Katharina Buczek
No one knows for sure whether Tonee arrived back at her home on Monday night. No neighbors recalled seeing the 22-year-old, and her roommate had been out of town.
But, a red coat that Tonee was reportedly wearing that day was discovered in her home. This suggested that she did arrive home safely but went back out at some point.
Tonee’s family did travel to her home after reporting her missing. And while there, they searched for clues in the 22-year-old’s journal.
Despite there being some entries detailing sad feelings, the young woman did not express any motives to take her life. Since her belongings were found on the bridge, though, this possibility could not be entirely ruled out.
This possibility also pushed Tonee’s family to search underneath the Homestead Grays Bridge for any clues about what might have happened. While both authorities and loved ones conducted a widespread search, though, no evidence of the 22-year-old was ever found there.
According to Tonee’s sister, Sydnee, it was hard to believe that the 22-year-old would have even taken her life at that point in time.
“She was going through the very normal ups and downs of being a young adult, finding her place in the world. She was at a high point,” Sydnee said.
By Thursday, investigators began to backtrack Tonee’s movements prior to her disappearance and visited the tea shop Dobra Tea. While there, authorities spoke with employees who regarded Tonee as a regular customer. They also recalled how the 22-year-old did not socialize much.
“She was pretty quiet, but she’s not usually super talkative,” one of the employees said.
Then, on Friday, investigators received a tip regarding a possible sighting of Tonee in the Hill District of Pittsburgh. The 22-year-old was not known to frequent that part of town, but her loved ones still followed up on the clue anyway.
They spent the entire day door-knocking, passing out flyers, and asking residents if they had spotted Tonee. Unfortunately, though, nothing came of these efforts.
