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The 1999 disappearance of Teekah Lewis in Tacoma is among the many metropolis’s most well-known lacking individuals circumstances. Leads have surfaced and sunk, however the household of the lady, who would now be 26 years outdated, has by no means stopped looking.
“We’ll by no means quit,” Teekah’s mom, Theresa Czapiewski, stated Thursday. “That’s one factor I received’t do. As a result of I do know she’s on the market. Until there’s proof that she’s not right here no extra.”
Teekah was 2½ when her household went to the New Frontier Bowling alley the evening of Jan. 23, 1999. Final seen close to the arcade at about 10 p.m., Teekah was reported lacking 20 minutes later to a police officer who was working there off obligation. Police consider she was kidnapped, however no major suspects have ever been recognized, and not one of the lady’s clothes or her physique have been discovered.
Three sisters of the lady, her mom and two younger nieces and nephews stood in entrance of reports cameras Thursday morning at Tacoma Police Division headquarters to name consideration to Teekah’s story and current new age-progressed images of Teekah produced by Louisiana State College’s Faces Laboratory.
Assistant chief Tamara Floyd stated detectives would wish to discuss with anybody who graduated highschool round 2013-2015 and believes they knew somebody who seems like the girl within the photograph. Floyd stated it’s doable Teekah graduated school in 2020-2022 or is in school now.
In the course of the information convention, Floyd and others made reference to a latest story from Texas of a lady kidnapped as a child who was discovered and reunited with her family 51 years later via an at-home DNA check and different proof.
“If it takes us 51 years, we’ll preserve looking,” Floyd stated. “This division won’t ever cease trying.”
Teekah’s mom stated she did a DNA check of her personal a number of years in the past. It might take Teekah additionally finishing a check for a match to be discovered that means.
Detectives aren’t giving up, however they’ve little to work with. In response to earlier reporting from The News Tribune, greater than 700 ideas have been adopted up on. Detective Julie Dier stated Thursday that none led to viable suspects. She stated the principle challenges are a scarcity of proof and no clear eyewitnesses.
Detectives talked about a automobile seen fleeing on the time of the disappearance and a middle-aged man with a pockmarked face who was seen close to the lady or following her round that evening. The automotive was described as a late ‘80s or early ‘90s maroon-colored Pontiac. Data in regards to the man was presented as a new lead in 2020 after a evaluation of the case, however nothing has come of it.
Through the years, police have used all kinds of strategies to search for Teekah, together with using cadaver canines to go looking the houses of intercourse offenders and digging up a small space of Level Defiance Park in 2010 after a person reported having a imaginative and prescient of the place Teekah was buried.
By way of all of it, Czapiewski, 51, has held candlelight vigils for her daughter annually. She has additionally gotten Teekah’s lacking particular person’s poster displayed on the side of semi-trucks used for transport and transportation. The lady’s mom has moved to Virginia, however she stated she flew again to Tacoma earlier this yr to fulfill with police Chief Avery Moore to debate the brand new age-progressed images. She stated the brand new photograph introduced her to tears.
“We would like it nationwide,” Czapiewski stated. “We would like everyone throughout the USA, not even simply the states, you already know completely different nations to see this since you by no means know, she could possibly be wherever. It’s time to convey her residence.”
Anybody with data is requested to name Tacoma-Pierce County Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
Peter Talbot covers crime and breaking information in Pierce County. He began with The Information Tribune in 2021. Earlier than that, he earned his bachelor’s diploma in journalism at Indiana College. In school, he labored as an intern at NPR in Washington, D.C. He additionally interned for the Oregonian and the Tampa Bay Instances.
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