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Teekah Lewis Case and news information « Thread Started on Jun 19, 2009, 11:14am »
TEEKAH LATRES LEWIS
Lost, Injured, Missing -- Missing Since: January 23, 1999 ; age 2 1/2
Missing From: TACOMA, WASHINGTON
Age Now: 12 -- Height: 3'0" -- Weight: 35 lbs
Hair Color: Black -- Eye Color: Brown
Circumstances: Teekah's photo is shown age-progressed to 13 years. She was last seen on January 23, 1999 at approximately 10:30 p.m. at the New Frontier Lanes bowling alley in Tacoma, Washington. Teekah was wearing a Tweety Bird T-shirt, white sweat pants and Air Jordan sneakers. She has eczema, with a skin discoloration on her face and left side of her buttocks. She also has asthma which may require medical attention.
Click Here for more information on Teekah's case from the Charley Project
(Contact 1-800-THE-LOST or the Tacoma Police Department at 253-798-4721 with any information
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Re: Teekah Lewis Case and news informations « Reply #1 on Jun 19, 2009, 11:15am »
Body Found In Kansas City Not Teekah Lewis
May 31, 2001
By KOMO Staff & News Services
Teekah Lewis
TACOMA - Police say the results of DNA tests show that a girl's body found in Kansas City is not that of a girl who disappeared from Tacoma. Tacoma Police had sent DNA samples to Kansas City police after the body was found and the case was featured on the television show "America's Most Wanted." But police say that blood taken from relatives of Teekah Lewis did not match DNA from the body, which has been named Precious Doe. Teekah's name had figured in more than 20 tips that stemmed from the "America's Most Wanted" segment earlier this month. She was reported missing in January of 1999 and would now be four years old. She was 2 when she was reported missing from a Tacoma bowling alley. Precious Doe's decapitated body was found in a wooded area on April 28. Police still do not know her name or who killed her.
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Re: Teekah Lewis Case and news informations « Reply #2 on Jun 19, 2009, 11:16am »
'Please Help Find this Child' Teekah Latres Lewis
Date of Birth: Jul 4, 1996 Age (at disappearance): 2 yrs Height: 2' 11" Weight: 35 lbs Build: Slender Eyes: Brown Hair: Black Race: American Indian/Black Missing from: Tacoma, WA Date Missing: Jan 23, 1999
Notes/Comments:She was last seen was wearing white sweat pants, a Tweety Bird T-shirt, and Air Jordan sneakers at the New Frontier Lanes bowling alley in Tacoma, Washington at approximately 10:30 p.m. She has patches of light discoloration on her face. Teekah suffers from an asthmatic condition which requires medical attention.
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Re: Teekah Lewis Case and news informations « Reply #3 on Jun 19, 2009, 11:17am »
Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008 Cold case: Teekah Lewis, still missing after 9 years Posted by Stacey Mulick @ 03:00:00 am Today marks the ninth anniversary of the disappearance of little Teekah Lewis.
The 2 1/2-year-old Tacoma girl was last seen about 10:15 p.m. Jan. 23, 1999, at New Frontier Lanes bowling alley on South Center Street.
Tacoma police believe she was abducted by a stranger. They found no trace of Teekah and have no suspects in the case.
Detectives Lindsey Wade and Brad Graham are taking a fresh look at the case in hopes of bringing the little girl home. They're releasing new pictures of Teekah and home video of the youngster at a Christmas family gathering.
Here's a side-by-side comparison of the photos of Teekah. The one on the left has long been the face of Teekah associated publicly with her disapppearance. It was the picture originally released by the police. One of the newly released photos is one the right. There's a big difference.
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Re: Teekah Lewis Case and news informations « Reply #4 on Jun 19, 2009, 11:18am »
Case Handled By:
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
TEEKAH LATRES LEWIS Age Progression Case Type: Endangered Missing DOB: Jul 4, 1996 Sex: Female Missing Date: Jan 23, 1999 Race: Black Age Now: 12 Height: 3'0" (91 cm) Missing City: TACOMA Weight: 35 lbs (16 kg) Missing State : WA Hair Color: Black Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown Case Number: NCMC859446 Circumstances: Teekah's photo is shown age-progressed to 13 years. She was last seen on January 23, 1999 at approximately 10:30 p.m. at the New Frontier Lanes bowling alley in Tacoma, Washington. Teekah was wearing a Tweety Bird T-shirt, white sweat pants and Air Jordan sneakers. She has eczema, with a skin discoloration on her face and left side of her buttocks. She also has asthma which may require medical attention.
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Re: Teekah Lewis Case and news informations « Reply #5 on Jun 19, 2009, 11:19am »
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday, January 22nd, 2009 Vigil will mark 10-year anniversary of Teekah Lewis' disappearance Posted by Stacey Mulick @ 07:00:00 am Ten years ago, little Teekah Lewis vanished from a Tacoma bowling alley.
The 2 1/2-year-old girl was last seen playing near a coin-operated racing game as her family bowled nearby at New Frontier Lanes the night of Jan. 23, 1999.
Then she vanished. Teekah has not been seen or heard from since. Police investigators suspect a stranger might have snatched Teekah but have never had a suspect description to release.
Her mother says 10 years is long enough.
"My daughter has been missing for almost 10 years and its time to find my little girl," Theresa Lewis said this week. "It's time for someone to speak out."
Teekah's family will hold a candlelight vigil Friday night at 7 p.m. in the parking lot of the old bowling alley, 4702 S. Center St.
"I wish everybody would come out for this 10 years," Lewis said. "We need all the support we can get."
The investigation into Teekah's disappearance remains ongoing. Last year, the Tacoma Police Department released new photographs and video of Teekah that were taken shortly before her disappearance.
In October, Teekah became the latest missing child to be featured as part of the Homeward Bound program. The Washington State Patrol and Gordon Trucking of Pacific launched the program in 2006 to help bring missing children home.
Police investigators received a few tips from the efforts but none were substantial, Tacoma police spokesman Mark Fulghum said.
Under the program, the photo of 15 missing children have been featured on the sides of Gordon Trucks, which travel the nation's highways. Lenoria Jones, a 4-year-old girl who went missing from Tacoma in 1995, also has been featured.
Lewis said 10 years has gone by fast.
"She should be home," the mother said. "My baby is almost 13 years old. I've missed 10-11 birthdays. It's just unbelievable."
"It's just so hard to believe not one tip has come in and not lead to anything," Lewis said.
Lewis, as she's done in the past, pleaded for anyone with information to come forward. Or, just let Teekah go.
"All we want is her back," Lewis said. "Drop her off somewhere. Just drop her off."
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Re: Teekah Lewis Case and news informations « Reply #6 on Jun 19, 2009, 11:20am »
Teekah Latres Lewis
Family Outing Turns Tragic
Teekah Lewis would have turned 11 on July 4, 2008. Forensic experts created this age-enhanced photo of the missing girl.
Tacoma, Wash. residents say New Frontier Bowling Lanes is always packed with families, especially on evenings. It has a reputation as a safe and friendly place to take children. But on Saturday January 3, 1999 everything changed for one family.
Theresa English, her 2-year-old daughter, Teekah Lewis, and several other family members decided it would be fun to go bowling at the popular alley. Nearly a dozen of Teekah's relatives were there, and they took up two lanes--seven and eight.
Teekah decided to walk over to the arcade and play some games. She tried to win a stuffed toy from a grabber machine, but ran out of coins. So, her uncle won a teddy bear that Teekah gave to her younger sister. Moments later, she had moved on to a racing game.
Teekah's family members--her mother, uncle and her mother's boyfriend--took turns staying with Teekah and watching over her. When her uncle briefly turned around to watch someone in their group bowl, he was only about a foot away from the toddler. But when he turned back toward where Teekah had been sitting, she was gone.
According to police, the game room where Teekah was last seen was only six feet away from the exit. What Happened To Teekah? Teekah's family frantically searched for her, and after a few minutes, ran up to alert the Tacoma police officer who was working security for New Frontier Lanes. He made an announcement over the loudspeaker and the whole room full of families grew quiet upon hearing the shocking news that the toddler had disappeared.
Teekah's family and others who were at the alley began searching everywhere, and police stopped everyone leaving the parking lot
According to police, the game room where Teekah was last seen was only six feet away from the exit.
Witnesses Saw Suspicious Car Cops had no solid leads and Teekah was no where to be found. They say Teekah's biological father was in prison at the time, which ruled out a custodial abduction. Police questioned registered sex offenders in the area and checked the background of the bowling alley's employees, but still came up empty-handed.
The Tacoma police have only one clue--a witness said they saw a 1980s Pontiac Grand Am pull out of the parking lot around the time that Teekah disappeared. The vehicle was maroon with dark windows and a large spoiler.
When she disappeared, Teekah was wearing a green Tweety Bird t-shirt, white sweatpants and Air Jordan sneakers. She was carrying a clear fish printed purse stuffed with Starburst candy. Now Teekah Lewis would be 10 years old. [img][/img]
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Re: Teekah Lewis Case and news informations « Reply #7 on Jun 19, 2009, 11:20am »
Vigil for missing child is sad reminder of the lost 3:05 PM Fri, Jan 23, 2009 | Permalink
Ten years ago today 2-year-old Teekah Lewis vanished from a Tacoma bowling alley. Teekah's family is holding a candlelight vigil tonight outside the building that once housed the bowling alley. I cannot imagine the pain and emptiness the family feels today and has felt every day since she disappeared. Maybe it's because I work in the investigative unit at KING or because I'm generally a worry-wart, but I tend to see danger around every corner. When my four-year-old daughter wanders away as I'm looking through the aisles at Target I immediately go into serious search mode. To reassure myself that abductions rarely happen, I went to the website of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. I searched for the number of children currently missing in Washington state. Teekah Lewis is just one of almost 70 missing children. How is this possible? These are not tiny grains of sand that slipped through our fingers. They are children. Where are they?
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Re: Teekah Lewis Case and news informations « Reply #8 on Jun 19, 2009, 11:22am »
Searchers Fail To Find 2-Year-Old -- Girl Vanished From Tacoma Bowling Alley By Christine Clarridge, Nancy Bartley
Seattle Times Staff Reporters
TACOMA - Fearing the worst for a missing toddler, police began going door to door today, and searching through databases, looking for known predators and sex offenders who prey on tiny children.
The 2-year-old girl, Teekah Lewis, was still missing this morning despite an all-day search yesterday involving hundreds of volunteers, police, tracking dogs and a psychic.
Though they combed the brush surrounding the bowling alley where the child was last seen Saturday night, the searchers found no clues, and police said they were refocusing their search today from a rescue operation to a criminal investigation.
"We'll be looking at anyone who has a history of preying on children," said Lt. Jim Howatson of the Tacoma Police Department. "We'll be going door to door looking for somebody who saw something and we'll be talking to the bowling-alley employees. There's a lot to do this morning."
Ed Baker, a public-information officer for the department, said police also were checking with businesses in the area that have surveillance cameras, hoping one of them may have inadvertently recorded the abductor and child on film.
Teekah was reported missing at 10:30 p.m. from New Frontier Lanes at 4702 S. Center St.
Her mother, Theresa English, 27, said she had turned her head away for just a moment and then discovered her daughter was gone.
"We don't know the circumstances," said Howatson. "She could have gotten into a car to get warm and been driven away
unintentionally, or she could have been taken, but it appears she did not walk away on her own. We are expanding our investigation beyond the search area."
Baker said it was league night at the bowling alley and police are also hoping that bowlers may have brought video cameras to record the competition. Police want to speak with anyone who was at the bowling alley Saturday night, and are asking patrons to call officers at 253-591-5649.
English described her daughter as shy and clingy. "She wouldn't go outside on her own. She's a momma's girl. She sleeps with me and her blankie, and if I'm not there, she's crying, and if she doesn't have her blankie, she's crying."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is involved in the case, a standard procedure when young children disappear, Howatson said.
This morning, a 22-member task force of FBI agents, Tacoma police detectives and detectives from the Pierce County Sheriff's Department met with the girl's mother and grandmother.
The Center for Missing and Exploited Children also joined the search yesterday.
"It's extremely rare to find absolutely no clues after a search this exhaustive," Howatson said. "We've searched with helicopters and infrared, with bloodhounds and German shepherds . . . and we think, if she was here, they would have found her."
Grant L. Smith of Explorer Search and Rescue said "the police don't seem to think the family is involved in anything suspicious and that's usually the first thing they look for."
Teekah's biological father, estranged from English, is in prison at McNeil Island, police said.
Police set up temporary headquarters for the search-and-rescue effort in a metal building at a landfill and recycling center behind the bowling alley. Teekah's family gathered there yesterday afternoon and again this morning, waiting for any news.
English said Teekah is half African American and half Native American, 3 feet tall and 35 pounds, with brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a green sweat shirt with a "Tweety Bird" design, white sweat pants and Nike "Air Jordan"-brand shoes. Her black hair was in ponytails. On Saturday night, Teekah was at the bowling alley with her mother, her mother's boyfriend, her 10-month-old sister and a host of aunts, uncles and cousins.
English said Teekah was playing near some arcade games when she looked away for a moment while one of her brothers bowled his turn. When she turned back around, her little girl was gone.
The family began searching the building, the parking lot and the steep, weed-covered hills surrounding the lot. They notified the police officer on duty at the bowling alley and an announcement was made over the facility's loudspeaker. People inside began to help and the officer and a couple of Teekah's uncles went out to the parking lot to monitor leaving cars.
"We looked in the back seats and in the trunks," said the girl's uncle, Ernest Czapiewski.
Czapiewski and his girlfriend, Tamura Keeton, said they frequent the bowling alley.
Howatson said there are no suspects at this time.
Christine Clarridge's phone message number is 206-464-8983. Her e-mail address is: cclarridge@seattletimes.com ------------------------------- If you have information
Anyone with information on Teekah Lewis' disappearance is urged to call a 24-hour police tip line: 253-591-5649.
Copyright (c) 1999 Seattle Times Company, All Rights Reserved.
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Re: Teekah Lewis Case and news informations « Reply #9 on Jun 19, 2009, 11:23am »
FBI Checking Dallas Girl To See If She's Teekah Lewis
CloseStory Published: Apr 26, 2006 at 3:29 PM PDT
Story Updated: Aug 31, 2006 at 8:25 AM PDT By KOMO Staff
TACOMA - The FBI is working a tip that a girl missing from Tacoma for seven years might be alive, although they caution they don't think the tip is going to pan out. Teekah Lewis was taken from a Tacoma bowling alley in January 1999 and there's been no sign of her since. But now her mother says she might be living in Dallas.
"This is the greatest tip we've had in 7 years," said Teekah's mother Theresa English.
English has always believed her daughter Teekah is alive, but now for the first time, she really believes Teekah may be coming home. Her prayers gave way to hope two weeks ago when Theresa's private investigator got a tip that Teekah may be living with a woman in Texas.
He checked it out. The woman said the girl is her daughter and not Teekah.
When shown a photograph of the girl in Texas, English says she sees a resemblance to Teekah. She said the right ear on her daughter matches the right ear on the girl in the photograph. Besides that, Theresa says she looks just like her other daughters.
"I seen the little girl's picture my heart said 'that's mine,' " English said.
But both the FBI and Tacoma police say they don't think it's Teekah. The "look-alike" has been ruled out as far as law enforcement is concerned, FBI Agent Melissa Schuler said.
"It was a combination of photos and records that are available and birthmarks," she said.
But they will do a DNA test to be absolutely certain for the family's sake.
The Tacoma police detective assigned the case has been kept in the loop, said Mark Fulghum, spokesman for the Tacoma Police Department.
"The FBI talked to the family down there (in Texas). They were cooperative from everything I've been told," Fulghum said. "Our detective hasn't gone down there. He's just being kept abreast of what's going on."
But English is still hopeful.
"(The investigator) got the tip from Dallas, these people are living in an R.V. with a Washington license plate," English said. "There is more to this story than what they're telling us."
Theresa knows the DNA will tell the truth, she just hopes it will reveal her what her heart already believes.
"This here brings new hope to our family she's out there and she could be coming home," English said.
The FBI says while this is a priority case, they don't know for sure when the DNA tests will be returned.
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Re: Teekah Lewis Case and news informations « Reply #10 on Jun 19, 2009, 12:22pm »
Teekah Lewis Missing Since: January 23, 1999
SEX: Female RACE: Biracial DATE OF BIRTH: July 4, 1996 HEIGHT: 3' 0 " (91 cm) WEIGHT: 35 pounds (16 kg) EYES: Brown HAIR: Black MISSING FROM: Tacoma, WA - USA REPORTING AGENCY : Tacoma Police Department PHONE: (253) 798-4721
WSP MISSING CHILDREN CLEARINGHOUSE: 1-800-543-5678
NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN: 1-800-843-5678
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Re: Teekah Lewis Case and news informations « Reply #11 on Jun 19, 2009, 12:23pm »
Welcome! Please help us locate Teekah Lewis. Teekah was last seen on January 23, 1999 at approximately 10:30 p.m. at the New Frontier Lanes bowling alley in Tacoma,Washington. She was playing in the arcade section of the bowling alley just a few feet away from her Mom.
Teekah Lewis is an African/Native American female. She has brown curly shoulder length hair with red highlights. (She had some grey in her hair.) Teekah also has brown eyes. She was 3'0" and weighed about 35 lbs. at the time of her abduction. Her hair was usually worn in braids. She had dimples, a birthmark, and both ears were pierced. Teekah was born on July 4, 1996. She was 2 years old when she went missing, but she is now 7 years old.
She was wearing a green Tweety Bird t-shirt, white sweat pants, and red, black, and white Air Jordan sneakers. Teekah was also carrying a clear purse with a fish design on it.
A car was seen leaving the bowling alley parking lot shortly after Teekah disappeared. This person may be a witness to her abduction. We are looking for a maroon late 80's or early 90's Pontiac Grand Am with dark windows and a spoiler on the back. (Click here to view a photo of a similar looking car.)
Please be advised that Teekah has asthma and bad allergies. She may be receiving treatment for either of these problems to this day. We ask that hospitals, doctors, and clinics be on alert for anyone fitting Teekah's description that may be receiving treatment for asthma or bad allergies. Teekah was taken at a very young age so she may "appear" to be comfortable with the people she is with thinking THEY are her parents when in fact they aren't. It would be understandable if she has no clue that she is a victim of an abduction because of the early age she was taken at.
If you have any information on Teekah Lewis please contact the Tacoma Police Department (Washington State) at 1-253-798-4721, or The National Center For Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678, or please call your local FBI. (You may also dial 9-1-1 in your area to report sightings of Teekah.) There is a $26,000.00 reward for the return of Teekah, with an arrest and conviction.
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Re: Teekah Lewis Case and news informations « Reply #12 on Jun 19, 2009, 12:40pm »
Teekah Lewis' 1999 disappearance stays a mystery Share this storyBuzz up! STACEY MULICK; stacey.mulick@thenewstribune.com Published: 01/23/09 12:05 am | Updated: 01/23/09 10:25 am
Ten years ago, Teekah Lewis vanished from a Tacoma bowling alley.
The 21/2-year-old girl was last seen playing near a coin-operated racing game as her family bowled nearby at New Frontier Lanes the night of Jan. 23, 1999. Police suspect a stranger might have snatched Teekah but have never had a description to release.
Her mother says 10 years is long enough for the mystery to go unsolved.
“My daughter has been missing for almost 10 years, and it’s time to find my little girl,” Theresa Lewis said this week. “It’s time for someone to speak out.”
Teekah’s family will hold a candlelight vigil at 7 tonight in the parking lot of the former bowling alley at 4702 S. Center St.
“I wish everybody would come out for this,” Lewis said. “We need all the support we can get.”
The investigation into Teekah’s disappearance remains ongoing. Last year, police released new photos and video of the child taken shortly before she disappeared.
In October, Teekah became the latest missing child featured as part of the Homeward Bound program. The Washington State Patrol and Gordon Trucking of Pacific launched the program in 2006 to help find missing children.
Under the program, photos of 15 missing children have been featured on the sides of Gordon Trucks, which travel the nation’s highways. Lenoria Jones, a 4-year-old girl who went missing from Tacoma in 1995, also has been featured.
Police received a few tips from the efforts but none was substantial, police spokesman Mark Fulghum said this week.
Lewis said 10 years have gone by fast.
“She should be home,” the mother said. “My baby is almost 13 years old. I’ve missed 10, 11 birthdays. It’s just unbelievable.”
Lewis pleaded for anyone with information to come forward. Or, just let Teekah go.
“All we want is her back,” she said. “Drop her off somewhere. Just drop her off.”
Stacey Mulick: 253-597-8268
blogs.thenewstribune.com/crime
• Tacoma police encourage anyone with information about Teekah Lewis’ disappearance to call Tacoma-Pierce County Crime Stoppers at 253-591-5959. Tipsters may remain anonymous.
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Re: Teekah Lewis Case and news informations « Reply #13 on Jul 16, 2009, 4:28pm »
Teekah Lewis' mother still looking for answers
05:49 PM PDT on Saturday, July 4, 2009
By CHRIS DANIELS / KING 5 News
Teekah Lewis' mother still looking for answers
TACOMA, Wash. - It's another holiday, and another birthday missed for one local family.
Teekah Lewis turned 13 today.
"It gets harder by the year," says Theresa Lewis.
Teekah disappeared January 23, 1999 as she played at a Tacoma bowling alley. Police later believed the then 2-year-old was abducted.
"It's time for her to come home, I know someone knows where my daughter is at, and they need to come forward," says Lewis.
Today, Theresa returned to the spot where Teekah was last seen. She put up signs and 13 balloons in honor of her birthday.
She also says she's trying to avoid coverage of the disappearance of another young girl, Lindsay Baum. The 10-year-old McCleary girl vanished more than a week ago.
Grays Harbor County Sheriffs' Deputies said Saturday that there are no new clues in the disappearance, and it's becoming more likely the girl was taken away from the town, because they've now searched most of McCleary.
Teekah Lewis at age 2 - shortly before her disappearance.
Lewis shares the pain the Baum family is going through, and offers her own advice: "Don't never give up, you know she's out there somewhere. My heart goes out to you, being that I've been dealing with it for 10 years, and there isn't one that day doesn't go by that I don't think about my daughter."
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Re: Teekah Lewis Case and news informations « Reply #15 on Oct 29, 2009, 9:47am »
Teekah Latres Lewis
Top Two Rows and Bottom Left and Center: Lewis, circa 1999; Bottom Right: Age-progression at age 13 (circa 2009)
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Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
# Missing Since: January 23, 1999 from Tacoma, Washington # Classification: Endangered Missing # Date Of Birth: July 4, 1996 # Age: 2 years old # Height and Weight: 3'0, 35 pounds # Distinguishing Characteristics: Multiracial (African-American/Caucasian/Native American) female. Black hair, brown eyes. Lewis has a large-sized birthmark on her left buttock and red natural highlights in her hair. She has patches of light discoloration on her face and the left side of her buttocks as the result of eczema. She has facial dimples, and pierced ears. # Clothing/Jewelry Description: A green Tweety Bird sweatshirt or t-shirt, white sweatpants and black and white Air Jordan sneakers, hair pulled into ponytails. # Medical Conditions: Lewis is asthmatic and requires medical supervision, as well as usage of an inhaler and/or ventilator. Lewis received medical care prior to her 1999 disappearance at Indian Health Practioners in Puyallup, Washington, a nationwide clinic available for Native Americans.
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Details of Disappearance
Lewis and nearly a dozen of her family spent the evening of January 23, 1999 at New Frontier Lanes bowling alley on Center Street in Tacoma, Washington. Lewis was last seen playing a race car video game in the arcade section of the alley between 10:00 and 10:15 p.m. She was a few feet from her family members and approximately six feet from the building's exit. Lewis's mother, Theresa English, said that she turned away for a moment and the child vanished. She has never been seen again. Lewis was carrying a clear purse with a fish design and an attached shoulder strap at the time of her disappearance; the purse contained Starburst candy. An extensive search of the area produced few clues as to her whereabouts.
A witness at the bowling alley told authorities that an unidentified maroon Pontiac Grand Am sped out of the parking lot during the night Lewis disappeared. The vehicle may have had four doors and was possibly a late 1980s or early 1990s model with dark-tinted windows and a large spoiler. A photograph of a similar car is posted below this case summary. Another witness stated that an unidentified Caucasian man may have followed a child to one of the alley's exits during the night. The individual is described as being in his thirties with shoulder-length brown hair, facial pockmarks, a moustache and a large-sized nose. Investigators do not know if the vehicle or the unidentified man are connected to Lewis's case.
Lewis's family supported the creation of the Teekah Lewis Bill in Washington shortly after she disappeared. The bill created a missing and exploited children's task force, allowing the Washington State Patrol to assist local authorities in the search for a missing child.
There were possible sightings of Lewis in New Hampshire several years after her disappearance. The child was accompanied by a Caucasian woman with dyed blonde hair at the time. These sightings have not been confirmed. Lewis's biological father was imprisoned at the time of her disappearance and has been ruled out as a suspect in her case.
The headless body of a young African-American girl was discovered in Kansas City, Missouri on April 28, 2001, more than two years after Lewis disappeared from Washington. The child's head was located in a garbage bag approximately 100 yards from the body shortly after the initial discovery. DNA tests were performed on Lewis's relatives in May 2001 and compared with the unidentified child's remains, but the results were negative. In 2005, Precious Doe was identified as Erica Michelle Maria Green, a three-year-old who had never been reported missing.
Lewis is described as having a quiet, shy personality. She enjoys eating candy, her favorite brand being Starbursts. Foul play is suspected in her case, which remains unsolved.
Unidentified Vehicle Above: Vehicle similar to the one seen in the vicinity of where Teekah was last seen
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Investigating Agency If you have any information concerning Lewis' case, please contact: Tacoma Police Department 253-798-4721 OR Federal Bureau Of Investigation 202-324-3000
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Source Information The National Center For Missing and Exploited Children Child Protection Education Of America Operation Lookout America's Most Wanted The Seattle Post-Intelligencer The Columbian The Eatonville Dispatch Washington Lieutenant Governor Brad Owen The Detroit News The Seattle Times Missing: Teekah Lewis For the Lost The Kansas City Star The Child Seek Network KOMO TV Q13 FOX MySpace Page for Teekah Lewis
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Re: Teekah Lewis Case and news informations « Reply #16 on Nov 23, 2009, 3:54am »
Teekah Latres Lewis
Family Outing Turns Tragic
Tacoma, Wash. residents say New Frontier Bowling Lanes is always packed with families, especially on evenings. It has a reputation as a safe and friendly place to take children. But on Saturday January 3, 1999 everything changed for one family.
Theresa English, her 2-year-old daughter, Teekah Lewis, and several other family members decided it would be fun to go bowling at the popular alley. Nearly a dozen of Teekah's relatives were there, and they took up two lanes--seven and eight.
Teekah decided to walk over to the arcade and play some games. She tried to win a stuffed toy from a grabber machine, but ran out of coins. So, her uncle won a teddy bear that Teekah gave to her younger sister. Moments later, she had moved on to a racing game.
Teekah's family members--her mother, uncle and her mother's boyfriend--took turns staying with Teekah and watching over her. When her uncle briefly turned around to watch someone in their group bowl, he was only about a foot away from the toddler. But when he turned back toward where Teekah had been sitting, she was gone. According to police, the game room where Teekah was last seen was only six feet away from the exit.
What Happened To Teekah?
Teekah's family frantically searched for her, and after a few minutes, ran up to alert the Tacoma police officer who was working security for New Frontier Lanes. He made an announcement over the loudspeaker and the whole room full of families grew quiet upon hearing the shocking news that the toddler had disappeared.
Teekah's family and others who were at the alley began searching everywhere, and police stopped everyone leaving the parking lot
According to police, the game room where Teekah was last seen was only six feet away from the exit. Witnesses Saw Suspicious Car
Cops had no solid leads and Teekah was no where to be found. They say Teekah's biological father was in prison at the time, which ruled out a custodial abduction. Police questioned registered sex offenders in the area and checked the background of the bowling alley's employees, but still came up empty-handed.
The Tacoma police have only one clue--a witness said they saw a 1980s Pontiac Grand Am pull out of the parking lot around the time that Teekah disappeared. The vehicle was maroon with dark windows and a large spoiler.
When she disappeared, Teekah was wearing a green Tweety Bird t-shirt, white sweatpants and Air Jordan sneakers. She was carrying a clear fish printed purse stuffed with Starburst candy. Now Teekah Lewis would be 10 years old.
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Re: Teekah Lewis Case and news informations « Reply #17 on Nov 23, 2009, 3:57am »
Revisiting unsolved cases of 2 Tacoma-area girls
The abduction of Teekah Lewis, 2, and the abduction and slaying of Adre'anna Jackson, 10, have frustrated Tacoma-area police for years. But the arrest of Terapon...
Seattle Times staff
Two-year-old Teekah Lewis disappeared from a Tacoma bowling alley in 1999, and no sign of her was ever found. Enlarge this photo
Two-year-old Teekah Lewis disappeared from a Tacoma bowling alley in 1999, and no sign of her was ever found.
The abduction of Teekah Lewis, 2, and the abduction and slaying of Adre'anna Jackson, 10, have frustrated Tacoma-area police for years.
But the arrest of Terapon Dang Adhahn in the July 4 abduction and slaying of Zina Linnik, 12, could also signal a break in the two other cases. Tacoma Police Chief Don Ramsdell said investigators are trying to determine whether Adhahn could have some connection with other abductions, including those of the two Tacoma-area girls.
Some of those cases include:
• Michella Welch, 12, of Tacoma, whose body was found hours after the girl disappeared from Puget Park on March 26, 1986.
• Jennifer Bastian, 13, of Tacoma, who was found dead Aug. 28, 1986, in Point Defiance Park, where she'd been last seen riding her bicycle two weeks earlier.
• Lenoria Jones, 4, of Tacoma, who disappeared July 20, 1995.
Here's a look at the Teekah Lewis and Adre'anna Jackson cases.
Teekah Lewis
Teekah disappeared from Frontier Bowling Lanes in Tacoma around 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 23, 1999. The girl's mother told police she saw her daughter standing near the bowling lanes' video games. When she looked back, Teekah was gone.
Police at first thought the little girl had wandered off. But when an extensive search of the area turned up nothing, the girl's disappearance began to look more like an abduction and no one — including relatives — was immune from suspicion.
Tacoma police later said the family was ruled out as suspects. But despite a 24-hour tip line and interviews with people who were at the lanes that night, no suspect has emerged.
In 2001, the girl's mother, Theresa Lewis, was asked to provide a DNA sample to match against the body of an unidentified dead child found in Kansas City, Mo. The child was not Teekah.
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In April 2006, Theresa Lewis was notified by a private investigator that he had found a girl he believed to be Teekah living with a woman in Dallas. The investigator, who was hired by the Lewis family more than a year earlier, sent her photos of the girl, she said.
"We compared her picture to my twins and other children, and we think it's her," Lewis said. "We feel in our hearts that it's her."
But DNA testing proved the girl was not Teekah.
On Friday, Theresa Lewis came to the Linnik home to offer support. When she heard that Adhahn could be connected to her daughter's disappearance, she was too distraught to speak.
Adre'anna Jackson
Adre'anna was last seen Dec. 2, 2005, when her parents sent her off on a five-minute walk to see whether Tillicum Elementary School was closed because of snow. Police spent days searching her neighborhood and scoured nearby American Lake for any sign of the girl.
Two children found a skull and a portion of a spinal column in a vacant, overgrown lot near Woodbrook Middle School on April 4, 2006. The remains were identified by dental records as those of Adre'anna Jackson.
Investigators could not determine the cause of death.
A 44-year-old transient was questioned about the disappearance and death, but it was determined he was in jail on an unrelated matter from the time the girl went missing.
Reached at home this afternoon, Adre'anna's mother, Yvette Gervais, said she thought there were physical similarities between her daughter and Zina Linnik.
"We're just sitting here and hoping that, if it is him, there will be some closure," she said. "At least someone has been apprehended and that's one more person that's not going to do this to more families."
Information from Seattle Times staff reporters Christine Clarridge and Roxana Popescu, Times archives and The Associated Press is included in this report.
Welcome! Please help us locate Teekah Lewis. Teekah was last seen on January 23, 1999 at approximately 10:30 p.m. at the New Frontier Lanes bowling alley in Tacoma,Washington. She was playing in the arcade section of the bowling alley just a few feet away from her Mom.
Teekah Lewis is an African/Native American female. She has brown curly shoulder length hair with red highlights. (She had some grey in her hair.) Teekah also has brown eyes. She was 3'0" and weighed about 35 lbs. at the time of her abduction. Her hair was usually worn in braids. She had dimples, a birthmark, and both ears were pierced. Teekah was born on July 4, 1996. She was 2 years old when she went missing, but she is now 7 years old.
She was wearing a green Tweety Bird t-shirt, white sweat pants, and red, black, and white Air Jordan sneakers. Teekah was also carrying a clear purse with a fish design on it.
A car was seen leaving the bowling alley parking lot shortly after Teekah disappeared. This person may be a witness to her abduction. We are looking for a maroon late 80's or early 90's Pontiac Grand Am with dark windows and a spoiler on the back. (Click here to view a photo of a similar looking car.)
Please be advised that Teekah has asthma and bad allergies. She may be receiving treatment for either of these problems to this day. We ask that hospitals, doctors, and clinics be on alert for anyone fitting Teekah's description that may be receiving treatment for asthma or bad allergies. Teekah was taken at a very young age so she may "appear" to be comfortable with the people she is with thinking THEY are her parents when in fact they aren't. It would be understandable if she has no clue that she is a victim of an abduction because of the early age she was taken at.
If you have any information on Teekah Lewis please contact the Tacoma Police Department (Washington State) at 1-253-798-4721, or The National Center For Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678, or please call your local FBI. (You may also dial 9-1-1 in your area to report sightings of Teekah.) There is a $26,000.00 reward for the return of Teekah, with an arrest and conviction.
Teekah Lewis Missing Since: January 23, 1999
SEX: Female RACE: Biracial DATE OF BIRTH: July 4, 1996 HEIGHT: 3' 0 " (91 cm) WEIGHT: 35 pounds (16 kg) EYES: Brown HAIR: Black MISSING FROM: Tacoma, WA - USA REPORTING AGENCY : Tacoma Police Department PHONE: (253) 798-4721
WSP MISSING CHILDREN CLEARINGHOUSE: 1-800-543-5678
NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN: 1-800-843-5678
Special Circumstances : Teekah was last seen on January 23, 1999, at approximately 10:30 p.m. at the New Frontier Lanes bowling alley in Tacoma, Washington. She was wearing a Tweety Bird T-shirt, white sweat pants and Air Jordon sneakers. (see NCMEC poster).
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TEEKAH! Teekah turned 12 years old on July 4, 2008. Please keep Teekah and her family in your prayers.
Read about the Teekah Lewis Act Teekah Lewis Act.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE A VOLUNTEER TO HELP FIND TEEKAH LEWIS PLEASE CLICK TO VISIT OUR "HOW TO HELP" WEBSITE.
Article from "The News Tribune":
One minute she was there: A shy 2-year-old with deep dimples and dark curly hair in ponytails, sitting in the seat of a car racing game Saturday night at New Frontier Lane bowling alley in Tacoma.
The next minute, she was gone.
After exhaustively searching a 1.5-mile radius from the bowling alley at 4702 Center Street for more than 15 hours, police concluded at 5 p.m. Sunday that 2-year-old Teekah Lewis had been abducted.
"There's no concrete evidence about what happened," said Pierce County sheriff's Sgt. Cyndie Fajardo, who coordinated nearly three dozen search-and-rescue volunteers at the scene. "She vanished into thin air."
Four FBI agents began working on the case Sunday; another four were expected to join the effort today in a joint investigation with Tacoma police. Police spokesman Ed Baker said the FBI is brought in whenever a small child is abducted and because the agency offers "a wealth of resources." Teekah's family even brought in a psychic.
"Just bring my daughter back," Theresa English, 27, of Tacoma, begged whoever took her child. "I want my daughter back. I will do anything to get my daughter back."
About 8:30 p.m. Saturday, English, Teekah, and nearly a dozen other family members went to New Frontier Lanes for moonlighting bowling. They took up lanes 7 and 8 of the popular 32-lane bowling alley. Bowlers described it as a fun, rambunctious night with the lanes crowded with families; there weren't even spaces left in the parking lot.
Teekah was playing games, carrying a purse she had bought with Christmas money. The clear plastic bag adorned with fishes was filled with change her uncle had give her and Starburst, her favorite candy. She tried to win a stuffed animal from a coin-operated machine, but when she just lost her quarters, her uncle won a teddy bear for her. Teekah gave her prize to her 10-month-old baby sister.
"About 10:30 p.m., she wandered beyond the lanes to a video games area and "Cruisin' World"," a coin-operated car-racing game, English and others said. English stayed with her- the game is only 6 feet from the exit door. When it was English's turn to bowl, her boyfriend, 27-year-old Fred Biggs, positioned himself near Teekah. Then it was Biggs' turn at the pins, so Teekah's uncle, Timmy Czapiewski, stood near her, English said.
He turned only for a moment to watch Biggs throw his bowling ball , English said. When he turned back, Teekah was gone.
English said she and her family searched for a few moments, then alerted an off-duty Tacoma police officer who was working security at the bowling alley.
An announcement went out over the loudspeaker: A 2-year-old was missing.
"My heart instantly stopped," said Tina Bonomo, 26, who was bowling with her family on lanes next to English's family.
Bonomo said English's family scattered through the bowling alley looking behind every video machine and under every bowling ball rack. English's boyfriend was crying. Police poured in. Fifteen minutes after Teekah disappeared, police cordoned off the parking lot and began searching every car going out.
English said she suspects a woman who had asked to hold a relative's baby during the evening may have been involved in the abduction. Police are investigating that possibility but don't consider her a prime suspect because her whereabouts have been accounted for, police spokesman Baker said.
Baker cautioned that the woman - and everyone else at the bowling alley that night - is being investigated. Police said the case is probably not a custodial dispute involving the girl's father: Robert Lewis is jailed at McNeil Island Corrections Center. English declined to say what Teekah's father was serving time for but said he has been appraised of the search for his missing daughter. He and English have two children. English also has three other children.
Police are looking into lists of registered sex offenders living near the bowling alley and checking the backgrounds of employees who work there for possible leads.
After the disappearance, 33 volunteer search-and-rescue personnel, including eight dog handlers, began combing the area around the bowling alley in case Teekah had simply wandered off. A helicopter scanned the neighborhood with an infrared device looking for heat sources that might indicate the body of a lost toddler.
By midday Sunday, volunteer searchers who had worked through the night were tired but still willing to probe under every bush and behind every building.
"When that call comes through for a 2-year-old little kid, there's no buts about it - you go, and stay till it's over," said Ryan Sorsdahl, a 19-year-old search-and-rescue field leader. "But it's pretty tough when you know what you are looking for."
By midafternoon they had nothing. American Red Cross workers supplied the weary searchers, as well as Teekah's family and officers, with snacks, sandwiches, and coffee.
The family called on a psychic Sunday morning but didn't get any leads. Teekah's grandmother, Mary Czapiewski, was trying to stay strong for her family.
"Everything is going through my mind," she said. "Everything." (Story by: Dani Dodge)
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Re: Teekah Lewis Case and news informations « Reply #20 on Mar 6, 2010, 3:26pm »
New tip in Teekah Lewis case leads police to Tacoma park
By KOMO Staff
Story Published: Jan 27, 2010 at 9:12 PM PST
Story Updated: Jan 28, 2010 at 7:41 AM PST
New tip in Teekah Lewis case leads police to Tacoma park Comments (98) TACOMA, Wash. -- Police are following a new tip in the case of Teekah Lewis, the 2-year-old girl who disappeared more than a decade ago.
The girl vanished while she was with her family at the now-defunct New Frontier Lanes in Tacoma on Jan. 23, 1999. Hundreds of people over the years have been interviewed with no arrests.
But mother Theresa English said she received a new tip from a man in his 40s at the annual vigil for the missing girl over the weekend.
The grieving mother said the stranger told her he'd had visions of the missing girl, and she relayed the information to police.
"There's just more to the story. I just can't say. I wish I could, but I can't," English said. "All I can say is that it's a roller coaster."
Tacoma police spokesman Mark Fulghum said investigators have spoken to the tipster, whom he only described as an "area man." Fulghum said the tip prompted police to begin digging at the Native Garden at Point Defiance Park.
It is not known exactly what police are looking for. Fulghum said only that detectives are looking for "evidence."
Family members have always held out hope that Teekah Lewis will be returned home or that some clue will surface about how she went missing.
English said it only took her a few seconds to turn around and realize her daughter was missing on the night she disappeared.
Investigators combed the surrounding area with search dogs immediately after the girl's disappearance, and eventually even expanded the search beyond state lines but never solved the case.
A $27,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to the girl's safe return.
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Re: Teekah Lewis Case and news informations « Reply #21 on Mar 6, 2010, 3:30pm »
No clues 10 years after Tacoma girl vanished
By KOMO News Staff and Associated Press
Story Published: Jan 23, 2009 at 11:10 AM PST
Story Updated: Jan 23, 2009 at 11:39 AM PST No clues 10 years after Tacoma girl vanished
TACOMA, Wash. - It's been 10 years since 2-year-old Teekah Lewis vanished from a Tacoma bowling alley during a family outing.
Yet her family still hopes she'll be returned home or that some clue will surface about how she went missing.
The Lewis family is holding a candlelight vigil on the anniversary of her disappearance, at 7 p.m. Friday in the parking lot of the building that once housed the New Frontier Lanes, at 4702 S. Center St.
Teekah Lewis vanished while she was with her family at the bowling center on Jan. 23, 1999. Hundreds of people over the years have been interviewed with no arrests.
Theresa Lewis, the girl's mother, says it only took her a few seconds to turn around and realize her daughter was missing on the night she disappeared.
Investigators combed the surrounding area with search dogs immediately after Teekah's disappearance, and eventually even expanded the search beyond state lines.
But the mysterious disappearance remains unsolved.
Teekah would be 12 years old today and much too big for the tiny clothes her mother has been cherishing ever since she disappeared at just 2˝ years old.
After all these years, Theresa wonders if she'll be able to recognize her daughter. But she has no doubt Teekah's still out there.
Crime Stoppers is offering a $27,000 reward for a tip that brings Teekah Lewis safely home.
Teekah's picture was featured in October in the Homeward Bound program in which photos of missing children are posted on the sides of trucks from Gordon Trucking of Pacific.
Police spokesman Mark Fulghum said they received no substantial tips from that effort.
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Re: Teekah Lewis Case and news informations « Reply #23 on Apr 2, 2010, 3:14pm »
Teekah Latres Lewis
Family Outing Turns Tragic missing children,Teekah Lewis | Teekah Lewis would have turned 11 on July 4 2008 Forensic experts created this age enhanced photo of the missing girl Teekah Lewis overview
Teekah Lewis would have turned 11 on July 4, 2008. Forensic experts created this age-enhanced photo of the missing girl.
Tacoma, Wash. residents say New Frontier Bowling Lanes is always packed with families, especially on evenings. It has a reputation as a safe and friendly place to take children. But on Saturday January 3, 1999 everything changed for one family.
Theresa English, her 2-year-old daughter, Teekah Lewis, and several other family members decided it would be fun to go bowling at the popular alley. Nearly a dozen of Teekah's relatives were there, and they took up two lanes--seven and eight.
Teekah decided to walk over to the arcade and play some games. She tried to win a stuffed toy from a grabber machine, but ran out of coins. So, her uncle won a teddy bear that Teekah gave to her younger sister. Moments later, she had moved on to a racing game.
Teekah's family members--her mother, uncle and her mother's boyfriend--took turns staying with Teekah and watching over her. When her uncle briefly turned around to watch someone in their group bowl, he was only about a foot away from the toddler. But when he turned back toward where Teekah had been sitting, she was gone. According to police, the game room where Teekah was last seen was only six feet away from the exit.
What Happened To Teekah?
Teekah's family frantically searched for her, and after a few minutes, ran up to alert the Tacoma police officer who was working security for New Frontier Lanes. He made an announcement over the loudspeaker and the whole room full of families grew quiet upon hearing the shocking news that the toddler had disappeared.
Teekah's family and others who were at the alley began searching everywhere, and police stopped everyone leaving the parking lot
According to police, the game room where Teekah was last seen was only six feet away from the exit. Witnesses Saw Suspicious Car
Cops had no solid leads and Teekah was no where to be found. They say Teekah's biological father was in prison at the time, which ruled out a custodial abduction. Police questioned registered sex offenders in the area and checked the background of the bowling alley's employees, but still came up empty-handed.
The Tacoma police have only one clue--a witness said they saw a 1980s Pontiac Grand Am pull out of the parking lot around the time that Teekah disappeared. The vehicle was maroon with dark windows and a large spoiler.
When she disappeared, Teekah was wearing a green Tweety Bird t-shirt, white sweatpants and Air Jordan sneakers. She was carrying a clear fish printed purse stuffed with Starburst candy. Now Teekah Lewis would be 10 years old.
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Re: Teekah Lewis Case and news informations « Reply #24 on Apr 2, 2010, 3:18pm »
This page can be printed as a flyer. Please print and circulate!
Missing Child
Teekah Lewis
To view a printable flyer in Adobe Acrobat Format, LewisTeekahPDF. To save the flyer on your computer to print later, right click the link and "Save Link/Target As." Please make copies and distribute!
If you have information concerning this case, please contact: Tacoma Police Department (253) 798-4721 or The Polly Klaas® Foundation (800) 587-4357
Missing child information:
Date Missing: 1/23/99 Missing From: Tacoma, WA Age at Disappearance: 2 years Date of Birth: 7/4/96 Sex: Female Race: African American/Native American Hair: Black Eyes: Brown Height: 3'0" Weight: 35 lbs. Last Seen Wearing: Tweety Bird T-shirt, white sweat pants and Air Jordan sneakers. Circumstances: Teekah was last seen on January 23, 1999 at approximately 10:30 p.m. at the New Frontier Lanes bowling alley in Tacoma, Washington. Teekah's photo is shown age progressed to 13 years by the NCMEC.
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Re: Teekah Lewis Case and news information « Reply #25 on Apr 18, 2010, 11:28am »
'I Think There's Always A Chance'
By Tracy Vedder
Mother of Teekah Lewis, who has been missing from Tacoma for four years, still holds hope of finding her daughter alive.
Story Published: Mar 13, 2003 at 3:48 PM PDT
Story Updated: Aug 31, 2006 at 12:59 AM PDT
TACOMA - Elizabeth Smart's rescue brings new hope to the parents of other missing children. In Tacoma, where Teekah Lewis has been missing for four years, there is both hope and some new leads.
"She always had a smile on her face," Theresa Lewis describes her daughter. Teekah was just 2 1/2-years-old, the light of her mother's life, when someone snatched her away. "I believe the person who took my daughter wanted a child of their own," she said.
It was four years ago at a Tacoma bowling alley when Teekah was kidnapped during a family party. Missing for that long, the odds are not in Teekah's favor.
But her mother ignores the odds and believes, someday, her little girl will come home, just like Elizabeth Smart. "Maybe there's hope for my daughter to come home," says Lewis. "I know Elizabeth Smart's been gone only nine months, mine's been gone four years but I think my daughter has a big chance of coming back."
"I think there's always a chance," says private investigator Edward Lewis. Lewis, no relation to Teekah, is working the case for free. Today Teekah would be about 6 1/2 years old.
A computer-generated image predicts how she might look today. Lewis believes she's alive, and that her name has been changed. He's found several promising new leads: One will take him to Wenatchee, another to the East Coast. "There could be somebody that has some knowledge in their head that they don't know that they have, and it's my job to try to find that."
Edward Lewis knows the first 24 hours of a missing child case are critical. But he adds the Smart case should prove that even years later, a child can be found alive and well. "My job is to look over every stone, every rock," Edward Lewis said.
While Edward Lewis follows leads, Teekah's mother waits and worries, and today has just a bit more hope for a happy ending.
"I hope and pray that mine will be next," she said. "That's what I need right now is for mine to come home."
Every year, Teekah's mother holds a vigil for her daughter. This year, news stories about the vigil generated new tips for investigators to pursue.
If you have any information about Teekah's case, you can contact private investigator Edward Lewis at (253) 761-2574 or on the Internet at www.angelfire.com/bix/tpiserve.
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Re: Teekah Lewis Case and news information « Reply #26 on Apr 18, 2010, 11:30am »
Teekah Lewis
Have You Seen Teekah Lewis ? Case Type: Endangered Missing Missing Date: Saturday 23rd January 1999 Missing From: Tacoma Washington Missing Country: USA Sex: Female DOB: 03/Jul/1996 Age Now: 13 Teekah Lewis Specific Details: Hair Color: Black Eye Color: Brown Height: 3'0" (91 cm) Weight: 35 lbs (16 kg)
Distinctive Marks: She has eczema, with a skin discoloration on her face and left side of her buttocks. HFMC International Searching Known Circumstances:
She was last seen on January 23, 1999 at approximately 10:30 p.m. at the New Frontier Lanes bowling alley in Tacoma, Washington. Teekah was wearing a Tweety Bird T-shirt, white sweat pants and Air Jordan sneakers. She has eczema, with a skin discoloration on her face and left side of her buttocks. She also has asthma which may require medical attention.
Case Number: NCMC859446
ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT National Center for Missing & Exploited Children 1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST) Tacoma Police Department (Washington) 1-253-798-4721 Or Your Local FBI If you have any information on Teekah Lewis please contact the official numbers above immediately. Alternatively, you can e-mail us here at Help Find My Child - you can do this in strictest confidence - we will make sure your information is passed on to the relevant places.
Messages of support and news updates are welcomed,
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Re: Teekah Lewis Case and news information « Reply #27 on Apr 18, 2010, 11:32am »
Police Check New Tip In Teekah Lewis Case Image Courtesy of www.MissingKids.com
Posted: 8:03 am PST January 28, 2010Updated: 10:47 am PST January 28, 2010
TACOMA, Wash. -- Tacoma police checked a park Wednesday for evidence in the case of a 2-year-old girl who disappeared more than a decade ago.
Teekah Lewis disappeared when she was with her family on Jan. 23, 1999 at a bowling alley.
Her mother, Theresa Lewis, received a tip at an annual vigil for Teekah Saturday night, and passed on the information to police, police said.
Tacoma police spokesman Mark Fulghum told KIRO 7 Eyewitness News that investigators checked the Rhododendron Garden at Point Defiance Park for evidence on Wednesday. Officers found nothing. Contrary to earlier reports, police did not dig at the park.
Two years ago, police released new photographs and home video of Teekah to encourage anyone with information to come forward.
Two years ago, Tacoma police released new photographs and video of Teekah, taken shortly before she vanished, in hopes that someone would come forward with new information.
Copyright 2010 by KIROTV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Re: Teekah Lewis Case and news information « Reply #28 on Apr 18, 2010, 11:35am »
DNA testing shows Dallas girl is not Teekah Lewis
By Christine Clarridge Seattle Times 6/21/2006
DNA testing has proven that a Dallas girl is not Teekah Lewis, who disappeared from a Tacoma bowling alley seven years ago when she was two-years-old.
The FBI said today that the Dallas girl's DNA did not match that of Teekah's family.
The news was devastating to the missing girl's family.
"It's another blow to the whole family," said Teekah's mother, Theresa English. "We're back to square one. I'll never give up on my baby girl. I don't care it takes me 10, 20 years. I'm not giving up."
Teekah disappeared from a bowling alley during a family outing in 1999 and an intensive search yielded no sign of the girl. Family members were given polygraphs and eliminated as potential suspects, police said.
Since then, dozens of detectives have worked the case, thousands of dollars in reward money has been raised and Teekah has been featured on the television show "America's Most Wanted" at least four times. Her picture and the story of her disappearance are featured on the Internet site for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
In April, Lewis was contacted by her family's private investigator who believed he might have found Teekah living with a woman in Dallas.
FBI investigators examined and interviewed the child and concluded that while she was a near look-alike, she was not Teekah, an FBI spokeswoman said.
The DNA testing was done to remove any doubt about the girl's identity.
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Re: Teekah Lewis Case and news information « Reply #29 on Apr 18, 2010, 11:36am »
Could Dallas girl be missing child?
By Christine Clarridge and Nancy Bartley Seattle Times 4/27/2006
In the seven years since the disappearance of her 2-year-old daughter, Teekah, from a Tacoma bowling alley, Theresa Lewis has known hope and fear and gnawing disappointment.
Now, she is bracing herself again as she awaits the results of DNA testing that will show conclusively whether a little girl in Dallas is her child.
Lewis said Wednesday a private investigator notified her two weeks ago that he had found a girl he believed to be Teekah living with a woman in Dallas. The investigator, who was hired by the Lewis family more than a year ago, sent her photos of the girl, she said.
"We compared her picture to my twins and other children and we think it's her," Lewis said. "We feel in our hearts that it's her."
But FBI investigators who said they interviewed and examined the Dallas girl said the child is more likely a look-alike and not Teekah.
"The agents in Dallas are fairly certain that it's not her," said Melissa Schuler, a spokeswoman for the FBI in Seattle. "She is a look-alike, but they examined her and compared birthmarks and they don't think it's her."
DNA samples were taken from the girl in Dallas for comparison with DNA from Lewis.
Teekah disappeared from a bowling alley in Tacoma around 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 23, 1999. Despite an intensive search, no sign of the girl was ever found. Family members were immediately polygraphed and eliminated as potential suspects, police said.
Since then, dozens of detectives have worked the case, thousands of dollars in reward money has been raised and Teekah has been featured on the television show "America's Most Wanted" at least four times. Her picture and the story of her disappearance are featured on the Internet site for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
In 2001, Lewis was asked to provide a DNA sample to match against the body of an unidentified dead child found in Kansas City, Mo. The child was not Teekah.
Lewis, who lives in the Tacoma area, said she and family members compared photos of the Dallas girl with pictures of Teekah when she was 2. Some pictures of Teekah had been age progressed. The photos also were compared with Teekah's five siblings, who are 4, 8, 12 and two 15-year-old twins. "She has the same ears as one of the twins," Lewis said. Lewis concedes she wants to believe the girl is Teekah.
Lewis also said that she and her older children believe they recognize the woman with whom the Dallas girl now lives as someone they had seen in the bowling alley and the Tacoma neighborhood they lived in at the time. She said the private investigator told her the Dallas girl attended school in Tacoma at some point and is now being home-schooled.
Phone calls to the private investigator were not immediately returned Wednesday.
The FBI said they did not know when the results of the DNA testing would be complete, but Lewis said she was told it would be at least several weeks.
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