This Tennessee Teen Was Abducted While Walking Home From School In 1989, And A Couple Tried To Chase Down Her Kidnapper
Can you imagine getting home from work, expecting to see your child home from school, only to have to report them missing later that evening?
This happened to the mother of Tonetta Carlisle, a teenage girl who was abducted during her daily walk home from school in 1989.
Tonetta was 15-years-old at the time and attended City High School in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
She was a bright young girl who was an excellent student and ran track for her school. Tonetta loved making people laugh and sang in the choir at her church. She also had a job working for a local youth program.
But on March 16th, 1989, the lives of Tonetta’s friends and family changed drastically.
That day, she was making her 20-minute walk home from school down Hamilton Avenue, a journey she had taken many times before.
Suddenly, around 2:55 pm, when she was just a block away from home, a couple who was outside tending to their garden claimed to see several people in a yellow and tan vehicle pull up to Tonetta, get out of the car, grab her, force her into the car, and drive off.
The couple allegedly got into their car to try and follow the vehicle but eventually lost sight of it. They obtained the license plate number, “LKH-920,” and descriptions of some people in the car. They then called 911 and gave all this information to police.
Later that afternoon, Tonetta’s mother, Nonie, arrived home from work, expecting Tonetta to be there as usual. When she first noticed she wasn’t home, she allegedly assumed she was with friends. But when 10:00 pm rolled around, and Tonetta never returned, she called the police and reported her missing.
Sandra Manske – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
Unfortunately, it took police two days before they connected Tonetta’s case to the reported abduction on Hamilton Avenue, as they first labeled her as a runaway.
Two days later, on March 18th, police traced the vehicle’s license plate to Jeffrey Jones, a convicted felon who had been released from prison a year before Tonetta was abducted. Before they could arrest and get any solid answers on Tonetta’s disappearance from Jeffrey, they found him dead inside the same vehicle used to abduct Tonetta, as he had taken his life.
Tragically, there was no sign of Tonetta and no indication left by Jeffrey as to what may have happened to her. Police and local authorities conducted thorough searches of the local area and areas near Jeffrey’s home, but no leads were found.
To this day, there has still been no confirmed sighting of Tonetta. Many people, including her mother, believe Jeffrey was responsible for her abduction and potential murder, but there has been no confirmation that this is true.
Since Tonetta went missing, Nonie’s been issuing public pleas for anyone who may have any information on what happened to her daughter to come forward, strongly believing someone out there must know something.
In 2019, Tonetta’s case was reopened, and her mother and brother submitted DNA samples to aid the investigator’s searches. While no major progress has been made, her family continues to search for answers.
At the time of Tonetta’s disappearance, she was five foot one, weighed around 95 pounds, and had black hair and brown eyes. She would be 50 years old today.
If you have any information regarding her case, you are urged to contact the Chattanooga Police Department at (423) 698-2525.
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