Parents Of 23-Year-Old Phoenix Coldon, Who Disappeared 7 Years Ago, Still Searching For Answers

Seven years ago, 23-year-old Phoenix Coldon backed her SUV out of the driveway of her family’s home in Missouri – and vanished.

November 01, 2018

Phoenix Coldon [Provided]

By: Catherine Townsend

SPANISH LAKE, MO — On December 18, 2011, 23-year-old Phoenix Coldon backed her SUV out of the driveway of her family’s home in Spanish Lake, Missouri – and vanished. She has not been seen since.

Hours later, her vehicle was reportedly found abandoned, but running, in East St. Louis. Her glasses, purse, shoes, and ID were all inside, but there was no sign of Coldon.

Almost seven years later, her parents, Goldia and Lawrence, are still searching for answers. They believe that her case was not a priority for police for a variety of reasons, including the fact that she is Black.

“If Phoenix had looked like Natalee Holloway, we would not have had this problem,” Goldia has said.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Coldon was a junior fencing champion who regularly attended church.

But police also uncovered evidence that Coldon had not enrolled for the upcoming semester in college.

According to police, she had also been living with a secret boyfriend that her parents did not know about.

Coldon’s parents have made many attempts to find their daughter. They have posted appeals on social media and, according to The Huffington Post, even spoken to local sex workers after hearing a rumor that she could have been forced into the sex trade.

The family has also been subjected to heartbreaking hoaxes. At one point, a young woman called and pretended to be Coldon.

Coldon’s parents have fallen on hard times financially due to their search, but they say that they would pay any price to find answers about what really happened to their daughter.

“Let them take the house. I don’t care,” Goldia told the Post-Dispatch. “All I want to know is where Phoenix is.”

Next Up

It's Been More Than 15 Years Since Bianca Piper Vanished At Age 13

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has a hotline dedicated to finding missing kids. If you know where Bianca "B" Piper is today, please reach out directly: 1-800-THE-LOST

What Happened To High School Senior Erica Fraysure?

A Kentucky teen mysteriously disappeared after a night out in 1997.

In February 2001, Steven Kraft, Jr. Took His Dogs Outside And Disappeared

Over two decades ago, a 12-year-old boy went missing from outside his home in Benton Harbor, Michigan. The two dogs he was playing with have since been found but he remains missing.

Texas 11-Year-Old Girl Disappears After Visiting Her Grandmother

Police learned of two troubling incidents connected with the 1985 disappearance of Angelica Maria Gandara.

Karlie Gusé, 16, Went For A Walk In 2018 & Disappeared

The search continues for the California teen last seen by the side of a local road.

Michigan Teen Ciara Stacho Disappeared In 2015, Remains Missing Today

Ciara Stacho went missing from Michigan in August 2015. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) produced an age-enhanced photo of what Ciara Stacho may look like as an 18-year-old.

Mystery Remains After 13-Year-Old Girl Vanished From A Minnesota Gas Station In 1989

“You still kind of wait for the phone call for someone to say, ‘We found her, she's coming home,’” the mother of Amy Sue Pagnac says.

What Happened To Missing Teen Brookelyn Farthing After She Texted 'I'm Scared'?

In 2013, a Kentucky teenager texted “I'm scared” before leaving only her shoes, a bag, and a flaming couch behind.

Diamond And Tionda Bradley Vanished In 2001

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said thousands of leads have come in over the years on this case, but the girls (now women) have never been located.

Search Continues For North Carolina Girl Whose Parents Didn’t Report Her Missing For Weeks

11-year-old Madalina Cojocari was last seen getting off her school bus in November 2022.