Tara Leigh Calico was a young woman who went missing from Belen, New Mexico on September 20, 1988. Foul play is suspected in her case.
Background[]
Tara was described as efficient and independent. She was known to schedule her days using lists. Tara had graduated high school and had been enrolled in university. She had a high grade point average. She also had a job at a local bank.
Case[]
Tara left her home at approximately 9:30 a.m. on September 20, 1988 to go on a bike ride. Her bike had a flat tire, so she used her mother's bike. Tara was last seen riding her mother's bike on Highway 47 at approximately 11:45 a.m.
During Tara's bike ride, witnesses stated they saw a white or light gray-colored 1953 Ford pickup truck with a white handmade shell following Tara. It's unknown if this pickup truck was involved in Tara's disappearance. Tara didn't seem to notice that the pickup truck was following her.
Tara has asked her mother to come looking for her if she wasn't home by 12:00 p.m. as she wanted to stay on schedule. She was planning to play tennis with her boyfriend at 12:30 p.m. and had class at 4:00 p.m., neither of which she got to. As Tara had asked her to, her mother began looking for her on her bike route at approximately 12:05 p.m. but didn't find her. After this, her mother called police to report her missing.
When searching for her the next day, Tara's mother found one of Tara's cassette tapes on the side of the road three miles from her home on the opposite side of the highway, as if she dropped it while riding away from home. Later, a part of Tara's Walkman was found 19 miles east of the highway she was riding on near the John F. Kennedy campground. When presented with this evidence, Tara's mother said she believe Tara dropped those items on purpose to mark her trail.
There were also signs of a scuffle or skids near where Tara's cassette tape was found. There were many rumours that Tara was an unidentified woman pictured in a polaroid photograph found in Port St. Joe, Florida on June 15, 1989, though the unidentified woman's case was closed.
In June 2023, police announced that they have sufficient evidence to submit Tara's case to the district attorney for possible charges. No further information has been released.
Characteristics[]
- Brown hair.
- Green eyes.
- Scars:
- Large scar on the back of her right shoulder.
- Scar on one of her calves (which one is unspecified).
- Dime sized brown birthmark on one of her legs (which one is unspecified).
- Amblyopia in one eye (which one is unspecified).
- Cowlick on her right temple.
- Pierced ears.
- She had received orthodontic treatment in the past.
Clothing and accessories[]
- White T-shirt with "1st National Bank of Belen" printed on it.
- White shorts with green stripes.
- White ankle socks.
- Turquoise and white sneakers.
- Gold hoop earrings.
- Gold amethyst ring.
- Gold butterfly ring with a diamond insert.
Exclusions[]
- Castleberry Kate (1989)
- Canadian County Jane Doe (1990)
- Fulton County Jane Doe (1992)
- Stafford County Jane Doe (1998)
Gallery[]
Sources[]
- Tara Calico on Wikipedia
- Tara Calico at the Doe Network
- Tara Calico at the Charley Project
- Tara Calico at NamUs
- FBI
- Uncovered
- The Albuquerque Journal