| Welcome to Porchlight International for the Missing & Unidentified. We hope you enjoy your visit. You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Join our community! If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
| Taylor,Antonio Y.missing September 20,1999; Tennessee | |
|---|---|
| Tweet Topic Started: Sep 10 2006, 10:09 PM (723 Views) | |
| oldies4mari2004 | Sep 10 2006, 10:09 PM Post #1 |
|
Unregistered
|
http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/t/taylor_antonio.html |
|
|
| oldies4mari2004 | Jan 1 2007, 10:32 PM Post #2 |
|
Unregistered
|
Antonio Yarnell Taylor Above: Taylor, circa 1999 Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance Missing Since: September 20, 1999 from Shelbyville, Tennessee Classification: Endangered Missing Date Of Birth: May 12, 1978 Age: 21 years old Height and Weight: 5'10, 165 pounds Distinguishing Characteristics: Afican-American male. Black hair, brown eyes. Taylor has a scar on his left arm. He has gold open-face crowns on his teeth. Taylor wears eyeglasses. Clothing/Jewelry Description: A green/brown pullover shirt, a white t-shirt, tennis shoes, a gold chain necklace and matching bracelet and a ring on one of his left fingers. Details of Disappearance Taylor was last seen leaving his residence in Shelbyville, Tennessee on September 20, 1999. It appeared as though he expected to return home shortly; all of his personal belongings were left inside of his house. Taylor has never been heard from again. His case remains unsolved. Investigating Agency If you have any information concerning this case, please contact: Shelbyville Police Department 931-684-5811 Source Information The National Center for Missing Adults Charley Project Home |
|
|
| oldies4mari2004 | Mar 20 2007, 03:04 PM Post #3 |
|
Unregistered
|
http://z13.invisionfree.com/PorchlightUSA/...opic=9899&st=0& |
|
|
| monkalup | Jun 13 2011, 04:51 PM Post #4 |
|
The Old Heifer! An oxymoron, of course.
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
http://www.t-g.com/story/1735671.html Families of missing persons endure emotions and uncertainties Sunday, June 12, 2011 By TRACY SIMMONS First of four parts (Photo) Antonio Taylor hugs grandmother Lillie Buchanan on his birthday in 1999, above. The Polaroid is one of the last photos the family has of him. (Submitted photo) It was a Monday morning, and Antonio Taylor, 21, had a job interview just after lunchtime. He ironed his shirt and laid his clothes on the bed. His mother, Rochelle Adams, was going to pick him up later and take him to the appointment. He had big plans, and today was the first step in making it all happen. He was going to get his GED, go back to school and train to be a professional barber. What was most important to him were his boys. They needed him, and he wanted them to be proud of him someday. He got a phone call from his friend Barry Rippy and waved to his uncle as he left the house. His pager, cell phone and wallet were still on the dresser. It was September 20, 1999. It would be the last time anyone in the family saw him. Unfulfilled hopes "Everything was left here, like he'd be right back," said Adams. In the next days, they waited for a phone call, hoped the back door of his grandmother's house would open and Antonio would walk in with that big smile, larger than life and full of mischief. When she laid down at night, and for months afterward, Lillie Buchanan would worry. "Is he cold? Is he hungry?" And then she would pray. The police searched for him in those early days, and called Antonio's friends in for interviews. A group of his friends met at the old Harris football fields to organize a search. Friends and family got together and held a fish fry to raise money to fund a reward. "We [are] a family that doesn't have any money. We had a benefit to raise reward money," said Adams. The result: $2,000 raised and $1,000 added by the Crime Stoppers tip line. "We kept hearing all these off-the-wall stories," said Adams. "This is a small town, somebody saw something. Somebody knows something. Tony was well known. I mean, we're known people. We're not big people or nothing like that, but everybody knows somebody in one of the families." Friends step in Left behind were two boys, just toddlers. Damion was 2 and Anthony was 1. That Christmas his friends got together and filled the living room of Buchanan's home with presents for the boys. It took hours to open them all. (Photo) Lillie Buchanan prays for revelations in Antonio Taylor's disappearance. "I just put it in prayer. I just ask the Lord to reveal the truth. My love, all my love is still there for Antonio." (T-G Photo by Tracy Simmons) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo] "That was just showing us how much Antonio was liked," said grandmother Lillie Buchanan. "It meant a lot to us." "Tony, he was an outgoing person. He was free-hearted and he would try to do anything for anybody," said Adams. "He always carried that smile with him," remembers Buchanan, who Taylor was living with at the time of his disappearance. "He was known in the community, and people liked him. They speak of him in the past tense now. It took a few months to come to the knowledge in their hearts, they each say, and a year before the reality of his disappearance settled in. "The reason we don't feel like he's alive -- knowing Antonio the way we did, he would have gotten in touch some kind of way," said Buchanan. Adams agrees, "That's another reason why we knew something was wrong. He was trying to raise his boys. He would not have just gone off and left them like that." Not forgotten Each year on May 12 -- Antonio's birthday -- the family places a paid ad in the Times-Gazette, in remembrance of him, always asking that someone come forward with information about his disappearance. Most of all, they don't want the community to forget. His close friends remember. "They treat me like Tony is still here," said Adams. They shout out, "Hey! There's Bag's Momma!" and they explain to those younger who Antonio is. Was. Adams' friends remember as well. Her only child was born when she was still a child herself, just short of her 14th birthday. Antonio became a part of her classmates' high school experience. Those kids she had gone to school with from kindergarten to senior year saw Antonio in the audience, old enough to be proud of his mother's graduation. Sons without a father His own boys, Damion and Anthony have grown into young men now, ages 14 and 13, respectively. They play sports, are popular, active and handsome. When the family gets together they hear, "Lord! That's something your daddy would do." or "You're acting just like your daddy!" and it quietly pleases them. When he was 10 years old, Anthony Taylor began carrying a wallet. There wasn't any money in it to speak of, but that wasn't the point. He just wanted to keep a picture of his father with him. While browsing Facebook one evening, Damion came across a profile page with his father's name and photo. A family member had created the page dedicated to finding Antonio, but it caught Damion unaware and left him unsettled for days. "I think they know he's not coming back," said Buchanan. "They want him around and they know he's not coming back. Their mother has to talk to them a lot sometimes. "They know they both look like him. The things they are doing, the grades they are making, he would be so proud." On May 12, the family released balloons for Antonio's birthday. He would be 33 this year. Faithful wait Lacking answers, they hold tightly to their faith and their memories. "I just put it in prayer. I just ask the Lord to reveal the truth," said Buchanan. Tears mist in her eyes when asked if she's ever been angry at God, "I haven't been mad. Maybe it's not for me to understand all the time. Maybe there are things that God needs to do. When He gets ready, we've always had faith that it's going to be revealed." "When he does, we'd like to have justice, closure. I hope we get to see it here on earth. I've always prayed we get to see it here." The family hopes one day for Antonio to be found. For a prayer to be said over him. For a grave his sons can go to sit and talk to him if they wish. "I have faith it's going to come out. Eventually, it's going to come to the light," said Adams. |
|
Lauran "If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only. | |
![]() |
|
| Ell | Aug 21 2011, 06:04 PM Post #5 |
|
Heart of Gold
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Volunteers cover county for 'The Shelbyville Missing' Sunday, August 21, 2011 By TRACY SIMMONS ~ tsimmons@t-g.com Rochelle Adams, left, mother of Antonio "Tony" Taylor, relative Sheila Wells and Taylor's grandmother, Sheila Wells await the start of Saturday's search for clues in the disappearances of Taylor, Bobby Smelcer and Shelley Jones Mook. (T-G Photo by Tracy Simmons) [Order this photo] There were tears in Lillie Buchanan's eyes Saturday morning as she stood on the steps of Bedford County Agriculture and Education Center on Midland Road and watched the trailers of local search and rescue groups pull in to the parking lot. It had been 11 years and 11 months to the day since her grandson, Antonio "Tony" Taylor, 21, had left her home with a wave. She's not seen him since. "I'm trying not to cry," Buchanan said, as she watched a steady stream of volunteers continue to arrive, signing their names on a roster and being dispatched to one of a dozen locations, or simply dropping off baked goods, food and cases of water and sports drinks. "I've always kept the faith." After a series of articles appeared in the Times-Gazette in mid-June, the families joined forces to find those who are now referred to on flyers, banners and T-shirts as The Shelbyville Missing. Bobby Smelcer, 52, and Shelley Jones Mook, 24, disappeared within four months of one another, in November 2010 and in February 2011, respectively. With Bedford County Search and Rescue coordinating the logistics for the search, volunteer groups from Coffee County and Smyrna were on hand, as were the United Auto Workers search and rescue group from Nashville. Volunteers brought horses, cadaver dogs and water cadaver dogs to assist in the search. "We have had the dogs show interest in three areas -- all of which are in quarries," said Kristy Ray, a sister of Smelcer. "We had over 100 volunteers sign in this morning, plus the search and rescue teams," said Karen Harris, another of Smelcer's sisters. Search and rescue teams signed up separately with the local group. According to Harris, at one location, two separate dog teams hit on a scent in the same spot. Boaters with sonar confirmed and at press time divers were in transit. Searches were also being conducted in an area along Coney Island Road, at Dover Creek and near Interstate 24 in Beech Grove. The search locations were identified through tips made to the family over time. According to Buchanan, a farm near Unionville had often been the topic of the rumors reported to the family over the past 12 years. After the T-G series ran, she received a tip about an area in Richmond from an anonymous caller. Debra Sikora, the mother of Harris Middle School reading teacher Mook, said she was thankful for the turnout. Rochelle Adams, Taylor's mother, was visibly affected by the volume of volunteers on hand, "Finally, finally -- after all these years, to see all these people come together and go look for Tony, I don't know what to say." Buchanan does know. "I knew God did this from the day [the T-G] came in my living room," she said. "God is in this. He knows what He's doing." Rewards for information concerning the disappearances of Smelcer and Taylor are $5,000 and $3,000 respectively. Contact the Shelbyville Police Department at 684-5811 or anonymously at Crimestoppers at 685-4300. The reward for information concerning the disappearance of Shelley Jones Mook is $20,000. Contact the Bedford County Sherriff's Department at 684-3232 http://www.t-g.com/story/1755025.html |
|
Ell Only after the last tree has been cut down; Only after the last fish has been caught; Only after the last river has been poisoned; Only then will you realize that money cannot be eaten. | |
![]() |
|
| monkalup | Jan 2 2012, 12:31 AM Post #6 |
|
The Old Heifer! An oxymoron, of course.
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Love, hope and waiting: Families stay strong for missing loved ones Sunday, January 1, 2012 By TRACY SIMMONS ~ tsimmons@t-g.com (Photo) Brandie Creson and Beulah Holman, the daughter and grandmother of Bobby Smelcer, hope for closure in the missing persons case. (Submitted photo) [Click to enlarge] EDITOR'S NOTE: In an average year two or three persons go missing in Tennessee, statistics show. A year ago, two went missing within four months of each other. When added to the now 12-year old missing person case of Antonio Taylor, the trio make a statistical anomaly. In June, the T-G published a series of articles detailing the investigation of these cases and the frustration of the families with unanswered questions. We followed up this week. When she saw her brother recently he was smiling broadly, says Kristy Smelcer. He sat next to her and put his hand on her leg and said, "Why are you all so sad?" It was one of three dreams Kristy has had this year in which Bobby Smelcer has appeared, a bittersweet comfort. "It was like he couldn't comprehend sadness, in his mind he had moved on and he was happy." Bobby, then 52, went missing on Nov. 21, 2010 and has not been seen since. Still missing He is one of three missing people in Bedford County. Antonio Taylor, then 21, has been missing since Sept. 20, 1999. Harris Middle School teacher Shelley Jones Mook, then 24, was last seen Feb. 28. In June, the Times-Gazette profiled each family and later that same month arranged a luncheon for the group, who had each expressed a desire to meet the others. Since that time the families have become fast friends, and have joined forces to organize searches and prayer vigils for a group they now term "The Shelbyville Missing." "The families of Shelley and Antonio are wonderful and amazing, with whom we share a common bond -- one that you don't want to share with anyone," said Karen Harris, one of Bobby Smelcer's four sisters. "It is comforting to be able to talk with someone who knows what you go through day by day. I know how hard this is for our family, and my heart aches for theirs." "We have become good friends," said Lillie Buchanan, grandmother of Taylor, who credits the other families for including him in each public outreach. Grim reminder When we talked to the Smelcer family in June, they spoke of Bobby in both the present and past tenses, still hopeful that maybe -- just maybe -- he would walk through the door, annoyed that so much fuss had been made over his disappearance. The first anniversary of his disappearance came in November, just two weeks after the family patriarch, Grant, was laid to rest by his children. It was the first family funeral since Bobby's disappearance, and the family's grief seemed doubled. "I didn't cry at the funeral until they mentioned my dad, and then I felt like maybe I was at his funeral too," said Jennifer Smelcer, the younger of Bobby's two daughters. "I have a comfort that dad is not in pain, that he's gone to a better place," said Kristy. "But we don't know what's happened to Bobby." "This year has been a long one," added Harris, citing the many letdowns, disappointments and frustrations the group has faced. "I think I've cried more this year than in my entire life. I was his baby sister. I just miss him. I miss him so bad," said Kristy. 'Always in my heart' On the Friday afternoon just before Christmas, Jennifer's neat home was lacking any holiday decorations. The last time she had packed away her tree, her father had only been missing a few weeks. "It feels like if I put my tree up, it makes it more real that my dad's gone," she said. "I usually love Christmas, but not anymore." Their smiles continue along with their grief, even as life goes on for everyone around them. Compartmentalization becomes a well-used tool in their coping. Harris speaks of mentally adding up the holidays and family celebrations, a stack that grows with the passage of time. "It is a reminder to me of the time ... that we have lost with our brother. Times we will never be able to get back. "If you think about it too much, it gets the better of you. Bobby is always on my mind -- always in my heart." Over the Christmas holiday, the Taylor family took Antonio's sons Damion and Anthony to see the billboard on Madison Street which bears their father's photo. "Antonio would have really been proud," says Lillie Buchanan of the teenagers. "They are doing good in school, they are mannerable [sic] and respectful boys." Change of mind Earlier this year, the Smelcer family contemplated the who and what of the crime they feel surely occurred. They were angry and wanted to see justice take its course, for Bobby's sake. Not anymore. "At this point, I don't even care who did it any more. I don't care who did it, I just want my dad back," said Jennifer. "No questions asked," agreed Kristy. "I pray for them. I'm praying for the person who did it," continued Jennifer. "I'm not saying what they did was okay. I'm not, but I pray for your soul." "At this point in time, there is probably not any evidence left, anyway. If you get down to it, he's a skeleton," said Kristy of the likely condition of Bobby's remains. Looking for closure Beulah Holman, Bobby's 89-year-old grandmother, fears she won't live to learn of what became of Bobby. "I'm sure that someone carried my grandson off," said Holman. "That's what I pray for, something, some kind of a lead." She's not quite ready to forgive whoever harmed Bobby. "I just pray that whoever done this to Bobby, I hope and pray that they will have to suffer as much as his children, grandchildren and grandmother," she said. "He deserves to be found. He's not a piece of trash to be thrown away, he deserves a funeral, deserves somewhere he can get rest," said Jennifer. "We as a family, as a community, deserve somewhere we can go to pay respect, or if I'm having a bad day and just want to go sit and talk to him." "I can't change what's happened, let's go ahead and see about putting him where he needs to be." Hopes dim With the passage of a year, even the hopes of local investigators that Bobby would be found alive have faded. "According to the family it was not uncommon for Bobby to disappear for days," said Sgt. Brian Crews, the Shelbyville police detective who has been lead investigator in the case. "However, it is highly unlikely he would stay gone for this amount of time without contacting someone." "This case has been quite a challenge from its onset. If you are familiar with the 'The First 48 Hours" you understand the statistical disadvantage the Smelcer case provided us. "Five days passed before law enforcement was ever contacted in regards to Bobby missing," Crews said. "I'm afraid during that lapse of time crucial evidence or leads may have been lost. "With that being said, we have not given up hope that one day we will develop the lead that will enable us to piece this puzzle together." What seems certain to the families of the missing is that there are at least three people in our small community who are capable of murder -- of taking the life of someone vital. In Bobby's case, the family tends to think his murderer was someone he knew. "If someone is capable of doing this, they will do it again," said Kristy. Searches held (Photo) Jesse Julien and Patricia Compton brought their well-trained hounds to a search organized by families of The Shelbyville Missing. (T-G File Photo by Tracy Simmons) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo] In August, the families organized a search with over 100 volunteers taking part. Bedford County Search and Rescue coordinated logistics for the search, and volunteer groups from Coffee County and Smyrna were on hand, as was the United Auto Workers search and rescue group from Nashville. Volunteers brought horses, cadaver dogs and water cadaver dogs to assist in the search of locations mentioned in tips made to the families over time. "Each time we have organized searches, we have that glimmer of hope, that we will find Bobby and other Shelbyville Missing family members, but when the day is done and the planned search is completed, we have come away empty-handed and it is a hard pill to swallow," said Harris. "You get so revved up, so hopeful and then reality sets in." Trained cadaver dogs showed interest in three areas, most of which were in quarries, according to Kristy. Independent searches can be beneficial, but law enforcement and the families tend to disagree on the relevance of the findings. "I am not aware of any evidence or leads that were gathered during the family-organized search that took place earlier in the year," Crews said in an interview by email. Possible leads "There was a container found in Smith Equipment's quarry," said Kristy. "There was a lead that came in years and years ago that Antonio was put in a container in that quarry." SPD sent divers to the site. "As for the dive at the rock quarry there was some junk discovered underwater but nothing unusually suspicious about the debris," Crews said. "The dive itself was not the result of a conclusive lead but rather the fulfillment of a request by the [families]." According to Kristy, cadaver dogs also hit on a location in Estill Springs. "Law enforcement says the cadaver dogs are just hitting on urine ... We really want to get back on that property. I have talked to many [cadaver-sniffing] dog owners. They don't hit on urine," Kristy said. According to Crews, the site did not pan out as a viable lead. "The Estill Springs site was searched after Kristy received contact from an unsolicited psychic. Once again, this search was not done as a result of a conclusive lead but rather the fulfillment of a request from the Smelcer family. "The terrain was an obstacle to navigate; however, the site was searched with the assistance of two cadaver dogs. "According to the K-9 handlers the dogs hit on a specific area. This area was swamp land that retains water approximately 12-16 inches deep year-round. "It was an area that would be impossible to dig a hole and bury a body [in] but not so deep that a person would not notice a body on the top of the ground. The area was also an unrealistic distance from the roadway." Fresh approach This week, Crews will turn the cases over to new partner, Detective Sam Jacobs. "I will remain the lead investigator but Sam is going to take the case and re-interview everyone." "Hopefully this will provide us with a fresh perspective and may lead to something that may have been previously overlooked." As winter takes over the landscape, hunters and hikers are in the woods more often than at other time of the year, and may find evidence of interest to the investigations, "I would still like to encourage property owners and hunters to be on the lookout for any suspicious findings they may come upon -- and if anything is found by them [don't] hesitate in contacting the police department," said Crews. The experience has shaken the all the families, but many report a strengthening of their faith. "All that has happened in our family has brought me closer to our Savior," said Katrina Newman, a sister of Bobby. "As we get older in life, we realize what is important -- life is short. "When you lose a family member, all the material things mean nothing. This Christmas I enjoyed celebrating the real meaning." "We just need closure," said Buchanan. "It's been a long time coming, but we still have that faith and belief that one day God is going to reveal what is hidden. We have to keep that faith -- we have to be patient and wait on God." Mook's family adjusts Debra Sikora, mother of Mook, continues to guard her privacy -- and that of granddaughter Lilliana -- fiercely. Sikora took a leave of absence from her job and moved to Shelbyville for several months this year as the investigation into Shelley's disappearance continued. After a custody hearing in the fall, Sikora returned to her home in Erie, Pa., with Lilliana. According to postings on social media by family and friends, she is adjusting well to her new school and surroundings. Attempts to contact Sikora for input on this story went unanswered. REWARDS Rewards for information concerning the disappearances of Smelcer and Taylor are $5,000 and $3,000 respectively. Contact the Shelbyville Police Department at 684-5811 or anonymously at Crimestoppers at 685-4300. The reward for information concerning the disappearance of Shelley Jones Mook is $20,000. Contact the Bedford County Sheriff's Department at 684-3232 or the Tenn. Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-TBI-FIND. VIGIL PLANNED A candlelight prayer vigil for The Shelbyville Missing will be held Friday, Jan. 13 at 6:30 p.m. on the courthouse square. http://www.t-g.com/story/1800197.html |
|
Lauran "If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only. | |
![]() |
|
| « Previous Topic · Missing Persons Cases 1999 · Next Topic » |







![]](http://z6.ifrm.com/static/1/pip_r.png)

2:05 PM Jul 11