The Skeleton Key Chronicles

18 hours ago

On July 6th, 2004, Molly Dattilo was spending the summer in Indianapolis while taking classes at Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis and finishing her degree at Eastern Kentucky University. A straight-A student on a track scholarship, Molly was looking for a job, taking private voice lessons and getting ready for an August American Idol audition. She had a busy summer ahead of her.

On that particular day, Molly attended two classes, ran errands and spent somw time with friends. Around 7:30 that evening, she told her brother she was walking over to a nearby Wendy's to fill out a job application. Later that night, around 11 p.m., she made a call from a pay phone at a Thornton's gas station on Crawfordsville Road, but that call disconnected just as her friend answered. Molly was never heard from again.

When Molly didn't come home, her cell phone, identification, ATM card and clothes were still at the apartment she shared with her brother. Her singing and rehearsal equipment was all still in her car and she never contacted her voice coach or made it to the American Idol audition she had been preparing for. She also missed several family events she had been looking forward to, including her nephew's birthday.

In 2008, investigators said they believed Molly's disappearance involved foul play. A man by the name of John Shelton reportedly spent time with Molly that day and was said to have been with her when she made that last phone call. Shelton’s brother was a maintenance worker at Dattilo’s apartment complex. No one has ever been charged in connection with Molly's disappearance, although Molly's family later prevailed in a civil lawsuit related to the case.

More than 20 years later, investigators are still trying to figure out what happened after that last phone call, and Molly's family is still waiting for answers. If you have any information about Molly's disappearance, please contact the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department or the Indiana State Police.

Details 👇 … See MoreSee Less

The Skeleton Key Chronicles

1 day ago

When 15-year-old Joniah Walker disappeared from her Milwaukee neighborhood in 2022, her family had no way of knowing the search would last four years. This week, authorities confirmed the update everyone had been hoping for: Joniah has been found safe. The last sighting of Joniah happened on June 23rd, 2022, after she was captured on a neighbor's Ring camera leaving home. The teen’s father was expected to pick her up to take her to get a work permit at 2:30 that day, but by then, she had already vanished.

From the beginning, her mother believed someone may have lured her away online and later spoke publicly about what she felt were missed opportunities during the early stages of the search and subsequent investigation.

As wonderful as this outcome is, it's hard not to wonder what happened during those missing years. For now, investigators aren't saying. Police have released very few details about where Joniah was found or what led to her recovery, and no arrests or charges have been announced.

While she waited for answers, Joniah's mother, Tanesha, turned her grief into action. Since her daughter's disappearance, she has worked to raise awareness for missing and murdered Black women and girls and recently helped support bipartisan legislation creating a task force dedicated to serving those communities in Wisconsin. Whatever the next chapter of Joniah's story may be, there's no question Tanesha's determination has already made a difference for other families facing the same uncertainty.

Details👇 … See MoreSee Less

The Skeleton Key Chronicles

2 days ago

Just days after hundreds of first responders began searching for Javeayah Kemauni Harris, authorities say they believe she is deceased. Her parents, 23-year-old Johmarea Harris and 22-year-old Michilae Herring were booked into the Aiken County Detention Center.

Sheriff Marty Sawyer said investigators now believe Javeayah had been gone for at least a month before she was reported missing on June 30th, a timeline that is totally different from what authorities were initially told. Although Javeayah has not yet been located, search teams are continuing to search an area outside Aiken County.

Details 👇 … See MoreSee Less