A list of five unsolved cases featured on True Case Files involving disappearances and murders that took place on or around the Thanksgiving holiday. Links to full case write-ups are provided.
Listed by date of occurrence - recent to oldest.
The Disappearance and Death of Nicole Mallatt.
Missing: November 26th, 2019
Age at disappearance: 36
Remains found: November 3rd, 2020
Location: Bates County, Missouri
Details:
Nicole Mallatt was looking forward to Thanksgiving 2019. The 36-year-old woman planned to prepare the Thanksgiving meal with her four children, and she was excited to spend quality time with them. Unfortunately, this never got to happen, as Nicole vanished on November 26th, 2019 - just two days before the holiday.
At the time, Nicole lived with her boyfriend, Brad Shreve, and their four children in Bates County, Missouri. Their home, located on SW County Road 3508, sat in a rural area. Nicole was last seen that evening near her residence, just down the street.
Reports indicate that Nicole's ex-husband, Richie Mallatt, picked her up near her home that night. Richie later told investigators that they spent approximately 45 minutes together before he dropped her off in the same area where he had picked her up. Despite being only a short walking distance from her house, Nicole never returned home.
Nicole was reported missing on November 29th, 2019. A few days later, searchers found Nicole's backpack, shoes, and cell phone alongside a creek located near the area where she was last seen. Investigators also searched Nicole's residence but did not disclose if any evidence was found.
For nearly a year, no further signs of Nicole emerged. Then, on November 3, 2020, a farmer plowing his field made a chilling discovery. He found a pair of sweatpants with a human femur bone inside. Additional human remains were uncovered nearby, alongside the same creek where Nicole’s belongings had been found a year earlier.
The remains were identified as Nicole Mallatt's. However, an autopsy yielded inconclusive results, and the cause of death could not be determined. While many suspect foul play, her death has not been officially ruled a homicide. Nicole's case remains unsolved, leaving her family and community searching for answers.
Full story: The Suspicious Disappearance and Death of Nicole Mallatt.
Date: November 30th, 2014
Age: 25
Body found: November 30th, 2014
Location: Red Rock, New Mexico
Details:
Amy Hanson was only 25 years-old when she was found deceased on November 30th, 2014. The young woman lived in New Mexico at the time of her death; she was last seen by her family at her father's house in Tohatchi. That day, Amy celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday with her family. The next day, Amy's sister invited Amy to go shopping with her. Amy declined, saying that she already had plans to go with friends.
That phone conversation was the last interaction Amy had with her family; what happened after that remains a mystery to this day. The following day, a father and son spotted a human body in an arroyo in Red Rock, New Mexico. Police were called, and the body was later identified as Amy Lynn Hanson. Her death was caused by blunt force trauma. Amy's manner of death has been labeled as a homicide.
Details about the investigation into Amy's murder are scarce, and no suspects have been publicly identified. Nearly a decade later, her case remains unsolved, leaving her family and community seeking justice.
Full story: The Murder of Amy Lynn Hanson.
The Disappearance of Eugene Wekesa.
Date: November 24th, 2010
Age at disappearance: 22
Last seen in: Bellevue, WA.
Details:
Eugene Wekesa has been missing since November 24th, 2010. The then 22-year-old man lived with his mother in Bellevue, Washington at the time of his disappearance. Eugene vanished the day before Thanksgiving; that day initially began as a typical day for a family preparing for a holiday. Eugene's mother went shopping at a local Safeway to buy groceries and other items for their meal. When she returned home, she realized she had forgotten a few items. Eugene offered to go to Safeway to retrieve those items.
Surveillance cameras from the store captured Eugene entering and exiting the Safeway store by himself. Eugene then returned to his home, but quickly realized that he, too, had forgotten an item. Instead of going back to Safeway, he opted to walk to the Crossroads Mall shopping center-which is located near his residence. Eugene never returned home and has never been seen or heard from again.
Although Eugene reportedly left the house to buy something, he left behind his wallet. He also left his keys and cell phone behind. After Eugene was reported missing, investigators located the footage of him at Safeway - but unfortunately that did not yield any clues to his disappearance. Footage was also pulled from Crossroads Mall, but there was no footage of Eugene at the shopping center that day. It appears that he never actually made it there.
There has been no sign of Eugene since that day. His disappearance is considered suspicious. Several years have passed without any clues; Eugene's case is now considered a cold case.
Full story: The Disappearance of Eugene Wekesa.
The Murder of Priscilla Pimentel.
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Date: November 23rd, 2006
Age: 24
Body found: November 24th, 2006
Location: Queens, New York
Details:
Priscilla Pimentel was only 24 years-old when she was found murdered inside her own apartment on November 24th, 2006. The young woman was living in Queens, New York at the time of her death. Most of Priscilla's family members lived in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; she was due to join them in Bethlehem for Thanksgiving on November 23rd, 2006, but she never arrived.
Priscilla's absence at Thanksgiving immediately set off alarms for her family members. The following day, 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.
Several years have passed since Priscilla's murder, but it still remains unsolved. No suspects or persons of interest have ever been publicly announced.
Full story: The Murder of Priscilla Pimental.
The Disappearance of Lucero 'Princess' Sarabia.
Date: November 26th, 2004
Age at disappearance: 21
Last seen in: San Antonio, TX.
Details:
On the evening of November 25th, 2004, Lucero 'Princess' Sarabia attended a Thanksgiving party on Babcock Road in San Antonio, Texas. Princess got into an altercation with another female guest during the gathering and was asked subsequently asked to leave. A man named Richard Chabes Jr. offered Princess a ride, which she accepted.
Around 2:00 AM, Princess called her mother and told her that she was at Chabes' apartment and that he was going to drive her home sometime soon. Unfortunately, she never returned home, and her family never heard from her again. Chabes later told police that Princess decided to walk home instead of accepting a ride. However, there does not appear to be any evidence that verifies Chabes' version of events.
Princess was eight months pregnant at the time of her disappearance. Her loved ones have never believed that she vanished voluntarily. Despite the suspicious circumstances surrounding Chabes, he has never been publicly labeled as a suspect in Princess' disappearance.
Full story: The Disappearance of Lucero 'Princess' Sarabia.
