The Disappearance of Devin Brown-Boussetta

Source: NamUs

Devin Brown-Boussetta suspiciously vanished in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 5th, 2006. 

The last documented sighting of the then-25-year-old woman occurred that day around 2:30 PM. Devin's landlord visited her apartment to make repairs and saw Devin eating Chinese food and doing other various chores around the residence. According to the landlord, nothing seemed unusual about this encounter. However, at some point afterwards, Devin seemingly vanished into thin air. 

After Devin was later reported missing, the landlord returned to her apartment with police. The landlord said the apartment looked exactly as it did during her last visit. The ironing board that Devin was using was still out, and a piece of delicate clothing that had been soaking in the sink was still there as well. It initially appeared as if Devin left to run an errand and intended to return. Unfortunately, she has never been seen or heard from again. 

Devin's car - a white 1995 Chrysler Cirrus LX - was later found abandoned at a gas station near her residence. There was no sign of Devin herself on the scene. It does not appear that the vehicle yielded any additional clues to her whereabouts. 

Devin is originally from Florida but was living in Pittsburgh at the time of her disappearance. She got married during the summer of 2005, but her husband filed for divorce and moved away after less than a year of marriage. The ex-husband reportedly was unaware Devin had vanished until 2008, when the Pittsburgh Police Department contacted him. 

Devin also has a daughter from a previous relationship. The child's father had custody and the two lived in Florida at the time of Devin's disappearance. Several years have passed, and it appears that nobody in Devin's family has any clues to her whereabouts.

The Pittsburgh Police Department has investigative agency over Devin's disappearance. If you have any information that could help solve the case, please contact authorities at 412-323-7800.

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Sources:
Charley Project
NamUs
Our Black Girls
Trib Live

The Disappearance of Soon Chon Hwang

Source: NamUs

Soon Chon Hwang has been missing since September 5th, 2006. 

The then-44-year-old was living in Memphis, Tennessee at the time of his disappearance. He owned a local grocery store called J.C. Community Grocery. The day Soon went missing seemingly began as a regular day; he was seen at his store that morning as usual. Around 12:30 PM, he went to Tri-City Wholesale - a wholesale grocery store that he frequently patronized. 

According to reports, Soon received a phone call in the midst of his shopping trip. The call was reportedly urgent, as it prompted him to abruptly exit the grocery store, leaving his shopping cart and all of his merchandise behind. Soon never returned to his own store, nor did he ever return home. He has never been seen or heard from again.

On the evening of September 5th - just hours after Soon was last seen at Tri-City Wholesale - his car was found abandoned off of Interstate 55 in West Memphis, Arkansas. The vehicle was found right at the Arkansas state border - an approximate 12-minute drive from Memphis, Tennessee. There was no further sign of Soon himself on the scene.

Soon's store was reportedly robbed several times prior to him vanishing, but it is unclear if the robberies are related to his disappearance. Various reports state that foul play is suspected in Soon's case, but no suspects or persons of interest have ever been publicly named. In 2010, Soon was listed as a defendant in a lawsuit, but it was noted that he was never served due to the fact that he is a missing person.

The Memphis Police Department has investigative agency over Soon's case. If you have any information that could help solve his disappearance, please contact authorities at 901-373-3883.

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Sources:
Charley Project
Lawsuit
NamUs

The Disappearance of Yesenia Castillo

Source: Cook County Sheriff's Office.

Yesenia Castillo has been missing since July 30th, 2006. The then-27-year-old was last seen leaving the La Estrella Nite Club in Chicago, Illinois. She has never been seen or heard from again. 

The nightclub where Yesenia was last seen is located in the 2500 block of north Milwaukee Avenue. While most reports about her disappearance note that Yesenia was last seen leaving the La Estrella, there does not appear to be any information about how she left the nightclub - whether it was on foot or in a vehicle. In fact, there appears to be very little reporting on Yesenia's case in general. 

At the time she vanished, Yesenia had brown hair, brown eyes, and facial piercings. She is described as approximately 4'8"-5'0" and 90-100 pounds. Yesenia's case is listed as a cold case by both the Chicago Police Department and the Cook County Sheriff's Office. If you have any information that could help solve the case, please contact the Chicago PD at 312-744-8200 or submit a tip online. 

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Sources:
Charley Project
Cook County Sheriff's Office
Illinois Missing

The Murder of Nishan Huff

Nishan Huff was only 23 years old when she was murdered inside her Greenville County, South Carolina residence on June 7th, 2006. 

At the time of her death, the young woman lived with her boyfriend in the Boulder Creek Apartments on Furman Hall Road. Reports state that Nishan's boyfriend left their home between 3:30-4:00 PM on the day of the murder. When he later returned, he found Nishan's body. She had been shot to death.

Early into the investigation, it was reported that several leads were being followed. After that, though, the case seemingly went cold. Years passed without any updates, until finally, in June 2022, a break in the case was announced. Frank Rozier (53) and Brittany Nicole Goldsmith (38) had both been arrested and charged in connection to Nishan's murder. 

At the time of their arrests, it was announced that Rozier faced charges for murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Goldsmith faced charges for accessory after the fact. Investigators stated that they "re-interviewed existing witnesses and newly developed witnesses, which resulted in new information leading to the probable cause needed to charge Rozier and Goldsmith with murder."

While it's believed that Nishan and Rozier knew each other, a motive for the killing has not been disclosed. Detectives stated the motive was still being investigated at the time the charges were filed. However, months later, in March 2023, it was announced that the charges against Rozier and Goldsmith were dropped. It was noted that there was not enough evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. The case was then handed back to law enforcement; there is a chance that Rozier and Goldsmith could be charged again in the future if more evidence is discovered. 

Since then, no further updates or information has been provided about Nishan's case. As of today, it is considered unsolved - and there is still a monetary reward available for any information that could lead to the prosecution of Nishan's killer(s). If you have any information that could help the investigation, please submit a tip.

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Sources:
WIS 10
WYFF 4, (2)

The Disappearance and Murder of Amy Drake

Source: maine.gov

Amy Drake was found murdered in Norridgewock, Maine on November 24th, 2006. That day, hunters were scouring a wooded area near the Norridgewock - Skowhegan town line when they discovered human remains. It was immediately suspected that the remains belonged to Amy, who had been reported missing approximately two months earlier. 

Shortly thereafter, it was confirmed that the body was, in fact, that of Amy Drake. She was only 18 years-old at the time of her death. Detectives quickly classified her manner of death as a homicide, but her exact cause of death has never been revealed. 

Reports state that Amy was reported missing by her mother, Norma Drake, on September 20th, 2006. Norma told detectives that Amy often spent time in Skowhegan at the home of her boyfriend, Jason Forbus. Due to this, it was not unusual for Norma to go a day or two without seeing Amy - but they still spoke every day via phone or some other means of contact. 

After four days passed without any contact from Amy, Norma grew worried and reported her daughter's disappearance to police. Authorities called Amy's disappearance suspicious, especially since many of her personal items were left behind. Many people were questioned, including Jason Forbus and the father of Amy's then-2-year-old, but police were seemingly unable to find anything that led to her whereabouts. 

Detectives initially stated that they did not have any evidence that foul play caused Amy's disappearance. After her remains were found, detectives obviously changed their tune and classified her death as a homicide. At this point, several years have passed and many questions remain unanswered. Namely: What really happened to Amy? Will there ever be enough evidence to make an arrest?

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Before Amy's disappearance.

source: Facebook

Amy was only 18 years-old when she vanished. Her remains were found shortly after her 19th birthday. 

According to various friends and family members, Amy struggled with addiction before her disappearance. In December 2006, a friend told reporters that Amy "had descended into a life of drugs and hung out with the wrong crowd." However, as previously noted, Amy still kept in touch her with mother every single day. 

Additionally, various reports and online speculation indicate that Amy was in an abusive relationship at the time of her disappearance. In July 2006, Jason Forbus was arrested on domestic violence charges after reportedly assaulting Amy. He eventually pleaded guilty to the charges.

Forbus was given a six-month sentence in September 2006 - however he was not required to report to jail until October 9th, 2006. Therefore, he was still free at the time Amy vanished. 

Amy also had a young child who was only two years old at the time of Amy's disappearance. While some reports refer to Jason Forbus as the father of this child, people close to Amy have contradicted this and stated that the father is a different man who had custody of the child and lived with his parents. 

In 2023, a friend of Amy's posted about her murder on the Cold Cases subreddit. The friend wrote that Amy vanished after leaving her residence in September 2006. The friend also seemingly confirmed that Jason Forbus was due in court right around the time of Amy's disappearance.

Source: Reddit

Commenters on the post asked about the person with whom Amy left their friend's house. The friend replied, "that person just dropped her off at the end of the street so the cops eliminated him as a suspect pretty quickly."

The homicide investigation.

Amy's case was shifted to a homicide investigation after her remains were found. Unfortunately, the case grew cold case as years passed without any arrests. In 2018, it was reported that "police have interviewed a suspect in the past but stopped short of naming any persons of interests in the case."

The general consensus locally and online over the years is that Jason Forbus is responsible for Amy's murder. He has never been charged with anything related the homicide case. It's been speculated that police simply have not been able to collect enough evidence to make an arrest.

Where the case stands today.

Amy's murder remains unsolved. Her loved ones are still fighting to find justice.

If you have any information that could help solve Amy's murder, please contact investigators at the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit at (207) 624-7143.

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Sources:
13 WGME
Central Maine
Murder She Told
Reddit
Tapatalk
Uncovered

The Murder of Priscilla Pimentel

Priscilla Pimentel. (source: NYtimes.com)

Priscilla Pimentel was only 24 years-old when she was murdered inside her own apartment during November 2006. The young woman was originally from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, but she was living in Queens, New York at the time of her death. Most of Priscilla's family members still lived in Pennsylvania, and she kept in touch with them often.

In fact, Priscilla was expected to join her family in Bethlehem for the Thanksgiving holiday. When she did not show up as planned, Priscilla's loved ones immediately began to worry. The following day - on November 24th, 2006 - Priscilla's four siblings traveled to her apartment in Queens to check on her. Upon their arrival, they discovered their worst fears: Priscilla was dead. She had been brutally stabbed to death. 

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

There were no signs of forced entry in the apartment. The only item that had been taken from the place was Priscilla's cell phone. Due to this, it's believed that Priscilla was killed by somebody she knew. Still, several years have passed without any arrests in the case. 

Many reports state that Priscilla identified as a lesbian. Shortly after her murder, Priscilla's stepfather Raoul Laracuente stated that he believed that she moved to New York because she was afraid her sexuality would hurt her family. Laracuente told reporters, "I truly believe in my heart that she moved away just so she wouldn’t hurt her mother’s feelings. This (Bethlehem) is a small town; everybody knows your business. She said she’d go to New York so that her mother wouldn’t be hurt."

While Priscilla's loved ones were worried about her living in a city by herself, they never imagined she'd meet such a tragic demise. Unfortunately, Priscilla's murder remains unsolved today. The investigation is classified as a cold case.

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

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Sources:
New York Times
Queens Chronicle
Queens District Attorney

Never Reported Missing: The Murder of Jeana Burrus

source: The Sun

February 6th, 2007 began as a typical day in Sarasota, Florida. The southern coastal area experiences warm temperatures year-round, which allows for children and adults alike to spend their time outdoors during the winter months. On this fateful day, a 14-year-old boy was doing just that: spending time outside in the woods behind Ashton Court.

 At some point, the boy stumbled upon a bone. His mother, who worked as a nurse, immediately recognized that the bone belonged to a human. The boy's mother subsequently called police, who then went to the wooded area where the bone was found. While sifting through dirt, investigators found a partially decomposed body in a shallow grave. 

The body was fully excavated the following day, during which it was discovered that the deceased person was an adult female. The female was fully clothed but did not have shoes on - which led detectives to believe that she had been carried to the location where she was found. A medical examiner determined that the woman had been dead for about 5-6 months at the time her body was found. She had been killed by blunt force trauma. Her manner of death was labeled a homicide.

Great lengths were taken to identify the woman - who was determined to be between her 30s and 40s at the time of her death.  DNA samples were taken, but there were no matches in the investigative database. The FBI processed the woman's clothing for fibers and trace hairs. Renderings were created with images of the woman's estimated appearance. Unfortunately, none of these efforts turned up any leads.

Fifteen years later, advances in DNA technology finally led to a positive identification. A woman in Bowie, Maryland used AncestryDNA - and her DNA matched the Sarasota victim's DNA. It was eventually confirmed in November 2022 that the victim was 39-year-old Jeana Burrus - the niece of the Maryland woman in the ancestry database.

Investigators soon learned that Jeana lived in Sarasota with her husband, James, and her son, James Jr., prior to her death. Her body was found in a wooded area near the local auto body shop where her husband James used to work. This detail alone would have likely been suspicious to investigators had they known Jeana's identity back in 2007. However, Jeana had never even been reported missing.

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Who was Jeana?

source: pelhamplus.com

Jeana's uncle described Jeana as a loving woman who went out of her way to make others happy. Prior to moving to Florida, Jeana lived in Maryland - closer to her relatives. Her uncle said that she would routinely visit and regularly call her relatives after she moved to Florida. However, at some point in 2006, Jeana's relatives stopped receiving calls. 

Jeana's family. 

Jeana with her husband, James Burrus, and their son. (Sarasota County Sheriff's Office)

Jeana was a stay-at-home mother in Sarasota. Her son was in elementary school at the time of her death. As previously noted, her husband James Burrus worked at a local auto body shop - located close to where Jeana's body was found. 

There is very little publicly known information about Jeana's relationship with James. It is inevitably suspicious that he did not report his wife missing on top of the fact that she was found deceased near his workplace, but he has not been charged with anything related to Jeana's death. James and their son eventually moved out of Sarasota. 

It also seems odd that nobody else in the family reported Jeana missing. Jeana's uncle told reporters that he inquired about Jeana's whereabouts over the years, and he was always "given a story" that he currently cannot comment on due to the ongoing investigation. The same story was also reportedly given to Jeana's brother and stepfather. Jeana's extended family members did not know she was dead until her remains were identified in 2022. 

It is unknown if any friends or acquaintances asked about Jeana's whereabouts over the years. If they did, it's likely that they were also told a similar story. 

The investigation.

As previously noted, Jeana was killed by blunt force trauma. She did not end up deceased in that wooded area on her own - somebody had to have placed her there. Before her body was identified, it was reported that whoever had carried the then-unidentified victim to the spot where she was found had to have already known that the isolated spot existed. A detective told reporters, "This is an area that someone has obviously taken great care to obfuscate the fact that there is a body here."

In August 2023, it was reported that investigators wanted to track down Jeana's family members and/or anyone who knew Jeana and James. As of right now, it appears that investigators are keeping information close to the vest due to the fact that the case is ongoing. Though it has not been confirmed, it appears that James Burrus is the main person-of-interest. 

Anyone with any relevant information is asked to contact detective Brian Ng at 941-861-4900.

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Sources:
Citrus County Chronicle
People
Sarasota Herald-Tribune, (2)
The Sun

The Disappearance and Death of Jorden Sopher

Jorden Sopher had just recently turned 18 years old when she vanished on May 23rd, 2006. 

The teen girl lived in Wabash, Indiana at the time of her disappearance. Jorden had spent most of her childhood in the foster system before she was adopted at age 16 by Robert and Linda Sopher. That same year, she dropped out of high school and later began working at a local Hardee's restaurant. However, during the spring of 2006, Jorden told her family members that she planned to re-enroll in high school so she could get a diploma. Before she had that opportunity, Jorden seemingly vanished without a trace. 

Months before her disappearance, Jorden moved out of her adoptive parent's home and had been staying with various relatives and friends in the Wabash area. She was staying with her friend and coworker Erin Harlan the weekend before her disappearance. The two reportedly last saw each other around 5:15 AM on May 23rd, 2006--when Erin woke up to go to her morning shift at Hardee's. Jorden told Erin that she was not working until later that day--so she stayed behind as Erin left for work. 

At a later point that morning, Jorden was dropped off at her adoptive parent's house in a truck driven by Cory Bridenthal. According to Jorden's father Robert Sopher, she spoke briefly to him in the garage before leaving the house on foot. After walking away from the house, Jorden was never seen or heard from again.

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Jorden is reported missing.

Later that evening, employees at Hardee's called the Sopher's to inquire about Jorden's whereabouts--as she had not shown up to her scheduled shift. This was very out-of-character for Jorden, so her parents immediately began to worry. They reported her missing the following day. 

Once police began to investigate, they questioned both Erin and Cory. Erin told police that Jorden was not at her house when she returned from her shift at Hardee's at 10:15 that morning. However, all of Jorden's belongings, including her purse, were left behind. 

Cory told police that Jorden had accidentally left her cell phone in his car when he dropped her off at her parent's house that morning. He later reportedly gave the cell phone to Erin so she could return it to Jorden. The cell phone was later turned over to investigators, but unfortunately it did not yield any clues.

Police also questioned both Linda and Robert Sopher. Linda agreed to take a polygraph exam, which she passed--but Robert refused to take one. Many found this suspicious, but both Linda and Robert maintain that Robert took one of their foster children to the doctor shortly after Jorden left their house that morning. 
Jorden's case quickly grew cold. Years passed without any clues or trace of her whereabouts. 

Remains found.

In May 2009 - nearly three years after Jorden's disappearance - the case had a break. A mushroom hunter at a creek in Peru, Indiana had spotted human remains amongst a thick canopy of raspberry bushes and honeysuckle. Dental records later confirmed that those remains belonged to Jorden Sopher.

Due to the deterioration of the remains, an autopsy was unable to determine a cause of death--but police still began to investigate Jorden's death as a homicide.  It is believed that Jorden's body was in the spot where it was found ever since her disappearance. The clothes she was wearing that day were found amongst the remains. 

Where the case stands now.

Years have passed since the discovery of Jorden's body, yet her murder remains unsolved. There has been very little information available about the investigation, especially in more recent years. 

However, in 2022, a man named Richard Allen was arrested for the 2017 murder of two Delphi, Indiana teens: Liberty German and Abby Williams. Many have now began speculating that Allen may be involved in Jorden's murder. This has not been confirmed at this time. 

Anyone with information that could lead to Jorden's case being solved is encouraged to call 1-877-226-1026 to submit an anonymous tip. 

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Sources:
Kokomo Tribune
The Sun
Tapatalk

The Disappearance and Death of Taalibah Islam

Taalibah Islam vanished at the age of 20 on January 16th, 2006. She was last seen in Fort Worth, Texas by her boyfriend and father of her infant son, Christopher Revill. After her disappearance, Revill dropped their 3-month-old son off at a relative of Taalibah’s. He said that he and Taalibah got into an argument, and that she got into a vehicle driven by someone he didn’t know and rode away.

Taalibah’s family has long suspected that Revill is responsible for her disappearance. Her family said that Revill had been abusive towards Taalibah in the past, however police found no evidence of this, nor did they find any concrete evidence that linked Revill to Taalibah’s disappearance due to a lack of crime scene.

As years passed with no sign of Taalibah, her family continued to suspect that Revill had killed her. These suspicions were only strengthened over ten years later on October 11th, 2016, when Revill was arrested for kidnapping his new girlfriend—Typhenie Johnson (25). 

Revill claimed that he was innocent of these charges. However, when investigators asked Revill what happened to Typhenie, he answered with the exact thing he said about Taalibah ten years ago: that they had gotten into an argument, and she got into a vehicle driven by someone he didn’t know and rode away. A write-up on Typhenie’s case can be found here.

Revill's mugshot after his arrest in Typhenie's case

Revill went to trial for kidnapping Typhenie in 2019. He was ultimately found guilty. However, Revill still denied having any involvement in Taalibah's case.

 Taalibah remained missing for years until March of 2023, when human remains were found in Fort Worth. It took months, but in June of 2023, those remains were identified as that of Taalibah Islam. 

The death is currently under investigation. 

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Sources:
Charley Project
Dallas News
NBC 5 Fort Worth

The Disappearance and Murder of Tracy Onawa Jones

 

Tracy Onawa Jones was only 19 years-old when she was found murdered in November 2006. The young woman was working for a traveling magazine sales company at the time of her death. Tracy's employer, Robert Blair, was her boyfriend as well. On November 15th, 2006, Robert dropped Tracy off at a truck stop in Little Rock, Arkansas, so she could sell magazine subscriptions to truckers. She was seen talking to several different people at the truck stop throughout the day, but at one point, she seemingly vanished.

Later that evening, Robert called Tracy to arrange a pickup time, but she did not answer the phone. The following day, Robert searched for Tracy and contacted her loved ones to see if they had heard from her - but his efforts were fruitless. On November 17th, 2006, Robert contacted Little Rock police to report Tracy missing. 

Days later, on November 26th, Tracy's body was found lying in a ditch in a semi-wooded area off of Highway 61 in Memphis, Tennessee. Her body was partially nude and had been bound with duct tape. An autopsy confirmed Tracy had been sexually assaulted, stabbed, and beaten. She ultimately died from blunt force trauma to the head. 

Investigators later revealed that they do not believe Tracy was killed in the location she was found. However, the coroner was unable to determine a time of death. In fact, certain reports state that Tracy was likely killed closer to November 26th than November 15th. This means Tracy was possibly held against her will for days before she was murdered. 

The FBI believes that Tracy's killer is associated with the trucking industry. Not only was she last seen alive at a truck stop, but she was also found along a highway commonly traveled by truckers. It is also not believed that the killer is still in Arkansas. Still, as of today, no suspects or persons of interest have ever been publicly named. Investigators have collected and stored DNA from Tracy's body, but it appears a match has yet to be made. 

There is a monetary reward available for anyone with information that could lead to Tracy's killer(s). If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the Little Rock FBI Field Office at 1-501-221-9100.
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Sources:
FBI.gov
Lost Voices 
The Trucker
Uncovered

The Disappearance of Brandee Hope Canipe

image source

Brandee Hope Canipe vanished at the age of 29 during May 2006. The young woman resided in Mocksville, North Carolina at the time of her disappearance. Those closest to Brandee describe her as a free spirit who had a habit of taking off and staying out-of-touch for long periods of time. Due to this, Brandee was not reported missing until April 2010 – nearly four years after she disappeared. 

Brandee grew up in Shelby, North Carolina, and she was the oldest of four sisters. According to the sisters, Brandee was a fun and loving sibling. She had a particularly strong relationship with her sister Staley, who was the closest to her in age. However, as the sisters grew into their teenage years, Brandee began to move in a separate direction. She moved out of her family’s home at a young age and only kept in touch with her family sporadically. 

It was not uncommon for Brandee’s family members to go months without hearing from her. Whenever she would reach out, she would let her family know where she was located. Brandee reportedly would stay in various places throughout North Carolina – such as Winston-Salem and Mocksville. She also lived in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina at some point. 

Throughout the years, Brandee gave birth to three children: two daughters and one son. Brandee's daughters lived with her parents, while her son lived with his father. She also got married twice and was known to some as Brandee McCluney or Brandee Rackley. 

Brandee's sister Staley first began to worry about Brandee's wellbeing when she did not show up for a funeral. The mother of Brandee's ex-husband had passed away. Brandee was reportedly quite close with her, even after the divorce. Although it had been years since Staley had heard from Brandee at this point, she still expected to see her at her ex-mother-in-law's funeral. After Brandee was a no-show, Staley began to think something was off.

Eventually, Staley decided to contact police about Brandee's disappearance. Brandee was officially reported missing on April 19th, 2010. Throughout the investigation, detectives were able to determine that she was last seen on May 6th, 2006. The last known sighting of her occurred in Mocksville - where she was living at the time she vanished. The four-year gap between Brandee's disappearance and when she was finally reported missing further deepened the mystery.

 

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A delayed investigation.

Since years passed before Brandee was actually reported missing, detectives were quite behind on their investigation. It was noted that there had not been any activity in her bank account or her Social Security number since 2006. Brandee's driver's license expired in 2008 but was never renewed. All of these findings made it clear that Brandee had been missing for quite some time. 

Obtaining information from those closest to Brandee was proven to be difficult, as many of them did not have clear memories of their last known interaction with her. Still, Brandee's family members did their best to relay the most accurate information they had and/or could remember.

Information from the family.

Brandee's parents both passed away in 2010 - shortly after she was reported missing. Unfortunately, they were not able to provide much information. However, Brandee's other family members have been in touch with detectives over the years.

All of Brandee's family members corroborated that she lived a somewhat transient lifestyle, and that it was not unusual for months to pass without hearing from her. Several of Brandee's family members also told detectives that they saw Brandee driving a 4-door Buick sedan when she would come to visit. It's possible that Brandee was driving this car at the time of her disappearance but said vehicle has never been located.

Brandee's sister Staley said that she last saw Brandee during 2005, at a bar in Shelby. According to Staley, Brandee was working at the bar. She had gotten a job there after returning to Shelby to be closer to her two daughters. However, it appears that Brandee moved to Mocksville a few months later. 

Leigh, the youngest of Brandee's three younger sisters, said that she last saw Brandee during the spring of 2006. Leigh was only 10 years-old at the time, but she remembers that Brandee had come to visit during that time period. Leigh explained that Brandee had driven her to her school bus stop. The two chatted as they waited in Brandee's car for Leigh's bus to arrive. When the bus finally did arrive, Leigh exited the car, unaware that she would never see her sister again. 

All three of Brandee's children were under the age of 10 during 2006. It's likely that the memories of their mother were a bit fuzzy by the time she was finally reported missing in 2010. Brandee's second oldest daughter, Autumn, spoke to reporters in 2022 and said that she does not remember the exact last time she saw her mother, but the memories she does have of her are quite fond. 

The lake house.

According to a report by Dateline, Brandee's youngest sister Leigh has been more active in the investigation during more recent years. Throughout Leigh's quest for answers, she remembered a detail about Brandee's life prior to her disappearance that might be significant. It involved a lake house.

Leigh explained that, during the fall of 2005, her family faced some financial hardships. During such times, Brandee invited their mother, Leigh, and their other sister, Paige, to come live with her in Mocksville - an approximate hour and a half's drive away from Shelby. The residence belonged to Brandee's boyfriend. 

The three of them lived with Brandee and her boyfriend for a few months. Leigh and Paige were both enrolled in school in Mocksville. After a few months, though, their mother returned to Shelby. Leigh and Paige stayed and continued to live with Brandee.

A short time later, Brandee announced that she and her boyfriend had broken up, so they had to move out of Mocksville. By Leigh's account, Brandee moved them an approximate 45-minute drive away to a lake house located on Belews Creek on the north side of Winston-Salem. Leigh said she is unsure about how, exactly, Brandee became connected to this place - but she did meet a man who reportedly managed the property.

Belews Creek. Source: Forsynth Realty

The man lived in a separate nearby house on the lake. Leigh explained that he had given Brandee and the girls permission to live in their respective house. The nature of Brandee's relationship with this man is unclear, but Leigh does not recall seeing a wife or any other woman in this man's house.

Leigh and Paige lived at that lake house for a bit before CPS was called and told that the girls were not with their custodial parent. The two girls then went to go live with their father. Leigh said that Brandee came to visit her that final time a week later - when she drove her to her school bus stop. 

Leigh was unable to provide detectives with an actual address to this lake house, as she was only 10 years old when she lived there. Detectives went to the area where they believed it might have been located, but there is apparently only new construction there now. Additionally, investigators were never able to identify the property manager. 

The Mocksville residence.

It's unclear if Brandee returned to the lake house after that final interaction with Leigh. According to detectives, Brandee lived in Mocksville at the time she vanished - which was only a short time later. In fact, one of the investigators stated that Brandee's two daughters lived with her at the Mocksville residence in May 2006 - right before she disappeared. 

This is the same residence that Brandee lived in before, with Leigh and Paige. As previously noted, the home belonged to a boyfriend of Brandee's. When investigators finally went to house in 2010, said boyfriend still lived there.

The home was thoroughly investigated, but unfortunately nothing of significance was found. Nothing was found to indicate that any sort of foul play involving Brandee had occurred in the house. It should be noted that four years is plenty of time for evidence to fade or be removed - but still, even a thorough search with professionals turned up no evidence. 

Detectives also investigated the ex-boyfriend himself, but ultimately did not find any evidence against him. One of the investigators working the case specifically said, "there was nothing to list him as a suspect." It's unclear if he has been completely ruled out, but he is not considered a suspect either. 

The vehicle.

As previously stated, Brandee drove a 4-door Buick sedan prior to her disappearance. Many family members corroborated seeing her in this vehicle. Leigh said that Brandee was in this car when she drove her to the bus stop during their final interaction. 

Unfortunately, investigators have not been able to locate this vehicle. That might mean that the car disappeared with Brandee, but it also might not have. Investigators stated that they do not believe the car was registered to Brandee's name, which has made it more difficult to locate. 

Still, there is inevitable speculation that the car did, in fact, vanish with Brandee. As such, there is also speculation that both Brandee and the car ended up in a body of water. In 2021, a volunteer dive group called "Exploring With Nug" did a sonar search in Belews Creek. One of the detectives explained that the dive team used sonar all throughout the lake. Some sunken boats and tires were spotted, but no vehicles. 

In late September 2022, another volunteer dive team conducted a search a Belews Creek. Unfortunately, their search efforts were halted by Hurricane Ian. At this time, it is unknown if they will return to the creek at a later date. 

Theories.

As just mentioned, there has been inevitable speculation that both Brandee and her car ended up in a body of water. The body of water that the volunteer dive teams searched - Belews Creek - is the location where Brandee temporarily lived in a lake house. However, investigators have been adamant that Brandee was last seen alive in Mocksville. In fact, one detective said that he was not sure that she ever returned to the lake house. It's still entirely possible that Brandee returned to there after May 6th, but this has never been confirmed. 

If Brandee did, in fact, return to the lake house after May 6th, 2006, the property manager is definitely worth investigating. Unfortunately, detectives were unable to identify this man. He is still unknown to this day. 

There is also inevitable speculation about Brandee's ex-boyfriend. She was known to be living at his home off US 158 before she vanished. That residence is also the last place that Brandee was seen. As previously noted, the ex-boyfriend was questioned, and he has not been labeled a suspect. It's possible that he was able to destroy any evidence that might have connected him to Brandee's disappearance - as he had a four-year head start on the investigation. Still, at this time, he has not been charged with anything related to Brandee's case.

It's also possible that something or someone else altogether is responsible for Brandee's disappearance. As of 2022, no persons of interest or suspects have been identified.

Where the case stands today.

Brandee still remains missing. Her case remains open. Brandee's youngest sister, Leigh, has been posting about Brandee's case on her Tik Tok.  Her Tik Tok's have helped spread more awareness about Brandee's disappearance. News sources, including Dateline, have begun to report on the case. 

Brandee's family members are hoping to find answers. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the Davie County Sheriff’s Office at 336-751-6238.

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Sources:
Charley Project
Davie County Enterprise Record
Leigh's Tik Tok
NBC News
Websleuths

The Disappearance & Murder of Catrina Hinton

image source

Catrina Hinton was due to embark on a new chapter in her life during early 2006. Like many 18-year-olds, Catrina had recently graduated from high school and was about to begin attending college. She moved from her hometown in Norfolk, Virginia to Jersey City, New Jersey so she could attend Jersey City State University. Unfortunately, before Catrina could begin attending classes, her life was tragically taken. 

Catrina was a resilient young woman who had already survived hardships in her short life. According to reports, she was born with a tumor that was potentially life-threatening. Doctors were able to remove the tumor, but her eye had to be replaced with a glass eye. By all accounts, it appears that Catrina did not let this stop her from living a happy life. Still, Catrina’s family always feared that another tumor or sickness would cut her life short. They never imagined that violence would be the reason for Catrina’s untimely death.

The last known sighting of Catrina occurred on January 14th, 2006. That day, she went to work at a clothing store called Mandee’s in Bayonne. Catrina was last seen leaving the store after her shift ended. She usually took the bus back to her residence on Ocean Avenue, but on this evening, she never made it back home. Catrina’s family members later reported her missing. Police labeled her disappearance as “suspicious” – as she did not have a history of falling out of touch with her family or close friends. Catrina also never picked up her most recent paycheck, which was unusual. 

Weeks later, on February 6th, 2006, an employee at the New York Bay Cemetery spotted a human hand sticking out from a pile of rocks beside a cut-down tree. Police were called, and as they dug through the rocks, they uncovered the body of a young deceased female. It was soon determined that the body belonged to Catrina Hinton. 

An autopsy revealed that Catrina had been brutally beaten and possibly strangled to death. It was determined that robbery was not a motive for her murder, as jewelry and other items of value were found on her body. There was evidence that Catrina had been both undressed and redressed by her attacker, leading investigators to believe that she was possibly sexually assaulted. 

Catrina was dating two different men at the time of her disappearance. According to reports, both men were questioned by police – along with several other people as well. It is unclear if any person has been ruled out at this point. No suspects or persons of interest have ever been publicly announced. 

Catrina’s murder remains unsolved. If you have any information that could lead to the arrest of her killer(s), please contact the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Squad at 201-915-1345.

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Sources:
News 12
NJ.com, 2

The Murder of Victoria Eagleman

 

Victoria Eagleman was 33 years old when she vanished on July 28th, 2006. The mother-of-five spent that day swimming and drinking along the Missouri River on the Lower Brule Lakota Indian Reservation. She never returned home and was never seen alive by her family and friends again.

At the time of her disappearance, Victoria and her five children had moved into her mother June Left Hand's house on the reservation in Lower Brule, South Dakota. This was intended to be a temporary living situation while Victoria looked for a new job. Victoria also was dating a man known locally as Sonny. According to her mother June, Victoria's relationship with Sonny was physically abusive and Victoria was often left with several bruises and injuries that required stitches.

On the day Victoria disappeared, she went to the river with Sonny, her sister, and her sister's boyfriend. Later that evening, Sonny returned home to June's house, but Victoria was not with him. He told June that Victoria had dropped him off, and he did not know where she went after that. After a few days passed without any sign of her, Victoria was reported missing to the tribal police.

Over the next few weeks, some of Victoria's items were found — including her glasses and a ring she was wearing on the day of her disappearance. Both items were smashed and appeared to have been driven over. Then, on August 22nd, 2006, a group of volunteers organized a search with over 200 community members participating. It was during that search that Victoria's nude body was found stuffed in a culvert on a remote part of the reservation. There were obvious signs of trauma to her body, and investigators later determined that her death was likely caused by blunt force trauma to the head. 

Due to the history of physical abuse in their relationship, Sonny seems like a fairly obvious suspect in Victoria's case. He was with Victoria on the day she vanished, and Victoria's sister later stated that the two of them were arguing that day. Additionally, Sonny reportedly referred to Victoria in the past tense while she was still missing, and he did not participate in any of the searches for her. Despite this, Sonny has not been publicly named as a suspect — nor has anyone to date.

Victoria's loved ones have questioned the effort being put into the case investigation from the very beginning. Just months after the murder occurred, a random citizen found Victoria's case file, including several crime scene photographs, scattered around the street in front of the local police department. The citizen promptly returned the file to the police, but the incident led to questions over whether or not police were actually thoroughly investigating Victoria's case. 

Many years have passed, but Victoria's murder still remains unsolved. Her case is reportedly among several other unsolved murders of indigenous women in South Dakota. Both FBI and tribal authorities are investigating. If you have any information that could help solve Victoria's case, please contact the FBI Pierre Office at (605) 224-8971.

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Sources:

Justice for Native Women
Kare11
Uncovered

The Murder of Heather and Kira Radcliffe

Heather Radcliffe (28) and her daughter Kira Radcliffe (6) were brutally murdered inside their own home during the early-morning hours of December 9th, 2006. Their murders remain unsolved to this day.

Heather was raising Kira in Gainesville, Florida. Many described Heather as friendly, hardworking, and straightforward. She worked at a tree-trimming company and was the boss to a team of employees. Heather was also described as a loving and dedicated mother. In December 2006, she was looking forward to celebrating the Christmas holiday with Kira. Unfortunately, before they could, their time got cut short.

Police and the fire department were called to Heather's home around 6:30 AM on December 9th, after a neighbor noticed that flames were erupting from the roof of the house. It was initially believed that the fire was caused by an electrical issue. Tragically, upon closer inspection, it became clear that this was not the case. After the fire was put out, authorities searched the house for any victims. Kira was found first, near the living room just inches away from a phone. It appeared that the little girl had tried to call for help. Heather was found in her bedroom. Their dog was found in the office with the door closed. Investigators also noticed that the fire had two separate starting points. The first starting point was in Heather's bedroom; the ignition point being her mattress. The second starting point was in Kira's bedroom. 

An autopsy confirmed that Heather had been shot three times-once in the chest and twice in the head. It's believed that Kira was awoken by the gunfire, and that the assailant attacked Kira 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 fires. Kira died of a combination of both strangulation and smoke inhalation. 

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 male employees, but so far no arrests have been made. However, investigators have revealed that Heather and Kira were likely killed by someone Heather knew and allowed into her house. Heather's loved ones revealed that she often put their dog in the office when she was expecting a visitor. Additionally, the front door was unlocked.  Even knowing this information, a motive for Heather's murder remains unclear.

This case is still open, and Heather and Kira's loved ones are hoping to see justice some day. If you have any information that could lead to the killer, please call (352) 372-7867 to submit an anonymous tip. 

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[source]

The Disappearances & Murders of Jewel King, Verdell Jefferson, & Dorothy Butts

 

Pictured from left to right: Jewel King (48), Verdell Jefferson (41), and Dorothy Butts (43)

Jewel, Verdell, and Dorothy were three unrelated individuals living in the Washington, DC area when they disappeared during 2006. Jewel was the first of the three women to vanish. She was last seen alive on April 7th, 2006, on Galveston Street. Jewel's mother reported her missing a few days later. Verdell vanished a few weeks later, on May 1st, 2006--but was not reported missing until August 2006. Dorothy vanished on Christmas Day 2006, after she left home to go to a local store and never returned. She was reported missing later that day.

It is unclear if the three missing women knew each other, and initially there was no indication that their disappearances were related. Their cases quickly went cold. There was very little media coverage on any of the women. 

Over a decade after their disappearances, during April 2018, construction workers began enlarging a crawl space in the basement of an apartment building in Congress Heights. While working on the crawl space, the workers spotted a set of human remains. Police were called, and a search of the surrounding area led to the discovery of two other sets of human remains. 

Investigators eventually identified the first set of remains as Jewel King Shortly thereafter, it was confirmed that the other sets of remains belonged to Verdell Jefferson and Dorothy Butts. All three women had been murdered. Jewel and Dorothy had been shot to death, while Verdell had been bludgeoned. Investigators have yet to find a connection between the three women, nor have they announced any suspects. However, the DC police chief stated that he believes the women were all killed by the same person. 

The murders of all three women remain unsolved today. If you have any information that could help solve their cases, please call (202) 727-9099 or text 50411 to submit an anonymous tip. 

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Sources:
DC Witness
Washington Post
WUSA 9