On Tuesday, September 20, 1988, Tara Calico left her home at about 9:30 A.M. to go on her daily bike ride along New Mexico State Road 47. She rode that route almost every morning and was sometimes accompanied by her mother, Patty Doel. However, Doel stopped riding with Calico after she felt that she had been stalked by a motorist. She advised her daughter to think about carrying mace, but Calico rejected the idea. On the morning of Calico’s disappearance, she had told Doel to come and get her if she was not home by noon, as she had plans to play tennis with her boyfriend at 12:30. When her daughter did not return, Doel went searching for her along Calico’s usual bike route but could not find her; she then contacted the police. Pieces of Calico’s Sony Walkman and a cassette tape were later discovered along the road. Doel believed that she might have dropped them in an attempt to mark her trail. –Wikipedia.
Several people saw Tara riding her bicycle, which has never been found. No one witnessed her presumed abduction, although several witnesses observed a light-colored pickup truck (possibly a 1953 Ford) with a camper shell following closely behind her. Tara vanished into thin air, leaving her parents and the community traumatized, and law enforcement baffled.
Hours turned into an eternity as evening came and Tara had not returned. Panic spread like wildfire through the close-knit community, and soon, search parties were organized to comb the surrounding areas for any sign of the missing young woman. Days turned into weeks, and despite the extensive search efforts, there was no trace of Tara, not even a single clue to indicate what might have happened to her.
On June 15, 1989, a Polaroid photo of an unidentified young woman and a boy, both gagged with black duct tape and seemingly bound, was discovered in the parking lot of a convenience store in Port St. Joe, Florida. The woman who found the photo said that it was in a parking space where a white windowless Toyota cargo van had been parked when she arrived at the store. She said that the van was being driven by a man with a mustache who appeared to be in his 30s. Police set up roadblocks to intercept the vehicle, but the man has never been identified.
According to Polaroid officials, the picture had to have been taken after May 1989 because the particular film used in the photograph was not available until then. The photograph depicted a young woman and a young boy, both bound and gagged, lying on the floor of what appeared to be the interior of a van. The woman’s face was partially obscured, but there was something hauntingly familiar about her.
Word of the photograph spread quickly, and soon, it was identified as Tara Calico. The young boy beside her remained unidentified, adding another layer of mystery to the enigma. Authorities were immediately informed, and the photograph was meticulously analyzed for any potential leads.
As days turned into weeks once more, the town buzzed with speculation. Was Tara still alive? Had she been held captive all these years? The discovery of the photograph only deepened the mystery surrounding her disappearance. The community’s hope was reignited, and efforts to find Tara were redoubled.
In the midst of this renewed search, a woman came forward with a possible connection. She claimed to have seen a van matching the one in the photograph on the day Tara disappeared. She vividly recalled the details – the color, the license plate, and even a distinctive sticker on the bumper. Armed with this new lead, investigators set out to track down the van, hoping it would bring them closer to solving the case.
Months of investigation led them to a distant state, where they discovered the van parked in the driveway of a secluded house. Upon closer inspection, they found evidence that pointed to the possibility that Tara and the young boy had been held there. However, by the time they arrived, the house was empty, and any potential suspects had vanished into thin air.
The case of Tara Calico’s disappearance remains unsolved to this day. The photograph found in the parking lot had raised more questions than answers, leaving the community with a sense of both hope and frustration. Decades have passed, and though time has dulled the intensity of the search, Tara’s memory lives on as a reminder of the enduring power of mystery and the bonds that tie a community together in times of uncertainty.
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I believe JD Vance would disagree with you.
There are only two genders. Period.
Because its easier to beat one charge than two. You're 100% correct, there should be two charges.
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THANK you for SHARING that delightful comment by DON & Deborah BENDER! WE can ALL sleep better at night KNOWING…