Tanisha Watkins, 2: Vanished In 1984 While Playing In Front Yard
Her mother was cleaning inside their home and took her eyes off of Tanisha for just a few minutes.
When a toddler goes missing under mysterious circumstances, most investigative agencies exhaust all efforts. The extent to which authorities in Austin, Texas, searched for two-year-old Tanisha Watkins is unclear, but the little girl has been missing for decades without any regular updates shared with the public.
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It was just a few days after the New Year celebrations when little Tanisha Watkins vanished on January 5, 1984. This tragic story began that winter afternoon around 1:30 p.m. when Tanisha was reportedly playing outside her home. Tanisha and her mother lived with the mother’s grandmother in a mobile home in southeast Austin. The toddler was reportedly playing on a swing in the front yard while her mother swept their rugs inside the house.
A Child Vanishes In The Blink Of An Eye
Tanisha was left unattended, but her mother could see her from inside the house. However, while cleaning, she took her eyes away from Tanisha for just a few minutes, and when she looked back toward the yard, the little girl was gone. Panicked, the mother searched for her daughter with a neighbor for approximately two hours before contacting the authorities.
Investigators are said to have spoken with a witness who claimed that on the day Tanisha went missing, they saw her walking on Riverside Drive with a man. He was described as having a slender build, a beard, and wearing a green Army hat. However, a search of the area did not turn up any evidence that helped locate little Tanisha Watkins.
There have been questions about this bearded man over the years, and some reports state that he was never mentioned in news reports about this case back in the 1980s. The blog True Crime Diva claimed that this alleged suspect was never mentioned in early news reports, and it wasn’t until 2001 that this information was shared.
Tanisha Watkins: What To Know
At the time of her disappearance, Tanisha Watkins stood 3 feet tall and weighed 42 pounds. She had black/dark brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a white shirt with red pants and Velcro sneakers. Her middle name is “Lorraine,” and her hair was styled in braided pigtails. She would be 40 years old at the time of this publication. Tanisha’s fingerprints, DNA, and dental records are reportedly not on file.
Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact the Austin Police Department at (512) 974-5250 or their local law enforcement authorities. The agency case number is 840002711.
Please share this story about Tanisha Watkins to help reignite the investigation into her disappearance. She is our sister, and her life matters.
Sources
NamUs
The Doe Network
Texas Department of Public Safety
Fox 7 Austin
The Charley Project
True Crime Diva
Case Number: 840002711
Agency: Austin Police Department
Phone: (512) 974-5250
Email:
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