Tamara Keepness-Missing 9 years

 

Photo Credit: AMW.com

IT was a Monday night on July 5, 2004, and 5 year-old Tamara Jewel Keepness was last seen going to bed in her Ottawa-street home, downtown Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada. Her mother, Lorena Keepness, tucked her kids away around 11 PM, and put her oldest child Summer Keepness in charge because she was going to leave to visit a friend's townhouse. Tamara's step father, Dean McArthur, had left at 8:30 PM that night due to a fight with Lorena. He ran into his friend, 33 year-old Russell Sheepskin, and the drink together at the bar. The house was unlocked all throughout this time, and their were no adults present. There were also reports of strangers in the area and her mother admitted that the back door to her home was left open that night as well.

At 3 AM, Russell Sheepskin enters the house and makes himself some food. He is the only adult in the house, and he claimed to have seen Tamara sleeping on the couch at that time. Russell and Tamara's father, Dean, get into an altercation, and Russell ends up in the hospital. Lorena gets home 3:30 AM, and does not report Tamara missing until 11:30 A.M.

The Keepness family was investigated by police, and search teams combed through the neighborhood and nearby creek beds. All searches turned up nothing for the little girl. Police say there were a lot of unexplained coming-and-goings the night Tamara vanished. Two vehicles that remain uncovered also were stolen the same night Tamara vanished, and police are in search for the both of them. They are a 1973 Orange Volkswagen van with a white roof and the license plate 728 DMF. The second car is a 1989 GMC 1500 truck, which is red with silver sides and a 4X4 decal. Its license plate number is WDW 189.

On June 21, 2004, Tamara's remaining five siblings are removed from the household, and no reason is stated for the removal.

Tamara was 5 when she disappeared and is Aboriginal. She had short, bobbed brown hair with brown eyes and a dark complexion. She weighed 40 lbs. and was 3'5" with a thin built at the time of her disappearance. She also has a birthmark on her chest and a scar on her lower left leg. Tamara was very shy at the time of her disappearance.

 She was last seen wearing a light blue, striped halter top with pink accents, light blue jeans and pink and white shoes. Tamara is shy, has a twin sister and knows her phone number, age, address and full name.

These are examples (although not exact) of two vehicles stolen the night Tamara vanished. Police want to recover them to rule out the possible involvement in Tamara's disappearance. 

 

Now, I think Tamara's disappearance is very shady. First off, I think the fact that the backdoor wasn't properly locked or even closed, especially after 11 PM was very irresponsible of the parents, especially when they knew about many new strangers in town. Also, why would you leave a young child in charge of 5 others at that time of the night? Although her step father and mother maintain their innocence, Tamara's disappearance reminds me all too well of other cases where parental involvement was apparent.

Was she taken away as a grudge towards the family? Did she see something she wasn't supposed? Two scenarios I have pondered were she wandered away in the night and got picked up, by a person with good or bad intentions. I feel this is not as strong of a theory because she was very shy, so her going outside or going with someone she did not know would be unlikely. It is more possible someone went into the house and took her, despite the neighbors and 5 other kids there.

The second was her parents hurt her, and covered everything up all too well. I just don't see how a little girl could be securely tucked in at night, and would never be seen again. The reason I lean towards someone in the house causing her disappearance versus outside involvement is that even though the door was open, there was no sign of an intruder or a struggle. They lived close to the police station and have very close neighbors, someone would have seen something. Either way, I'm hoping this girl will get some well deserved media attention. I feel investigators have shoved her story under the rug, and that people closest to her may have more information then even they realize. Police have stated that they need more information before they can further expand the search for Tamara, and I think that information lies within the family.

Tamara vanished in the early hours of July 6, 2004 from her home in Regina, Canada. (Photo Credit: AMW.com)

An annual free BBQ is held every year in a park east of where Tamara loved to play. Tributes are also held for Tamara on her anniversary to show the community still thinks of her. Tamara's parents attend neither, and drown out the media. Although it is suspicious that her parents don't attend programs put together to remember their daughter, it may be because they are wary of being accused for her disappearance. Although their behavior was suspicious, I am hoping other theories are being pursued until they find evidence, just in case she is still out there with someone who grabbed her from the house. We know too little to have just one theory.

 

 Tamara would now be fourteen years-old. Please study her picture, and see if you have seen her, or any of the vehicles described. Police are offering a $25,000 reward for any information leading to Tamara's whereabouts.

 

If you have ANY information about the disappearance of Tamara Jewel Keepness, please call:

Crime Stoppers

Residents of Tamara's community hold an annual free BBQ to remember the missing little girl. (Photo Credit: AMW.com).

306-545-8477 
OR
 1-800-222-8477
OR
777-6500

Missing & Exploited Children
1-800-THELOST

Source:

http://www.amw.com/

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/keepness_tamra/

http://www.newstalk650.com/node/119049

http://www.our-story.ca/night-keepness.html