By Claudia Rivero

My job is to ask questions such as: how does a 15-year-old pregnant child mysteriously vanish, and seven years later, we know very little about her disappearance? What about the older guys she was talking to that day? What about the baby's father? Has he ever helped to look for her? Isn't he concerned about his child? Did the fact that Janteyl was immediately labeled a runaway and was said to have possibly left on her own with an older man lead to unfair assumptions about her? Of course, it did! But here's the deal, even if she did leave on her own, she was a pregnant child traveling with some older guy. That should've been enough for the media to cover this case the way Lacy Peterson, Elizabeth Smart, and Natalie Holloway were covered. Why was Janteyl ignored? If she had been from a different neighborhood or the suburbs would she have been ignored? You decide.

​Many families of missing people of color will be the first ones to tell you how they've experienced the lack of media interest in their loved ones stories. I believe that's what @Lyngay is trying to point out in her post. The lack of media coverage of missing minority children and adults is a problem that's long been addressed by experts at organizations like The Black and Missing Foundation and in articles like this one by The Denver Post. 

​An example of the disparity in media coverage was evident in 2002 when California mom-to-be Laci Peterson  vanished. Laci's disappearance was top news locally and nationally for months, and rightfully so. Sadly, her body and that of her baby were later found in the San Francisco Bay.  Her husband Scott Peterson was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death in 2004.

​But what about Evelyn Hernandez? Have you heard of her? Five months before Laci Peterson vanished the Salvadoran immigrant, who was also pregnant, disappeared along with her five-year-old son. Like Laci, Evelyn's remains were also found in the San Francisco Bay, but Evelyn's story was ignored by the media for months. That's not all. Evelyn's five-year-old son has never been found. According to published reports, Herman Aguilera, the father of her unborn child, who was married to someone else at the time, has long been suspected in their disappearance, but police have made no arrests. Their case remains unsolved.

​Cases like those of Evelyn Hernandez and Janteyl Johnson are reminders that a person's race and social status shouldn't determine if they are worthy of media coverage. It's well known that coordinated efforts between law enforcement and the media are crucial in all missing person cases, especially during those first critical hours. When a 15-year-old pregnant teen can simply fall off the face of the earth, without answers and without the public knowing, should concern every single one of us. Janteyl Johnson's case should have all of us asking ourselves: What if this happened to my daughter? ​

As many of you know, Janteyl Johnson's story was recently featured on The Vanished Podcast, a weekly show that covers cases of missing kids and adults from around the country. If you're not familiar with it, I encourage you to check it out. The show's executive producer and host, Marissa Jones, does an outstanding job shedding light on cases that don't get media coverage. Marissa tells me that Janteyl's story has been one the most popular she's featured on her show so far. I'm not surprised given that not many people know about Janteyl Johnson.
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As I've stated in the past, Janteyl's disappearance did not generate the kind of media attention that other high-profile cases have received such as those of Laci Peterson, Natalee Holloway, and most recently Elizabeth Thomas, the Tennessee 15-year-old allegedly kidnapped by her 50-year-old teacher. 
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Many people posted comments after the podcast aired. One of those comments stood out. A person who goes by the name "Gina" wonders why I didn't mention the name of the alleged father of Janteyl's baby. "Gina" also had this to say about Janteyl's family:

First, as far as releasing the name of the man alleged to  be the father of Janteyl's baby, let's not forget that New Castle County Police have not identified any suspects in her disappearance. At this point it remains an open missing person case. Even though this individual was questioned and considered an investigative lead, no charges have been filed against anyone.
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As far as the Johnson family, just like other families of missing children, they too are dealing with the nightmare of not knowing what happened to their daughter and grandchild. Keep in mind, seven years have passed with no answers. This family was out there in the middle of winter searching for their daughter when she vanished, and that's when they really needed the media's help. Anyone who's ever covered a missing person's case or has watched America's Most Wanted or any other similar show, knows very well that the first few hours are the most critical when a child disappears.​ It's during those first hours that the media's role is crucial to get information out to the public. The reality is that the more time that goes by the more difficult these cases are to solve.
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Also, let's not forget the fact that missing black and Hispanic kids are often not covered by the media. That's a reality. Many experts have addressed this issue including the Black and Missing Foundation and the co-founder of The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, John Walsh. 
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Just because Janteyl's story didn't air daily on the nightly news doesn't mean her family wasn't out there looking for her, and it certainly doesn't mean they're not out there now still hoping and praying for their daughter's safe return. The Johnsons did speak to the one and only media outlet who acknowledged their existence at the time. And more recently they've allowed our crew to document their heartbreaking journey. ​
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To say: "Did they forget, this is not about them?" is harsh. The Johnsons know very well the pain and torture of having their child ripped away from them because they live this nightmare daily, and they're incredibly grateful to those who have, over the years, stepped up to help them keep Janteyl's story in the public eye. 
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After Janteyl's story aired on The Vanished Podcast, her mom, Kyma Johnson, sent me an email stating her gratitude for showing interest in her daughter's case. She also explained her sadness and frustration with how they've been criticized by some for not knowing how to navigate the system to keep their story out there. Some people, she says, have even made them feel like they didn't do enough to prevent their daughter's disappearance. Can you imagine? The only people who should be blamed are those who know what happened to Janteyl and are refusing to come forward.
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So to conclude this post, how about we keep the focus on encouraging people to contact authorities if they have information about Janteyl's whereabouts? The Johnsons are victims of a cruel and twisted reality that no family should ever have to endure. Let's try putting ourselves in their shoes. Call the New Castle County  Police at 302-573-2800 or 1-800-THE LOST 

Sept. 8, 2016 marks Janteyl Johnson's 22nd birthday. Her brother Prennis, wanted to share a poem he wrote for Janteyl shortly after she vanished in 2010. He wants her to know how much he loves and misses her.

By: Claudia Rivero

When someone disappears investigators usually focus on the people closest to the missing person including family members, significant others, and friends. In Janteyl Johnson's case, since she was five months pregnant when she vanished in 2010, the focus was on her boyfriend; the individual she identified to her family as the father of her baby. He was considered a person of interest at one point and was questioned by the New Castle County Police but to no avail. The NCCPD has released few details about Janteyl's case other than to say that they believe she ran away, possibly with an older man. According to the Johnson family, the man Janteyl said was the father of her baby was the last person who contacted her the afternoon she disappeared.

So who is this older man? As I've mentioned previously, I'm not identifying the individual since he hasn't been named a suspect in this case. According to the Johnson family, they reached out to this man when Janteyl disappeared. They reportedly asked him if he knew anything about their daughter's whereabouts, they posted flyers of Janteyl in his neighborhood, they knocked on doors, they reached out to his family, but nothing.

Fast forward to 2013. According to court records, this individual was arrested for domestic violence involving the mother of one of his children. Court records detail the vicious attack against the young  woman for which he was facing five years in prison but was instead sentenced to two years probation and ordered to stay away from the victim. It was a negotiated plea deal in which both parties, with input from the victim, agreed to 18 months probation. The judge, however, extended the sentence to 24 months. 

If...IF... this same individual was allegedly the last person who possibly had contact with Janteyl Johnson then it raises even more questions about her disappearance given the nature of his actions in 2013. But according to Robert Lowery Jr., VP of the Missing Children Division at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the biggest challenge investigators face is the lack of concrete evidence in Janteyl's case.

"Police, of course, have looked at a number of leads regarding that individual, and I’m certain if they can locate him it would be very important for him to give us information about where Janteyl may be,” Lowery said. He also adds that it's important to keep an open mind.

“It’s always possible that she wasn’t with that person, and that has to be considered as well.”

Were there other older men that Janteyl was in contact with? Yes, according to investigators. While there are no definitive answers in Janteyl's disappearance, it seems logical to go back to the person who allegedly last contacted her and who she identified to her family as the father of her child, especially if the same individual has a history of violence against women. 

​If you know anything about Janteyl Johnson's disappearance contact The New Castle County Police Department at (302) 395-8172.

by: Claudia Rivero

​It’s something no parent ever wants to think about, but knowing what steps to take if you’re child disappears could make a huge difference in those first critical hours. This is a link to a guide issued by The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, which is part of the Department of Justice, and was created by a group of parents whose children disappeared. They share crucial tips of what to do and not do if your child goes missing. 

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. 
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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. 

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
​[email protected]

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
​[email protected]

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
​[email protected]

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.

by: Claudia Rivero
Journalist
​[email protected]

When it comes to missing children time is always the enemy. The more time that goes by, the more difficult it is to solve a case since the leads dry up, the media moves on, and the families are left on their own to figure out how to keep their child's story in the public eye. It's a sad reality and no parent should ever have to be in that situation.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an estimated 800,0000 kids under the age of 18 are reported missing in the U.S. every year. That's roughly 2,000 kids a day. 78 percent are runaways, according to the NCMEC.  The majority of cases are quickly solved, but there's always a percentage of children who don't come home. Janteyl Johnson is one of those children.

I recently sat down with Robert Lowery Jr., VP of the NCMEC, to discuss Janteyl's case. Mr. Lowery told me that for them the media is the most powerful tool they have when it comes to finding missing or lost children. He also stated that at the NCMEC they are cautious about labeling children as runaways: “The public can’t be desensitized. If they see it’s a runaway, they assume it was a behavioral issue or they left on their own, but in many cases that’s not at all what’s going on.” 

Unfortunately, all too often, the media doesn't cover cases when a missing child is labeled a runaway. Janteyl Johnson's case is a pretty good example of that. Even though she was just 15 and five months pregnant, her disappearance generated minimal media coverage. As far as TV stations, only NBC10 in Philadelphia reported the story when Janteyl disappeared. But thanks to non-profit organizations like the Black and Missing Foundation, and several online groups including The Charley Project, and a concerned citizen in Delaware who started the Janteyl Johnson Facebook page, information about this case is just a click away. 

Someone out there knows where Janteyl Johnson is and who she may be with. Let's not forget that it's two people who are missing. If your daughter and grandchild were missing, wouldn't you want someone to come forward with information?

Regarding Janteyl's disappearance, Mr. Lowery sums it up this way:

“In a case like Janteyl’s, we don’t have a lot of information to support any conclusion at all and because of that we need to be very vigilant and very determined in continuing to search for her. I would just say to her mother there are folks that care and we will continue to look.”

More to come.

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by: Claudia Rivero
​[email protected]

Wednesday, February 3, 2010, began like any other day for Janteyl Johnson. Her mother, Kyma, and older brother, Prennis, dropped her off at Glasgow High School in Newark, Delaware just in time for class. "We were playing tag in the car,” says Prennis, “she tagged me, then she ran out of the car and I chased her." The 21-year-old will never forget the last time he saw his little sister: "She looked back to see if I was still chasing her, I wasn't but she was smiling and that’s the last memory I have of her.”

Later that day Janteyl, who was five months pregnant, contacted her mother to let her know she was feeling sick and wanted to go home early. It was a short walk, less than a mile, to the Autumn Park Apartments on Winterhaven Drive. By all accounts, it appears that Janteyl stopped to buy a snack at what used to be a Pathmark supermarket located off Route 896---less than a quarter mile from where the family lived. According to sources, the store's surveillance video recorded the teen and she appeared to be alone.

What happened next is still unclear. Prennis, who was supposed to drive Janteyl to their family's church that afternoon, says when he arrived at the apartment the door was unlocked. Inside he noticed her shoes, purse and backpack but Janteyl was nowhere to be found. That evening, after countless calls and text messages to Janteyl went unanswered, her mother called the New Castle County PD. According to Prennis, officers used a police K-9 to search for Janteyl and also activated the automated alert system to notify the nearby communities but to no avail.

As previously mentioned, the NCCPD remains tight-lipped about this case, but in Where is Janteyl?Janel Kirby talks about the last call that came through her little sister's phone the afternoon of February 3, 2010.

What happened after that last phone call is still the biggest mystery of all. 

More to come.

by: Claudia Rivero
Journalist
​[email protected]

​Janteyl Johnson turned 20 on September 8, 2014. In a perfect world, Janteyl would've likely celebrated the big day with her family and her baby. Instead, for the Johnsons it was another day that left them asking the painful question: "Where is Janteyl?"

More than four years have passed since Janteyl disappeared. Even though the teen had run away in the past, the Johnsons find it impossible to believe that she would willingly stay away from her family for years, especially since she was about to become a mom.

None of it makes sense to the Johnsons, and because so little is known about their daughter's disappearance, it makes the situation even more difficult. The little that is known about the case is troubling. 

Investigators will usually focus on those individuals closest to the missing person. In this case the obvious questions are: What about the baby's father? What is known about him and was he ever considered an investigative lead? Or is it possible that Janteyl was lured by someone else she knew and trusted?

I asked some of those questions to a law enforcement official with the New Castle County PD in Delaware while covering Janteyl's disappearance for NBC10 in Philadelphia in 2010. At the time he said they had no solid leads. I also recall the law enforcement official saying a phrase that stuck with me, "You have to understand, people don't just disappear." He wouldn't elaborate, instead he repeated the phrase, "People don't just disappear."

But Janteyl did disappear and she is nowhere to be found. How is it possible that a pregnant teen goes missing and no one knows anything? It doesn't make sense. If there's one thing any reporter knows is that when it comes to missing person cases, someone always knows something. This case is no exception.

More to come.