The Mysterious Disappearance of Tara Calico: A Chilling Cold Case
The Mysterious Disappearance of Tara Calico
On September 20, 1988, Tara Calico vanished without a trace. For years, her mother, Patty Doel, held onto the hope that her daughter was still alive. Despite her passing in 2006, the case remains unsolved, haunting those who knew Tara. Over the years, only one significant clue has surfaced, but it has raised more questions than answers. What happened to the young psychology student, and is there any chance she outlived her mother?
The Day Tara Vanished
Tara Calico, a 19-year-old psychology student at the University of New Mexico, was known for her punctuality and organization. On that fateful September morning, she planned to go for a bike ride and play tennis with her boyfriend, Mark MacCracken. At 9:30 AM, Tara told her mother she would be back by noon after a 56 km ride around Rio Communities.
When Tara didn’t return by 12:05 PM, Patty Doel grew worried and went searching for her daughter. After retracing Tara’s route without success, she reported her missing. Witnesses last saw Tara at 11:45 AM on Highway 47, with a white pickup truck following her. However, no one reported an accident or abduction.
The Clues and the Mysterious Photograph
The following day, Tara’s cassette tape was found two kilometers from her home, and tire tracks were spotted on the highway. Later, parts of Tara’s player were discovered 30 km east of the city. Patty believed these clues indicated the direction Tara was taken.
On June 15, 1989, a woman in Port St. Joe, Florida, reported seeing a girl resembling Tara in the company of two men. That same day, a photograph was found on a parking lot, depicting a girl and a boy bound and gagged in a van. Patty and Tara’s sister, Michelle, believed the girl in the photo was Tara, identified by a scar on her leg from a previous car accident.
The FBI, however, disagreed, while Scotland Yard believed it was Tara. Experts from the Los Alamos National Laboratory were inconclusive. The girl in the photo appeared younger than Tara would have been in 1989. Near the girl in the photo was Tara’s favorite book, “My Sweet Audrina” by V.C. Andrews, with a partially legible phone number written on it. Despite investigating 57 possible numbers, no leads were found.
Investigations and Theories
Investigators questioned the authenticity of the photograph, noting that the girl’s shoulders appeared relaxed, and her skin around the tape didn’t show signs of irritation. Yet, some believed the fear in the teenagers’ eyes was genuine. The identity of the boy in the photo also remains a mystery. Some speculated it could be Michael Henley, a 9-year-old who disappeared in the Zuni Mountains. However, Michael’s remains were found in 1990, and his death was determined to be non-violent.
In 2003, Mark MacCracken was convicted of murdering his wife, leading some to suspect his involvement in Tara’s disappearance. However, no evidence was found to support this theory. In 2008, Sheriff Rene Rivera of Valencia County claimed to know what happened to Tara, suggesting she was accidentally hit and killed by two teenagers in a white pickup truck. He couldn’t reveal their names without a body.
In 2009, a self-proclaimed psychic claimed to have known Tara and had a vision of her being murdered and buried in California. Police investigated but found no useful information. That same year, Sheriff David Barnes received two letters from Albuquerque containing photos of a boy with his mouth blacked out, reminiscent of the 1989 photo. Analysis of these images also yielded no results.
The case of Tara Calico remains open, but the photographs are no longer considered evidence. The mystery of her disappearance continues to haunt those who knew her and captivate those who hear her story.
For more information, visit the FBI website.
