Meta Valentine, 42: Went Missing In 2014, Ex Charged With Murder
Murder & kidnapping charges have been filed against her ex-boyfriend, but he cannot be located.
The current status of this case is unclear, but the last reports were back in 2018, four years after Meta Valentine went missing.
The last time anyone had contact with the 42-year-old was in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on October 28, 2014, when Meta reportedly spoke with her mother by telephone at approximately 10:30 p.m. She was said to have been speaking in "riddles" and was difficult to understand.
Earlier, Meta was captured on surveillance cameras walking toward her apartment complex on Sycamore Park, off Old Wilmington Road, following a neighborhood watch meeting.
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The Choir Director Mysteriously Vanishes
The next day, Meta was set to attend a family function but failed to appear. She was immediately reported missing, and police were quick to suspect foul play in her disappearance.
According to reports, Meta was not the type to vanish, especially without notifying her loved ones. She was said to have spent much of her time at church, even serving as a secretary and choir director at Deliverance and Praise Church of Worship.
There are also reports stating that Meta complained about her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Reginald McDowell, the father of one of her children. Their relationship had a documented history of domestic violence that landed McDowell in prison.
Meta & McDowell’s Tumultuous Relationship Is Detailed
Meta and McDowell first met in high school, but their romance was not an easy road. By 1999, Meta was dating someone new, a man named Kenneth D. Thompson. That year, Meta and Kenneth were reportedly bound, gagged, pistol-whipped, and placed into the trunk of a vehicle.
McDowell had kidnapped the couple.
He was later charged with “two counts of first-degree kidnapping and one count each of first-degree burglary and shooting into an occupied vehicle,” reports the Fayetteville Observer. In 2001, McDowell was sentenced to 15 years behind bars but was released in 2011. Once he was free, Meta reunited with her ex.
Their relationship lasted until October 11, 2014, when Meta decided to end things with McDowell. That was just 11 days before she vanished.
Meta’s Last Known Movements The Day She Disappeared
On the day she went missing, Meta is seen on surveillance footage walking toward her apartment complex, but also in the frame is what looked to be a frightening situation. At one point, Meta stood for but a few seconds and stared at a vehicle. Then, suddenly, she took a few steps before running toward her home. Once she made it around the corner, the man in the vehicle took off after her.
Investigators believe that the man is Reginald McDowell.
McDowell Charged In Meta’s Case
It would not be until 2018 that police would officially charge McDowell in connection with Meta’s disappearance. Warrants were issued for first-degree kidnapping and first-degree murder, but McDowell was nowhere to be found. Early on in the investigation, McDowell was cooperative with police. However, that soon ended.
McDowell has since disappeared, and police continue to search for him. He reportedly has not had contact with his relatives in the Fayetteville area, and it is believed he is hiding somewhere in New York City.
Meta Valentine remains missing.
“We’re getting close to closure, which is a great thing,” Meta’s son, DeMario Valentine, told reporters back in 2018. “If she could take care of you, she would try to. She loved to eat, which is why I love to cook. It’s just hard because I always wanted her there when I got married and had kids ... and I’m hoping there’s still a chance that happens.”
“There’s been quite a few cases where people pop up years later. So anything is possible,” DeMario added.
Meta Valentine: What To Know
At the time of her disappearance, Meta Valentine stood 5 feet to 5 feet 1 inch tall and weighed between 160 and 165 pounds. She had brown eyes (she sometimes wore contact lenses), and her hair was dyed strawberry blonde, but its natural color was black/dark brown.
Both of her ears were pierced. Meta went by the nickname “Mimi” and had at least two tattoos: a flower on her upper arm and a heart on her breast. She was last seen wearing a blue T-shirt, grey sweatpants, and flip-flops.
Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact Sergeant M. Ballard with the Fayetteville Police Department at (910) 549-7326 and Crimestoppers at (910) 483-TIPS (8477), or their local authorities. The agency case number is 14-032112.
Please share this story about Meta Valentine to help resolve this case. She is our sister, and her life matters.
Case Number: 14-032112
Agency: Fayetteville Police Department
Phone: (910) 549-7326
Email:
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