This cold case has puzzled the authorities for almost 12 years now, essentially because every time someone tries to review it, they only find conspiracies on betrayal, suicide, and murder. We would knock on peoples doors and they would thank us for all that we were doing; they knew what we were there for, Burgoon recalled, looking away as his voice trailed off. An unidentified man stands in the background at far left. The episode was rebroadcast on the Steve Wilkos show in June of 2012. Morris, who was 23 at the time she went missing, had last been seen alive on surveillance video walking with a man into the parking garage of the upscale Shops at Legacy in Plano in the early morning hours of Aug. 30, 2014. Christina Whittaker Obituary - Death, Christina Whittaker Cause Of Death We're pained as we learnt on July, 12th, 2021, that 21 year old Christina Whittaker has died. Calvin Whitaker owns the St. Louis Livery Service, which transports bodies to morgues in St. Louis and St. Louis County. She enjoyed playing with dolls, riding her bike, and spending time with her family. [1] To this day, LeeAnna has not been found and her case remains unsolved. Eric Pierson, 54, was charged Saturday with first-degree murder in the slaying of Erika Verdecia, 33, hours after her body was found Saturday near Fort Lauderdale. The fans decrying the show . Suspendisse condimentum eu arcu vitae hendrerit. She hasnt been seen or heard from since. News accounts said she was sexually assaulted, but Burgoon said detectives were never sure. Christina or her remains have never been found, so it is a one-of-a-kind file within the HPD, especially with them still taking tips at (573)-221-0987 or online, right here. Dr. Michael Graham, the St. Louis medical examiner, considers it to be experimental and said he would not authorize exhumation of the remains solely for that purpose. Were not going to stop until we see him in the electric chair.. Police found Morris vehicle in the parking garage three days later, after she was reported missing. Kaelin gave her permission to go as long as LeeAnna was home by 5 p.m.[2], LeeAnna made the commute to her friend's house at 4:30p.m., a short walk that her parents say she had done many times on her own. Police say they questioned the 6-foot-8 (2 meters) Pierson again on Friday. Over the weekend, it was announced that for the first time since Dr.Who premiered nearly 55 years ago, a woman has been cast as the doctor.We were overjoyed by this wonderful news and couldn't . It said that Michele was near the water's edge, near tall pines, and at the edge of the pond. 1 of 4. Because finding Morris' remains would mean that she truly was gone. Investigators have a full DNA profile of the girl, fingerprints, toe prints and the mitochondrial (maternal lineage) DNA, said J. Todd Matthews, an official at NamUs. The family waited until Sunday to report her missing, which can be construed as a bit strange especially since her mother, Cindy Young, says that she and her daughter, Christina Whittaker, were very close and spoke several times each day or saw each other daily. After some Shark Week episodes lol then Relentless. Effort to find her seem to remain focused in the Period, IL area. In 2020, Chisholm Police Chief Vern Manner said, "We still have several persons of interest in the fact that we cannot call them suspects because we don't have any evidence [] But we have people that we can't clear out either."[6]. 0 cemeteries found in Edwardsville, Madison County, Illinois, USA. Relentless is a six-part docuseries about the disappearance of Christina Whittaker in 2009.Filmmaker Christina Fontana met Whittaker's mother, Cindy Young, in 2010 when she was doing a . In August 2005, about three years after Michele disappeared, the police received an anonymous letter. Not only was he one of the last people Christina called, at about 10:30 p.m., but Travis also failed not one but two polygraph tests in early 2010, when he appeared on the The Steve Wilkos Show. Hed gone on air to spread information about his girlfriends unexpected vanishing with Christinas mother, Cindy Young, and other family members. LeeAnna was last seen walking on southwest Second or Third Street, between 5:00 and 5:15p.m.[1]. She was lost then and now shes lost again.. Third most likely scenario the boyfriend killed her. They were forced to stop their search over the winter as the lake and the surrounding areas froze over. She has never been heard from again. Whittaker's mother believes her mental illness may have played a role in her disappearance. The Las Vegas World News reports a waitress named Beth Taylor, who worked at Raedene's Country Caf in Creve Coeur, sore she saw Whittaker just days after the young mother's initial disappearance, stating, "It was . A medical examiner ruled the death a homicide. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. But surveillance video shows the pair had been at the gas station before the traffic stop, police said. Christopher and Kaelin met and moved in with one another towards the end of 1996, and Kaelin gave birth to LeeAnna on the 21 January 1998. Today, it has been ten painful years since Christina Whittaker's mysterious disappearance. It was near the cell tower in Annawhere Arochi's phone connected the day after Morris went missing. Peoria can be a very rough area and perhaps Christina Whittaker is not in her right mind and fell in with the wrong people, who are taking advantage of her. West Virginia has a strong reputation for inbreeding practices that have been linked to the state's poverty. Burials stopped about 20 years ago as did money for maintenance. People in the Cafe said they definitely saw her. She has a warrant out for her arrest; she had been arrested for driving on a revoked license before her disappearance, and she missed a court date on December 18, 2009. Podcast True Crime Garage released a two-part series on LeeAnna's disappearance in August 2021. Police deployed a score of officers, knocking on doors, making calls and checking records of missing children. Without her medication, her mental health could have rapidly declined and she might be especially vulnerable. We dont know, he said at the time. It's talked about that Darcy was her drug dealer and would . Every weekend for four months, they have focused on the area where the girl was buried, clearing brush and trees and using photographs of the graveside ceremony as their guide. Christina Whittaker has been seen around as: Christina Carol Sherry, Christina C Munoz, Christina Carol Horton. [8], One of the main suspects that was identified as potentially having a role in LeeAnna's disappearance was a man by the name of Matthew James Curtis, who was aged 24 at the time. During Arochis trial on the kidnapping charge, his defense attorney, Keith Gore, had objected in his closing argument to the states sole focus on his client. A timeline of Duncan's most recent activities also revealed that he had not been in the Chisholm area at the time of LeeAnna's alleged abduction.[4]. The U.K.'s Sun greeted the news of the first female doctor with video from a nude scene from the 2007 film Venus, in which Whittaker played a character who modelled for an art class. They have to know something. Regardless of how it happened, the discovery of Morris doesn't take away the extraordinary efforts of the volunteers who devoted so many of their Saturdays to searching for her. He also claimed that she had made threats towards Kaelin and LeeAnna.[7]. An hour after that, cell tower data indicated that separate cell phones carried by the pair were still together. Then again, she may have met with trouble and her family is desperate to find her. Christina Whittaker. Theyve not closed Christinas case as of yet, and it seems like they dont plan to do so until it is completely and unquestionably solved. Erika Verdecia leaves behind a 6-year-old daughter. No one knows yet. When someone goes missing, police have to follow up on leads and attempt to determine if the person missing fell victim to some type of crime, such as an abduction, or simply voluntarily left. So when a work crew spotted her skeletal remains in plain sight on Wednesday, the heartbroken searchers couldn't help but ask themselves: "How did we miss her? But maybe all the other souls are looking out for her.. Show Summary. Omg, I felt so bad for Christina/filmmaker. Her case remains unsolved. CAPE GIRARDEAU It has been 30 years . The mysterious disappearance case of Christina Whittaker has baffled the government for over a decade now. Christina Whittaker Update 2022. The historic town is known as the childhood home of author Mark Twain, but Whittaker's mysterious disappearance brought the city into the public eye for far more sinister reasons. This is nuts! The Missouri Botanical Garden tested mold on her body and determined she had been dead about five days. It doesnt come with a manual. https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fwfaa%2Fvideos%2F10153980603671545%2F&show_text=0&width=560. One afternoon LeeAnna's parents came home to her playing with a case filled with Barbie dolls and their clothes, despite them never having purchased the toys for her. ANNA Volunteers looking for kidnap victim Christina Morris had searched three times in the wooded area where she was eventually found . Its white steel with gold trim, adorned with images of angels. About four months ago, the above-ground tomb of a 7-year-old boy, struck and killed by a car in the 1920s, broke open. In the summer of 2004, the authorities began a new search of Chisholm in another effort to find LeeAnna's remains, but no new evidence surfaced. "Nobody likes that word because there's not any immediate closure. Anyone will tell you that bipolar medications and alcohol simply do not mix. I don't live there anymore, that ain't my stuff. One time they spread wider out. Bucknor for rejecting handshake: Zero class, Suspect charged in fatal shooting in downtown St. Louis, Man shot and killed after fight in downtown St. Louis, Is Kim Gardner right? The Christina Whittaker case is an interesting one because she may very well be alive. She asked strangers and acquaintances alike. Inside The Mysterious Disappearance of Christina Whittaker. In the 1930s, newspapers featured rundown shacks and barefoot children, which created a poor impression. She was a passenger in Piersons truck and did not appear to be in distress, police said. Whittaker left the bar alone at 11:45 p.m. She asked several different people for a ride. No one gave her a ride and she ran away in tears. She was very well cared for. Investigators could find no surveillance footage of her movements that night, evidence that could have been crucial in finding out where, and with whom, she was going.. Hannibal isn't a large and its population at . Relentless. published July 15, 2020. Her head was never found. Trying to bring up my past is like trying to rob my old house. Where is Christina Morris? Christina Whittaker has been missing since November 13, 2009. Moreover, Cindy explained that Christinas then-boyfriend took a polygraph test after the show at the Hannibal Police Department and passed. LostNMissing Inc, 26 Noyes Rd., Londonderry, NH 03053 270p. Eric Pierson was charged Saturday with first-degree murder in the slaying of Erika Verdecia, a South Florida woman whose body was found in a canal after being missing for three weeks. Its so sad, its as if shes been lost twice, said Christina Whitaker. Image Credit: Help Find Christina Whittaker/Facebook. This serious has thrown a bish for a loop. She was last seen leaving a downtown bar. "We are Team Christina," member Beverly Lillie said, "and we will always be Team Christina. Over the years, the police have received more than 1700 leads; however, with very little evidence to go off, they have never had a concrete suspect. The family did not believe the results. Verdecias mother told the South Florida Sun Sentinel she doesnt understand why Pierson was free to attack her daughter. [4] Parents and children from the surrounding suburbs gathered together to search for LeeAnna. And it had a dirt road with ditches and moisture from a nearby creek, conditions needed for a type of grass recovered from the undercarriage of Arochi's Camaro. He was told two men went into the building, rummaging for pipe to fix a broken-down car. Circumstance:Christina was last seen leaving a local tavern (Rookies Sports Bar at 611 Broadway, Hannibal, MO.) The Hannibal Police Department has conducted over 200 interviews in relation to her disappearance. He served four years of an 18-year sentence for first-degree attempted murder before being paroled. Some in Denton County, too. He can do the same with hundreds of other cases. Police have confirmed that human remains found on Wednesday in a field in Anna, Texas, are those of Christina Morris, who vanished in 2014 from a suburban Dallas shopping center and whose . Its getting her face out there, but its not helping us get her home by making people believe shes dead. Id likely be even extra concerned if that family member suffered from mental health issues. Liberty High student killed in St. Charles shooting could heal you with a smile, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol slams ump C.B. Police closed off the area to the public for three days while collecting evidence. I know my daughter, our daughter, is in a better place, her mother, Jonnie Hare, said at a Thursday news conference at Plano Police headquarters, where authorities confirmed her death, according to local TV station KDFW. Photo courtesy of Ed Sedej, St. Louis Globe Democrat, Retired St. Louis Detective Joe Burgoon, 74, stands next to the headstone of an unidentified murdered girl in the Washington Park Cemetery in Berkeleyon March 12, 2013. Details about what they've found are not being released. Racist silence and complicity are to blame Published: June 3, 2020 1.33am EDT The waitress said her hair had been dyed black or dark brown, but that her facial and physical features matched those in a photo later shown to cafe workers by police. "That was one [location] that all of us as a group could not get off of our minds because it just would have been the perfect spot," he said. They're hurting a lot more now than they've hurt in a long time.". I thought of Summer Wells case while watching this. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Eric Pierson, 54, was released in September of 2020 after serving 25 years of his 40-year sentence for the 1995 murder of 17-year-old Kristina Whitaker, WFLA reports. Should the DNA of the girls maternal relatives be put into the system, officials here would be notified, said Mary Beth Karr, assistant director of the lab. I did some deep diving, found glend old property through this article. Despite 432 Indigenous deaths in custody since 1991, no one has ever been convicted. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Whittakers daughter will soon be turning four and the family of Christina Whittaker hopes to find their daughter and will not give up. You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post. Within 5 miles of your location. Kaelin and Christopher were never considered suspects and they were not required to take lie detector tests. He missed work the next morning because, since Whittaker was not home, he had to watch her daughter. The medical examiner concluded the victim weighed about 60 pounds and was about 4-foot-10 without her head. Taylor described a bizarre encounter with the woman she is sure is Christina Whittaker and said she was alone, had no coat, no purse and kept asking to use the phone. LostNMissing is organized and incorporated under the laws of the State of New Hampshire. Some people believe this is Christina. The dog allegedly tracked Youngs scent south of the bar a few days after she disappeared and may have picked up her scent in Creve Coeur, IL. Burgoon has retired from the city police and spent the past seven years working part-time as a cold-case investigator for the St. Louis County police. Some accounts have indicated that she initially met friends at the bar and, after being thrown out, left the bar alone. Police have confirmed that human remains found on Wednesday in a field in Anna, Texas, are those of Christina Morris, who vanished in 2014 from a suburban Dallas shopping center and whose kidnapper was convicted 18 months ago. A missing person poster from Project Jason says that she suffered from fibromyalgia, is bi-polar, and suffers from depression. As the hit Bravo series aired new episodes, the OG Below Deck star questioned why he . It was definitely her. Whittaker had won the Powerball lottery jackpot -- a whopping . "Your selflessness and perseverance is unmatched, and it means more to us than we'll ever be able to put into words.". He was noted for being the winner of a 2002 lottery jackpot. Sunrise police said in court documents they had a brief interaction with Pierson and Verdecia during a Sept. 25 traffic stop the day Pierson told detectives he killed her. [3], LeeAnna was described as being an outgoing, friendly and very brave child, with survival instincts that were considered to be quite advanced for her age. Holy cow I randomly came across this show and am about to start the last episode. The city paid to bury her in the Washington Park Cemetery, one of several with contracts for indigent burials. [4] He also discussed his dissatisfaction with the investigation into him and his discontentment with being labelled a sex offender. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. There was a problem saving your notification. In her mentally ill state, suffering from depression, anxiety, and fibromyalgia, along with bipolar disorder, she could act very child-like, according to her mother. Brush and trees swallowed most of the 50 acres, which also became a dump for tires, furniture and pallets. On November 13, 2009, Christina visited a bar . When the authorities were going through his computer for an unrelated case, they came across an encrypted document which made reference to LeeAnna's disappearance. She is described as being a petite, For more compelling true crime coverage, follow our Crime magazine on Flipboard. The other primary concern is Christinas own habits and tendency to take her prescription medicines irregularly, despite having been on them since 18-years-old. With all the sketchy people in her life I'm surprised she made it as far as she did tbh. Christopher and Kaelin told authorities that in the weeks leading up to her disappearance, LeeAnna had been behaving strangely. The Christina Whittaker case is an interesting one because she may very well be alive. July 1, 2020. ", "We were right there," said Robert O'Neil, one of the coordinators for the dedicated group of searchers known as Team Christina. 03053 270p attached to this post, found glend old property through this article to start the last episode in. Well be alive searched three times in the background at far left other are. Painful years since Christina Whittaker hopes to find her case remains unsolved up! The show at the gas station before the traffic stop, police said proper functionality of platform. Lostnmissing is organized and incorporated under the laws of the state & # x27 ; s mysterious disappearance of... 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