THE DISAPPEARANCE OF TARA CALICO

INTRODUCTION

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According to the FBI, approximately 460,000 children are reported missing in the United States each year. The majority of these missing cases are solved swiftly, and the children reunite with their families. Sadly, many cases also go unsolved, and family members spend the rest of their lives questioning whether or not they will ever reunite with them. Tara Calico disappeared at age 19, and her parents died never finding their daughter. Calico’s case remains well-known, and evidence such as the eerie Polaroid photo above indicate how her case is still being investigated today.

OCCURRENCE

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On September 20th, 1988, Calico would disappear from her hometown in Belen, New Mexico. Calico, and her mother Patty, had a daily tradition of riding their bikes along New Mexico State Road 47. Patty decided to stop going with Calico after an incident where a car drove aggressively near the two. Patty suggested that Calico should bring mace for protection, but Calico declined. Some of Calico’s last words were that Patty should pick her up along the trail if she did not arrive home by noon - she scheduled a tennis date with her boyfriend at 12:30 P.M. When Calico did not return home, Patty set out to get her, but she did not find Calico along the trail.

After going up and down the trail with no signs of Calico, Patty contacted the police. When they arrived, police discovered torn pieces of Calico’s Sony Walkman and a cassette tape. Patty believed Calico left those items behind as some sort of trail or clue. People questioned did not see Calico being abducted or disappearing. However, a few individuals did say that they saw a light-colored car which they believed may have been following Calico. Police questioned the family on whether Calico may have wanted to run away or disappear from her family, but Patty stated that Calico was not that kind of person. For nearly a year after the initial disappearance, no new large pieces of evidence would surface, and Tara and her bike remained missing.

The case would gain more traction with the arrival of new and eerie evidence. On June 15th, 1989, a terrifying Polaroid photo was discovered in the parking lot of a convenience store in Port St. Joe, Florida, over 1500 miles from where Tara disappeared. The photo, which is posted at the top of this article, depicts two individuals tied up with tape over their mouths. The person who found this photo said that a white, windowless Toyota was parked where the photo was placed. They described that the Toyota was driven by a man with a mustache. Police instilled roadblocks in an attempt to find the vehicle, but they were unable to locate it. When Polaroid officials examined the photo, they stated that the photo must have been taken after May of the same year. The reason for this is that the film that was used was not available until that time period. The photo received nationwide attention as many shows broadcasted it in an attempt to identify the two individuals. Two families came forward, including the Calico family. When Patty initially saw the photo, she did not believe it was Calico. Upon further inspection however, Patty identified the woman as Calico.

Patty points to two pieces of evidence that identifies Calico. Firstly, the leg of the woman has a streak, a scar Patty states Calico received from a car accident. Secondly, the book next to the woman is written by V.C. Andrews, one of Tara’s favorite authors. The family who identified the boy was the Henley family. Michael Henley, who also lived in New Mexico, was reported missing in April 1988 when he mysteriously disappeared on a hunting trip with his father. Many officials who examined the photo have disputable results. The Los Alamos National Laboratory stated that the woman was not Calico while Scotland Yard stated that she was Calico. Eventually, Michael Henley’s body was found in June 1990 in the Zuni Mountains. It was concluded that Henley wandered off from his dad and died due to exposure in the mountains. This left no answers for Calico however.

Over the years, more photos popped up that may be linked to the case. The police chief and a newspaper in Port St. Joe received photos of a young boy with a hand drawn over his mouth. This led to suspicions that these photos may be linked with the Calico case. Two other Polaroid photographs, possibly of Calico herself, also emerged. One photo was found near a construction site and depicts a woman’s face with tape covering her mouth. The other photo shows a woman bounded in gauze, and next to her a man on an Amtrak train. Calico’s mother believes the first photo is real while the second photo is a fake. The parents made a move to Florida as they stated everything back home reminded them of Calico. After their deaths, this case remains unsolved.

THEORIES

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In 2013, the FBI formed a six-person task force assigned with solving the Calico case, and in 2019, the FBI stated they are offering an award of up to $20,000 for details on her disappearance. Because of the circumstances of this case, there are not many theories formed by theorists other than the fact that Calico was abducted from the bike trail. An important testimony did arise in 2008. Rene Rivera, a sheriff for Valencia County, stated that he knew who abducted Calico. Rivera stated that two teenagers accidentally ran over Calico with their truck. In a panic, they covered up their crime and fled the scene. Rivera stated that he knew the names of the teenagers, but without Calico’s body, he did not release their names. He also withheld any evidence that led him to this conclusion. This testimony in itself contradicts the photographs found later on in the investigation, but many individuals are skeptical to believe Rivera.

The FBI continues to look into this case today, but without any new evidence or testimonies to look at, Tara Calico may never be found.

SOURCES

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Disappearance of Tara Calico (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Tara_Calico)

The Disappearance Of Tara Calico And The Eerie Polaroid Left Behind (https://allthatsinteresting.com/tara-calico)

Tara Leigh Calico (http://charleyproject.org/case/tara-leigh-calico)

FBI Offers $20000 Reward in Tara Calico Case (https://www.theepochtimes.com/fbi-offers-20000-reward-in-tara-calico-case_3107840.html)