A Young Washington, DC Mother Boarded A Bus Home From Work But Never Returned

Latisha Frazier was a kind, responsible 18-year-old working hard to raise her 3-year-old daughter, Diamond, while working at a fast food restaurant in Washington, DC’s seventh ward, and her family was adamant something was wrong when she didn’t come home.

On the night of August 2, 2010, Frazier left her job to catch the bus home to her mom, her sister, and her daughter.

When Latisha didn’t arrive as expected, her family tried to reach her cell phone, but each time they called, it went straight to voicemail.

Her panicked family went to the police and insisted that Latisha wasn’t an adult who left of her own free will — she would have never left her daughter.

DC Metro Police Detective Jackie Middleton was assigned to the case. The officer immediately began retracing the young woman’s steps.

A Typical Day On The Job

Middleton went to speak with the young woman’s coworkers. Latisha’s manager described her as hardworking and one of her best employees. To the manager’s knowledge, Latisha didn’t have any problems with coworkers or customers. Her August 2 shift had been completely ordinary, and her manager had watched her clock out, leave, and catch the bus home.

Middleton also caught Latisha’s bus — she needed to speak with the driver and show him a photo of the missing woman. The driver said Latisha was a regular on the bus, and that she often rode with a young man. She was with that man when she got on the bus on August 2.

The Frazier family confirmed the man on the bus was Latisha’s boyfriend, and Middleton set her eyes on him next.

According to the boyfriend, Latisha told him she had plans to see some friends and exited the bus before she reached her home. He stayed on the bus and continued to his own house, an alibi that police were able to corroborate.

As police worked the case, they spoke with Diamond’s biological father and more friends in Latisha’s life. They were all concerned and worried about her safety, but they simply had no idea what had happened to her.

The family began to canvas the neighborhood with fliers and do their own investigative work, but it didn’t take long before they realized that somebody was ripping down the fliers just as soon as they were hung.

Not long after that, Latisha’s sister began getting threatening messages on social media that implied that Latisha was dead and the family should abandon their search for justice.

See how authorities solved the case on American Detective at 10/9c on July 27 on ID. Other episodes are available now on discovery+.