Tabitha Danielle Tuders- Missing 10 Years

IT was 7:00 AM on April 29, 2003 in Nashville, Tennessee when Tabitha Danielle Tuders was awaken by her father so she could be ready in time to board the school bus at 8:00 AM. The previous night she was sleeping in her room, but by morning her father found her sleeping at the foot of his bed, which was typical. When her father left for work, she was watching television. Witnesses saw Tabitha walking from her home in east Nashville on Lillian Street towards the area where she would usually board the school bus at the corner where 14th Street and Boscobel Street meet. Her destination was only a few blocks away from her house. The witness noted Tabitha was reading some papers and did not seem to be in any hurry or doing anything out of the ordinary, like looking for someone.
The hours passed and soon it was after school, and there was no sign of Tabitha. Her parents called the school and found out she never boarded her school bus, and never showed up at Bailey Middle School. They reported her missing shortly before 6:00 PM. She was never seen or heard from again since that morning.

Tabitha was thirteen years old when she went missing. Today, she would be 23 years old and her birthday is February 15, 1990. She has blue eyes and was last seen with sandy blond hair, but that could have changed over time. She has a birthmark on her stomach and a scar on her finger. Her complexion is light and freckled, and both of her ears are pierced. She was also about 90-100 pounds when she vanished, and was 4'9"-5'1" for height.
Tabitha was last seen wearing Mudd jeans, a light blue shirt and Reebok sneakers.

There were a lot of tips and publicized bouts of false hope that come with the story of the ongoing investigation for Tabitha. First, her family was looked into, as most are at the very beginning, but everyone was cleared.

Authorities found this piece of paper in Tabitha's room. Tabitha's initials are TDT, but they want to know who MTL is.-From Charleyproject.org.

Then there was the idea from investigators that Tabitha may have left of her own accord, with the intentions of meeting up with someone that morning. This idea was triggered by the discovery of a piece of paper with Tabitha's initials and the initials of an unknown person, reading T.D.T. -N- M.T.L. Police searched logs of a computer at the local library where some say Tabitha visited chat rooms, but nothing was ever recovered.
Right off the bat there was a witness account of a little boy, who claims he saw what happened to Tabitha as he waited for the bus himself. The neighborhood boy states he saw Tabitha get into a red car with an African American man, who was about 30-40 years old with a baseball cap on. The boy stated that once Tabitha got in, the car reversed and headed back up the hill. Although investigators could have never verify the boy's story, tracker dogs traced Tabitha's scent along the route described by the boy, all the way to an alley, a place Tabitha would never dare go by herself.

Tabitha Tuders vanished on her way to the bus stop in Nashville, TN. -Photo from www.tabithatuders.net.

A positive about Tabitha's case is that there has been a wide array of possible sightings of her, that seem to be very consistent. A famous possible sighting of Tabitha was one by a trucker on October 30, 2003 in Linton, Indiana-almost exactly 5 months after Tabitha vanished. The man claims he saw a girl who looked like Tabitha, who was accompanied by a man and another teenage girl. He said the girls looked anxious and scared, but did not recognize it could be Tabitha until he saw a missing person flyer for her. In that same time frame, a hotel clerk in Linton, Indiana reported seeing a girl who matched the description of Tabitha accompanied by a man and another teenage girl. Both sightings were reported but not confirmed.

In 2010, there was another lead given that stated there was a girl working at a small convenience store two hours from Nashville who matched Tabitha's age progression. They spoke with the girl at the store, and confirmed she was not Tabitha Tuders. Months later, a child advocate discovered a Las Vegas escort who went by the fake names "Brie", "Torie" or "Lisa Piasecki". The escort strongly resembled Tabitha, and even shared her marks and scars. The escort claimed her place of origin was Florida, and it is said she gave a DNA sample to prove she was not Tabitha. It was not a match, but Tabitha's family still wanted to meet her just in case. In November 2012, a photo of three girls at a Russian disco surfaced, with a girl in a blue dressed resembling Tabitha. It was later confirmed to not be her.

Tabitha's family and investigators follow up on every lead, in hopes they will see her again.

These accounts from the last two paragraphs above are just a glimpse of the whirlwind of hope and pain the family of missing adults and children get caught up in. It's the constant disappointment of a dead end lead, or even one that can't be verified. It's all the trips all over the country to meet people who you think could be your loved one. And the cycle continues until answers are found.
I will say I did not like how Tabitha was thought of as a run away at first, as so many other teens are assumed to be. Tabitha was described as a shy, sweet girl, youngest of three, who still slept with her parents some nights. She got straight A's, had a teddy bear collection, was active in the choir at church, had perfect attendance at school and did not have any problems at home. She also had never run away. In fact, it was just the opposite. She was not a party or a rebellious teenager. She was just like the average teenager-she liked things like Dr. Pepper, Slim Jims or going to McDonald's. What makes me cancel out the go-meet-someone-and-runaway theory is that she was looking forward to going to the Six Flags of America amusement park in Louisville, Kentucky. The date for the trip was set for about 2 weeks after she vanished, and many stated she was very thrilled about this. Also, ALL of her possessions, even clothes and money were left behind. With these circumstances given, it is very hard for me to believe she was planning to run away with someone she met online in a chat room.
However, I think the possibility of Tabitha unintentionally giving out information leading an online predator to her is a more likely scenario. It is possible an online predator could have gone beyond the computer, and traveled to Nashville to seek out Tabitha, and learn her routine. What bugs me is why she would get into the car with someone she did not know well. Was she a very trusting girl? Is it possible that someone she knew slightly from a chat room or around the neighborhood offered her a ride to school? Her case description said she had been reading someone as she was walking. Did someone think of that as a vulnerability?

Tabitha is described as a sweet girl, who is very close to her family.

One thing I like about this investigation is not only is it active (with thanks to her family), but they are looking for her as alive. As it should be, because there is nothing to suggest she is not. In fact, with all the sightings, it seems almost the opposite. I know a lot of you have heard about Amanda Berry, Gina Dejesus and Michelle Knight who were found being held captive in a Cleveland, Ohio house. All along, investigators searched for those girls' remains. They didn't think of them as alive, even though there was nothing pointing towards that. This is why I believe Tabitha will be found, because they are looking for a woman instead of just searching for remains.
It's no secret that the most likely scenario is that Tabitha was kidnapped. Whether she got in willingly or not does not matter. We must remember Amanda Berry and Gina Dejesus also got into their captor's car willingly, because they knew the guy from around town. With the consistent sightings, I almost wonder if she was taken for human trafficking, or captivity. If that was Tabitha sighted at a hotel in Indiana, I would say the human trafficking angle is possible. I am curious about the description of the other teen girl. Is she a missing girl too?
This brings me to researching other girls missing from the general region Tabitha was in, who may have similar characteristics or circumstances to Tabitha. I also researched the activity of human trafficking in Tennessee and Indiana. It turns out that entire area (which includes Ohio) is a hot spot for human trafficking. Pimps are cunning opportunists. Tennessee is a human trafficking hot spot because of it's location. They round up vulnerable runaways, entice girls with the promise of fame or kidnap girls right off the street (also known as "gorilla pimps"). There could be a possibility Tabitha is a victim of a gorilla pimp. Many girls are as young as 12 years old, and they are bought, traded and sold across the United States, rarely staying in the same area. The two biggest "hubs" or hotspots for human trafficking? None other than Toledo, Ohio and Indianapolis, Indiana. (Although this is something that is happening EVERYWHERE, especially in big cities.) I also posted a story down below under "links" about child sex trafficking in Tennessee. It features a woman who was sold into the trade at three, and just recently escaped. She talks about why girls caught up in the horrors of stuff like this don't leave their captors or situations, even if they are in public they will not seek out help. Why? Because they can't. Mentally, they wear invisible chains to their captors. Just leaving is not that easy.

In August, 2003, Heaven Ross vanished on her way to school. In 2006, her remains were found in an abandoned rural house. Her murder remains unsolved.

As for girls possibly connected to Tabitha's disappearance, 11 year-old Heather LaShae Ross was always thought to have been taken by whoever took Tabitha. Heaven vanished on August 19, 2003 from Northport, Alabama. She also vanished during her morning walk to school. In 2006, Heaven's remains were found in an abandoned, rural house located in Holt, Alabama. Her murder is still unsolved.
I researched missing teen girl cases from Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Missouri and Ohio. There is a large amount of girls (and I did not even get into researching young women or adult women) who vanished from convenience stores, gas stations, or right off the streets, like Tabitha did. I know there are cases of such all over our country, but I have found the south eastern area of the United States particularly has a great amount of cases like these that are unsolved. However, none stood out to me as much as the stories of a couple of girls I doubt many have even heard of-Kimberly Thrower and Kristina Bishop. Despite the distance and time frame of these cases, they are eerily similar to the disappearance of Tabitha Tuders.

Kristina Bishop also vanished on her way to school, and was last seen talking to a man in a car.

On October 19, 1994, 13 year-old Kristina Bishop departed from her family's house in Columbia, Missouri early morning to walk to school. A witness also going to school reported seeing a four door vehicle stop along the street Kristina was walking down. Kristina stopped, and talked to the man for a bit, and then got into his car. The car sped away, and Kristina has never been heard from since. The man looked to be about 22 years old at the time. Kristina has nor prior history of running away, even though police assumed she may have left with a "male friend".

Kimberly Thrower was last seen at a bus stop in North Carolina. She vanished EXACTLY on year after Tabitha Tuders did.

On April 29, 2004, 16 year-old Kimberly Thrower was last seen standing at a bus stop during the morning hours at Steven's Circle in Laurinberg, North Carolina. Chillingly, Kimberly vanished EXACTLY one year after Tabitha did. She was supposed to attend her classes at Scotland High School that day, but never showed up. A witness claimed to see her walking towards the woods nearby, accompanied by an African American male. Even to this day, investigators classify her disappearance as "Endangered Runaway", despite her family's insistence that she has never run away before, and never would. Kimberly has not been heard from to this day.

Both these cases chill me to the bone, especially when I think of Tabitha. The similarities between Kristina's case and Tabitha's may be 9 years apart, but the circumstances are the same. Young girls walking to school by themselves are approached by someone who possibly offered them a ride to school. They are whisked away and never seen again. And then you have Kimberly, who was also last seen during the morning hours by a bus stop before she went missing, exactly a year after Tabitha went missing. All girls were also last seen talking to someone, possibly an African American male in all cases before they vanished. If investigators can look at Heaven Ross' case in Alabama as possibly being connected to Tabitha's disappearance, I see no reason why the other two girls can't be looked at as connected to Tabitha's disappearance, especially Kimberly Thrower. I think they have not looked at Kimberly Thrower as a connected case to Tabitha because she has been written off as "another runaway", when in fact that may have not been the case.

Recently, Examiner.com posted the newest rumor in Tabitha's case-that an inmate currently serving time in TN Department of Corrections, claims Tabitha was abducted by a pimp off the streets, and she is currently in Memphis, TN. The individual claimed the pimp is originally from California and moves "his girls" around often to avoid being caught. Being Tabitha's disappearance is well-known, even if this tip pans out, they would probably move her out of Memphis to avoid her being found. Although it's heartbreaking to think about her being trafficked for 10 years, I believe she will be found. I believe she has not been found yet because she has been moved around so much, if she is a human trafficking victim. (And who knows what other missing girls we could find?)

Update 8/31/2014: According to an article by Dennis Ferrier by WSMV.com, investigator of the year (2011) Steven Jolley has given new attention to this case, attention that included interviewing a witness who claimed to have seen Tabitha get into a vehicle. He was never officially interviewed until now. We have always heard the story from a witness claiming that Tabitha got into a red car that morning. Nothing ever became of that lead. However, this witness claims while he was waiting to go to school that morning, he saw Tabitha get into a green Mustang with a white scorpion decal. This witness claims she did not get into a red car. Authorities are following up on this lead, that was thought to be just a rumor back when Tabitha vanished. Please click on this like to see a clip of the update in Tabitha's interview: Tabitha Tuders.

Tabitha's family has renewed hope for the safe return of their daughter after seeing the Cleveland trio reunite with their families. Her family has always believed she is alive, and continue to search for her to this day. They keep an enlarged missing person poster with Tabitha's picture on it hanging on their front porch to show they will never stop searching. I also believe Tabitha will be found, I don't think her case is one for the books. Vigilance, awareness and action is what we need to bring Tabitha home, and all girls like her.

An age progression of what Tabitha may look like today. She would be a 23 year-old woman.

Please, if you have ANY information about the disappearance of Tabitha Danielle Tuders, contact:

Nashville Metro Police Department  

1-615-862-8600 

 Age progressions of (L) Kimberly Thrower and (R) Kristina Bishop. Both girls' cases are active and their families want them home.

Also, if you have ANY information on the disappearance of Kimberly Thrower or Kristina Bishop, please contact:

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

1-800-THE-LOST

SOURCES:
Charley Project for Kristina Bishop
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/b/bishop_kristina.html
Charley Project for Kimberly Thrower
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/t/thrower_kimberly.html
Charley Project for Tabitha
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/t/tuders_tabitha.html
www.tabithatuders.net
HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN INDIANA
http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=4945355
HUMAN TRAFFICKING SURVIVOR
http://www.wate.com/story/21302690/child-sex-trafficking-in-tn-victim-speaks-out
NEWS
http://www.examiner.com/article/new-lead-followed-tabitha-tuders-case
http://www.wsmv.com/story/15160625/new-clue-could?Call=Email&Format=HTML
http://www.wkrn.com/story/22106549/tabitha-tuders-parents-convinced-daughter-will-be-found
http://missingtabithatuders.wordpress.com/2012/04/30/nashville-missing-child-tabitha-tuders-did-not-disappear/
http://www.wsmv.com/story/17908176/ride-held-for-missing-person-tabitha-tuders
http://www.examiner.com/article/tn-inmates-believe-tabitha-tuders-trafficked-to-memphis?cid=PROD-redesign-right-next
http://www.wsmv.com/story/26407436/detective-exploring-new-lead-in-missing-person-case