She Left A Note Claiming She Was Going On A Walk In 2014 But Never Returned
Tamera “Tammy” Kingery was born in Northwest Indiana in 1977, and her father, Philip Russell, described her as a wonderful child.
“She was always getting along with friends, classmates, and sisters. Even parents,” Philip said.
Then, as a young adult, Tammy decided to become a nurse – earning her nursing degree in 2001.
In 1994, she also married her husband, Park, and the couple went on to welcome three kids together. As a family, they decided to move to South Carolina and build a home in Edgefield County – located in North Augusta.
However, on September 20, 2014, 37-year-old Tammy mysteriously disappeared, and her case has remained unsolved ever since.
That day, she left her home early and headed to work at a nursing home – where her shift began at 7:00 a.m. But it was clear that Tammy was acting off, according to a coworker, and she reportedly checked her own blood pressure multiple times while working.
Then, Tammy called her husband, Park, asked him to pick her up from work, and claimed she was not feeling well. Park brought her back to their home, located on Mealing Road, at 8:30 a.m., and Tammy reportedly put her pajamas on to rest.
At the same time, Park took their two sons out to run errands after deciding it would be best to give Tammy some quiet while she tried to rest.
“Park called me after he got her home, and Carter, the oldest son, was going to move my lawn, so he brought him over here. He took the little one and did some errands and then came and picked up Carter after he mowed the lawn,” detailed Tammy’s mother, Carolyn Russell.
Facebook – pictured above is Tammy
But, once Park got home sometime between 10:15 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., Tammy was nowhere to be found. Rather, Park found a note left by Tammy, which read, “Went for a walk, be back soon. Love you.”
As time passed and Tammy did not return, Park grew increasingly worried and decided to visit her workplace.
“As soon as I saw the note, I knew something was wrong, and I went looking for her,” he recalled.
After he could not find his wife, he contacted the Edgefield County Sheriff’s Office at 2:00 p.m. and reported her missing.
Tammy disappeared without her purse, cell phone, wallet, identification, and keys – all of which were left behind on the kitchen table.
Once an investigation was launched, authorities extensively searched the area surrounding Tammy’s home – aided by rescue teams, search dogs, volunteers, and helicopters. Yet, no evidence linked to her disappearance was found.
The search dogs could not detect a scent, leading to the theory that perhaps Tammy had been picked up by a vehicle.
At the time of her disappearance, Tammy was reportedly suffering from depression and was taking medication for her mental health. Shortly before she vanished, she also reportedly attempted to take her own life by mixing her medication with alcohol.
The investigation also uncovered supposed “romantic” text message exchanges between Tammy and two men. However, authorities cleared the two men of any involvement in her disappearance, and Tammy’s mother, Carolyn, does not believe she was having an affair.
Additionally, Tammy’s family thinks that she never would have just left her children, and according to her younger sister, Amy Thomas, the fact that she wrote a note leaves a lot of unanswered questions.
“She didn’t have her phone or her purse with her, and I just felt like that was really strange. Something that stood out to me is why she wouldn’t have texted Parker to say hey, I’m going to go on a walk,” Amy explained.
Still, no further evidence has been uncovered. So, the exact circumstances surrounding Tammy’s disappearance remain unclear, and her case is still unsolved.
When Carolyn spoke with WJBF in 2021, she was asked what justice and closure would look like for her family.
“I don’t know. I just wish we could, it would be comforting to know where she is. I still have a fear in the back of my head that someone has her somewhere, that she can’t escape or something,” Carolyn responded.
Tammy’s older sister, Rebecca Aldering, added, “When you just don’t know what happened, it can be, I don’t want to say extra painful, but a different kind of grief.”
Tammy was five foot four, weighed 125 pounds, and had blonde hair and hazel eyes.
If you have any information regarding her case, you are urged to contact the Edgefield County Sheriff’s Office at (803) 637-5337.
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