Tara Leigh Calico, #missing in New Mexico

image from koat.com

Background:

Tara Leigh Calico was born February 28, 1969 in New Mexico.

The morning of September 20, 1988, the 19 year old left her home to go on a bike ride. This was a daily routine for Tara. She’d bike the same 36-mile route every day. Her mother, Patty, would even sometimes join her. But not this day. This day would end in tragedy.

At noon, Tara hadn’t made it back home. Her mother grew worried and drove the route in search of her daughter, but she was nowhere to be found. Not her or her bike. She contacted the police and a search party was organized. Still, their efforts were fruitless. The only inkling of Tara even being on the route was her busted walkman, which may or may not have been evidence of foul play.

The police wondered if Tara had ran away from home, but her family and friends dismissed the idea. She was a cheerful, enthusiastic person. Plus, she had a tennis date that same day with her boyfriend.

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Theories:

In the summer of 1989, a polaroid photo was found in the parking lot of a store in Port St. Joe, Florida. In the photo was a young woman and boy, both gagged and bound. The woman in the photo resembled Tara Calico. There was even a similar scar on the woman’s leg. Ultimately, the analysis was inconclusive but many felt it was Tara.

A psychic believes she may have met Tara in California. The woman was a runaway that worked in a strip club. She was murdered, and the psychic dreamed it was Tara and that she was buried in California. Again, results were inconclusive.

In 2008, a new lead came in. The sheriff received information that two teenage boys that knew Tara accidentally hit her with their vehicle. Although the sheriff knew the ones potentially involved, no arrest was ever made since there was no concrete evidence.

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Interesting Facts:

Despite the lack of evidence, Tara Leigh Calico was declared dead in 1998. A judge ruled her death a homicide.

In September 2021, a new lead came in for Tara’s case. Although details are vague, we know there was a sealed warrant for an unknown private residence in Valencia County. No further information was released.

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Sources:

• Fbi.Gov
• Wikipedia
• All That’s Interesting