The Disappearance of Merkedes Jordan

 

Merkedes Jordan has been missing since November 7th, 2006. The then-21-year-old vanished from Meridian, Mississippi. On the day of her disappearance, Merkedes was last seen outside of the Western Gardens Apartment Complex. She has never been seen or heard from again.

There are very little details available about the circumstances surrounding Merkedes’ disappearance. Reports regarding her case state that Merkedes was seen talking to an unidentified male next to a black vehicle in the apartment complex’s parking lot. This was the last known sighting of the young woman; what happened after that has remained a mystery for nearly two decades.

Merkedes’ family members do not think she would leave on her own accord; they believe she was taken against her will. However, no persons of interest or suspects have ever been publicly identified. Merkedes’ case is unfortunately one of several that has received minimal media attention. Updates on the investigation have not been provided throughout the years. 

Merkedes left behind a son who was just a baby at the time of her disappearance. Her son has now grown up without his mother, and her other loved ones have been left without answers. Merkedes’ case is still open but considered a cold case.

If you have any information that could help solve the disappearance of Merkedes Jordan, please contact the Meridian Police Department at 601-485-1843.

Sources:

Charley Project
The Doe Network
MissingSippi
NamUs
Our Black Girls

The Disappearance of Sheena Johnson

 

Sheena Johnson has been missing since September 8th, 2006. The then-21-year-old was last seen at a convenience store called McDuff Food Mart in Jacksonville, Florida. Sheena never returned home and has never been seen or heard from again.

According to reports, the McDuff Food Mart was located just a few blocks away from Sheena’s family’s home on Mackinaw Street. Sheena walked to the store to buy a cigar. Before leaving her residence, Sheena told her mother she’d return shortly, but unfortunately, she never came back home. What was supposed to be a brief trip to a convenience store soon turned into a mystery that still remains unsolved after two decades.

Sheena was reported missing on September 11th, 2006. Her loved ones told authorities that it was uncharacteristic for her to leave without warning. It was also uncharacteristic for her to not answer her phone, which had been shut off since the day she vanished. Sheena did not have any known enemies at the time she went missing, nor did she have a history of mental illness. 

Despite all of these circumstances, authorities initially did not suspect that foul play was responsible for Sheena’s disappearance. However, after an extended period of time passed without any sign of Sheena at all, authorities finally considered foul play a possibility. Still - no suspects or persons of interest have ever been publicly identified. 

News reporting about Sheena’s case has been minimal. She remains missing today, and her disappearance has unfortunately grown into a cold case. If you have any information that could help solve the disappearance of Sheena Johnson, please contact the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office at 904-630-0500.

Sources:
Charley Project
City of Jacksonville on X
Facebook

Justice Coalition

Twenty Years Later: Still Unsolved (2026)

Several cases featured on True Case Files have remained unsolved for 20 years as the we embark on the year 2026. Below is an extensive list of all the unsolved missing persons and unsolved death/homicide cases on TCF that occurred in 2006. Here's to hoping these cases are closer to finding justice this year!

Listed by date of occurrence. Links to case details are provided.

Jump to: Missing since 2006 | Unsolved Since 2006: 

MISSING SINCE 2006:

Risha Aleena Lewis.

Name: Risha Lewis

Missing since: January 21st, 2006

Age at disappearance: 26

Last seen in: New Castle, DE/Elkton, MD

Case details.

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Brandee Hope Canipe.

Name: Brandee Canipe

Missing since: May 6th, 2006

Age at disappearance: 29

Last seen in: Mocksville, NC

Case details.

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Yesenia Castillo.

Name: Yesenia Castillo

Missing since: July 30th, 2006

Age at disappearance: 27

Last seen in: Chicago, IL

Case details.

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Caleta Sade White.

Name: Caleta White

Missing since: August 22nd, 2006

Age at disappearance: 18

Last seen in: Tukwila, WA

Case details.

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Devin Janelle Brown-Boussetta.

Name: Devin Brown-Boussetta

Missing since: September 5th, 2006

Age at disappearance: 25

Last seen in: Pittsburgh, PA

Case details.

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Soon Chon Hwang.

Name: Soon Hwang

Missing since: September 5th, 2006

Age at disappearance: 44

Last seen in: Memphis, TN

Case details.

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Kristen Lee Anderson.

Name: Kristen Anderson

Missing since: October 1st, 2006

Age at disappearance: 24

Last seen in: Martins Ferry, Ohio

Case details.

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Jennifer Apreciado.

Name: Jennifer Apreciado

Missing since: October 26th, 2006

Age at disappearance: 17

Last seen in: San Antonio, TX

Case details.

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Nicholle Rae Torrez.

Name: Nicholle Torrez

Missing since: December 14th, 2006

Age at disappearance: 27

Last seen in: Denver, CO

Case details.

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UNSOLVED SINCE 2006

The Murder of Catrina Hinton.

Name: Catrina Hinton (18)

Case type: Disappearance and murder

Missing: January 14th, 2006

Remains found: February 6th, 2006

Location: Jersey City, NJ

Teen moves from Virginia to New Jersey for college; is murdered before she could begin attending school.

Case details: The Disappearance and Murder of Catrina Hinton.

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The Disappearance and Death of Taalibah Islam.

Name: Taalibah Islam (20)

Case type: Disappearance; unsolved death.

Missing: January 16th, 2006

Remains found: March 2023

Location: Fort Worth, TX

Texas woman vanished after an argument with her boyfriend. Her remains were found 17 years later; cause of death unable to be determined. The boyfriend has since been convicted of kidnapping another girlfriend. 

Case details: The Disappearance and Death of Taalibah Islam.

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The Disappearance and Murder of Jewel King.

Name: Jewel King (48)

Case type: Unsolved murder; shot to death.

Missing: April 7th, 2006

Remains found: April 2018

Location: Washington, DC.

A DC woman vanished in April 2006. In April 2018, her remains were found in a crawl space, along with the remains of 2 other DC women who also went missing in 2006. The 3 women did not know each other prior to their respective disappearances, but it's believed they were killed by the same person. 

Case details: The Disappearances & Murders of Jewel King, Verdell Jefferson, and Dorothy Butts.

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The Disappearance and Murder of Verdell Jefferson.

Name: Verdell Jefferson (41)

Case type: Unsolved murder; blunt force trauma.

Missing: May 1st, 2006

Remains found: April 2018

Location: Washington, DC.

A DC woman vanished in May 2006. In April 2018, her remains were found in a crawl space in Congress Heights, along with the remains of 2 other DC women who also went missing in 2006. The 3 women did not know each other prior to their respective disappearances, but it's believed they were killed by the same person. 

Case details: The Disappearances & Murders of Jewel King, Verdell Jefferson, and Dorothy Butts.

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The Disappearance and Murder of Terri Reyes.

Name: Terri Reyes (38)

Case type: Disappearance; unsolved murder

Missing: May 21st, 2006

Remains found: June 2007

Location: San Augustine County, TX

Texas woman vanishes before she is supposed to testify against a cop. Her remains are found a little over a year later in San Augustine County.

Case details: The Murders of Terri Reyes and Shunte Coleman.

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The Disappearance and Murder of Jorden Sopher.

Name: Jorden Sopher (18)

Case type: Disappearance and murder

Missing: May 23rd, 2006

Remains found: May 2009

Location: Wabash/Peru, IN

Teen from Wabash vanishes in 2006; her remains are found 3 years later in Peru. An autopsy was unable to confirm a cause of death, but the manner of death is homicide.

Case details: The Disappearance and Murder of Jorden Sopher.

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The Murder of Nishan Bonit Huff.

Name: Nishan Huff

Age: 23

Case type: Murder; shooting.

Date: June 7th, 2006

Location: Greenville County, SC

A young woman is shot to death inside her apartment. Two people were charged with murder in 2022, but the charges were later dropped. The case is still classified as unsolved.

Case details: The Murder of Nishan Huff.

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The Disappearance and Murder of Shunte Coleman.

Name: Shunte Coleman (26)

Case type: Disappearance and murder

Missing: July 2nd, 2006

Remains found: March 2014

Location: San Augustine County, TX

Texas woman vanished before she was supposed to testify against a cop. Her remains were found several years later in San Augustine County. The police officer remains the main suspect in this murder and the murder of Terri Reyes, but charges have never been filed.

Case details: The Murders of Terri Reyes and Shunte Coleman.

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The Disappearance and Murder of Victoria Eagleman.

Name: Victoria Eagleman (33)

Case type: Unsolved murder; blunt force trauma.

Missing: July 28th, 2006

Remains found: August 22nd, 2006

Location: Lower Brule, SD

A mother-of-five vanished after a day of swimming at the Missouri River. Her nude body was found weeks later; her death was caused by blunt force trauma. 

Case details: The Disappearance and Murder of Victoria Eagleman.

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The Murder of Jeana Lynn Burrus.

Name: Jeana Burrus 

Age: 39

Case type: Murder; never reported missing.

Date: Approx. Aug/Sept. 2006

Location: Sarasota, FL

The remains of an adult woman were found in February 2007; it's believed she'd been dead for about 5-6 months at that point. The woman is unidentified for 15 years until 2022, when DNA finally confirms she is Jeana Burrus. It's then learned that, despite living with a husband and 2 young sons, Jeana was never reported missing.

Case details: Never Reported Missing: The Murder of Jeana Burrus.

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The Disappearance and Murder of Amy Drake.

Name: Amy Drake (18)

Case type: Disappearance and murder

Missing: September 20th, 2006

Remains found: November 24th, 2006

Location: Norridgewock, ME

Maine teenager vanished near Skowhegan in September 2006; her remains were found two months later. Her death has been ruled a murder, but the cause of death has never been revealed.

Case details: The Disappearance and Murder of Amy Drake.

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The Disappearance and Murder of Tracy Jones.

Name: Tracy Onawa Jones (19)

Case type: Murder; blunt force trauma.

Missing: November 15th, 2006

Remains found: November 26th, 2006

Location: Little Rock, AR

Arkansas teenager vanishes from a truck stop; her remains are found 11 days later.

Case details: The Disappearance and Murder of Tracy Onawa Jones.

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The Murder of Priscilla Pimentel.

Name: Priscilla Pimentel

Age: 24

Case type: Murder; stabbing

Date: November 24th, 2006

Location: Queens, NY

A young woman and her dog found brutally murdered inside her Queens apartment.

Case details: The Murder of Priscilla Pimentel.

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The Murders of Heather and Kira Radcliffe.

Names: Heather and Kira Radcliffe

Age: 28 and 6

Case type: Murder; shooting and arson.

Date: December 9th, 2006

Location: Gainesville, FL

A young mother and her daughter are found deceased inside their burned down home. 

Case details: The Murders of Heather and Kira Radcliffe.

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The Disappearance and Murder of Dorothy Butts.

Name: Dorothy Butts (43)

Case type: Murder; shot to death.

Missing: December 25th, 2006

Remains found: April 2018

Location: Washington, DC.

A DC woman vanished in May 2006. In April 2018, her remains were found in a crawl space in Congress Heights, along with the remains of 2 other DC women who also went missing in 2006. The 3 women did not know each other prior to their respective disappearances, but it's believed they were killed by the same person. 

Case details: The Disappearances & Murders of Jewel King, Verdell Jefferson, and Dorothy Butts.

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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

Similar cases:

• The Disappearance of LaKisha Taylor
• Unsolved disappearances from 2006
• Unsolved disappearances from Pennsylvania

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