The disappearance of Tara Leigh Calico, who vanished in 1988 during a bike ride in New Mexico, remains a mystery. Despite years of investigation, no one has been arrested.
Tara’s friend, Melinda Esquibel, hopes that the right people are now working on the case to bring justice. The case has seen many twists, from theories about a local attack to a disturbing photo found far away.
On September 20, 1988, Tara, 19, went for her usual 36-mile bike ride. She told her mom to pick her up if she wasn’t back by noon. She was last seen alive around 11:45 a.m. When she didn’t return, her mom searched and called the police. Only her Walkman and cassette tape were found.
Some people reported seeing Tara followed by a light-colored pickup truck. There were also claims of threatening notes left on her car. Her brother, Chris Calico, knew something bad had happened immediately.
Ten months later, a photo surfaced in Florida of a woman resembling Tara, bound and gagged, next to a young boy. Her family believed it was her. Her stepsister, Michele Doel, feels strongly it’s Tara but acknowledges it doesn’t make sense.
The FBI analyzed the photo multiple times, but the results were unclear. Another family thought the boy was Michael Henley, who disappeared in 1988. Sadly, his remains were found later.
Former Sheriff Rene Rivera thinks Tara was killed by local teenage boys and that their families helped cover it up. Esquibel also believes Tara was stalked by a group of boys after she rejected one of them. A judge declared Tara dead in 1998, ruling it a homicide.
In 2023, the Sheriff’s Office announced they had made progress and might have enough evidence for charges. Lead investigator Lt. Joseph Rowland said new evidence emerged, and they believe they’ve identified the people involved. He acknowledged the case’s challenges due to its age and the lack of a body or DNA evidence.
Tara’s mom, Patty Doel, who passed away in 2006, believed the woman in the photo was her daughter. She kept a room ready for Tara and celebrated her birthdays and holidays.
After her mom’s death, Michele and Esquibel started a podcast about the case. Esquibel believes they’ve solved it but lacks the authority to make arrests. She mentioned information about a possible planned abduction.
