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

The Disappearance of Samson Peters

 

Samson Peters has been missing since July 2023. The then-43-year-old was last seen in Casselberry, Florida - where he was living at the time. Samson usually kept in consistent communication with his children and his significant other, but he abruptly fell out-of-touch on July 18th. Knowing this was unusual, Samson’s worried loved ones contacted police to report his disappearance.

On July 23rd, 2023 - five days after Samson’s last known contact - his vehicle was found parked along State Road 192 near St. Cloud, Florida. According to police, there were no signs of foul play at the scene. However, there were no signs to indicate Samson’s whereabouts either. 

Samson’s ex-wife told News 6 that Samson does not have any ties to the area where his car was found, so it’s unknown why he would drive there. The ex-wife also told reporters that Samson’s family was “concerned for his well-being because [Samson] was dealing with depression and facing eviction before he disappeared.” It’s unknown if investigators believe this plays a role in his disappearance.

Samson remains missing today. The Seminole County Sheriff's Office has investigative agency over his case. If you have any information that could lead to Samson’s whereabouts, please contact authorities at 407-665-6650.

Sources:
Charley Project
Missing Persons Center
Orlando News

The Murders of Maria Sanchez and Destiny Banuelos

Maria Sanchez (left), Destiny Banuelos (right)

Maria Sanchez (36) and Destiny Banuelos (16) were found deceased inside a Pine Hills, Florida home on February 15th, 2016. The mother and daughter were both shot to death. Their deaths were quickly ruled a homicide - and their case still unfortunately remains unsolved today.

Maria and Destiny are originally from Oregon. She had her first two children - a son and then Destiny - before marrying her husband Jerry Ledbetter Jr. and having three more children with him. The family moved from Oregon to Florida, but at some point, Ledbetter and their three children returned to Oregon. Destiny reportedly went back to Oregon as well but returned to Florida prior to the murders. 

According to WFTV 9, Maria and Destiny lived at the Coalition for the Homeless in Orlando before eventually moving into a Pine Hills residence owned by a man named Glenn Sylvester. It was in that residence where Maria and Destiny were brutally shot to death. Several questions remain about what exactly happened to them. Namely, who killed them? And why?

Reports state that Sylvester left his home on the morning of the murders, and when he returned that afternoon, he found both Maria and Destiny deceased. Sylvester said he then had neighbors call 911. Police arrived shortly thereafter and began investigating the scene.

There was reportedly no sign of forced entry at the residence, nor was anything missing from the home. Some neighbors were interviewed by reporters shortly after the crime; none mentioned seeing or hearing anything suspicious on the day of the murders. One neighbor stated that Maria and Sylvester were dating. Sylvester has never been named a suspect or person of interest in the case.

In the early stages of the investigation, police stated that they did not have any suspects, but nobody had been ruled out. Now that years have passed, it's unclear if that statement is still true. There has been very little reporting on the case over the years, so the status of the investigation is unknown. 

The Orange County Sheriff's Office has investigative agency of the murders of Maria and Destiny. If you have any information that could help solve the case, please contact authorities at (407) 254-7000. To remain anonymous and possibly be eligible for a reward, call Crimeline at (800) 423-TIPS.

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Sources:
KGW 8
Oregon Live
Project: Cold Case
WESH 2

WFTV

Other similar cases:

• The Murders of Heather and Kira Radcliffe
• The Murders of Kathy and Samantha Nederland
• The Murders of Tasjunique Graham and Bailey Simon
• 
  

The Murder of Nicole Ganguzza

 

Nicole Ganguzza had many things to look forward to during June 2008. The 26-year-old woman was a graduate student at University of Central Florida and was close to finishing her master's degree in marriage and family therapy. Additionally, Nicole had recently gotten married and was looking forward to starting a family with her new husband. Unfortunately, none of those exciting things ever got to happen, as Nicole's life was tragically taken on June 10th, 2008. 

The day of Nicole's murder began as a typical one. Nicole attended class at the Orlando university, finishing around 5:30 PM. Shortly thereafter, she called her new husband, Brendan Ganguzza, to tell him that she was going jogging at the nearby Jay Blanchard Park. 

Brendan began to worry around 7:00 PM, after he could no longer reach Nicole via phone. He then went to the park himself to search for his wife. Brendan searched unsuccessfully for about 2 hours before calling the police to report Nicole's disappearance.

Authorities searched for Nicole until 1:00 AM without any success. Around 60 people returned the following day to continue the search, during which Nicole's body was discovered around 5:15 PM. It was clear that she had been attacked and dragged off the trail by her assailant. Authorities later confirmed that Nicole died by strangulation. 

Reports note that Blanchard Park was not Nicole's usual jogging spot. However, it is a popular jogging spot amongst Orlando locals. A 2008 report on Nicole's murder states that authorities believe Nicole's killer was a "stranger who had lain in wait on the jogging trail for the appropriate situation to occur." It was noted that two other women had been attacked on the same trail in 2006 and 2007 respectively. Both women escaped their attacker.

Shortly after Nicole's murder, a man named Clemente F. Garcia was arrested in connection to the 2007 attack. The arrest came after the then-20-year-old Garcia's DNA matched DNA found on the victim from 2007. At the time of Garcia's arrest, authorities stated that they hoped to question him in Nicole's case.

In March 2009, it was reported that police executed a search warrant "on the mobile home of a man who is considered a person of interest in the case." However, over 15 years have passed since that reporting, and no arrests have ever been made in Nicole's case. No suspects have ever been publicly identified. 

The murder of Nicole Ganguzza remains unsolved today. The Orange County Sheriff's Department has investigative agency over the case. If you have any information that could help solve Nicole's case, please contact authorities at (407) 254-7000.

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Sources:
CNN 

Fatherhood Channel

NJ Online
Orlando Sentinel

Similar cases:

• The Murder of Alma Mendez
• Unsolved murders from 2008
• Unsolved murders from Florida

The Disappearance of Atraya Berardi

Atraya Berardi has been missing since May 24th, 2024. The then-16-year-old was living with her aunt and uncle in Rockledge, Florida at the time of her disappearance. Atraya was last seen leaving her aunt and uncle's residence around 11:00 PM. She never returned and has never been seen or heard from again.

Atraya left the house with a bag of toiletries and her pet cat in a carrier. As such, she was classified as a runaway once her missing persons' case was opened. However, Atraya's other belongings, including her cell phone and laptop, were left behind. 

Reports state that Atraya had only lived in Rockledge for a few months prior to her disappearance. Previously, she lived with her mother in Palatka, Florida. Atraya moved in with her aunt and uncle in Rockledge after her mother passed away in January 2024. 

Atraya reportedly also had a history of running away when she lived in Palatka, but she was never gone for longer than a few days. This time around, Atraya has been gone for a significant length of time and there has been no trace of her since her disappearance. In July 2024, approximately 2 months after her disappearance, authorities announced that they believe Atraya is in danger. 

The FBI is involved in the search for Atraya. She is described as a 5'4" female with brown hair and brown eyes. Her cat, which she brought with her, has gray fur and a deformed ear. 

If you have any information that could help solve Atraya Berardi's disappearance, please contact the Rockledge Police Department at 321-690-3988 or submit a tip to the FBI.

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Sources:
Charley Project
Disappeared Blog
FBI
Missing Kids. org
WFTV

The Disappearance of Tiffany Daniels

Tiffany Heaven Daniels (25) was last seen in Pensacola, Florida on August 12th, 2013. That day, she went to work at a theater at Pensacola State College, where she painted sets. While at work, Tiffany asked her boss if she could leave a little early. Her boss granted this request.

Tiffany also told her boss that she would be away from work for the next couple of days, but she did not specify why; she simply said she had “a few things to take care of.” Tiffany’s roommate saw her return to their house that afternoon, however, he was on a phone call when she returned, and he did not get a chance to speak with her. By time he got off the phone, Tiffany had left again. She never returned home and has never been seen or heard from again.

Tiffany’s family members and friends apparently did not know that she planned to take a few days off from work. According to them, she did not have any known plans to travel out of town that week. In fact, a day prior to her disappearance, her boyfriend moved to Austin, Texas, and Tiffany declined to move there with him. She had, however, already made plans to visit him during the upcoming months; so, it was quickly ruled out that she had run off to follow him to Texas.

On August 20th, eight days after her disappearance, Tiffany’s car was found parked at Pensacola Beach. Her wallet, cell phone, bicycle, water bottles, and other personal items were found inside. The car was found by a jogger who recognized it after seeing coverage about Tiffany’s disappearance on the news. 

image source

Police spoke to residents who lived in the condominium across the street, and one resident in particular said that the car was “definitely not” parked there two days earlier. Two other residents said that they had seen an unidentified man getting out of the car earlier on that day.  After the car was towed to the police garage for examination, investigators found two fingerprints, one on the door handle and the other on the steering wheel, that could not be matched to Tiffany or any of the investigators who had worked on the car.

Over the years, there have been a few sightings of Tiffany in nearby states, however none of those sightings have been verified. Tiffany’s mother Cindy Daniels originally feared that Tiffany may be a victim of sex trafficking. However, in April 2025, Cindy spoke to Pensacola News Journal and stated that the family no longer believes this to be the case. 

In the report, Cindy stated that 2 years earlier, she and her husband partnered with a non-profit organization called Shadows of Strength (SOS) to help shed light on their daughter's disappearance. The purpose of the nonprofit is to "help human trafficking survivors by gathering valuable data, identifying crucial information, and assisting survivors in rebuilding their lives."

After working with this organization, Cindy explained that information came about that actually led her away from the trafficking theory. Specifically, Cindy now believes someone who was close to Tiffany may be involved in her disappearance. She noted that one of the people who Tiffany was known to hang out with has obtained a lawyer, while another person is not cooperating with the investigation.

 

Despite these new developments, Tiffany still remains missing. If you have any information about Tiffany/her whereabouts, please contact the Pensacola Police Department at 850-435-1900.

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Sources:
Charley Project
HuffPost
Pensacola News Journal, 
WKRG

The Disappearance of Elizabeth Prescott

 

Elizabeth Prescott has been missing since April 30th, 2004. The then-19-year-old was last seen at her residence in Panama City, Florida. Elizabeth's husband, Coy Prescott, said that he saw her at the apartment shortly before he left for work at 6:00 AM. When he returned around 4:00 PM that afternoon, Elizabeth was gone. She has never been seen or heard from again. 

According to Coy, nothing appeared unusual in the residence when he returned home. There were reportedly no signs of a struggle in the apartment. A wet towel was in the bathroom, which indicated the shower had recently been used. Nothing was missing from the residence except $50 cash. All of Elizabeth's personal items were left behind as well.

Elizabeth did not tell Coy or anyone else about any plans she had to leave or go anywhere that day. She did have plans to celebrate her husband's birthday, which was the day after she disappeared. In fact, Elizabeth reportedly asked Coy to call her an hour before his workday ended so she could finish preparing for his birthday celebration. Reports note that Coy called the home around 2:30 PM, but the call went unanswered.

Elizabeth and Coy had only been married for about 2 months before she vanished. Prior to that, Elizabeth had a long-term relationship with another man named Eric Moore. Eric later told police that he and Elizabeth continued to see each other even after she married Coy. There has been inevitable speculation that one of these men might be responsible for Elizabeth's disappearance. Neither man has been ruled out; however, they have both passed polygraph exams. 

An incarcerated man named Ivan Ferrer-Perdomo later bragged to inmates that he killed Elizabeth after she showed up at his home looking for drugs. When investigators questioned him about this, he reportedly refused to cooperate. Still, investigators have been unable to find any link between him and Elizabeth. 

Elizabeth did not have access to a vehicle at the time of her disappearance. She also did not have a cell phone or any credit cards. Elizabeth is described as a petite woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. At the time of her disappearance, she was approximately 5'2" and 110 lbs. 

If you have any information that could help solve the disappearance of Elizabeth Prescott, please submit a tip with Panhandle Crimestoppers or contact the Bay County Sheriff's Office at 850-747-4700.

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Sources:
Charley Project
Disappeared Blog
My Panhandle, (2)
NamUs
Panhandle Crime Stoppers

The Disappearance and Murder of Lori Paige

source: WTXL

Lori Paige vanished on June 3rd, 2023. The then-12-year-old girl was last seen in Tallahassee, Florida, on Continental Court near Ocala Road. Lori never returned home and has not been seen or heard from again. 

When Lori was first reported missing, investigators initially did not suspect foul play because, according to reports, "all signs pointed to a voluntary runaway." Lori had run away before, about a month prior to her June 2023 disappearance. It appears that she was only missing for a short amount of time after her first time running away. This time around, though, Lori did not return home.

Unlike most preteens and teens, Lori had a very small digital footprint. A report on Lori's case from February 2024 states that friends helped her during her previous runaway. However, it does not appear that investigators have been able to identify anyone who helped Lori run away in June 2023. 

The Tallahassee Police Department investigated over 1,200 missing juvenile cases between the years of 2021 and 2023. As of February 2024, only seven of those cases are still open - Lori's being one of them. Tallahassee Police Detective Anna Lee Drake told reporters in that 2024 report that that Lori's case was the only case she's worked involving a missing juvenile "who has been missing this long without any contact." As such, there were increased concerns for Lori's safety and wellbeing.

There is very little information available about Lori's disappearance. The events on the day she left home are unknown. By February 2024 - eight months after she went missing - Lori's family had not publicly spoken about her disappearance. In fact, it appears that the only person who had spoken out is Margaret Summers - a teaching assistant from Lori's middle school. 

Summers spread awareness about Lori's disappearance on social media and spoke to reporters about the case. She expressed that she does not believe Lori would stay away for this long on her own. In February 2024, Summers told reporters, "I do not believe for a second that she’s sustaining herself. There’s adults who can’t even make it on their own."

In April 2025, a major break was made in the case. Digital footprints from Lori's father, Andrew Wiley, led investigators to Merrily Plantation in Thomas County, Georgia. While searching the area, investigators found the remains of Lori Paige. Shortly after the discovery, Wiley was arrested and charged with his daughter's murder.

After Wiley's arrest, it was reported that investigators found evidence that he killed Lori on June 1st, 2023, and disposed of her body in Thomas County the following day. It was also reported that "purchases Wiley made before the slaying suggest there was likely abuse of [Lori] occurring, which may have been of a sexual nature.”

Wiley was being held in Leon County Detention Center as the case against him was pending. Approximately two and a half months later, in June 2025, it was announced that Wiley had died in custody following a "medical emergency" at the detention center. As of right now, his cause of death is still pending.

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Sources:
Crime Online
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Tallahassee Democrat
Tallahassee-Thomasville WCTV
WALB News 10

The Disappearance of Haneul Oh

Source: fbi.gov

Haneul Oh has been missing since December 2021. The then-21-year-old was last seen in Davie, Florida. Haneul is originally from South Korea but was living in Florida at the time of her disappearance. Reports state that she was both studying and working at a study abroad institute. 

Haneul was reported missing on January 28th, 2022 - her 22nd birthday. Throughout the investigation, it was determined that the last confirmed sighting of Haneul occurred over a month earlier, on December 20th, 2021. Further details about the events leading up to her disappearance are unknown, but investigators have said that she is missing under suspicious circumstances. 

The FBI got involved in the search for Haneul early into the investigation. It was then reported that Haneul might be traveling in a gray 2005 Toyota Corolla with the New Jersey license plate number L20NAZ. She reportedly has ties to both New Jersey and Baltimore, Maryland - but the extent of those connections has not been disclosed. 

Source: fbi.gov

Years have passed since Haneul vanished, and no updates have been provided on her case. The FBI remains involved in the investigation. If you have any information that could lead to Haneul's whereabouts, please contact the Davie Police Department 954-693-8200 or submit a tip with the FBI online. 

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Sources:
Charley Project
FBI
Investigation Discovery
Korean article
Websleuths

 

The Murder of Trenesa Roberts

 

Trenesa Roberts was gunned down in front of her Lehigh Acres, Florida home on December 10th, 2018. Before her untimely death, the 38-year-old woman worked as a bus attendant for the Lee County Public School District. Trenesa began her day around 4:00 AM each morning to help local kids get to school. 

The morning of Trenesa's death was supposed to be no different. As usual, she woke up during the early morning hours, got ready for work, and exited her home. Before she was able to get in her car and leave, an unknown assailant approached and shot Trenesa. She was then left for dead in her yard.

Police were called to the scene on Quentin Avenue around 6:30 AM. Once there, they found Trenesa, wearing her work uniform, on the ground in front of her residence. It was clear that she had been shot. She was pronounced deceased by medics shortly after their arrival.

While investigating the shooting, detectives learned that neighbors heard gunshots between 4:00 and 4:30 AM morning. Despite this, police were not called to the scene until 6:30 AM; likely after a witness/neighbor spotted her body. It was also noted that nothing appeared to have been stolen from Trenesa - both her car and her purse were left on the scene. As such, it is not believed that robbery was a motive.

Trenesa's family members do not believe her murder was random. They believe she was targeted. However, to this day, it unknown who would have wanted Trenesa dead - or why. In a 2024 report on her case, her family shared that Trenesa "didn't do drugs, had no problem with her exes or the father of her children, and that they knew of had no enemies."

Several years have passed, and Trenesa's murder remains unsolved. Her family is still searching for justice. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the Lee County Sheriff’s Office at (239) 477-1000 or Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS(8477).

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Sources:
Fox 4 Now
Gulf Coast News Now
The News-Press
Seeking Closure: Lee County's Cold Cases

The Murder of Tracy Pulido

Source: Bay News 9

Tracy Pulido was murdered inside her own apartment on August 18th, 2013. The 42-year-old single mother lived in St. Petersburg, Florida at the time of her death. On the day of the murder, Tracy was supposed to pick up her son from a friend's house but never arrived. A worried friend contacted both police and a neighbor, who had a key to Tracy's residence, and asked them to go check on her.

It was the neighbor who entered the apartment first and made the grim discovery: Tracy was deceased, and it was obvious that her death was a murder. She was found on her bedroom floor with a rag shoved in her mouth and blood around her head. There were signs of a violent struggle in the living room; Tracy had fought for her life.

Over a decade has passed since Tracy's murder, and it still remains unsolved. There has been very little news on her case, and no suspects or persons of interest have ever been publicly announced. In 2019, it was reported that DNA was found on the scene that may help find the killer. Still, years have passed since that report, and no arrests have been made.

There is a monetary reward available for anyone with information that could lead to the arrest/conviction of Tracy's killer(s). If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact St. Petersburg authorities at 727-893-7780.
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Sources:
10 Tampa Bay
Bay News 9
My News 13
WFLA

The Disappearance of Cieha Taylor

Source: Finding Cieha on Facebook

Cieha Taylor vanished under suspicious circumstances on February 6th, 2020. The then-28-year-old was reportedly last seen leaving a residence on Cowart Road in Plant City, Florida. Cieha never returned home and has never been seen or heard from again.

Reports state that Cieha drove her boyfriend to the Cowart Road residence on the day of her disappearance. She and her boyfriend then allegedly got into a fight, and she subsequently left the residence around 4:00 PM. According to a report from News Nation, Cieha called a friend crying about the fight. She made plans to go to said friend's house, but never arrived.

A few hours later, Hillsborough County Dispatch received a call about an abandoned car that was blocking traffic on railroad tracks near East Trapnell Road. When police arrived on the scene, they found the vehicle with the engine running and the driver's side door opened. A cell phone was found nearby on the ground and a wallet found was inside the car. The officers pulled the car over to the shoulder, turned it off, and left the cell phone and the keys inside. 

The vehicle - a black two-door Toyota Solara - belonged to Cieha. It had been abandoned an approximate mile away from the Cowart Road residence where Cieha was last seen. The car was left on the shoulder for three days before one of Cieha's friends went to that location and found the car abandoned with Cieha's belongings inside. 

By this point, it was determined that nobody has seen or heard from Cieha since February 6th. This was inevitably worrisome to Cieha's loved ones, and a missing person's report was subsequently filed. It was then that Cieha's family learned that police had actually moved the car to the spot after it was initially found abandoned, while the engine was running, in the middle of the road. Despite those suspicious circumstances, it appears that police did not attempt to identify or contact the owner of the vehicle at the time it was found. 

Investigative efforts by both police and Cieha's loved ones have not turned up any answers. In 2022, police told reporters that they were at a "dead end" with the case. Since then, there have been very few media updates. However, there has been some information provided by various online and local sources that shed more light on the events surrounding Cieha's disappearance. 

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The lead-up to Cieha's disappearance.

Source: newsnationnow.com

The Finding Cieha page on Facebook has been spreading awareness about Cieha's case for years. On February 6th, 2024, the 4-year anniversary of when Cieha was last seen, a post was made describing the events surrounding her disappearance. 

The post identifies Cieha's boyfriend as Jason Roberts, also known as J.D. The Cowart Road residence that Cieha allegedly brought J.D. to on the day of her disappearance belongs to the family of J.D.'s friend, Kevin Ring. Various news reports indicate that J.D. was living at the residence during February of 2020. 

The Facebook post notes that the family was told Cieha left the Cowart Road residence "upset and yelling". Kevin Ring's father told Cieha's family members that he saw her car driving away from the house. However, the Facebook post also states, "No other information has been given to us as to what conspired that day, or if she even was actually at that house. No proof has been given she was there or left. Only the three statements." 

Finding Cieha on Facebook

It's worth noting that news reports have stated that Cieha called a friend about the alleged fight between her and JD. If this phone call did, in fact, take place, then it seems that the fight can be corroborated. Still, the events that followed this argument still seem a bit unclear. 

The Facebook post states that Kevin Ring's father saw Cieha leave the residence at 4:00 PM. Three hours later, the post explains, Cieha's car was found abandoned just a mile away:

Finding Cieha on Facebook

As previously noted, police did not attempt to contact Cieha or anyone else after finding her car abandoned on East Trapnell Road. Reports state that the officers who moved the vehicle simply thought the driver would return. However, it seems quite odd that anyone would voluntarily abandon their car in the middle of the road while it was still running. 

Cieha's car is recognized.

The car remained untouched on the shoulder until February 9th, 2020. That evening, according to the Facebook post, J.D.'s mother Lisa was bringing clothes to J.D. at the Ring's house when she recognized Cieha's car abandoned on the shoulder. Lisa subsequently reached out to Cieha's mother, Canitha Taylor.

Around the same time, J.D. reached out to Cieha's friend, Tiffany Hall. Tiffany went to the car's location herself and called AAA to have the doors unlocked. She then drove the car to Canitha's house in Pasco County. 

Finding Cieha on Facebook

By the time Cieha's car made it to her mother's house, her cell phone was dead. Her friend charged the phone and found messages between Cieha and J.D. that indicated they were in an argument. Cieha's last outgoing message was to J.D., and it read, "you sent your wyt supremacists (sic) friends to deal with me you think you are so smart I'm smart."

Finding Cieha on Facebook

Investigating Cieha's disappearance. 

Cieha's friends met up with authorities the following day to explain all the suspicious circumstances surrounding the discovery of Cieha's vehicle- namely, the fact that Cieha herself was still nowhere the be found. After this, Cieha's missing persons' case was finally opened. 

Flyers about Cieha's disappearance were handed out and posted around the area. Police interviewed several people, including J.D. and Kevin Ring. Still, no suspects or persons of interest have been identified. 

According to Cieha's page on The Charley Project, Cieha's "shoes were found in a drainage pipe near the road where her car had been abandoned" about three weeks after her disappearance. The shoes were found "next to a telephone pole that had a missing persons flier about her hanging on it." 

The Charley Project also states that Cieha's mother "believes the shoes were deliberately placed there some time after she went missing; she stated the area had been previously searched multiple times."

In August 2020, an investigator in Cieha's case went on a podcast and said that Cieha's vehicle had been searched thoroughly. Fingerprints were found, but they all reportedly belonged to "people known to have been in the vehicle."

Where the case stands.

As previously noted, investigators told reporters that they were at a "dead end" in the case during 2022. Since then, very few updates in Cieha's case have been provided. 

There is still a lot of speculation that both J.D. and Kevin Ring are responsible for Cieha's disappearance, but at this time, neither have been charged with anything related to her case. It appears that investigators have not been able to find enough evidence to prove their involvement. It is unknown if any other persons of interest have been looked into by authorities.

Cieha's loved ones are still desperately hoping for answers. A monetary reward is available for anyone with information that could lead to her whereabouts. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office 813-247-8200.

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Sources:
Charley Project
Finding Cieha
News Nation
Uncovered
WFLA

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 & Murder of Stevencia Barlatier

Stevencia Barlatier (21) was eight months pregnant when she vanished without a trace on November 26th, 2017. She was last seen at the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies in Orlando, Florida. Stevencia never returned home and was never seen or heard from again.

At first, Stevencia’s family members were not worried, as it was not uncommon for her to drop out of sight for days at a time. However, Stevencia was due to give birth in December 2017. When her family had still not heard from her by December 31st, they reported her missing.

After Orlando PD began investigating, Stevencia’s family members learned that she had not used her cell phone or accessed any of her social media accounts since November 26th. Stevencia’s phone was last pinged at a home in Kissimmee. Police went to said home, but the family reportedly did not know or recognize Stevencia.

After two years of silence on the case, it was reported in 2019 that Stevencia's body was found in a remote wooded area in eastern Hernando County - over 50 miles away from where she was last seen. It is unclear when, exactly, her body was found and there has been very little news coverage on Stevencia's case. Her death is classified as a homicide and investigators are looking for tips to help solve the murder. 

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Sources:
Bay News 9
Newsbreak
WESH

The Disappearance of Iyana Sawyer

Iyana Sawyer (16) was five months pregnant when she vanished on December 19th, 2018. She was last seen at her high school in Jacksonville, Florida. Surveillance cameras captured her leaving the school carrying two large bags around lunchtime that day. Iyana never returned home that afternoon and has never been seen or heard from again. 

Surveillance image of Iyana leaving Terry Parker High School on the day of her disappearance.

Once Iyana was reported missing, investigators quickly identified her uncle through marriage, then-33-year-old Johnathan Quiles (pictured below) as a person of interest. Quiles was arrested on January 9th, 2019, for suspected sexually battery against his underage babysitter. While behind bars, he reportedly admitted to a fellow inmate that he may be the father of Iyana’s unborn child.

Iyana and other relatives were living with Quiles for weeks at a time prior to Iyana’s disappearance. Investigators found even more evidence of an inappropriate relationship between the teen and Quiles on Iyana’s computer. Investigators discovered various writings authored by Iyana that implied a sexual relationship between her and Quiles. They also found a letter written by Iyana in which she professes her love for Quiles and expresses that she wants to run away with him so they can be a family. 

Investigators also spoke with Quiles’ brother, who told them that Quiles confessed to murdering Iyana. His brother stated that Quiles told him he choked Iyana to death. He reportedly said, “she wasn't dying right and it was making him sick looking at her.”

Johnathan Quiles

Despite all of this, Quiles publicly denied being involved in Iyana’s disappearance. However, suspicions against him remained strong, especially since he was arrested very shortly after Iyana's disappearance on suspicion of having an inappropriate relationship with another underage girl. 

Months later, Johnathan Quiles was indicted on murder charges in the death of Iyana Sawyer and her unborn child. The indictment stated that Quiles shot Iyana to death on either December 19th or December 20th of 2018. Although Iyana's body has still not been found, the state was able to gather enough evidence for Quiles to be indicted by a grand jury.

In September 2023, Quiles' trial began. Many testified about having knowledge about him sexually abusing Iyana. Among those was Iyana's sister, who testified that she was aware of their relationship but kept quiet because she was afraid Quiles would be mad if she exposed it. She also testified that she, too, had been sexually abused by Quiles when she was just 13-years-old. 

Quiles' brother Joseph Quiles testified that the defendant had admitted to killing Iyana. In fact, Joseph said that on December 19th, 2018, Iyana met up with Quiles at Ace Pick-A-Part - his workplace - because she believed they were going to run away together. While Iyana sat in a car behind the Ace Pick-A-Part, Quiles attempted to strangle her and before ultimately shooting her to death. He then placed her body in a nearby dumpster. 

Joseph noted that Iyana's pregnant was the motive. According to Joseph, Quiles killed Iyana because he would "lose his entire family" if she had the baby. He allegedly planned this murder for months. Quiles also reportedly admitted this to a several people throughout the investigation.

The jury deliberated for about an hour before finding Quiles guilty of first-degree murder of Iyana and her unborn child. He was also found guilty of sexual battery against a minor. Quiles' was ultimately sentenced to life in prison. 

Iyana's body has never been found. 

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Sources:
Action News Jax

Charley Project
News4Jax