She Mysteriously Vanished After Walking Away From A Campground: Her Car Was Later Discovered Abandoned, And Her Belongings Were Found Neatly Stacked In A Park
Delecia Waddy, a 24-year-old woman from Richmond, Virginia, hasn’t been seen since 2017. After walking away from a campground, she mysteriously vanished, and her family has continued searching for answers ever since.
It all began on March 9, 2017, an overcast morning in Richmond, when Delecia published a strange post on social media at 5:00 a.m. From her Facebook account, she wrote, “It’s never too late to do the right thing. Don’t get discouraged. Speaking to myself also.”
Later that morning, around 9:30 a.m., Delecia was seen at an apartment complex known as Newbridge Village Apartments in Richmond. According to surveillance camera footage, she got into her silver Ford Explorer SUV and drove away from the complex.
Then, she visited Camp Wilderness, an amusement park in Doswell, Virginia. However, it was when Delecia went to inquire about a cabin rate at the lodging area at 11:30 a.m. that things went awry.
According to Delecia’s mother, Felecia Waddy, the 24-year-old wanted to negotiate a lodging rate to stay at the campground.
“She went in to negotiate a cabin, is what I was told by the rep there, and they haggled back and forth about a price and couldn’t agree on it,” Felecia said.
“So, she walked away and sat down, the lady said. She said she thought about calling the authorities but just chalked it up to Delecia maybe having a bad day.”
After Delecia exited the lodging area, she reportedly walked down Route 30 eastward and headed into Caroline County. This was the last time anyone saw or heard from her.
It wasn’t until the following morning of March 10, 2017, that Delecia’s SUV was discovered running yet abandoned outside of Hanover, Virginia. The car had a full tank of gas and was in fine condition.
Facebook – pictured above is Delecia
Authorities from the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office were promptly called to the scene, and tracking dogs eventually led investigators to Meadow Event Park. There, Delecia’s personal belongings– including her wallet, cell phone, purse, clothes, and shoes– were all discovered in a neat pile.
This finding pushed authorities to conduct extensive searches, but few leads were found. At one point, search dogs actually tracked Delecia’s scent to a residential home. However, investigators did not find any indicators of her whereabouts at the property.
Investigators also heard from two witnesses who claimed to have seen Delecia off of Route 30 in a field in Caroline County, Virginia. Lastly, on March 12, 2017, one of Delecia’s friends reportedly saw her on Fendall Avenue in Richmond. However, these sightings have not been confirmed and didn’t provide investigators with conclusive leads.
So, the search for Delecia has continued, and her family has been left reeling in the aftermath of her disappearance.
Delecia’s bank account, phone, and social media have remained untouched, and her loved ones don’t believe that she would just walk away. According to Delecia’s sister, Britanny Waddy, that simply wasn’t her character.
Instead, the Waddys believe that Delecia may be in danger– with someone holding her against her will.
“My prayer every night is for God to just give us a clue so we can find out what happened to my sister,” Britanny said.
“I’ve just been a shell. I take it one day at a time. It hurts. It really does feel like there’s definitely a void. I haven’t been the same since this happened. But like my mom said, we are not giving up. It’s made me not trust people for sure.”
Indeed, the Waddy family has sought to spread further awareness of Delecia’s disappearance online by creating a Facebook page entitled “Bring Delecia Home.” There, her loved ones have continued posting about the case and urging others with information to come forward.
“I never leave home without it,” one Facebook post reads, accompanied by a photo of Delecia’s missing person flyer.
“Someone, somewhere out there has the key to finally bring this search to an end. If you’re the acquaintance who thought they saw Delecia in Richmond, please come forward. If you’re the person she texted or called in the wee hours of that fateful March morning, please come forward. If you’re the person she told her hardships to, please come forward,” the post continued.
“This isn’t a puzzle. It isn’t a mystery. Delecia is a sister and a daughter– a human being. Delecia is ready to come home. Help us.”
Investigators at the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office are also asking anyone in the community with information to speak up.
“The last time she [Delecia] was seen was on Route 30 on foot, so we are hoping someone may remember and help us with the investigation,” said Sheriff Scott Moser.
Delecia is five foot one, weighs 145 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes. She also has various tattoos, including hearts on her collarbones and a tattoo of the word “Metria” on her wrist.
At the time of her disappearance, she was last seen wearing black pants, a black and white tank top, and a multicolored baseball cap.
If you have any information regarding her case, you are urged to contact the Metro Richmond Crime Stoppers TipLine at (804) 708-1000.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
More About:True Crime