​​It was 9:15 a.m. on March 23, 2022. I was sitting at my computer, staring at the screen, when my phone rang. Janteyl Johnson's older sister, Janel Kirby, was calling. “Hello?” I answered. Sobbing and barely able to speak, Janel said, "Claudia, they found Puff!"​

I jumped out of my seat. My heart started pounding, and I felt a lump in my throat. Fearing the worst, I asked Janel to repeat herself. In a louder tone, she said, "They found Puff!" 

"Puff" is Janteyl's nickname because, according to her family, Janteyl had puffy cheeks when she was little.

​I was afraid to ask Janel the obvious follow-up question, but just as I was about to, she said, "She's alive! Some woman apparently found her in San Antonio, Texas!"

"San Antonio, Texas?" I asked Janel. "When, how, and what about her child? Was it really Janteyl?" Many questions ran through my mind, but when Janel said Texas, I knew it was a solid lead. As I have been reporting for years on whereisjanteyl.com, the alleged father of Janteyl's child moved to Texas in 2017. Coincidence? You know what they say about coincidences.

Janteyl Johnson was only 15 years old and five months pregnant when she vanished from her apartment in Newark, Delaware, on February 3, 2010. She left her personal belongings behind, including her contact lenses and her beloved Betty Boop handbag. The only thing she took was her phone, according to her family. 

After a few minutes, Janel composed herself and began telling me the story.

Please note: I have also been in contact with the person in Texas and confirmed the details with the San Antonio PD. They referred to her as a good Samaritan. 

The good Samaritan said that on March 21, 2022, she and another advocate stopped at a QuikTrip gas station on West Military Drive and U.S. 90 in San Antonio. There, she physically bumped into an African American woman in the restroom who was carrying a backpack and was on the verge of tears. 

She said the young woman appeared anxious and malnourished, so she offered her a ride to get something to eat at McDonald's. Afterward, she drove her to Walgreens and then to Levi Strauss Park so they could talk. These locations are all within a mile from the gas station.

​While at the park, the good Samaritan said she noticed the young woman had what appeared to be cigarette burns and a bite mark on her shoulder. She also said the woman told her she had "escaped" from a La Quinta Hotel not far from the QT gas station. She supposedly identified herself as Janteyl Johnson of Newark, Delaware, and said she was 27 and had an 11-year-old daughter but that she was not allowed to see her. 

​The good Samaritan said the young woman broke down when she talked about her family in Delaware because she had not seen them in many years. 

The good Samaritan claimed she offered to take the woman to a domestic violence shelter, but had to drive her co-worker somewhere else first. She claimed the young woman asked to wait at the QT gas station, so she dropped her off and gave her money to buy a bottle of water. When she returned, the young woman was gone. The good Samaritan said she drove up and down Military Drive looking for her, but to no avail. She also claimed to have spoken to an employee of the gas station and asked to see their surveillance video, but was told no.

​When I asked if she had contacted the police, the good Samaritan said she called 911 after returning to the QT gas station but was instructed to contact the non-emergency number. 

​However, when I filed a public records request with San Antonio Police and the Bexar County Sheriff's Office, they could not find a 911 call matching the information provided by the good Samaritan. They also told me that non-emergency calls are not recorded.

Janel said her parents immediately went to the New Castle County PD. They found the tip credible and sent several investigators to San Antonio to team up with the San Antonio PD Special Victim's Unit to search for Janteyl. My calls to NCCPD at the time went unanswered.

My videographer and I flew to San Antonio to follow the story. It would be the first of several trips to the Lone Star State on our own and with Janteyl's parents.

After speaking with Janel, I immediately reached out to the good Samaritan. She got back to me four days later.

​She told me she was a crisis intervention specialist (San Antonio Police did not confirm this) and said the young woman from the gas station appeared anxious and spoke quietly. She was also very hungry and did not have a phone. Although there are discrepancies between what the good Samaritan said to Janteyl's family and what she told me, investigators found her credible.

I asked if we could meet me in person once I arrived in San Antonio, and she agreed. She provided her contact information and explained that, due to a personal situation, she was staying at a domestic violence shelter. I assured her that I would not reveal her identity or exact location.

Once we arrived in San Antonio, our first stop was at the QT gas station. We spoke to the manager the good Samaritan had mentioned and showed him a missing-persons poster for Janteyl Johnson. Right away, he said he had seen someone resembling Janteyl at another one of their stores, but had no way of knowing she was a missing person. We left the flier just in case he saw her again and waited outside the store for a few hours, hoping the young woman would show up, but she did not, so we called it a night.

​​The next day, I contacted the good Samaritan, and she agreed to meet us at Levi Strauss Park near the gas station. We waited for her, but she did not show up. I called her, but she did not answer. I texted her, and she finally replied, saying she was having problems at the shelter and would not be able to meet us. The same thing happened over the next three days. We made one last attempt before returning home, but she stood us up again. We tried Facetiming, but she did not answer. 

Although investigators found her credible, it remains unclear why neither the good Samaritan nor her supposed co-worker called 911 while the young woman was with them. Perhaps the good Samaritan had too much going on in her personal life and chose not to get involved in Janteyl's case any further. Anything is possible, I guess.

San Antonio Police said detectives went to bus stops, apartment complexes, hotels, and homeless shelters looking for any sign of Janteyl and her child. They also verified information at other locations mentioned by the good Samaritan. 

​Before leaving San Antonio, we stopped at the QT one last time. We did not hear from the good Samaritan again, and she also stopped communicating with Janteyl's family.

Since Janteyl Johnson vanished in 2010, New Castle County Police have received dozens, if not hundreds, of leads regarding her possible whereabouts — the March 2022 tip from the good Samaritan in Texas being the most promising.

I returned to the Lone Star State in October 2022 to interview Officer Nick Solis of the San Antonio PD and to learn more about human trafficking in San Antonio.

"The good Samaritan was credible enough to launch this investigation and get this case from cold to hot," Solis told me. "Our detectives knew it was a good lead because they teamed up with New Castle [County] Police Department to go ahead and launch a full operation in trying to find Janteyl."

Detectives focused on the intersection of West Military Drive and U.S. Highway 90, near the QT gas station where the good Samaritan allegedly met the woman who identified herself as Janteyl Johnson of Delaware.

"Officers from New Castle and our Special Victim's Unit saturated that area, made plenty of stops, field contacts, and even arrests to people who could be Janteyl or know Janteyl," said Solis.

Detectives also went to multiple businesses in the area.

"They talked to managers of La Quinta and managers of the gas station; they really did a full investigation, and they didn't come up with anything," said Solis, "that's not to say it wasn't her [Janteyl] that one day, but in a city which I think is the seventh largest city in the nation, you never know, people come and go."

​According to Solis, one of the challenges with this investigation is that Janteyl could be using different aliases — there is no record of someone named Janteyl Johnson giving birth in San Antonio or having a history with Child Protective Services.

"She told the good Samaritan she had a child and that it was taken away from her. When Janteyl went missing, she was pregnant, so who knows if it's that child or another born after that." 

However, if that was Janteyl, she gave the good Samaritan her real name and age and said she was missing from Delaware. She told the truth.

It is also imperative to remind the public that Janteyl was only 15 years old and five months pregnant when she vanished in 2010. Therefore, if that was Janteyl, maybe she was referring to the person responsible for her disappearance as the one who refuses to let her see her child.

​Furthermore, investigators believe that the young woman, whoever she was, could be a victim of human trafficking.

"She said something to the good Samaritan...she was being trafficked out of a local motel/hotel here in San Antonio," said Solis, "whenever there's a tip for that, it goes to the San Antonio PD, and an SVU detective has to look into it."

​​Human trafficking is defined as the unlawful act of transporting or coercing people in order to benefit from their work or service, typically in the form of forced labor or sexual exploitation. 

According to experts, Texas ranks second in the U.S. when it comes to human trafficking, with most cases happening in what is known as the "Texas Triangle," which connects the Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas-Forth Worth metro areas. 

The San Antonio PD has a unit assigned to investigate human trafficking. Texas law also requires certain businesses, like transportation hubs, hospitals, tattoo parlors, and massage establishments, to post signs with the National Human Trafficking Hotline number near the public entrance or in private areas available to clientele, such as restrooms. 

​"It [human trafficking] is a big issue; you see it a lot. That's why they take every lead seriously," said Solis, "even that small thing that Janteyl said to the good Samaritan, our detective still had to go to the motel/hotel and see for himself what was happening there."

Solis said investigators exhausted all leads and emphasized that because Janteyl is an adult, it is now up to her to contact authorities if she wants help. But that approach does not sit well with Dottie Laster, a nationally recognized expert in the field of human trafficking.

​"I understand police may be out of leads, but to expect her to rescue herself is unacceptable," Laster told me. "She did ask for help, and she didn't get it."

According to Polaris Project, a nonprofit organization that tracks human trafficking in North America and also operates the National Human Trafficking Hotline, anyone can be a victim, and contrary to popular belief, traffickers are not always strangers — they can be family members, including parents, and romantic partners, including spouses.

​New Castle County Police, the lead investigative agency on Janteyl's case, maintains that on the day she vanished, Feb. 3, 2010, Janteyl had been in contact by phone with several older men, including the alleged father of her unborn child. The last call she received was at 1:38 p.m., and it came from his number, according to investigators. 

​Public records show that he moved from Delaware to North Dakota in 2013 and relocated to Houston, Texas, in 2017. 

New Castle County Police told me everyone Janteyl communicated with the day she vanished remains a person of interest but stopped short of naming a suspect(s). ​

San Antonio Police are optimistic about finding Janteyl. They want her to know there are many resources available and they encourage her to come forward, said Solis. ​

"I hope the tip was right and the good Samaritan was right because if it was Janteyl, we're getting closer and closer to finding her." ​

​We returned to San Antonio for a third time in early December 2022 — nine months after the alleged sighting of Janteyl. This time, we traveled with her parents, Prennis and Kyma Johnson of Newark, Delaware. It was the first time the Johnsons had been to San Antonio since receiving the tip about their youngest daughter in March.

​"I've got faith that it's gonna work out. We're down here in Texas, she was spotted, and I'm gonna go off that. Y'all are looking, we're looking, and I'm just gonna hold on," said Prennis Johnson Sr.

We landed in Houston, rented a car, and spent a few hours distributing fliers at multiple truck stops and other locations. Houston is part of the Texas Triangle — San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas — where human trafficking is said to be highest in the state. Also, the last call Janteyl received the day she disappeared came from the alleged father of her unborn child who relocated to Houston nearly a decade ago.

​"To me, he's the prime suspect," said Prennis. However, New Castle County Police have not named any suspects. 

Given the information provided by the good Samaritan, who mentioned a potential trafficking element, we felt it necessary to drive through the infamous Bissonnet Street in southwest Houston, which is notorious for that type of activity. It was broad daylight, but the streets were full of young women. It was hard for the Johnsons to see this up close because it made them wonder if their daughter was among them. 

​The next day, we went with the Johnsons to the San Antonio Police Department, where they met privately with the detective who assisted NCCPD investigators with Janteyl's case. Their meeting lasted no more than 15 minutes. Afterward, the Johnsons told us the detective was stunned to see them in person; he was not expecting them to travel to San Antonio. The Johnsons left feeling a rollercoaster of emotions.

Janteyl's mother, Kyma, expressed frustration at the lack of media coverage.

​"He said the media didn't take it up because there was no evidence or proof of something happening to her now," said Kyma, "but you know what happened to her at 15 years old. How did she get down here being a child with no resources and being pregnant? How did she get to San Antonio? Someone had to have brought her here!"

​​They also find it frustrating that detectives have not put more pressure on the alleged father of Janteyl's child. Did she give birth? Where is her child? The good Samaritan claimed the young woman said she had a daughter but was not allowed to see her. 

I contacted two men who were in contact with Janteyl the day she disappeared. One told me that he spoke with detectives multiple times. The other person, believed to be the father of Janteyl's child, has been harder to reach. I tried to speak with him in Houston in 2018, but he stated that he is not interested in talking to me or anyone else about this case or anything else. 

​The Johnsons want the detectives to do more. "Bring him in, harass him, do anything, get him to talk," said Prennis.

After the meeting, Janteyl's parents broke down outside the police station. It was heartbreaking to witness. It seemed all their emotions surfaced at once — sadness, anger, frustration, and the overwhelming sense of a missed opportunity to bring their daughter home. Though they appreciate the good Samaritan contacting their son, they wish she had called 911 immediately. 

​"I turn and look at my wife, and I see her [Janteyl]. I turn and look at my sons, and I see her," a tearful Prennis said, "it drives me insane because me being a father and the man of the house, they're all looking at me to do something, and I'm failing, and it hurts. They want me to bring my baby home, and I can't bring her home."
​

If you have information on this case, call the New Castle County Police at 1-302-395-8171 or San Antonio Police at 1-210-207-7273 ​

Thirteen years ago today, Janteyl Johnson, affectionately known as "Puff," vanished from her Newark, Delaware apartment. Investigators now believe she may be in Texas. San Antonio, Texas to be exact. 

The Johnsons believe Janteyl, who was five months pregnant, was lured away by the alleged father of her child — who also lives in Texas. However, New Castle County Police have not identified any suspects in the case.

​The Johnsons are determined to find their daughter. Based on information they received, they believe Janteyl and her child are still alive and living in Texas, possibly in San Antonio, against their will.

Det. Roberto Herrera heads the missing persons division for New Castle County Police in Delaware. I sat down with him for an exclusive interview about Janteyl Johnson's case.

We know Janteyl, then 15 and five months pregnant, was communicating with several older men, including the father of her unborn child, the day she vanished. Investigators believe she may have left with one of those men.

Janteyl's family doesn't believe she left on her own. They feel she was lured from their apartment by someone she knew and thought she could trust. They remain hopeful that Janteyl and her child will be found alive.

The security footage from what used to be a PathMark grocery store in Newark, Delaware, shows Janteyl Johnson,15, walking in alone. It's the middle of winter, Feb. 3, 2010. She's wearing a puffer jacket, blue jeans, and sneakers. Her braids are tied back in a ponytail.

Janteyl, who was five months pregnant, pays at a self-checkout register. She exits the store at 12:31 p.m. and is talking on her cell phone. At one point, she stops to scratch her leg and then continues walking home. The two-and-a-half-minute clip is the last confirmed sighting of the teen. Janteyl vanished an hour later and has not been seen or heard from since.

​​The never before seen video of Janteyl buying a bag of candy is a reminder that she was a child, and no one has been held accountable for her disappearance. 

"I can tell you that it's not normal what happened to her," said Detective Roberto Herrera in an exclusive interview.

​Herrera, a 19-year-veteran of the New Castle County Police Department, prioritized Janteyl's case when he took over the missing persons division in 2018. 

​A missing pregnant child should've made headlines, but Janteyl didn't get wall-to-wall media coverage. She didn't become a household name. There was no social media frenzy over her disappearance. Janteyl was barely mentioned in the news. A few online outlets have recently written about Janteyl, and a few podcasts have featured her story. 

What if from the start, when it mattered most, Janteyl's disappearance had generated the type of media coverage that Gabby Petito or Lacy Peterson received? Perhaps Janteyl would've been found, and whoever's responsible for her disappearance would've been brought to justice by now. 

I covered Janteyl's disappearance in 2010 for the outlet I used to work for. I interviewed her mother twice, but because investigators classified Janteyl as a runaway, my editors showed little interest in continuing coverage of the case. ​While some local papers in Delaware briefly mentioned Janteyl, as far as extensive media coverage goes, her case got lost over the years.

We know Janteyl was talking to several older men the day she vanished, including the alleged father of her unborn child. Her family says he was the last person who called Janteyl and that her cell phone later pinged near his relative's home. 

Herrera said everyone Janteyl spoke to the day she vanished is a person of interest but stopped short of naming a suspect. Instead, he focused on the department's efforts to generate leads in the case.

“At the end of 2019 we put up a billboard in Delaware with her picture, and we also put her picture and information on a deck of playing cards and distributed them in jails and prisons in Delaware," said Herrera, "and we actually got a good lead that I cannot go into detail at this point.”

​Herrera wants Janteyl's family to know that she hasn't been forgotten. He feels this case can be solved and is turning to the public for help.

If you have information about Janteyl's case call, New Castle County PD 1-302-395-2784​ or 1-800-THE LOST

​Funny, feisty, and full of love for her family is how Janel Kirby-Brinson describes her little sister, Janteyl Johnson.

​"Janteyl is a beautiful soul. She's the type of person that if you meet her, you will remember her," Janel told me during a recent interview at her North Philadelphia home.

Janteyl, affectionally known as Puff because of her puffy cheeks when she was a baby, was a typical teenager who enjoyed singing, dancing, and playing pranks on her siblings. She also ran track, loved to do hair, and was a big fan of Betty Boop.

Soft-spoken and shy, Janel, a mother of four, hasn't seen Janteyl in 12 years. She says talking about her disappearance is like pouring salt on an open wound. 

Janel was 23 and had two kids when Janteyl, then 15 and five months pregnant, vanished on Feb. 3, 2010. Janteyl's sudden disappearance also took its toll on her niece and nephew.

"Puff and my son were very close. He adored her! When she went missing they would sleep with her picture on their pillow"

Both are now teenagers and still ask about their aunt Puff.

The sisters shared a close bond. It was Janel who Janteyl first confided in about her pregnancy and asked if she would take her to the doctor for a test. When they got the results, they broke the news, first to their mom, before telling the rest of the family. 

​​"Of course, there was some disappointment because she got pregnant young. That would be disappointing for any family if their child got pregnant young," Janel said, "but there was no argument in the family. Everyone came to accept it. What can you do at this point? There was no getting rid of it; therefore, it was, okay, let's move forward.”

The family turned their attention to the alleged father of Janteyl's unborn child and were stunned to learn that he was a 27-year-old man who reportedly lied to Janteyl about his age.

​“She told me that he said he was much younger, closer to her age, and I asked her, 'Does he know about the baby?' She said, 'Yes.' " Janel said. 

Janteyl reportedly met the alleged father of her child in Wilmington, Delaware, where she and her family lived before moving 15 miles south to Newark in 2010. According to Janel, when Janteyl told him about the pregnancy, he panicked.

In Delaware, it is illegal for an adult (someone 18 or older) to have sex with a minor (a person 15 or younger), even if the sex is consensual.

The last incoming call to Janteyl's phone was at 1:38 p.m. the day she disappeared, New Castle County police confirm. Janel believes the call was from the baby's father, but investigators have not publicly released that information or the man's identity. According to police, citing Janteyl's phone records, not long after the last incoming call, Janteyl stopped answering her phone. Hours later, according to Janel, Janteyl's phone pinged near the home of one of the man's relatives. The pregnant teenager was never seen or heard from again.

"I believe he called her and said he wanted to talk to her about the baby, and it was his way of getting her in the car, and his way of going on with his plan…whatever his plan was. But I do not think his plan was for her to return.”

​Janteyl's case is complex. Unbeknownst to her family, in addition to the alleged father of her child, Janteyl was also communicating by phone with two other much older men the day she vanished, according to New Castle County police. However, because no witnesses came forward to say they saw her talking to or arguing with anyone or getting in a car, no concrete evidence makes clear what happened to Janteyl when she left the apartment. 

According to New Castle County police, of the three men Janteyl was in contact with that day, only one agreed to speak with investigators. The other two, including the alleged father of her child, have not been cooperative with the investigation then or now.

​“I can’t call him a man because a man wouldn’t do those things," Janel said. "It gives you a sense of anger because how dare you take the joy and life and future and freedom of my sister, and you still get to live your life?”

She also expressed her disgust with the other men who were contacting Janteyl.

"Why were you even talking to a 15-year-old child? What could you possibly have in common with her? She was a child!" 

Investigators have not publicly identified any of the men Janteyl was talking to and have not named any suspects in connection to her disappearance. Janel brings up a good point: Why were these men talking with a child? 
​
More to come...

I spent an interesting few weeks working on a few stories in Texas. As luck would have it, we stumbled upon an interesting bit of information possibly related to Janteyl's case. It may be something, or it may be nothing, but certainly worth checking out. I still need to confirm the information.

I used to work with a magnificent editor years ago. I asked him one day how he could make a story look so good when he barely had any video to work with. He said, "Claudia, in the middle of all the trash, there's always a little hidden treasure." Yes, indeed.

We have indeed stumbled upon many hidden treasures as we try to piece together what happened to Janteyl. Hopefully, the pieces of this puzzle come together soon.

More to come...in the meantime, if you'd like to check out the story (different case) we just finished in Victoria, Texas, please go to my website: claudiariverotv.com

I've been writing about the disappearance of Janteyl Johnson on this website since 2013. I'm also the only reporter who covered her case in 2010 when I worked at a news station in Philadelphia. I only mention that because it's disturbing that Janteyl's disappearance didn't generate much media coverage. She was only 15 and pregnant! Two children disappeared, and the media showed no interest in her story. 

​Nevertheless, ​today, the New Castle County Police finally added Janteyl to their list of cold cases. It's a good step, but what exactly does this mean?

The NCCPD posted an update about Janteyl on their Facebook page. It seems that more resources and a fresh pair of eyes will be focused on this investigation. In fact, many eyes have been focused on Janteyl—outside of NCCPD—since last year. This is long overdue. 

Janteyl was 15, not 16, when she vanished, as is mentioned on the NCCPD Facebook page. Meanwhile, the information below explains, in general terms, what criteria must be met before the NCCPD Cold Case Homicide Squad re-examines a case.  ​

​The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children also revealed a new age-progession image of what Janteyl might look like today at age 23. ​

​You can follow my coverage of the case here and on TheVanishedPOdcast.

In the meantime, I'll continue adding new entries to this website on a regular basis. I'm also following some interesting information and hope to have an update here very soon. 

If you have any information about Janteyl Johnson, please do the right thing and contact the NCCPD Cold-Case Homicide Squad. You can remain anonymous. 302-395-2781 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333. What if this was your daughter? Wouldn't you want someone to come forward? 

Janteyl Johnson, who was 15 and pregnant when she vanished on Feb. 3, 2010, would be 23, and her baby would be almost 8. There are no suspects in Janteyl's disappearance. It's like she fell off the face of the earth, never to be seen or heard from again.

Janteyl did have a history of running away, but it's clear — based on all the information I've gathered over the years — that Janteyl probably never planned to be gone this long. It makes no sense. It's absurd to think that a 15-year-old pregnant teen could pull that off on her own for this long. 

​It's safe to say that something else happened, but the older man investigators believe she may have left with has refused to speak with investigators. He's moved on with his life. 

​There are so many questions. What else has the person responsible for Janteyl's disappearance been able to get away with by now? Was he the only person involved in her disappearance? What about her child? If they are in a different state, would the FBI get involved?

We know that in the beginning, the police focused on two investigative leads: the 27-year-old alleged father of her unborn child and a 42-year-old man who was also in contact with Janteyl the day she disappeared. He has spoken with investigators. This information is solid as a rock and confirmed with multiple sources. Then there's a third guy, but I don't know much about him yet. 

Of course, there's always a possibility that something else happened altogether. Maybe Janteyl left with someone that investigators don't know about. It's unlikely, but anything is possible.​

​​Even though there have been many twists and turns in the case over the years — especially in the last 9 months — everything leads back to the same question: Who benefitted most by having Janteyl disappear?

Anyone with information on the disappearance of Janteyl Johnson is urged to contact
1-800-THE-LOST or NCCPD at 302-395-8171.

​

Reading through court records as part of the research process for Janteyl Johnson's case.

​More to come....

Janteyl Johnson. Evelyn Hernandez. Morgan Martin. Senicha Marie Lessman. Savanna Lafontaine-Greywind. Laura Wallen. Akia Eggleston.

​These women share a common denominator: they were all were pregnant when they vanished. 

​Some of these women and their unborn children  were murdered. Others have never been found. 
​

I'd like to share the story of Akia Eggleston of Baltimore, Maryland. The 22-year-old was 35 weeks into a high-risk pregnancy when she disappeared on May 3, 2017. At first, investigators believed she left on her own, but now they suspect foul play.

I recently had a chance to speak with Akia's family and the Baltimore Police about the bizarre circumstances surrounding the young mom's disappearance. We also obtained surveillance video of the last known sighting of Akia Eggleston the day she disappeared. 
​

​I'd like to thank the family and the Baltimore PD for helping us tell Akia's story. That doesn't always happen. Janteyl Johnson's case is a perfect example. You can't expect the community  to come forward with tips if they don't even know that someone is missing. 

Anyone with information on Akia Eggleston's whereabouts is asked to call Baltimore PD at 410-396-2499.

​Imagine the pain the families of four young men shot dead, burned, and buried on a property in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, are going through right now. 

​​The victims are identified as: Dean Finocchario, 19; Thomas Meo, 21; Mark Sturgis, 22; and Jimi Patrick, 19. Their families had reported them missing on separate days the week before, and from there the investigation took off. This case is a perfect example of how crucial it is for investigators to reach out to the media when dealing with a missing person case, and for the media to respond, especially in those first few hours. Otherwise, how can the public be expected to come forward with information if they don't even know someone's disappeared?

​Bucks County District Attorney, Matthew Weintraub, was front and center from the start of this investigation, holding multiple news conferences and encouraging the public to come forward with tips. Pictures of the victims appeared on every news channel--local and national--as well as online. 

​The public responded by providing crucial information to investigators. As a result of those efforts from the public, the media, and most of all due to outstanding police work, this case resulted in the arrest of cousins, Cosmo DiNardo, 20, and Sean Kratz, 20. 

According to the probable cause affidavit, all four bodies were found on a property belonging to DiNardo's parents. Three of the bodies were buried in a 12-foot-deep common grave, the fourth was buried in a shallow grave not far from the others. In exchange for his confession to the killings, DiNardo won't face the death penalty. Both men are being held without bond. 

As I watched this case unfold, I couldn't help but think about Janteyl Johnson. What if Janteyl and her baby had received the same attention and media coverage? Or even a quarter of the coverage this case generated? Chances are maybe their disappearance would be solved by now. 

 ​
​Although heart-wrenching, at least the victims in the Bucks County case will be returned to their families, and justice will soon prevail. Thank goodness the four young men weren't dismissed as just runaways or troubled youth. The chilling details of their deaths, allegedly over drug deals gone wrong, will haunt their families and the community for years to come. 
​

The editing process is underway. A more clear timeline of what happened the day Janteyl Johnson vanished is emerging.  Did she really run away? 

More to come...

May 25 is National Missing Children's Day. It's a day to remember and raise awareness about the thousands of missing children who have yet to come home.  Make sure you share a poster of a missing child in your area. 

By: Claudia Rivero
​
​Janteyl Johnson's case will be solved. It will be solved because someone is going to do the right thing and come forward with information about her disappearance. That's what I believe.
​

People who were once afraid to talk may suddenly get a case of loose lips. It's also possible their conscience will get to them and eat away at their sense of peace. Either way, Janteyl Johnson's case will be solved.
​

I've followed Janteyl's story since she disappeared in 2010. We've put together videos and created this blog to raise awareness about Janteyl and her unborn child. I've spoken to countless people, traveled to multiple states and knocked on more doors than I can recall. Once you start asking questions the pieces of the puzzle slowly start to emerge. I've also reached out to the New Castle County Police countless times to see if they'd be interested in doing a piece about Janteyl, but so far they have not responded with a yes or no.
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It doesn't mean that others don't want to keep this unsettling case in the public eye. The Johnson family very much wants to know what happened to their daughter and grandchild, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children would also like to see this case solved. Someone out there knows what happened to Janteyl and her baby, and the time has come for them to speak up. Do the right thing. If you have information about Janteyl Johnson call the New Castle County Police at 302-395-8133. This case will be solved. ​

More to come...​

By: Claudia Rivero

People continue to ask about the older man and/or other individuals possibly linked to the disappearance of Janteyl Johnson. Someone named "Josette" posted the following message after Janteyl's story was featured  on The Vanished Podcast:

As previously mentioned, the New Castle County Police have not named any suspects. The case remains open and investigators are hoping to generate leads. What investigators have said from the beginning is that they believe Janteyl left on her own possibly with an older man. They've also stated that she had been in contact with several older men prior to her disappearance.
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​Here's what we do know:

Feb. 3, 2010: Janteyl Johnson is reported missing by her mother. NCCPD respond to the family's home at 35 Winterhaven Dr. in Bear, DE. They use a K9 unit to assist in the search and activate a reverse 911 call to alert nearby residents of the search.
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Feb. 4, 2010: No local media coverage about Janteyl's disappearance. Janteyl Johnson is listed as a runaway who may be traveling with an older man. Per sources, NCCPD investigators focus on at least two people as investigative leads.

Feb. 5, 2010:  Delawareonline.com and Websleuths.com run a brief mention about Janteyl's case.

Feb. 11, 2010: The Newarkpostonline.com mentions Janteyl's case. 

Feb. 16, 2010: I interviewed Janteyl's mother for NBC10 Philadelphia. NCCPD confirm they spoke to the man believed to be the father of Janteyl's baby but he has not been cooperative with police.

Feb. 19, 2010: Newark Post briefly mentions Janteyl's disappearance but her picture is placed alongside several individuals wanted for a variety crimes. 
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April 2010:  I interviewed Janteyl's mother again for NBC10. NCCPD spokesperson says "It doesn't look good" but declines to offer further details.

May 6, 2010:  Detective handling Janteyl's case sends information to Porchlight International, an online organization that focuses on missing-persons. 

November 2013: According to court records, the man believed to be the father of Janteyl's baby is arrested by New Castle County Police and charged with assault in the third degree, terroristic threatening, offensive touching, and strangulation. The victim is a 19-year-old woman and mother of one of his children.

April 22, 2014: According to court records, the individual pleads guilty to strangulation and is sentenced to probation. He was facing five years in prison but both sides, with the victim's input, agree to probation instead.

September 9, 2016: Janteyl's case is featured on The Vanished Podcast, a popular podcast that highlights missing-person cases. The podcast brings much needed media attention to Janteyl's disappearance. The case remains an open missing person investigation.