Bound in a van, the Tara Calico kidnapping

September 20th, 1988. Tara Calico, a 19 year old woman from Belen, New Mexico prepares to leave home on her bike. There is nothing unusual about this. She bikes daily.

She used to be joined in this activity by her mother, Patty Doel. Until her mother felt she was being stalked by a motorist. Tara laughs off the suggestion, ignoring her mothers insistence to carry mace. After all, what could happen in broad daylight, cycling on the roads around their home?

Disappearance

Tara never returns. Her mother Patty, along with her step-father John Doel, check the route Tara cycles. She cannot be found. They inform the police.

A thorough check of the area finds parts of her Walkman and a cassette tape scattered on the road. Several witnesses remember seeing a light coloured pickup truck with a camper shell following closely behind. No-one saw her being kidnapped.

The Photograph

8 long agonising months pass. Despite the FBI becoming involved, silence. No leads, no sightings.

Then in July of 1989, a photo is shown on A Current Affair. Maury Povich hosts as the show shines a light onto stories that were overlooked or ignored by the large news networks.

The picture shows a woman and a young boy, bound and gagged in the back of a white van. It was found in a parking lot in Florida, well over 1000 miles away.

Patty and John Doel are convinced the woman is Tara Calico. Patty notes that a visible scar on the woman’s leg is identical to Tara’s. Additionally, a copy of Calico’s favourite book, My Sweet Audrina can be seen next to her. The FBI are less sure. Their analysis comes back inconclusive. A second analysis by Scotland Yard concludes that it is Calico.

The boy is also identified by his parents. Michael Henley also disappeared in New Mexico, just before Tara in April, 1988.

The lady who found the polaroid picture said it was near where a white, windowless Toyota van had been parked when she arrived. She stated that the van was driven by a 30 something year old man with a moustache.

Despite national attention, the man or the van has never been identified.

Ongoing Case

Over the years, the FBI has released pictures showing what Tara would look like now. There has even been a reward of $20,000 offered. So far nothing has surfaced. Patty Doel, Tara’s mother, died in 2006. She had relocated to Florida with her husband after a number of strokes. She never gave up hope of seeing Tara again. Near the end of her life, unable to speak or move properly, she would see a girl riding a bike, point at her and write down “Tara”. John would have to reassure her and say “No, that’s not Tara”. It must have been heart-breaking for the pair of them.

Tara Calico Kidnapping – Another Possibility

In 2008, the Sheriff of Valencia County reported that he had received a tip off about the case. He stated that two teenage boys had struck Calico with their car. She had died from her injuries and they had buried her.

He also stated that he knew the names of the boys but without a body, there was nothing he could do. John Doel, Tara’s step-father stated that the Sheriff should not have made these comments unless he was willing to arrest the accused and that strong circumstantial evidence should be enough to prosecute them.

Neither Tara nor Michael have ever been found.

Sources:

Tara Leigh Calico (fbi.gov)

Tara Calico Polaroid (people.com)

Mystery of Tara Calico (abqjournal.com)

Disappearance of Tara Calico (wikipedia.org)

Header Image (pixabay.com)