You might know that for the past several years, a former classmate of Tara Calico's named Melinda Esquibel has been trying to make a documentary about her case, but it's never gotten off the ground. So it looks like they're going to do an investigative podcast instead and they currently have an 8-minute preview episode available...
https://www.taracalico.com/

Awhile back, you may seen me post this official police document which was leaked onto Reddit. It alleges that Tara's death was full-fledged murder and that one of the perpetrators was the son of Lawrence Romero, the Valencia County Sheriff at that time, necessitating a cover-up:
https://www.scribd.com/doc/270970248/New-Mexico-State-Police-Tara-Calico

Melinda Esquibel and Tara's sister were recently interviewed on the podcast, Curiosity Kills, and I got the sense that they were just itching to talk about a lot of the stuff mentioned in that report. Lawrence Romero died last month and I have a feeling that it's no coincidence this podcast has just been announced now. The preview contains a brief snippet of an interview with a source with a digitized voice who mentions a full-scale cover-up. I'm really anxious to see what sort of revelations are going to be made and if it will finally break the case wide open.

https://media.giphy.com/media/aWPGuTlDqq2yc/giphy.gif

The police report reveals all the names of the boys except one, referring to him, instead, as the tall red haired boy. Always wondered how he got a pass.

Thank you for posting this. I look forward to tuning in when it's alvailable.

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hjpv7RVSoZw/WNKrSwQIpKI/AAAAAAAACX0/sXJnSfqYWEMorr-WCt7LcLX1ILSucgGggCEw/s640/tara002.jpg

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zc45VUGCyQ4/WNKrTaG-8YI/AAAAAAAACX4/twIIrT5LXuolTOT9DCF4BnjzQ0aHAQzeACEw/s640/tara003.jpg

The police report reveals all the names of the boys except one, referring to him, instead, as the tall red haired boy. Always wondered how he got a pass.

Thank you for posting this. I look forward to tuning in when it's alvailable.

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hjpv7RVSoZw/WNKrSwQIpKI/AAAAAAAACX0/sXJnSfqYWEMorr-WCt7LcLX1ILSucgGggCEw/s640/tara002.jpg

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zc45VUGCyQ4/WNKrTaG-8YI/AAAAAAAACX4/twIIrT5LXuolTOT9DCF4BnjzQ0aHAQzeACEw/s640/tara003.jpg

I thought his name was Kenny Chavez, also known as Red. I'd have to read it again.

Wow, this is an amazing concept.

Glad to see the Calico case getting much needed attention.

I know the Calico family have been through hell and have waited a long time for answers. My heart goes out to the entire family. That being said, I'd be very leery of Mr Brown and his statement to the police. These kinds of cases have a track record of people coming out of the woodwork and making all sorts of allegations and self serving statements. I'd like to see a full review of Mr Browns entire background and any evidence that would supports what he is saying before I go all in with what he has alleged.

I know the Calico family have been through hell and have waited a long time for answers. My heart goes out to the entire family. That being said, I'd be very leery of Mr Brown and his statement to the police. These kinds of cases have a track record of people coming out of the woodwork and making all sorts of allegations and self serving statements. I'd like to see a full review of Mr Browns entire background and any evidence that would supports what he is saying before I go all in with what he has alleged.

Agreed.

While I do believe Tara was killed the same day she disappeared, I am a bit leery about the waiting of the death of Lawrence Romero before moving forward.

Wow.

Agreed.

While I do believe Tara was killed the same day she disappeared, I am a bit leery about the waiting of the death of Lawrence Romero before moving forward.

The scenario/theory given is awfully close to the Tracy Kirkpatrick case; where the main suspect is the son of the sheriff, who the town believes covered up for his son. But that sheriff passed away a couple years ago and there has been NO change in the Kirkpatrick case.

In the Tara Calico case, I don't see where Romero's death can change anything either. Unless Tara's loved ones feel it's easier making accusations against him without fear of being sued? That's just a shot in the dark.

In the Tara Calico case, I don't see where Romero's death can change anything either. Unless Tara's loved ones feel it's easier making accusations against him without fear of being sued? That's just a shot in the dark.

I seem to recall that when the documentary was in the works, the filmmakers were asking for donations to complete the project and claimed that some of the money would probably be set aside for potential legal fees which could arise. So they've obviously been paranoid for awhile about making allegations which could get them sued.

In the Tara Calico case, I don't see where Romero's death can change anything either. Unless Tara's loved ones feel it's easier making accusations against him without fear of being sued? That's just a shot in the dark.

I think it's possible. It just reminds me of Tommy Zeigler's supporters pointing the finger at his brother-in-law mere weeks after the guy died. But this case seems to have much more validity to it. I'm just leery about podcasts in general after the Serial podcast (which I loved, but found out much later that it was unintentionally biased).

So I actually attended a panel about the podcast at Crimecon this past weekend. I even spent some time chatting with the host, Melinda Esquibel, who is a childhood friend of Tara's. She had been trying to get a documentary about this case off the ground for years, but kept being told by executives there was way too much material. So she recently decided to start a podcast, so that she'd have the opportunity and freedom to tell the whole story.

The first episode will be released within the next few weeks. This is clearly a major passion project for Melinda, who shared some harrowing stories about having her life threatened over the years. We'll see if this finally causes the case to break wide open.

The famous bound and gagged Polaroid tho.....not her?

The famous bound and gagged Polaroid tho.....not her?

It seems very unlikely now, though surprisingly, at the panel discussion, Esquibel stated that she could not 100 % rule out the possibility it might be Tara in the Polaroid because the suspects in the case apparently had ties to Florida. However, I just don't see how the boy in the photo would fit into this story, so I'm pretty convinced the Polaroid is not connected to this case.

Melinda also stated that she has personally seen the two other alleged photos of Tara which have never been released publicly and is 100 % certain they are not her.

Melinda also stated that she has personally seen the two other alleged photos of Tara which have never been released publicly and is 100 % certain they are not her.

Interesting. I wonder if the girl in the other photos is the same girl in the polaroid found in Florida.

Interesting. I wonder if the girl in the other photos is the same girl in the polaroid found in Florida.

I'm wondering that too. If none of the Polaroids are connected to Tara's case, then it's interesting to ponder if all three of them might be part of some elaborate hoax.

From memory the other photos the face was obscured to some degree. Marilyn Manson interestingly said that while living in Florida in 1989 he & his girlfriend used to take fake torture & murder photos & drop them in public places-wonder if this was some kind of fad thing for a while back then?

From memory the other photos the face was obscured to some degree. Marilyn Manson interestingly said that while living in Florida in 1989 he & his girlfriend used to take fake torture & murder photos & drop them in public places-wonder if this was some kind of fad thing for a while back then?

Wow! If Marilyn Manson really did that then I definitely think less of him as a person. I honestly feel people who do something like that should be held accountable for it because if a disturbing photo of someone tied up or who appears to have been a murder victim is found then the police have to devote precious time and resources to investigating it to determine whether what is being depicted in the photo is legitimate or not.

In 1989 Marilyn Manson would have been 20. A 20 year old man should know better than to engage in behavior like that. If he wants to be an immature man then that's his business but when his behavior causes police resources to be diverted toward something that proves to be a hoax then it is a problem.

Wow! If Marilyn Manson really did that then I definitely think less of him as a person. I honestly feel people who do something like that should be held accountable for it because if a disturbing photo of someone tied up or who appears to have been a murder victim is found then the police have to devote precious time and resources to investigating it to determine whether what is being depicted in the photo is legitimate or not.

In 1989 Marilyn Manson would have been 20. A 20 year old man should know better than to engage in behavior like that. If he wants to be an immature man then that's his business but when his behavior causes police resources to be diverted toward something that proves to be a hoax then it is a problem.

True, but it is possibly useful information that people dropping photos in public places to shock others might have been something that happened for a while back then as a passing fad among teens. Somewhat like the boys being tied up photos from a decade earlier.

FYI, the first episode of this podcast has finally been released:
https://audioboom.com/posts/6088930-episode-1-vanished

The host was also interviewed on Nancy Grace's podcast yesterday, so I think this case is finally going to get some real mainstream exposure again.

I just listened to the first part of the podcast...very interesting and good audio quality on the interviews from the past, etc... Excited for the other parts.

Episode 2 of the podcast is up...

https://www.taracalico.com

Loved episode #1, episode #2 wasn't my favorite, as it almost solely focused on the polaroid, which I have always not believed was Tara. Eager for #3.

Loved episode #1, episode #2 wasn't my favorite, as it almost solely focused on the polaroid, which I have always not believed was Tara. Eager for #3.

I feel the same way. But they probably felt like they had to mention the Polaroid since it's believed to have been attached to the case for so long. Luckily they got that portion over with and can now focus more on the recent developments that have come to light this past decade.

Episode 3 will be a roundtable discussion. That should be interesting.

Yes, it's good that the whole section about the Polaroid was gotten out of the way early and who knows, maybe they'll be able to solve that portion of the mystery as well. I was interested in the revelation that a woman apparently came forward to claim she was the girl in the Polaroid, but then the cop's computer containing her information crashed. It would be good to see if this podcast compels her to come forward again.

I thought it was interesting that the woman who found the polaroid never actually saw the white van at the convenience store, only that on her way back from the convenience store did she see a white van behind her. Another witness did see the van at the store, and he claimed to see a young boy sitting behind the wheel while the girl and a dark haired man were inside buying groceries in the convenience store.

Some visuals of the case:

-Route (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/34.4593719,-106.5493995/403+Brugg+Dr,+Belen,+NM+87002/@34.5531244,-106.741061,47093m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m8!4m7!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x8721fa0c76e886f5:0xbb050f1b27c2e3b9!2m2!1d-106.717303!2d34.64408) from Tara's house to the approximate spot of where she would turn around and go back.

-This (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/34.5929014,-106.6836432/403+Brugg+Dr,+Belen,+NM+87002/@34.594809,-106.7257001,16709m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m8!4m7!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x8721fa0c76e886f5:0xbb050f1b27c2e3b9!2m2!1d-106.717303!2d34.64408) is the approximate spot where the bike tracks were found veering off of the main road (I think this tidbit was mentioned in the 1st episode). This (http://www.crimemagazine.com/polaroid) article says that she was on her way back home.

-This (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/John+F+Kennedy+Campground,+Belen,+NM/403+Brugg+Dr,+Belen,+NM+87002/@34.6493962,-106.6532167,28069m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x871f56ebb913948d:0x7642e4d4948506db!2m2!1d-106.4680756!2d34.6714481!1m5!1m1!1s0x8721fa0c76e886f5:0xbb050f1b27c2e3b9!2m2!1d-106.717303!2d34.64408!5i1) is the distance from Tara's house to where the cover of her walkman was found.

I think the truck was trailing her as she headed back to her house, hit her, and then the occupants took her and her bike along the dirt trail known as the South Navajo loop before heading into the JFK campground and her body is somewhere in that vast area.

Cannot even listen to this-comes off like an exploitative, sensationalist, horror film type narration/presentation & the techno soundtrack with news soundbites is highly annoying. Is it really that hard just to do a straightforward documentary podcast? Comes across more like she is using her missing friend to make money.

It looks like the podcast's website has posted the other two alleged Polaroids of Tara which have never been released publicly before, though it doesn't look like anyone really believes they are her:
https://www.taracalico.com/from-the-case-file/

The first photo of a gagged woman is so blurry that I don't know how anyone could conclusively determine it was Tara. The second photo, showing a bound and gagged woman on a train with a man, clearly looks like a staged joke. Whoever the woman in that photo is, I seriously doubt she was a captive victim in any real jeopardy.

It's also interesting to see the full, uncropped version of the original Polaroid on the website, where you can finally see for certain that the girl and boy are in the back of a white van.

It looks like the podcast's website has posted the other two alleged Polaroids of Tara which have never been released publicly before, though it doesn't look like anyone really believes they are her:
https://www.taracalico.com/from-the-case-file/

The first photo of a gagged woman is so blurry that I don't know how anyone could conclusively determine it was Tara. The second photo, showing a bound and gagged woman on a train with a man, clearly looks like a staged joke. Whoever the woman in that photo is, I seriously doubt she was a captive victim in any real jeopardy.

It's also interesting to see the full, uncropped version of the original Polaroid on the website, where you can finally see for certain that the girl and boy are in the back of a white van.

The train photo...how did anyone ever consider this was Tara, let alone an actual abducted woman?

is it clear that the investigators and family no longer consider the Polaroid to be Tara? This is likely why the segment has been left off of Amazon Prime. It is outdated

It looks like the podcast's website has posted the other two alleged Polaroids of Tara which have never been released publicly before, though it doesn't look like anyone really believes they are her:
https://www.taracalico.com/from-the-case-file/

The first photo of a gagged woman is so blurry that I don't know how anyone could conclusively determine it was Tara. The second photo, showing a bound and gagged woman on a train with a man, clearly looks like a staged joke. Whoever the woman in that photo is, I seriously doubt she was a captive victim in any real jeopardy.

It's also interesting to see the full, uncropped version of the original Polaroid on the website, where you can finally see for certain that the girl and boy are in the back of a white van.

Laughable-the train one she is bound with toilet paper & the guy is in the photo mugging for the picture. The description of it was always that her head was bound in gauze.

Another ridiculous thing about the train photo is that the woman is wearing glasses and I see no indication that Tara ever wore glasses at any point in her life.

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/66uffl.html

I never actually saw the original UM broadcast of Tara until about 2006. I originally heard of the case itself through the Doe Network where I saw the aforementioned listing of a missing girl.

Doe had the most information on the two other photos for years, but after seeing them I am very disappointed. I really do not see how anyone would connect Tara with these photos other than the individuals are young women with long brown hair. Maybe they thought that if released the photos would not help, and by keeping them secret they would get some decent clues.

I did like that they had information on when the film used was manufactured along with what kind of train the man and woman appear to have been traveling on.

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/66uffl.html

I never actually saw the original UM broadcast of Tara until about 2006. I originally heard of the case itself through the Doe Network where I saw the aforementioned listing of a missing girl.

Doe had the most information on the two other photos for years, but after seeing them I am very disappointed. I really do not see how anyone would connect Tara with these photos other than the individuals are young women with long brown hair. Maybe they thought that if released the photos would not help, and by keeping them secret they would get some decent clues.

I did like that they had information on when the film used was manufactured along with what kind of train the man and woman appear to have been traveling on.

Well it is hard to see why the original was connected with Tara either-other than Patty & other parents of missing daughters & sons contacted police after seeing it on a national broadcast to say they thought it was their kid in the photo. It is also possible that police tracked down the people in these other photos or they came forward & we never heard about it.

Am I blind or did the other photos disappear? When I click that link I only see a T-shirt image, 2 pics of the polaroid, a drawing and a collage of Tara comparison pics?

Did anyone read the article PEOPLE magazine just did about Tara's case?

Did anyone read the article PEOPLE magazine just did about Tara's case?

Welcome! :wave:

I’ll have to check out that article!