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On Tuesday, June 13, 2023, the Valencia County Sheriff's Department announced that they have identified a person of interest in the case of Tara Calico, a 19-year-old who disappeared near her New Mexico home on September 20, 1988. While officials have noted that there has been a development in the case, no further details have been revealed.
Tara Calico has been missing for decades, but the case resurfaced in the eyes of the public after authorities discovered polaroids of Calico in captivity. The photos, first found in 1989, showed a woman of similar appearance to Calico being held against her will.
The timeline of the search for Tara Calico
On Tuesday, September 20, 1988, Tara Calico disappeared after 9.30 pm, when she left her New Mexico home for a bike ride. No one witnessed the 19-year-old's shocking abduction, and her family later reported that she did not come home. The victim's mother, Patty Doel, said she was concerned about stalking in the area.
On June 15, 1989, a photo of a young boy and a woman resembling Tara Calico was found in the parking lot of a convenience store in Port St Joe, Florida. Both subjects within the photo were bound and gagged. The woman who found the photo said it had fallen from a Toyota van that a man in his 30's was driving. The children of the missing Mexico boy, Michael Henley, said they believed he was the young male in the photograph.
Over the years, several other photos which may have shown Calico and Henley resurfaced. In many of the photos, the subjects were similarly bound or gagged. In 1998, a New Mexico Judge declared Calico to be officially dead.
In 2008, New Mexico Sheriff Rene Rivera claimed that Calico had allegedly died in a hit-and-run after two teenagers hit her with a truck and fled the scene. Rivera said he knew the perpetrators but could not make a case as he did not have Calico's body.
On October 1, 2019, the FBI offered a $20,000 reward for anyone who could help locate Tara Calico or identify those involved in her abduction and/or murder. In the most recent announcement, authorities said they have enough evidence to take the case to court.
A spokesperson from the Valencia County Sheriff's Office reported:
"At this time, law enforcement believes there is sufficient evidence to submit this investigation to the District Attorney’s Office for review of potential charges. Currently, the identities and specifics of the persons of interest are sealed by the court and will remain so until a court orders otherwise."
Authorities have not yet announced any court dates.
