Althedia Vernon Vaught, 42: Vanished After Receiving A Mysterious Call In 2009
She didn't tell her children where she was going or who she was meeting up with.
It has been 17 years since anyone has seen or heard from Althedia Vaught, and her family still waits for an answer as to what happened to the mother of three.
On January 19, 2009, Althedia spent the day cleaning her house in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After setting everything in order, the 42-year-old told her two youngest children that she was tired and was going to bed.
However, around 11:30 p.m., Althedia received a phone call from an unknown person. Taking only her cell phone and still wearing her pajamas, Althedia left her home without telling anyone where she was going. Her son was in the living room watching a basketball game, but he said he didn’t recall hearing her car start.
Althedia didn’t put on any of her jewelry, which was left on her nightstand. She even left her television on in her bedroom, suggesting that she didn’t intend to be gone long.
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A few days later, on January 24, Althedia’s vehicle was found abandoned inside the Hillcrest Medical Center parking garage. Surveillance footage shows her car driving into the garage around midnight. Yet, investigators were unable to determine who was driving the car.
Another vehicle, a truck with a triple triangle design on the side, pulled in next to Athedia’s dark green four-door 1995 Infinity J30 with the Oklahoma license plate number 804 ZPN about half an hour later, before driving off. That driver has never been identified.
The Investigation Uncovers Althedia’s Children’s Theories
Early on in the investigation, Althedia’s children told a news station that they believed their mother was kidnapped but still alive. According to them, months after Althedia went missing, her voicemail was changed from a music recording to Althedia simply saying her name. They said she sounded as if she were under the influence of drugs.
“She’s a strong woman,” her son Thomas said in 2013. “I know she’s still alive out there somewhere.”
Althedia has missed her children growing older and having children of their own. They have all moved forward, and one of her sons even served time in jail. The family has suffered from her absence, and all these years later, there are still many unanswered questions in this cold case.
“It would be very important to us,” Thomas previously said. “It would save a family. We’re losing my brother. My sister is struggling. I’m struggling. It would save a whole family.”
“The two guys that were persons of interest, searched their cars and houses and found no blood or anything,” Alethia’s daughter, Teanna Thomas, added. Still, police fear that foul play may have been involved in her case.
Althedia Vernon Vaught: What To Know
At the time of her disappearance, Athedia was approximately 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall and 150 to 155 pounds. She had black/dark brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing her pajamas.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Tulsa Police Department at (918) 596-9143, Crime Stoppers at 918-596-COPS, or their local authorities.
Please share this story about Althedia Vernon Vaught to help bring the concerned family answers. She is our sister, and her life matters.
Case Number: 2009-004303
Agency: Tulsa Police Department
Phone: (918) 596-9143
Email: tpdmissingpersons@cityoftulsa.org
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