The Valencia County Sheriff’s Office in New Mexico says a significant development has been made in the 1988 disappearance of Tara Calico.
During a Tuesday morning press conference, Sheriff Denise Vigil said law enforcement obtained substantial evidence in the case, which will be presented to the DA’s office. The district attorney is expected to assess the evidence to determine if any charges should be filed.
Vigil declined to disclose the identities of any potential suspects, according to KOAT News, since the “names remain under seal by court order.”
Watch the full press conference below
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Tara disappeared on September 20, 1988, while riding her bike on a 17-mile cycling trek in Belen, New Mexico. She left home listening to a Boston cassette on her Sony Walkman, which was later found in pieces on the side of the road.
“She went out on her bike ride out to the railroad tracks and it appears on her trip she had some trouble along the way. She was getting harassed by what looked to be an older vehicle following her and a group of guys and what,” Melinda Esquibel, host of “Vanished: The Tara Calico Investigation,” previously told CrimeOnline’s Nancy Grace.
According to Esquibel, witnesses spotted two different vehicles on the day Tara vanished, driving along the same road she rode her bicycle, including a primer grey Chevrolet International and a primer grey mid-50s Ford pickup truck.
Witnesses said several people inside the vehicles started harassing Tara after she pulled her bike over. Boys were reportedly hanging out of the Ford pickup truck tugging at her shirt, trying to grab her.
Initially, it looked like a “fun” outing to witnesses, who thought maybe it was Tara’s father and some friends helping her as she pedaled away.
The Mystery of the Polaroid Photo
In June 1989, a woman shopping at a grocery store in Port St. Joe, Florida, spotted a Polaroid photo lying in the shopping center parking lot. The photo showed a teen girl and young boy bound up and gagged while they stared at the camera. A copy of the book, “My Sweet Audrina” by V.C. Andrews sat beside the teen girl.
For years, speculation surrounded the photo, with people suggesting that the girl in the photo was Tara, although the picture was found around 1,600 miles away from her last sighting. Tara’s mother was reportedly convinced that the girl in the Polaroid photo was indeed her, but police have never confirmed the speculation.
Meanwhile, KOAT 7 reports that police obtained a search warrant a few years ago and searched a Valencia County home in connection with the case. The details of the search warrant have been sealed.
Anyone with any information regarding the disappearance of Tara Calico is urged to contact the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office at 505-866-2400 or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast. Listen to a previous episode on the case:
[Feature Photo: Tara Calico/Handout]
