Credit: NCMEC
At CrimeCon in Nashville this month, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) unveiled a brand-new age progression image of Tabitha Tuders, who disappeared on her way to her school bus stop in 2003.
The new image was revealed during a compelling discussion on forensic art and science moderated by NCMEC’s own director of communications, Angeline Hartmann. The session featured insights from NCMEC forensic artist Joe Mullins, and included members of Tabitha’s family – her sister, Jamie Pulley, and mother, Debra Tuders.
The new age-progressed image shows what she may look like today, at 34.
The morning of Tuesday, April 29, 2003, was like any other morning in the Tuders’ home in Nashville. Tabitha’s father, Bo, woke Tabitha up for school before he left to head off to work. Just as she had done many mornings before, Tabitha headed down the street to the bus stop located at Boscobel St. and 14th St. The rest of the family went off to go about their daily routine as well, but when Tabitha didn’t return from school at her usual time, her mother, Deborah, grew concerned.
Deborah went up to Tabitha’s school and was told by a few students that they had not seen Tabitha at school that day. That’s when Deborah contacted the Metropolitan Nashville Police to file a missing person report.
Detective Steven Jolley is with the Homicide Cold Case Unit at the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and is one of a long line of detectives who have been assigned to Tabitha’s case over the years.
According to Det. Jolley, after Tabitha was reported missing, law enforcement was able to determine that she had not even made it on the bus that morning. This meant that there was a whole window of time between approximately 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. that unbeknownst to her family, Tabitha had already gone missing.
“Somewhere between home and the bus stop is where she came up missing,” explains Jamie. “She never made it to school. We didn’t know she did not make it to school until she did not come home on the bus that afternoon.”
Law enforcement, along with Tabitha’s family, set out on a search that, unaware at the time, would continue for years.
Over the years, forensic artists at NCMEC have created several age-progressed images to show what Tabitha may look like as she ages. Today, NCMEC and Tabitha’s family hope that someone will see the image and come forward, providing answers to bring Tabitha home.
Republished courtesy of NCMEC.