What Happened To Tonetta Carlisle? Authorities Say Teen Was Abducted From Tennessee

Tonetta Carlisle was last seen being forced into a vehicle in Chattanooga on March 16, 1989. If you know anything about Tonetta's case, please contact the Chattanooga Police directly: 423-698-2525.

March 10, 2023
Tonetta Carlisle [left] went missing from Chattanooga in 1989; Tonetta's photo is shown age-progressed to 45 years [right].

Tonetta Carlisle was last seen being forced into a vehicle in Chattanooga on March 16, 1989.

Photo by: NCMEC

NCMEC

By: Crimefeed Contributor

Authorities say Tonetta Carlisle was 15-years-old when she disappeared while walking home from her Chattanooga high school. On March 16, 1989, around 3 p.m., News 9 reports Tonetta was last seen being forced into a vehicle before she vanished. Her family isn’t giving up hope on finding out what happened to their loved one.

The Hamilton County District Attorney's Office reopened the case in 2019 and reportedly "centered in on convicted rapist Jeffrey Jones." Jones took his own life two days after Tonetta vanished.

Tonetta's family has been active in the search to find her, even taking News 9 to the exact spot where Tonetta was last seen. Although the area looks different now, Nonie Sturdivant, Tonetta's mother, told the news station she knew her teen daughter at the time had to walk up a hill to make it back to her house.

As for the kind of person his sister was, Tonetta’s brother Darrell Stewart said, "She had a good sense of humor, you know, she liked to see people laugh.”

Stewart added, "You see stuff like this in movies and you hear about it, you don't think it will hit home. We really want to encourage everyone through our little sister, with school starting, to be careful. The parents, network with each other, try not to have your child walking by herself."

News 9 reports a woman and her husband saw "several people jump out of a tan and yellow car." The vehicle had Tennessee tag: LKH-920. The couple reportedly said they saw the person they believe to be Tonetta being pulled inside the awaiting car.

Although the couple reportedly called police, and so did Tonetta’s mom to file a missing persons report, the two incidents weren’t automatically linked.

When Tonetta went missing she stood 5 feet 1 inches tall and weighed 95 pounds. She is a Black female who was last seen wearing a pink and white striped blouse, jean skirt, and white sneakers. She was born on August 28, 1975.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) created an age enhancement of what Tonetta may look like as a 45-year-old woman. NCMEC added that foul play is suspected in this case.

If you know anything about Tonetta's case, please contact the Chattanooga Police directly: 423-698-2525. You can also reach out to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations (TBI): 1-800-TBI-FIND.

Next Up

Teenager Aaliyah Bell Disappeared From Rock Hill, South Carolina In 2014

If you have any information on Aaliyah’s whereabouts, please contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children directly: 1-800-THE-LOST.

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 Zion Foster? Family Seeks Justice After Her Disappearance

The Michigan teen was reported missing on Jan. 4, 2022, but it took several weeks before the tragic truth came out.

Family Still Looking For Answers In 1965 Disappearance Of Elizabeth Gill

Authorities said a vehicle previously purchased in Lake Orion, Michigan is linked to this Cape Girardeau, Missouri mystery. If you have any information on this missing mystery, please contact the Cape Girardeau Police Department directly: 573-335-6621.

Two Texas Teens Left After Curfew In 1988 And Never Returned

Police in Carrollton, Texas, initially thought Stacie Madison and Susan Smalley were runaways.

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.

Have You Seen Missing New Jersey Teen Neilina “Nelly” Tolentino?

The last sighting of her was between July 2020 and October 2020. Police believe Nelly was spotted with an unknown adult male several times in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Sam Tapp Vanished In 2004, Sisters Release Touching Letters In Hopes Of Reaching Her

Authorities said Sam Tapp went missing from Burleson, Texas in 2004. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) she may use the alias last name Vandiver. If you have any information on where Sam could be, please contact NCMEC directly: 1-800-THE-LOST.

Teen Lashaya Stine Is Missing; Her Mom Fears Sex Trafficking

“She needs to try and get away from whatever it is. If she can get to me, I will protect her. I will do anything to protect her,” her mother, Sabrina Jones, emphasizes.

Questions Surround 2 Separate Cases Of 3 People Found Dead After Going Missing In California

Former couple Janette Pantoja and Juan Almanza Zavala and teenager Kiely Rodni vanished within hours of each other in Nevada County.

Featured Cases

More Missing