Tara Calico
Encyclopedia
Tara Leigh Calico disappeared near her home in Belen, New Mexico
on September 20, 1988. Her case, believed to be a kidnapping
, received extensive coverage on A Current Affair , Unsolved Mysteries
, and America's Most Wanted
. It was also profiled on The Oprah Winfrey Show
and 48 Hours
. The Unsolved Mysteries segment on Tara's disappearance is available for viewing on You Tube.
. Part of her Sony Walkman and a Boston
cassette tape were discovered along the route and Patty believed that Tara may have left these items in an attempt to mark her trail. Several people saw Tara riding her bicycle, which has never been found. No one witnessed her presumed abduction, although several witnesses did observe a 1953 or 1954 Ford
pickup
following her, but it is not known if this vehicle was connected to her disappearance. All efforts to locate the pickup have failed.
On June 15, 1989, a Polaroid
photo of an unidentified young girl and boy, both bound and gagged, was found in the parking lot of a convenience store in Port St. Joe, Florida
. It was theorized that the girl in the photo was Tara and that the boy was Michael Henley, also of New Mexico, who had disappeared in April 1988. The book that is next to the girl in the photo is the gothic horror novel "My Sweet Audrina
" by V.C. Andrews, which was published in 1982. According to investigators, the picture had to have been taken after May 1989 because the particular film used in the photograph was not available until then. Despite much conjecture, the identification of the boy in the photograph as Michael Henley seems unlikely because his remains were discovered in 1990 in the Zuni Mountains
where he had disappeared. (Foul play is not suspected in his death.) The Zuni mountains are about 75 miles from where Tara disappeared. Nonetheless, her mother believed the girl in the photo was indeed her daughter due in part to what appeared to be a scar
on the girl's leg, similar to one Tara received in a car accident. However, the FBI was unable to conclusively prove that it was Tara in the photograph.
Two other Polaroid
photographs, possibly of Tara, have surfaced over the years, but they have yet to be released to the public.
There were several reported sightings of her in 1988 and 1989, mostly in the southern half of the United States. However, none of these sightings could be confirmed.
Tara Leigh Calico would today be 42 years old.
Belen, New Mexico
Belen is a city in Valencia County, New Mexico, United States. Belen is Spanish for Bethlehem, and over time has gained the nickname "Hub City" because of the Belen Cutoff of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The Cutoff made it possible for many more trains to travel east and west across...
on September 20, 1988. Her case, believed to be a kidnapping
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
, received extensive coverage on A Current Affair , Unsolved Mysteries
Unsolved Mysteries
Unsolved Mysteries is an American television program, hosted by Robert Stack, from 1987 until 2002, and later by Dennis Farina, starting in 2008...
, and America's Most Wanted
America's Most Wanted
America's Most Wanted is an American television program produced by 20th Television, and was the longest-running program of any kind in the history of the Fox Television Network until it was announced on May 16, 2011 that the series was canceled after twenty-three years, with the final episode...
. It was also profiled on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
and 48 Hours
48 Hours (TV series)
48 Hours is a documentary and news program broadcast on the CBS television network since January 19, 1988. The program originally presented documentaries of various events related to a particular subject occurring within a 48-hour period, and is credited as one of the first to air a "reality show"...
. The Unsolved Mysteries segment on Tara's disappearance is available for viewing on You Tube.
Disappearance
On September 20, 1988, Tara left her home at about 9:30 in the morning to go on her customary bike ride. She told her mother, Patty Doel, to come and get her if she was not home by noon. Patty went searching for Tara along her usual bike route, but could not find her and contacted the policePolice
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
. Part of her Sony Walkman and a Boston
Boston (band)
Boston is an American rock band from Boston, Massachusetts that achieved its most notable successes during the 1970s and 1980s. Centered on guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, and producer Tom Scholz, the band is a staple of classic rock radio playlists...
cassette tape were discovered along the route and Patty believed that Tara may have left these items in an attempt to mark her trail. Several people saw Tara riding her bicycle, which has never been found. No one witnessed her presumed abduction, although several witnesses did observe a 1953 or 1954 Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
pickup
Pickup truck
A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
following her, but it is not known if this vehicle was connected to her disappearance. All efforts to locate the pickup have failed.
The photograph
Instant film
Instant film is a type of photographic film first introduced by Polaroid that is designed to be used in an instant camera...
photo of an unidentified young girl and boy, both bound and gagged, was found in the parking lot of a convenience store in Port St. Joe, Florida
Port St. Joe, Florida
Port St. Joe is a city located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 98 and State Road 71 in Gulf County, Florida, United States. As of 2007, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 3,579. The population was 3,644 as of the 2000 census. Port St. Joe became the county seat of Gulf County...
. It was theorized that the girl in the photo was Tara and that the boy was Michael Henley, also of New Mexico, who had disappeared in April 1988. The book that is next to the girl in the photo is the gothic horror novel "My Sweet Audrina
My Sweet Audrina
My Sweet Audrina is a 1982 novel by V. C. Andrews. It was the only standalone novel without incest published during Andrews' lifetime.-Plot summary:...
" by V.C. Andrews, which was published in 1982. According to investigators, the picture had to have been taken after May 1989 because the particular film used in the photograph was not available until then. Despite much conjecture, the identification of the boy in the photograph as Michael Henley seems unlikely because his remains were discovered in 1990 in the Zuni Mountains
Zuni Mountains
The Zuni Mountains are a mountain range in Cibola County of northwestern New Mexico. The range is located largely in the Cibola National Forest, lying south of Interstate 40 from southeast of Gallup to southwest of Grants. The range is about sixty miles long and forty miles wide...
where he had disappeared. (Foul play is not suspected in his death.) The Zuni mountains are about 75 miles from where Tara disappeared. Nonetheless, her mother believed the girl in the photo was indeed her daughter due in part to what appeared to be a scar
Scar
Scars are areas of fibrous tissue that replace normal skin after injury. A scar results from the biological process of wound repair in the skin and other tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a natural part of the healing process. With the exception of very minor lesions, every wound results in...
on the girl's leg, similar to one Tara received in a car accident. However, the FBI was unable to conclusively prove that it was Tara in the photograph.
Two other Polaroid
Instant film
Instant film is a type of photographic film first introduced by Polaroid that is designed to be used in an instant camera...
photographs, possibly of Tara, have surfaced over the years, but they have yet to be released to the public.
There were several reported sightings of her in 1988 and 1989, mostly in the southern half of the United States. However, none of these sightings could be confirmed.
Later developments
Twenty years after her disappearance, Rene Rivera, sheriff of Valencia County announced that he knew what happened to Tara Calico. According to Rivera, boys who knew her from school drove up behind her in a truck and some form of accident followed. Tara later died and those responsible covered up the crime. Rivera states he knows the names of those involved, but that, without a body, he cannot make a case. He has not released whatever evidence has led him to this conclusion. No arrests have been made and the case remains open.Tara Leigh Calico would today be 42 years old.
External links
- http://www.TaraCalico.com
- http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2006/Jun/08/joline-gutierrez-krueger-patty-doel-waited-for/
- http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/c/calico_tara.html
- http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,544305,00.html?test=latestnews