In 2018, She Disappeared Without A Trace, After Calling Her Daughter In Tears To Say She Couldn’t Babysit For Her

Fifty-six-year-old Terri Ackerman was a devoted and beloved mother living in Lochbuie, Colorado, in 2018.
She had grown up in a traditional Southern Baptist home and struggled with her mental health from a young age.
But, once reaching young adulthood, Terri began seeing a therapist, was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and was put on medication. And afterward, her family noticed she was in a much more stable and happy mental state.
Terri went on to enlist in the military, where she served for over ten years before settling in Maryland in 2011. It was there that she met Delbert, with whom she fell in love, got married, and moved to Colorado.
Terri also had a daughter named Ambyr, who saw her mother for the last time on August 23, 2018. Terri had visited Ambyr’s home that Thursday afternoon to visit her grandchildren and was reportedly in a great mood.
Then, once it was time to leave, she hugged Ambyr and Terri goodbye and said she would see them in the morning. Terri was supposed to babysit that Friday.
So, Terri went about her twenty-five-minute drive home and called Ambyr at about 4:30 p.m. to share that she had arrived safely at home. A couple of hours later, though, things took a confusing turn.
Ambyr received a call from her mother, who was reportedly in tears. And while on the phone, Terri said she would not be able to watch her grandchildren the next day anymore. She also gave no reason as to why she could not babysit.
Still, Ambyr recalled that her mother did say she was very tired and had not been sleeping well. So, she told Terri to get some rest and not to worry about it.

Facebook – pictured above is Terri
Ambyr assumed her mother would head to bed after getting off the phone. But instead, that was sadly the last time the mother and daughter would ever speak to each other.
The following day, Ambyr had to leave for work at 3:00 a.m– she was a 911 dispatcher. And since she could not get anyone to cover the twelve-hour shift, her fiancé, Jesse, took off work to watch their two children.
But, at 6:00 a.m., half asleep, Jesse and his kids were shocked by a knock at the door. Terri’s husband, Delbert, had arrived and claimed he would watch the kids since Terri had canceled.
Jesse was completely caught off guard. After all, Terri and Delbert normally call ahead of time to let him and Ambyr know about any plan changes. Plus, since Jesse had already taken off work, he told Delbert that no help was really needed.
Still, Delbert reportedly seemed reluctant to hit the road. In fact, Delbert claimed that since he had already made the twenty-five-minute drive, he might as well hang out for a bit.
So, Delbert remained at Ambyr and Jesse’s home until about 11:00 a.m. before visiting a local marijuana dispensary. Then, once Delbert returned, he helped Jesse fix a fence before finally heading back to Lochbuie, Colorado, at 1:30 p.m.
Ambyr eventually got home later that afternoon and was filled in about the odd afternoon Jesse had spent with Delbert. She agreed that the situation was a bit bizarre and out of the ordinary for her mother and stepfather. But, she wrote off the incident and put it behind her.
Well, that was until Delbert called Ambyr at about 8:00 p.m. that evening and informed her that her mother had gone missing.
Delbert claimed that Terri had been sleeping in bed when he left for Ambyr’s house at about 5:00 a.m. Then, once he got home that afternoon, Delbert reportedly found Terri’s cell phone, keys, wallet, and cigarettes left behind on the kitchen counter. Terri’s car was also in the driveway, but she was nowhere to be found.
So, Delbert allegedly drove throughout Lochbuie looking for Terri and, when he did not find her, went to the Lochbuie Police Department to report her missing at about 6:00 p.m. But Ambyr immediately knew something was up.
First of all, she had no clue why Delbert would wait until two hours after filing a missing person report to contact her. Terri had just moved to Colorado only a few years prior and did not have a large group of friends.
So, if Terri planned on going anywhere, she would have gone to Ambyr’s house– and Ambyr was puzzled why Delbert did not think of that.
Second, Ambyr had a gut feeling that her mother would never have left voluntarily. Terri was a dedicated mother and grandmother who always put her family first and who led a quiet life.
Terri watched her grandchildren at least three days a week and loved life’s simple pleasures– such as reading and watching the Lifetime channel on TV.
But, upon further probing, it became clear that Terri was not as happy in her marriage as it had seemed to Ambyr.
Apparently, Terri’s sister, Kim, immediately flew out to Colorado after hearing about the disappearance. Kim also claimed to have noticed a change in Terri after she married Delbert and that he appeared to really control her sister.
It was also revealed that, over the month leading up to Terri’s disappearance, she had been secretly planning to divorce Delbert. According to family members, Terri opened up a new bank account and began researching various kinds of state assistance programs that she could lean on following the divorce.
And finally, one of Terri’s closest friends, Geraldine, recalled a conversation with Terri just before she went missing. Terri had apparently been hysterical about the state of her marriage, and Geraldine tried to comfort her.
Geraldine even offered to let Terri move in with her, which seemed to settle Terri down a bit. Tragically, though, Geraldine also never saw Terri again.
So, once Delbert told Ambyr that her mother had disappeared, she visited Delbert unannounced. And when she arrived, she found him and his son, Christopher, engaged in a deep conversation.
But apparently, as soon as she walked in, they stopped speaking immediately. Then, Christopher exited to the back of the house while Delbert said hello to Ambyr.
This immediately spooked Ambyr, and then she noticed some other odd details at her mother’s home. First, Delbert drove a white pickup truck that would have typically been parked in the driveway. But, the day Terri went missing, the truck was gone.
Additionally, every single trash can and recycling bin was completely empty– even though it was not garbage pickup day. Finally, Terri’s ashtray, which was normally filled with cigarette butts, only contained one inside.
Investigators later searched Terri and Delbert’s home and found no evidence of foul play. Officers also asked about Delbert’s missing truck– but he claimed it was at the body shop getting fixed for dents.
The investigators accepted the explanation at the time, but then Delbert’s truck reportedly appeared a few days later still covered in dents. It is not clear whether or not authorities ever followed up with the body shop.
A search and rescue K9 team was also deployed to search the property surrounding Terri’s home. But, the effort came up dry, and no further clues were found.
And as weeks turned into months, Terri’s case remained cold. Ambyr advocated for further media attention, pushed investigators to continue working the case, and stood by her belief that her mother would never have just up and left the family.
“She was happy. Her family was everything. She just wouldn’t do this to us,” Ambyr said.
Still, investigators have never been able to find any evidence indicating foul play despite the Ackerman family’s beliefs that either Delbert or his son, Christopher, was responsible.
Delbert did undergo a polygraph test, although the results were never made public. Still, investigators never named him a suspect in the case.
Authorities also asked Christopher to take a polygraph, but he refused. He maintains that he has no idea what happened to Terri and does not see a point in taking the test.
Chief McCoy of the Lochbuie Police Department agrees that Terri’s disappearance is unsettling. But, without solid evidence, authorities have not been able to move forward.
Still, Terri’s family has not given up on their quest for justice. They strongly believe that Terri was murdered just before she was reported missing and have even created a Facebook group entitled Help Find Terri Anne Ackerman.
There, Ambyr continues to raise awareness, share any updates on her mother’s case, and plead for help from the community.
“I know someone saw or knows something that night my mom disappeared. Please, we beg of you, tell someone! She does not deserve this, and we miss her so much,” Ambyr wrote in a post on April 5, 2021.
“Our family deserves answers. Her grandbabies cry for her, and they feel pain no child should have to bare. Please, anyone who may know something, please help bring her home.”
Terri was five foot four, weighed one hundred and seventy pounds, and had red hair and hazel eyes. She also had a sleeve tattoo consisting of leaves and fairies on her right arm, along with various other tattoos on her calves, chest, and back.
If you have any information about Terri’s disappearance, you are urged to contact the Lochbuie Police Department at (303) 659-1395.
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