The Disappearance of JaShyah Moore

JaShyah Moore (14) has been missing since October 14th, 2021. The young teen vanished under suspicious circumstances in East Orange, New Jersey. On the day of JaShyah's disappearance, her mother sent her to a local store called U.S. Market to buy some juice and paper towels. A short time after leaving her home, JaShyah returned empty-handed after saying that she lost the card she was going to use to purchase the items. JaShyah's mother then sent her back out to retrace her steps. After an hour passed without JaShyah's return, her mother began to worry. Police were called later that day.

JaShyah reportedly does not own a cell phone, so police were unable to look at cell phone pings to track her movements. Investigators spoke to employees at U.S. Market, who stated that JaShyah was accompanied by an unidentified man who paid for her items at the store. Local surveillance footage revealed that JaShyah was last seen near Poppie's Deli between 10:00 and 10:30 AM. JaShyah's mother was unaware that JaShyah had also stopped at Poppie's in addition to U.S. Market. It's unclear if JaShyah was accompanied by the unidentified man at Poppie's as well--but this is the last known sighting of her, and she has not been seen or heard from again.

JaShyah's estranged stepfather is a police officer for the East Orange PD. According to JaShyah's aunt, the stepfather is currently facing assault charges from an incident that occurred in the previous year. JaShyah's aunt told reporters, "I saw him punch my niece twice in the face."While this suggests that the niece in question was JaShyah, this has not yet been confirmed. Two weeks before JaShyah's disappearance, her mother received a letter that stated the case was going to the grand jury. 

It seems quite suspicious that JaShyah vanished a short time after her mother received the letter-however investigators currently do not believe that the two cases are related. Essex County authorities stated, "The missing person’s case is being handled by municipal authorities in East Orange.At this point, the domestic violence assault and the status of the missing person do not appear to be related; however, it is being monitored by law enforcement."

The FBI has since joined the search of JaShyah. If you have any information that could lead to her whereabouts, please go here to submit a tip. 

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UPDATE (Nov. 12, 2021): JaShyah has been found safe!

The teen was located at a shelter in Harlem, New York after reportedly running away from home. According to investigators, JaShyah did not want to return home and allegedly felt safer in the shelter. JaShyah's mother has since been arrested and charged with child endangerment. Both JaShyah and her 3 year-old sibling have been removed from the mother's custody. 

sources: [1, 2, 3]

The Murder of Vanessa 'Honey' Malone

Vanessa ‘Honey’ Malone was only 18 years old when she was brutally murdered at an apartment complex near her family’s Stone Mountain, Georgia home on October 23rd, 2012. That day was a fairly typical day for Honey—she went to her job at a clothing store in the afternoon, and then walked home after her shift. Shortly after arriving home, Honey told her mother Flora Malone that she was going to walk to the Hampton Village apartment complex to spend time with some new friends. Less than an hour after leaving her family’s home, Honey was dead. She had been shot multiple times inside apartment 6902, and then her body was dragged into a closet and left there.

Detectives concluded that Honey walked into the apartment in the midst of a robbery and was likely killed while trying to flee the scene. Minutes after she was shot, a man and a woman who were inside the apartment called the police. They told officers that a group of three-to-six men busted into the apartment and tied them up with shoelaces and extension cords. They were then forced into the bathroom. The pair allegedly heard Honey enter the apartment and then heard the gunfire that followed, however they told police that they waited until they heard the suspects leave the apartment before they untied themselves and called 911.  

At first glance, it seems odd that detectives were quick to call this incident a robbery. The only thing that was stolen was Honey’s cell phone, but it was located on the ground less than half a mile away. Nothing else was reported stolen from the apartment. 

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The director of Atlanta’s Cold Case Investigative Research Institute Sheryl McCollum stated that the motive behind killing Honey did not make sense. Sheryl told reporters, “If she ran away they could have fled as well. If Honey recognized them and they felt the need to kill her, it’s hard to believe that the killer(s) did not know the other victims too. Why was Honey’s cell phone the only one taken? She was in no position to use it.” Detectives from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office maintain that this was a drug-related robbery and that the pair did not report anything stolen from the apartment because they would not report drugs as stolen. They believe that Honey was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Honey’s family members have a different theory. Honey’s sister stated that she believes Honey was targeted and was killed for possibly knowing information that the perpetrators did not want to be made public. Additionally, Honey’s family members do not think that Honey would voluntarily approach an apartment that had its door kicked in. The identities of the man and the woman who were inside the apartment during the alleged robbery have not been revealed. Honey’s killer(s) still remain at large today. If you have any information that could help find justice for Honey, please contact the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office at (404) 294-2911.
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UPDATE (4/04/20): 

An arrest has been made for the murder of Vanessa 'Honey' Malone. On April 3rd, 2020, police arrested 34 year-old Donald Ash at his mother's home in Stone Ridge. He was charged with second-degree murder, making false statements, and concealing facts. Police have revealed very little information about what lead to Ash's arrest, however they have stated that they believe multiple people were involved in Honey's murder and they expect to make more arrests in the future. This case is currently unfolding and more updates will be provided as they come.

Donald Ash

UPDATE: As of October 2021, Donald Ash remains the only person facing charges for Honey’s murder. He is currently out on bond as his charges are pending. Meanwhile, authorities are continuing to investigate the case and other charges are still possible.

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[Cases with Divided Theories]

The Murder of Faith Hedgepeth

19 year old Faith Hedgepeth was a junior at UNC Chapel Hill when she was brutally murdered in her off-campus apartment on September 7th, 2012. Faith was a member of the Haliwa-Saponi Native American Tribe and hoped to one day return to her community to work as a doctor. She was working hard to accomplish that goal—in fact, on the night prior to her murder, Faith and her roommate Karena Rosario (pictured below with Faith) spent the evening at the campus library to work on a project. The two returned to their apartment at around 12 AM and then promptly left again at 12:30 AM to go to Thrill nightclub—a spot that was popular amongst Chapel Hill students. 

Karena Rosario and Faith

Faith and Karena returned to their apartment around 3 AM. Around 4:30 AM, Karena left the apartment once more, when she was picked up by another fellow Chapel Hill student, Jordan McCrary. Out of habit, Karena did not lock the door to their apartment when she left. 

Hours later, Karena wanted to return home, but was unable to get ahold of Faith for a ride. She instead called one of their mutual friends, Marisol Rangel, to pick her up. Karena and Marisol returned to Karena and Faith’s apartment around 11 AM. They called out Faith’s name, and when she did not answer, they opened her bedroom door and found Faith’s body partially covered by a bloody comforter on her bedroom floor. Karena immediately called 911 to report that her roommate had been murdered. When police arrived at the grisly scene, they found a paper bag near Faith’s body with words “I’m not stupid bitch jealous” written on it.

Paper bag found at the murder scene

As police investigated Faith’s murder, they pieced together a timeline that revealed interesting circumstances surrounding the events leading up to her death. From this timeline, it became clear that there were many potential suspects in the case.

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A friend of Faith’s told police that Faith had felt threatened by Karena’s ex-boyfriend, 21 year-old Eriq Takoy Jones. Sometime during the spring and summer of 2012, Eriq allegedly told Faith that he hated her and was going to kill her if Karena did not get back together with him. On July 11th, 2012, Karena obtained a restraining order against Eriq. The restraining order was granted after the police responded to a domestic assault incident in which Eriq had kicked two doors in Karena and Faith’s apartment off the frame. The investigators who were involved in the processing of this restraining order also learned that Eriq resented Faith because of the influence she had over Karena.

On September 6th, the day before Faith’s murder, Eriq sent messages to two of his friends, asking them to “forgive him for what he was about to do.” However, in the hours, or even possibly minutes leading up to Faith’s death, other men seemed to be the center of Faith and Karena’s attention. One of those men was another ex-boyfriend of Karena’s—fellow Chapel Hill student Brandon Edwards. 

At 3:40 AM on September 7th, after Faith and Karena returned from Thrill nightclub, Faith sent a text to Brandon asking him to come over because Karena “really needed him.” Karena also called Brandon multiple times between 3:40 AM and 4:15 AM but did not get a response. Finally, Karena gave up on Brandon and contacted Jordan, who subsequently picked her up around 4:30 AM.

Due to all of the people who Faith could have possibly come into contact with at the time of her death, AND the previous incidents involving Eriq, no person was above suspicion. Police have investigated Eriq and the numerous people Faith had contact with in the days and hours before her death. 

Karena faded from the public eye, which lead many to believe that she knew more about what happened to Faith than she was letting on. However, despite the abundance of evidence the police have collected in the years following Faith’s death, it took years to make an arrest. In the late 2010s, police generated a composite image of a possible suspect in the case based on DNA taken from the murder scene.

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FINALLY, in 2021, Faith's case finally made progress.

On September 16th, 2021, authorities announced that a man named Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Police made the arrest after it was confirmed that DNA found in the crime scene matched the DNA of Olivares. Not much has been said about the relationship between Faith and the suspect, but police did say that he was not a person of interest in the beginning of the investigation.

This case is currently unfolding and updates will be provided if and when more information becomes available. 

The Disappearance of Tisa Gantt

Tisa Gantt went missing at the age of 36 on January 2nd, 2007. She was last seen in Titusville, Florida. Shortly before her disappearance, Tisa filed sexual assault charges against a man named Edwin Deon Morris after he reportedly raped her near S. Deleon Ave. Tisa was very nervous about filing charges, as she feared that Morris would retaliate against her for telling the police what happened.

Despite these circumstances, police initially believed that Tisa left on her own accord. Her family has never believed this, as they do not believe Tisa would voluntarily be out-of-touch with her loved ones. As the investigation continued, however, police eventually began to think that something sinister happened to Tisa.

About a year after Tisa’s disappearance, a team of investigators searched property near the home of Edwin Morris, but reportedly nothing significant was found. Still, investigators returned to the same spot in 2011 and 2015 to conduct further searches. The numerous searches near Morris’ home included digging up parts of the property, likely in search of remains. So far, no sign of Tisa has been found. 

The only known trace of Tisa was found three years after her disappearance, in January 2010. Then, Tisa’s purse was found in a ditch near W.C. Stafford Street. Tisa’s personal belongings were inside the purse, but it had been in the ditch for so long that weeds were growing through it. A subsequent search of the surrounding area turned up no other evidence.

Tisa’s family members believe that more than one person knows what happened to her. In 2015, Tisa's brother Raymond Gantt told reporters, “There’s more people in Titusville that know what’s going on, but they don’t step forward.” As such, Tisa's disappearance remained a cold case. 

 

Years later, on September 3rd, 2021, Titusville Police announced they were searching the vacant lot for evidence regarding the 2007 disappearance of Tisa Gantt. This is the same area that was searched during previous years, located near the home of Edwin Morris. 

In 2022, it was reported that investigators received "credible information" that led to the 2021 search/dig - but unfortunately, nothing was found. Still, investigators maintain that they have a person of interest who they are not publicly identifying in effort to "preserve the integrity of the case." Though many speculate Morris is said person, investigators are not giving confirmation. 

Tisa remains missing today. If you have any information that could lead to her whereabouts, please contact the Titusville Police Department at 321-264-7874.

Sources:
Charley Project
Fox 35 Orlando
WESH, (2)

The Murdaugh Family Mystery

 

Maggie & Paul Murdaugh

Maggie Murdaugh (52) and her son Paul Murdaugh (22) were found shot to death inside their family's estate in Colleton County, South Carolina on June 7th, 2021. Their bodies were discovered that evening shortly after 10 PM by Alex Murdaugh--Maggie's husband and Paul's father. Alex told police that he found his wife and son after returning from visiting his dying father in the hospital. No arrests have been made in the case, nor have any suspects been publicly named

The Murdaugh's are a wealthy and well-known family in South Carolina's Lowcountry. There are three generations of state prosecutors in the family, and they are believed to have political connections and strong influences in their community. It's very possible that their status and history of prosecuting many people have made the Murdaugh family a target for revenge. However, the only named person of interest in the case so far is Alex Murdaugh. Alex and Maggie were rumored to have been struggling with marital issues before the shootings. Investigators have obtained digital communication records between Alex and Maggie, but they have not revealed their findings. Despite being named a person of interest, Alex has NOT been named as a suspect. Alex's alibi has appeared to hold up--as it was confirmed that he was visiting his father on the day of the shootings. His father died just three days later.

Another theory that is being investigated is that the murders of Maggie and Paul are connected to Paul's pending legal troubles. At the time of his death, Paul was awaiting trial for charges connected to a February 2019 boat crash that resulted in the death of 19 year-old Mallory Beach. Paul is believed to have been driving the Triton boat while under the influence of alcohol when it crashed into a piling below a bridge on Parris Island. Nearly two months after the crash, Paul was indicted on one count of boating under the influence causing death, and two counts of boating under the influence causing great bodily injury. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. 

Mallory Beach

Paul never had his day in court, as he was killed before the trial began. Two months after his death, the charges stemming from the boat crash were dropped. However, many believed that the Murdaugh's influential power would have allowed Paul to walk free from any consequences regardless. It has been inevitably questioned whether or not this was a motive in his murder. The events surrounding both the crash and the murders of Paul and Maggie have left many lingering questions, further deepening this mystery.

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The boat crash occurred during the early morning hours of February 24th, 2019. On the evening of the 23rd, Paul met up with his friends Anthony Cook, Connor Cook, Morgan Doughty, Miley Altman, and Mallory Beach at his house. Paul then drove the group by boat to an oyster roast at the home of Crystal Cook in Hampton County. The group of kids were all under 21 years-old at the time, however they were reportedly drinking throughout the night. 

Anthony Cook, Connor Cook, Mallory Beach, Miley Altman

The group left the oyster roast shortly after midnight to go to bars on the Beaufort waterfront. Paul used his older brother's ID in order to be served alcohol at the bars. As the night continued on, Paul was reportedly getting more and more intoxicated and belligerent. Noticing his drunken state, Paul's friends suggested that somebody else drive the boat back, or that they take an Uber. Paul reportedly insisted on driving the boat, and he and his friends left the Beaufort waterfront shortly after 1 AM. 

Paul reportedly continued to act belligerently on the boat ride back. He got into a verbal altercation with Morgan Doughty, which resulted in him hitting her and spitting on her. He also reportedly argued with both Mallory Beach and Anthony Cook, who was Mallory's boyfriend at the time. At some point, Paul reportedly hit the throttle, causing the boat to go from 2 MPH to a high rate of speed.

According to testimony from Anthony Cook, once the boat accelerated, several of them were thrown to the back of the boat. Seconds later, the boat ran into the piling, causing Paul, Anthony, and Mallory to be thrown into the water. Paul and Anthony were able to swim to the shore, while Mallory never resurfaced. Her body was found seven days later. 

Although Paul was later charged for his involvement in the boat crash, many have speculated that law enforcement did not properly investigate. In fact, an attorney for one of the surviving passengers has called for the questioning of the responding officers about "a possible effort to shift blame away from Murdaugh, a member of a powerful Lowcountry family." These allegations came about after a recording revealed that Anthony Cook told a responding officer that Paul was the one driving the boat at the time of the crash--but the officer wrote in his notes that Anthony was not sure who was driving. 

It was also revealed that a few of the responding officers were represented by Murdaugh's law firm in previous unrelated cases. This has led many to question if these officers felt a sense of loyalty to the Murdaugh family. The officers in question have denied this, stating that they did, eventually, charge Paul for his involvement in the boat crash. 

Paul was bonded out very shortly after his arrest, and he remained out on bond as he awaited trial. As previously stated, both Paul and his mother Maggie were killed before the trial began. It's been theorized that Paul was the intended target in the June 7th shootings, and that Maggie was killed simply by 'happenstance'. Reports state that Paul and Maggie were killed by different weapons. An article from the Island Packet states that Paul "was shot in the head and upper body with a shotgun, while Maggie Murdaugh, 52, was killed with what appears to be an assault rifle." The theory about Paul being the intended target has not been confirmed. The investigation is still ongoing.

It is also possible that the murders of Paul and Maggie were completely unrelated to the 2019 boat crash. As previously noted, Alex Murdaugh was named as a potential person of interest. Still, he has not been formally named as a suspect--nor has anyone. The murder case remains unsolved. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please go here to submit an anonymous tip. 

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UPDATE (September 2021): Just months after the shooting deaths of his wife and son, Alex Murdaugh was also shot on September 3rd, 2021. The shooting occurred while Alex was changing a tire on the side of a rural road in South Carolina. He was reportedly shot in the head, however he was able to call his brother after the shooting to explain that "the shots came from a truck that initially passed him as he worked on his vehicle and then circled back and opened fire." Shortly thereafter, Alex was airlifted to a hospital in Charleston--where he is expected to make a full recovery.

As of now, no arrests have been made for this shooting. Authorities are investigating whether or not this shooting is related to the murders of Maggie and Paul.

The Disappearance of Aaliyah Ramirez

 

Aaliyah Ramirez has been missing since April 27th, 2021. The 14 year-old was last seen leaving her father's home in Syracuse, Indiana. Aaliyah was supposed to walk to the nearby school bus stop, but she never arrived. She was reported missing later that day, after her school called to notify her family about her absence. 

Aaliyah leaving her father's home

Aaliyah was reportedly struggling in her home life in the months leading up to her disappearance. According to various social media posts, Aaliyah's mother had kicked her out of the house a few months prior. After this, Aaliyah went to stay with her aunt. However, this was short lived--as Aaliyah's father went to court to petition for full custody. The judge granted her father's request, despite the fact that Aaliyah did not want to live with him. In fact, she wrote the judge a letter requesting to stay with her aunt. In the letter, Aaliyah wrote that she did not want to live with her mother OR father--as she faced abuse in both homes. Despite this, the judge still placed her with her father.

Part 1 of the Aaliyah's letter to the judge (click to enlarge)

(click to enlarge)

  

The judge's ruling also reportedly banned Aaliyah from having any contact with her boyfriend. It is unclear why her parents did not want her to contact him--as he lived in Florida and it was primarily a long distance relationship. Aaliyah met this boyfriend while staying with her grandmother in Palm Beach City. Aaliyah's grandmother allowed her to see the boyfriend, but her parents did not--which caused further rifts in her relationship with them. 

Investigators believe that Aaliyah is no longer in Indiana. It's speculated that Aaliyah had help getting out of the state, but authorities still believe she is in danger. Prior to vanishing, Aaliyah was a dancer at the Indiana Ballet Conservatory in Indianapolis. Many members of the dance community have been sharing her story hopes of spreading awareness about her disappearance. 

Aaliyah is described as 5'9" and approximately 138 lbs. If you have any information that could help locate her, please contact the Syracuse Police Department at 574-267-5667.

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UPDATE: Aaliyah has been found alive.

On August 27th, 2021, it was reported that Aaliyah has been located safely in Florida. At this time, it has not been confirmed if Aaliyah has been there this whole time,  however she does have relatives in the state. Many are now advocating for her to be placed in a more stable home. 

The Murder of Ally Kostial

Ally Kostial was a 21-year-old rising senior at Ole Miss when she was brutally murdered on July 20th, 2019. Shortly thereafter, a fellow student and Ally's on-again, off-again romantic partner Brandon Theesfeld (22) was arrested and charged with Ally's murder. Ally's body was found just hours after she was killed, at Buford's Ridge in Harmontown, Mississippi. She had been shot 8 times in the stomach.

It did not take investigators long to identify Brandon as a suspect. He was known to frequent Buford's Ridge with friends, as it was approximately 30 miles away from the Ole Miss campus in Oxford. According to various people Ole Miss students, Brandon was also well-known for being disrespectful towards women. Many of Ally's friends stated that Brandon had manipulated her and treated her poorly during their on-again, off-again relationship. However, Ally's friends explained that Ally always saw the good in him.

Police located and arrested Brandon two days after Ally's murder, on July 22nd, 2019. Cell phone and credit card records led police to a gas station in South Memphis, where they were able to catch up to him. Authorities initially remained quiet about the investigation into the murder, however many of Ally's friends revealed a potential motive: Ally was rumored to be pregnant with Brandon's child. Brandon was furious that Ally did not want to have an abortion. 

As the case unfolded, the harrowing story about the real events that led up to Ally's murder was revealed. 

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2021: Theesfeld accepts a plea deal.

In August 2021, it was reported that, after initially pleading not guilty, Brandon Theesfeld had decided to plead guilty to Ally's murder. Brandon made this decision after a deal was made to reduce his charge from capital murder to first-degree murder. The first-degree murder charge results in an automatic life sentence. 

August 27th, 2021: Theesfeld pleads guilty. 

Brandon Theesfeld pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in court on August 27th, 2021. During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Ally and Brandon had a sexual relationship off-and-on throughout their time at University of Mississippi. As previously noted, Brandon was known to be disrespectful towards women, including Ally, but Ally was still interested in pursuing the relationship.

Ally Kostial and Brandon Theesfeld.

On April 12th, 2019, Ally reached out to Brandon to tell him that she thought she might be pregnant. A couple days later, she sent him a picture of an inconclusive pregnancy test. Over the next few months, Ally contacted Brandon several times and asked him to meet up with her - but he did not oblige. 

Finally, on July 12th, 2019, Brandon messaged Ally and said he did not want to meet up, but he did want her to get an abortion. Days later, on July 18th, Brandon messaged Ally again and said he had changed his mind and was willing to meet up. During the early morning hours of the 19th, Brandon picked Ally up from her residence in Oxford and drove her 40 miles away to Buford's Ridge at Sardis Lake. There, he shot her to death and then left her body behind. 

After pleading guilty in court, Brandon made the following statement: "I am sincerely sorry for the pain I've caused while taking Ally from you. My actions have forever changed your lives and my family's lives. I wish I could take it all back but I can't. There is no excuse for my actions, and I have asked God for forgiveness. I hope one day that you will find it in your heart to forgive me." 

Still, Brandon has not revealed a motive for the killing. There is inevitable speculation that he was motivated by Ally's alleged pregnancy - however, an autopsy confirmed that she was not actually pregnant at the time of her death.  

Brandon was sentenced to life in prison. 

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Sources:
CBS News
The Oxford Eagle
People