she visited her parents' house. Reports state that Jorden vanished after leaving her parents' house on foot.

Jorden's friends, parents, and other individuals were questioned regarding her disappearance - but police were unable to identify a suspect or person of interest. Months turned into years without any sign of Jorden. The case quickly grew cold.

Nearly three years later, a mushroom hunter found human remains amongst a thick canopy of raspberry bushes and honeysuckle in Peru, Indiana. Dental records later confirmed that the remains were that of Jorden Sopher. The clothes that she was wearing on the day of her disappearance were found amongst the remains - which indicates that she was likely deceased not long after she vanished.

Jorden's death has been classified as a homicide, but an exact cause of death has never been revealed. Her case remains unsolved.

If you have any information that could help solve Jorden's case, please submit a tip.

Read the full write-up on Jorden's case.


ILLINOIS:

The Disappearance of Yasmin Acree (2008)

Source: ABC 7 Chicago

Yasmin Acree was only 15 years-old when she vanished on January 15th, 2008. She was last seen at her mother's home in Chicago, Illinois. The following morning, Yasmin was gone. She has never been seen or heard from again.

Over the years, there has been speculation about several different theories in Yasmin's case. A registered sex offender claimed he brought Yasmin to a house where she died by suicide - and then he later disposed of her body. Said offender is currently serving a 110-year prison sentence for an unrelated kidnapping and rape case. 

While Yasmin actually did personally know this offender, police have not been able to substantiate his version of events. It's worth noting that this man has a history of fabricating events as well. He has never been charged with anything related to Yasmin's disappearance.

There are several other circumstances that could be contributing factors in Yasmin's disappearance as well. Unfortunately, police have been unable to crack the case. Yasmin remains missing today.

If you have any information that could help solve Yasmin's case, please submit a tip.

Read the full write-up on Yasmin's case.


WISCONSIN:

The Disappearance and Murder of Heather Szekeres (2013)

Source: Fox 6 Milwaukee

Heather Szekeres vanished during the early morning hours of June 22nd, 2013. The 32-year-old woman was last seen by her loved ones at a bar called Final Lap in Shawano, Wisconsin. Reports state that Heather left the bar around 2:00 AM but never returned home.

Heather and her husband, Rob Szekeres, lived in an apartment just yards away from Final Lap. The couple had a daughter who was just an infant at the time of Heather's disappearance. Despite all of this, police initially believed that she was missing on her own accord. This belief was reiterated 6 months after Heather's disappearance, even though there had been no sign of her since the evening she vanished.

In May of 2014, human remains were found in a wooded area behind Peach Road. The remains were located in an area 2.5 miles away from Final Lap, where Heather was last seen. Due to this, many speculated that the remains belonged to her. It took nearly a year for a positive identification, but in April 2015, it was confirmed that the remains did, in fact, belong to Heather Szekeres. An autopsy was unable to determine her exact cause of death, but her manner of death was labeled a homicide.

There have been numerous theories about Heather's killer(s). Many inevitably had suspicions of Heather's husband Rob. Heather and Rob had a rocky past, and some accused Rob of seeming unbothered by his wife's disappearance. There is also suspicion about the manager of Final Lap; a man named Darwin Davis. Shortly before Heather vanished, Davis was charged with sexual assault after being accused of assaulting a 15-year-old girl in the bar's basement. Heather was reportedly due to testify against him.

Despite having some very solid leads, police have yet to charge anyone with anything related to Heather's murder. Her case remains unsolved. 

If you have any information that could help solve Heather's case, please contact the Shawano Police Department at (715) 524-4545

Read the full write-up on Heather's case.



DISCLAIMER: The purpose of this post is to spread awareness about these cases. The information provided in this post is information that was found through various sources on the internet. Sources used are provided in the full case write-ups. If any information on this post is inaccurate, please contact the author via email at truecasefiles@gmail.com or through Instagram and the errors can be corrected. Additionally, if you have any information that could improve the accuracy or quality of this post, please contact the author. We want these cases solved!

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