by: Claudia Rivero
17-year-old Morgan Martin was four months pregnant when she vanished on July 25, 2012. According to published reports the St. Petersburg, Florida teenager had just learned that she was having a girl and left her home that night to share the news with Jacobee Flowers, the man she said was her baby's father. Morgan never returned. On Monday, June 27, four years later and after a 13-month long investigation by a cold case squad, 28-year-old Flowers was charged with the murder of Morgan Martin. According to reports when confronted with the grand jury’s decision Flowers, who’s already behind bars on unrelated felony traffic charges, did not show any emotion and refused to speak to investigators. St. Petersburg Police Chief Tony Holloway, told local media that Flowers “duped” Morgan into meeting him then killed her. Police have not said how Morgan died, and her remains have never been found. Morgan’s story is similar in some ways to the disappearance of Janteyl Johnson of Newark, DE. Both teens were pregnant when they vanished, and the last individuals they allegedly had contact with were the fathers of their unborn children. The New Castle County Police confirm that detectives did question the man believed to be the father of Janteyl’s baby shortly after she disappeared but to no avail. Few details have ever been released about Janteyl’s case except that she may be traveling with an older man and could be in Pennsylvania or Delaware. According to her family, phone records indicate the last person Janteyl spoke with the afternoon of February 3, 2010 was her baby’s father and that police considered him an investigative lead. One of his relatives also confirmed to me that her family member and his mother were questioned by police regarding Janteyl’s disappearance. For now we are not releasing his name on this blog. Janteyl’s parents continue to search for answers and remain steadfast in their dedication to finding justice for their daughter and grandchild. They urge anyone with information on Janteyl’s whereabouts to come forward. As for the Morgan Martin case, her alleged killer, Jacobee Flowers, remains the only suspect in her disappearance. He’s scheduled to appear in court in St. Petersburg in July.
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by: Claudia Rivero
Journalist Today, February 3, 2016, marks the six-year anniversary of the disappearance of Janteyl Johnson of Newark, Delaware. If you've followed this website or Janteyl's story on Facebook or Twitter, then you know the details. If this is your first time visiting this site, thank you for taking the time to read about Janteyl. She was 15 and five months pregnant when she vanished, but her story never made front page news. It pretty much went unnoticed by the local (except for NBC10) and national media, and the New Castle County Police Department remains tight-lipped about this case. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the Johnson family. Even though they're going through this nightmare of not knowing where their daughter is or what happened to her baby, they still dedicate their time to helping others. They are well-liked, hard working, and respected members of their community. Kyma, Janteyl's mom, also makes it a priority to share information about other missing persons on her social media platforms. Let's all return the favor and share Janteyl's story with our followers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and everywhere else as much as possible. It may sound like a broken record, but someone knows what happened to Janteyl. A person doesn't just disappear, and someone out there has the key to solve this case. Perhaps the older man that New Castle County Police believe she left with has more information or maybe his family can help, too. What if this was your child? Wouldn't you want someone to come forward? It's never too late to do the right thing. If you have information on Janteyl Johnson's whereabouts contact the New Castle County Police Department at 302-395-8171, or The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, or simply call 911. Whatever you do, do the right thing. by: Claudia Rivero
Journalist claudiariverotv@gmail.com Today, May 25th, is National Missing Children's Day. Wouldn't it be great if there was no need for such a day? Wouldn't it be great if every missing child came home safe and sound? Unfortunately, thousands of children are reported missing in the U.S. every single day. Most care quickly found but others aren't so lucky. Please take a moment to share the poster of a missing child from your state on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or any other social media platform. You never know, it may help bring that child home. by: Claudia Rivero
Journalist claudiariverotv@gmail.com Janteyl Johnson vanished five years ago today. Sadly, there are no suspects in her disappearance, no arrests, and no concrete evidence as to what may have happened to the teen and her baby. Janteyl now falls into the category of what the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children refers to as long-term missing. As with any missing child case, the more time that goes by the more difficult it is to solve. While that may be true, the NCMEC also reminds us that these most difficult of cases can be solved---Carlina White, Jaycee Dugard, Shawn Hornbeck, Michelle Knight, Gina DeJesus and Amanda Berry, are just a few examples of long-term missing kids who were eventually reunited with their families. When it comes to Janteyl Johnson, the reality is that someone knows what happened to her. Remember, people don't just disappear. Someone has the information the New Castle County Police need to solve this case. It's about time that person came forward. by: Claudia Rivero
Journalist claudiariverotv@gmail.com The amazing story of 22-year-old Carlesha Freeland-Gaither is a perfect example of how important the public is when it comes to solving crimes. Carlesha was violently kidnapped Sunday night in the Germantown section of Philadelphia; surveillance cameras captured every chilling moment of the attack. Within hours Philly detectives, with help from the FBI, were able to track down additional surveillance videos of the alleged kidnapper---including videos of him using the victim’s bank card at an ATM and at a convenience store in Aberdeen, Maryland. According to authorities, as soon as they released the videos to the media, tips from the public started pouring in. Late Wednesday evening Philadelphia PD announced that ATF agents had rescued Carlesha and arrested her alleged kidnapper. Both were found inside the suspect's car parked in a shopping center in Jessup, Maryland. Police identified the suspect as 37-year-old Delven Barnes, a fugitive with an outstanding warrant for attempted capital murder in Virginia. At a news conference outside Northwest Detectives in Philadelphia, Ed Hanko, the special agent in charge of the Philadelphia FBI field office, told reporters that thanks to tips from the public, they were able to identify Barnes and track his vehicle to the location in Maryland. Thanks to the amazing work by U.S. Marshals, the ATF, the FBI, and especially Philadelphia detectives who were out there working 24/7 with the media and asking for the public’s help, this 70 hour nightmare is over and Carlesha will be reunited with her family. Her mother, Keisha Gaither, told reporters during a news conference: “I’m taking my baby home.” Any small tip can crack a case wide open. All it takes is a phone call and the courage to come forward. |
AUTHOREmmy Award winning reporter Claudia Rivero. Categories |