NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Nashville mother mysteriously vanished while running an errand, and 24 years later, she has never been found.
As her family marks the anniversary of her disappearance, they are renewing their call for information on what happened.
Laresha Walker, who went by her middle name Deana, was last seen on Nov. 19, 1999. She dropped off her 2-year-old son Rayvon with her sister and said she was leaving the next morning to go to Murfreesboro to get her car appraised. It was the last time anyone saw her.
Her sister went to Walker's house on Edwards Avenue in Nashville the next day. The townhouse was locked, the lights were on, and music was blaring inside. Her sister also found the clothes Walker was wearing the day before inside. There was no sign of her.
Metro Police said a neighbor told detectives he saw Walker the night of Nov. 19 at her house with an unidentified man, and they were arguing. They went in the home, came out, and then left together.
There are currently no known suspects in the case.
Walker's maroon 1995 Oldsmobile Achieva with a long scratch on the driver's side and the Tennessee license plate number 419-ABG has never been located.
"It's very rare that we have a missing person case and we never find the car they were last seen in," said Matthew Filter, a detective with the Metro Police Department's Cold Case-Homicide/Missing Persons unit. "It usually always turns up."
Filter said as years go by, he hopes people with information on Walker's disappearance will come forward.
"What’s really going to help us with his case is people who knew Walker, knew she was hanging out with especially, if she was hanging with people her family isn’t aware of, those are the people we need to hear from," said Filter.
For Walker's son, Rayvon Walker, growing up without a mom has been tough.
"I kind of like that people tell me I act like her," said Rayvon Walker. "I think about it every day. It has been so long, it just gets tougher every year."
He said since he was only 2 years old when his mom disappeared, he doesn't remember much about her. He relies on the support of family to get through difficult days.
"I really do believe one day we will find out [what happened] and it will be a celebration, a big celebration," said Walker.
Walker was 23 years old when she disappeared, 5'7" and around 190 pounds with black hair, brown eyes.
If you have any information on what happened to Laresha Deana Walker, you can call the Metro Police Department Cold Case Unit at 615-862-7329. You can also call Nashville Crime Stoppers anonymously at 615-74-CRIME.
