Chapter 1: The Day Tara Vanished

On September 20, 1988, Tara Calico set out for her usual morning bike ride around 9:30 am. Although she frequently rode this route, her mother, Patty Doel, had started to feel an unsettling presence and opted to stop accompanying her.

Despite her mother’s concerns, Tara insisted on going alone that day. She wore gold hoop earrings, white shorts with green stripes, and a white t-shirt, asking Patty to pick her up at noon if she hadn’t returned by then, as she had plans to play tennis with her boyfriend shortly after. When Tara failed to return, Patty, keeping her promise, drove around the area multiple times, growing increasingly anxious as the hours passed. Realizing something was wrong, she contacted the authorities.

Section 1.1: The Investigation Begins

Witnesses reported seeing Tara riding her neon Huffy mountain bike on Highway 47 in Valencia County. Some noted a pickup truck trailing her at a reduced speed, but no one witnessed any confrontation or abduction. During the search, Tara’s belongings, including pieces of her Sony Walkman and a cassette tape, were discovered. Patty believed Tara had intentionally dropped these items to signal her location. The FBI suspected that a local resident may have been involved in her disappearance, especially since threatening notes had previously been left on Tara’s vehicle.

Subsection 1.1.1: The Discovery of a Polaroid

In July 1989, just over a year after Tara’s disappearance, a shopper stumbled upon a Polaroid in a Florida convenience store parking lot. The image depicted a young woman and a boy in a van, both with duct tape over their mouths and their arms tied behind them.

This photo emerged 1,500 miles from Tara’s home, prompting friends of the family to believe the young woman was Tara. After scrutinizing the Polaroid, Patty noted a distinctive scar on the girl’s leg that matched Tara’s, further deepening her fears. A New Mexico family also identified the boy in the photo as their missing son, Michael Henley Jr.

Chapter 2: The Pursuit of Justice

The Disappearance of Tara Calico: Two Strangers and a Polaroid - YouTube

In 1998, a judge legally declared Tara dead, ruling her death a homicide. Over the years, various developments emerged. Sheriff Rene Rivera revealed that he had information suggesting Tara might have been accidentally struck by a vehicle driven by two teenagers, who then panicked and killed her. Though Rivera mentioned this theory, he admitted he could not disclose any evidence without a body, much to the dismay of Tara's family.

In 2013, police formed a task force to revisit the case, but no arrests were made. By 2019, the FBI announced a $20,000 reward for information leading to Tara’s recovery and the arrest of those responsible for her disappearance.

In 2021, a new lead prompted a partnership between the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office and the New Mexico State Police, culminating in significant breakthroughs announced on June 13, 2023.