GUILTY SC - Tamika Huston, 24, Spartanburg, 21 May 2004

Tamika Huston Disappearance To Get National Attention
"America's Most Wanted" Crew Filming Segment In Spartanburg

October 22, 2004

SPARTANBURG -- A camera crew at the Spartanburg Public Safety office is hardly unusual, but the crew filming investigators Thursday will bring a Spartanburg woman's disappearance to a national audience.

"America's Most Wanted" filmed a segment about the disappearance of Tamika Huston for an early November show.

On June 14, family members reported Huston, 24, missing from 102 Harvard Drive. Investigators said they had determined that Huston was last seen approximately two to three weeks before she was reported missing.

Her car was found abandoned at an apartment complex almost a week later.

"We hope that Tamika or someone who knows about Tamika outside of Spartanburg or our local viewing area that will see this program will give us a call and we can solve this case," Lt. Steve Lamb said.

The AMW crew filmed Huston's impounded car and talked with investigators.

"They asked a lot of detail questions, trying to get the best information they can in the short amount of time they can broadcast," Lamb said.

AMW also spoke with Huston's father and aunt, who said she's glad to see the case get national exposure.

"It's been so long. You know she could be anywhere. So, it's so important to reach a nationwide audience, which you know "America's Most Wanted" is allowing us to do. So it's very important to us," she said.

A $10,000 reward has been offered for information that leads to Huston's discovery.
http://www.thecarolinachannel.com/news/3841602/detail.html
 
http://greenvilleonline.com/news/2004/12/08/2004120854642.htm

Foundation adds support to Huston search
Posted Wednesday, December 8, 2004 - 8:34 pm


By John Boyanoski
STAFF WRITER
jboyan@greenvillenews.com


Tamika Huston's disappearance from Spartanburg in June has attracted attention from another national missing persons group.
The KlaasKids Foundation will meet with Spartanburg law enforcement and help in a fund-raising event to help locate Huston, 24, who was reported missing June 14.

Brad Dennis, KlaasKids director of search operations, is also slated to speak at a Washington event for Huston Dec. 11, her 25th birthday. KlaasKids officials expect to meet with Spartanburg investigators on Dec. 13.

KlaasKids was founded in 1994 after the murder of Polly Klaas, a 12-year-old whose kidnapping from a suburban California home gained national attention. The agency is dedicated to preventing crimes against children.

Huston was last seen by family members in May. Officers found her cell phone, driver's license, uncashed paychecks and her much-loved pit bull at her Harvard Street home June 16. Residents of Spartanburg's Barksdale apartments found her car June 20.

Residents told police it had been there about three weeks, but reported it to police only after hearing of Huston's disappearance.

Huston's family is offering a $10,000 reward for information on Huston's whereabouts. Spartanburg Public Safety has characterized Huston's disappearance as suspicious.

Family members have described Huston is a talented singer, and an independent woman who loved her large family.

"It's been a very difficult six months," said Rebkah Howard, an aunt.

Another missing persons group, Project Jason, also took up Huston's case in September. Through that agency, supporters can order lapel buttons with a picture of her on them, website information and a telephone number to report information.

America's Most Wanted and CourtTV have also posted information about Huston's disappearance on their websites. America's Most Wanted is planning to air an episode on the case in January.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Spartanburg Department of Public Safety at 864-596-2035 or CrimeStoppers in Spartanburg at 864-58-CRIME.
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, DC/December 23, 2004-The family of Tamika Antonette Huston, missing since June 2004 from Spartanburg, SC, has announced that they are raising the reward for credible information leading to her whereabouts to $20,000. They are hoping that the reward offered will encourage someone with knowledge of Tamika's disappearance to finally come forward and put an end to what has been a prolonged nightmare for Tamika's family and friends.

“Facing Christmas for the first time without Tamika is unbearable. Her absence - particularly at this time of the year when Tamika loved being with her family - has left an incredible void in our lives. We know that someone knows something about her disappearance. We beg you to finally come forward - if not only for the financial gain, for the satisfaction of knowing that you will be helping to put our hearts and minds at ease,” says Gabriella Simenehe, mother of Tamika Huston.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Spartanburg Public Safety Department at 864.596.2065 or Spartanburg Crimesolvers at 864.58.CRIME.

Please visit www.tamika.info or www.tamikahuston.com for more details about Tamika's disappearance.
 
From the above article:

"Spartanburg Public Safety officials said Friday that forensic evidence found in January at a possible crime scene has been confirmed as belonging to Tamika Huston.

Detectives would not say what sort of evidence was found, but sources close to the investigation told WYFF News 4's Kelly Coakley that the evidence was blood found in a man's former apartment. The man's name has not been released.

Court documents show that the man being questioned rented a steam cleaner less than a week after Huston's disappearance, saying he was trying to get condiments like ketchup and mayonaise out of the carpet."

Oh, this doesn't look good....prayers for the location of Tamika......

-Amanda
 
Washington, DC/March 2, 2005 - The Fox Television program, America's Most Wanted, will air a segment on Tamika Antonette Huston, the young woman who has been missing from Spartanburg, South Carolina since late May of 2004. The program will air this Saturday, March 5th on the Fox Network at 9pm Eastern & Pacific/8pm Central (check local listings).

Tamika Antonette Huston, 25, was last seen on or around May 24th in Spartanburg, SC. Her vehicle was later found abandoned at a Spartanburg housing complex on June 20th. Recently, the Spartanburg Public Safety Department announced that forensic evidence connected to Tamika Huston was found at an apartment formerly occupied by an acquaintance of the missing young woman. The police are continuing their investigation into the matter and to date, no arrests have been made.

The family of Tamika Huston is offering a $20,000 reward for any credible information leading to her whereabouts.

For information regarding America's Most Wanted, please call 1-800-CRIME-TV.

Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to call the Spartanburg Public Safety Department at 864.596.2065 or Crimestoppers at 864.58.CRIME.

Please visit www.tamika.info or www.tamikahuston.com.
 
Press Release from the Family:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Miami, FL/March 15, 2005 - The family of Tamika Antonette Huston, missing from Spartanburg, SC since late May 2004, is once again raising the reward for credible information leading to the young woman's whereabouts to $30,000.

“Despite the results from this past weekend's search, we are so grateful for the efforts of the Spartanburg Public Safety Department and the volunteers from KlaasKids in trying to locate our Tamika. We are just trying to do our part by offering additional incentive for anyone with information regarding where she may be to finally come forward and help to bring our unimaginable nightmare to some sort of closure,” states Gabriella Simenehe, Tamika's mother.

Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to call the Spartanburg Public Safety Department at 864.596.2065, CrimeStoppers at 864.58.CRIME or America's Most Wanted at 1-800-CRIME-TV.

For more details, please visit www.tamika.info or www.tamikahuston.com.
 
I saw the AMW segment. If I remember correctly, the man who was acquainted with Tamika has vanished, right? I hope he's located soon and her body found.
 
Praying for Tamika Huston & Family
May God Bless!
 
What a beautiful young woman. I do hope they are able to give the family some conclusive news soon.
 
NPR's Radio's News & Notes with Ed Gordon show featured missing Tamika Huston on a segment that explores media bias in missing person's case.

Tamika's aunt talks about this issue, as she has fought for national attention for her niece since she disappeared in June of 2004.

Kelly Jolkowski founder of Project Jason, and mother of missing Jason Jolkowski, also makes comments about bias towards male and minority cases.

You can listen to the broadcast by clicking on "Listen" at the top of the page.

Ed Gordon Show

Ed Gordon is an Emmy-award winning journalist, and a contributor to 60 Minutes. He previously reported for the Today Show and Dateline NBC
 
The aunt of Tamika Huston has tried — in vain — to bring sustained national media attention to the search for her niece for more than a year. And at this point, she and her family just want closure, no matter the outcome.

"I never thought that it would go on this long," said Rebkah Howard, a Florida-based public relations executive.

"Law enforcements officials have received new clues recently and anyone in law enforcement will tell that that any media attention generates new clues," Howard said. "But it's also frustrating. You can't help but think that maybe if we'd received this kind of attention earlier, it might have helped."

Spartanburg Public Safety Department officials say they have received new leads from the recent coverage of Huston's case.

"It continues to be an active investigation that we have officers working on every day," said Lt. Steve Lamb.

Police say they have a person of interest in custody but they do not have enough evidence to charge him. The potential suspect — whose name they have not released — met and started dating Huston shortly before her disappearance, Lamb said.

Investigators had talked to the acquaintance throughout their investigation and began considering him a person of interest when they uncovered blood matching Huston's DNA at the man's former residence in January. The acquaintance is being held by authorities for an unrelated federal probation violation and could be released in August.

"We're continuing to work several multiple leads. The person of interest is someone we had talked to, but we can't discuss charges at this point." Lamb said. "The family has been a great asset to the investigation in generating media attention locally and nationally."

"At some point, you sort of lose hope," Howard said. "You don't expect anything good coming out of it. If they find Tamika, we just want to lay her to rest respectfully and with dignity. You have to hope that whoever did this to Tamika is held responsible and brought to justice."

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=875330&page=1
 
A segment about Tamika is scheduled to air on the Nancy Grace Show on CNN on Monday, July 4th at 8pm EST. (subject to schedule change)

Kelly
 
I don't know why they skip over cases involving black victims as if blacks have no value in this world.

I don't condemn them for covering the whites (Hollaway, Ramsey, Lunsford, Runnion, Van Dam). All of them were (are) important to us but come on now black victims should be just as important:(
 
Keona said:
I don't know why they skip over cases involving black victims as if blacks have no value in this world.

I don't condemn them for covering the whites (Hollaway, Ramsey, Lunsford, Runnion, Van Dam). All of them were (are) important to us but come on now black victims should be just as important:(


We agree darlin. You're preaching to the choir. What steps have you taken in asking the media about your concerns and was there any response?
 
My articles have been published at the Miami Herald and I've contacted every national news organization. Like EVERYBODY, they "agree" but don't care.

Well atleast I gave those kids publicity in Miami.

I also have sites: www.geocities.com/missingblackkids and www.geocities.com/murderedbabies

I assume you asked that because you didn't think I had done anything. I proved you wrong didn't I?
 

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