The case of a missing Detroit woman has gone unsolved for almost ten years. Tamala Wells was last seen on August 6 in the summer of 2012 when she left her home on Appleton Street in a Pontiac Grand Prix. While the Grand Prix was eventually found without Tamala inside, her family has been left twisting without answers for nearly a decade. There may be hope yet, however, as a new detective is assigned to the case, bringing in a new set of eyes and a completely different perspective than ever before.
When she disappeared, the missing Detroit woman left behind a void in the hearts of many of her loved ones, like her mother, Donna Davis, who has never stopped looking for her daughter. She told clickonDetroit last summer, “Everyday I get through with the grace of God. I wake up saying ‘Lord. This is the day that you made and I’m gonna be joyful in it. I’m gonna do everything that you desire me to do because I know that today the answer is coming.” Davis has hit the streets herself in search of her daughter, driving from her residence in Florida to Detroit so she can search vacant homes for signs of her daughter. Though Tamala’s boyfriend was questioned several times by police at the onset of the investigation, there have been no persons of interest named in this case, nor have any arrests ever been made.
“The worst part is not knowing. You know?” said Davis. “There’s a lot of people losing their loved ones to diseases, gunshots, all of that…and my heart goes out to them. I’m passionate. Because no one deserves to be taken from life. But at least they know where their loved one is. And I don’t. I don’t know. And that’s the hardest part.”
Tamala Wells is 5 feet 4 inches tall and 157 pounds. She was last seen wearing micro braids, blue jean shorts and a white shirt. Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak-Up.
Aidan Spear, a 21-year-old Indigenous woman, was reported missing on February 22, 2022. She stands at 5’6”, weighs approximately 120lbs, with brown hair and brown eyes. Detectives currently believe she may be somewhere in the Hosmer St. area of Tacoma, Washington.
Among many friends in loved ones, one of the people praying earnestly for Aidan’s safe return is her mother, Jessica Brown, who describes her as “…one of the kindest people you would ever meet.” Aidan is Jessica’s first and only daughter, who displayed a propensity for hard work and a deep love for her family and friends, especially her little brother. She was also involved in extra-curricular activities, such as being a part of her school’s swim team.
According to Jessica, Aidan began to develop substance abuse and mental health issues in high school, but Jessica continued to support and stand by her daughter every step of the way, taking her to see doctors who claimed they could not give a clear answer for how to proceed with treatment. Aidan has been houseless for four years, but Jessica has continued to support her daughter, and maintained regular contact with her during that time.
In January, there was an improvement in Aidan’s prognosis as she was getting ready to enter a rehabilitation center. Jessica felt as if there was good chance that her daughter would finally get the help she needed. However, on January 21, when she and Aidan were supposed to meet prior to entering the center, that tender hope quickly began to fade. Aidan claimed that before entering the center, she wanted to say goodbye to someone, reassuring her mother, “I’m still going to go, I’m really serious about this, but I have to say goodbye to them so I’m going to be a little late.” That was the last time Jessica heard from her daughter
That was four months ago, which Jessica says is the longest she’s ever gone without speaking to her daughter, even during her period of houselessness. Despite the outcry for help in locating her missing daughter, Jessica has reported instances of cruel people online who have dismissed her child’s disappearance, “She’s just another addict to them…I need people to know that she’s not. They’re not just another addict, like—somebody loves them. They’re someone’s whole world.”
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department is currently investigating Aidan’s disappearance, but Jessica wishes to raise money to fund an independent investigation into her daughter’s disappearance to increase the chances of her being found. Anyone with any information on the current whereabouts of Aidan Spear are encouraged to call the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department at 253-798-7530.
Lauth Investigations International has joined the cold-case search for missing expectant mother Milagros Perez Peraulta, who was abducted from the sidewalk in front of a New York State building on South 5th Street in Brooklyn, New York on August 30, 1976. Investigators are preparing to bring new light to this cold case by virtue of ancestry databases and comprehensive due-diligence.
At the time of her disappearance, Milagros was only 22 years old and four months pregnant. She was living with her boyfriend on 33rd Street in Astoria, NY. On August 30, 1976, Milagros was exiting what was at the time a New York State unemployment office building. She was pulled into a vehicle by a Latino male in his late 60s, or early 70s, believed to be a man named Raul who lived in her neighborhood. At the time of her disappearance, discrepancies in reporting within missing person investigations could have delayed the search for the expectant mother.
Missing person cases present their own set of unique challenges with diverse nuance—circumstances that are only further exacerbated by the passage of time. Leads de-materialize, evidence is eroded, and witnesses disappear. However, blowing the dust off a cold case means getting fresh eyes on the information available, and fresh approaches to existing leads. This can increase the likelihood of case progression, even after decades. Lauth investigators are hopeful to unearth new leads in Milagros’ case through ancestry DNA databases in hopes of identifying living family members who may be able to answer crucial questions in the case.
Lauth investigators are prepared to turn over every rock in pursuit of answers on what happened to Milagros Perez Peraulta. If you have any information on Milagros’ disappearance, please contact Lauth Investigators through our confidential tip line at (317)-675-6701.
Human remains located in Lake Michigan at the beginning of May have finally been indentified as belonging to Natally Brookson, 22, a University of Illinois at Chicago student who was reported missing on August 30th. At the time of her disappearance, Brookson was studying psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Brookson was last seen at her place of work, an assisted living community for adults who are blind where she worked as a dietary aide. Brookson’s death has yet to be determined, and the police are investigating the incident.
In addition to the disappearance of Brookson, the search also continues for 26-year-old Daniel Sotelo, who was Brookson’s boyfriend at the time of her disappearance. Sotelo was last seen the day before Brookson was last seen, August 29th near the 700 block of South Racine Avenue near the UIC campus where he was a grad student. At the time of his disappearance, he was only days away from finally graduating with a masters degree in organic chemistry.
A search party for Sotelo was set to be conducted on Sunday, May 15 based on a post in a Facebook group entitled Find Daniel Sotelo. According to his family, Sotelo was in the middle of planning a graduation celebration just before he disappeared. He was reportedly dropped off by his roommate at the Roosevelt stop on the Chicago Transit Authority’s Red Line. Sotelo told the roommate he was going north from there.
A GoFundMe page has been set up on behalf of Brookson’s family to help with the impending funeral expenses. To date, the campaign has raised nearly $14,800 of a $15,000 goal. That page denotes Brookson as “passionate, ambitious, and everything you would want in a friend.”
Chicago police describe Daniel as a Hispanic man standing 5 feet, 8 inches, and weighing 155 pounds. He has brown eyes, brown hair, and a medium complexion, they said.
The family of missing Yale employee, Anton Sovetov, may finally get closure after months of waiting for answers in his case. After three long months, the case of the missing Yale employee has taken a turn following the tragic discovery of his body on the shoreline of Long Island, New York on Saturday, April 30th. The obituary distributed by Yale University themselves can be read here.
The last time anyone saw from Sovetov, a 44-year-old graphic designer working in the Yale Office of Public Affairs and Communications, was Friday, February 4, when a security camera observed him leaving a market on Chapel Street, heading in the direction of his apartment, which was close by. However, he wasn’t reported missing until February 9. Since his disappearance, his case has been investigated by multiple investigating agencies, including Suffolk County, New Have Police Department Investigative Services Unit, and other state and local authorities.
The cause of death in the case of the missing Yale employee is currently being investigated by the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office on Long Island. While cause of death is being determined, investigators continue to search for leads that might lead them to a reason why Anton ended up in the water. “We will continue to do all we can in the face of this terrible tragedy,” said Yale Chief of Police Ronnell Higgins.
It’s been over three months since Anton was first reported missing, and his absence. “We mourn Anthon’s loss,” said Vice President of Communications, Nate Nickerson. “Anton was a wonderful, devoted colleague with uncommon talent. His work honored and added to Yale’s legacy of exceptional graphic design. We will miss him dearly.”
Anyone with information that could aid the investigation into Sovetov’s death should contact Yale Police at 203-432-4400, New Haven Police at 203-946-6316, or send an anonymous text tip through the LiveSafe app.
