A Young Georgia Mother Disappeared Into The Night After A Phone Call

A joint task force between the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are working together to solve the disappearance of 22-year-old Sonya Tukes, who went missing in 2004.

According to the GBI, Tukes’ last known location was her sister’s home at 190 Wimberly Circle in Tenille, a rural town in central Georgia, about halfway between Atlanta and Savannah.

Just prior to her disappearance, Tukes and her boyfriend had both been arrested after a domestic violence incident. According to an article from WJBF in Augusta, Tukes’ sister bailed her out of jail so she wouldn’t miss work. Tukes’ son was with his paternal grandparents so Tukes could work that week. At the time, she was working on a highway crew building state route 88.

When she didn’t report for work on Monday, May 10, her boss called her sister, Barbara Tukes, to check on her. Barbara immediately knew something was terribly wrong — Sonya always went to work.

Search parties scoured the area around the home, but the woman had apparently vanished. Later, investigators learned that Sonya had answered a phone call around 1:15 on the morning of May 10. The number traced back to a payphone outside of a gas station. Sonya had previously received phone calls from that number, which led Barbara to believe her sister knew exactly who was on the other end of the line. Investigators believe the caller was able to lure Sonya out of the house.

There is an unnamed person of interest in the case, according to reports, but there are no suspects and no one has ever been charged in Sonya’s disappearance. In May 2023, the joint task force organized a candlelight vigil to renew interest in the case and are hopeful that there will be new leads soon.

Sonya was last known to be wearing flip flops, green shorts and a black shirt. She is 5’5'' tall and weighed about 170 pounds at the time of her disappearance. If she is still alive, she would be 41 years old.

If you have any information about her disappearance, please call the GBI Region 12 Special Agent Chris Baldwin at 478-374-6988 or Washington County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Trey Burgamy at 478-552-4795. Callers can remain anonymous.