Hi,
A long time ago there was a story on Unsolved Mysterys about Two kidnaped kids, a boy around 7yo and a girl around 16yo.
There was a van parked out side a store and when it left, a lady found a photo of the two kids tied up in the van..

Can anyone tell me some details about this case?
The name of the story or the kids names ?
and was this ever solved?
I live in Australia and have heard nothing..
Thanks,
Mikey..

The girls name was Tara Calico and the boy was Michael Henley. The girl was out riding her bike and she disapeared and the boy disappeared while on a camping trip with his family. As far as I know there has been no update on this case.

Thankyou Mijada,
I've been trying to look up this case on the internet but without names its imposable,Thankyou.
Mikey..

the photo was found in florida, and they lived across the country too

The FBI and other LE agencies have concluded that the kids in the polaroid are not Tara and Michael. Michael died of exposure on a camping trip with his family, his remains were found near their campsite. Tara's case has taken crazy twists and turns, and there was just a press release about a big break in the case back in June. It's still currently sealed by the courts, so I guess we will have to wait and see. But the theory is that she was kidnapped, raped and murdered the day she disappeared.

The FBI and other LE agencies have concluded that the kids in the polaroid are not Tara and Michael. Michael died of exposure on a camping trip with his family, his remains were found near their campsite. Tara's case has taken crazy twists and turns, and there was just a press release about a big break in the case back in June. It's still currently sealed by the courts, so I guess we will have to wait and see. But the theory is that she was kidnapped, raped and murdered the day she disappeared.

Actually there was some disagreement as to the identity of the kids in the photo. Some agencies identified the girl as her while others did not.

I did mispeak, I apologize. You are right. IIRC at present time, more departments agree that it is not her. Another thing that was noted was that that type of Polaroid film wasn't released until well after her disappearance, although I suppose you could say that they just waited all that time to take the picture.

I did mispeak, I apologize. You are right. IIRC at present time, more departments agree that it is not her. Another thing that was noted was that that type of Polaroid film wasn't released until well after her disappearance, although I suppose you could say that they just waited all that time to take the picture.

Michael Henley disappeared on a family camping trip in New Mexico in 1988. Two years later, his skeletal remains were recovered in the state park that the family had camped in. Michael had wandered off, and died of exposure to the elements (he likely froze to death), and no foul play is suspected.

The girl in the photo was thought to be Tara Calico by some. However, in the 90s, detectives were tipped off, and tracked down the actual woman in the photo. She was working at a flea market in South Florida. All evidence points to Tara being abducted and likely murdered within 24-48 hours after she was last seen cycling in New Mexico.

Authorities determined long ago that the photos were taken as a joke, and not Calico or Henley.

Michael Henley disappeared on a family camping trip in New Mexico in 1988. Two years later, his skeletal remains were recovered in the state park that the family had camped in. Michael had wandered off, and died of exposure to the elements (he likely froze to death), and no foul play is suspected.

The girl in the photo was thought to be Tara Calico by some. However, in the 90s, detectives were tipped off, and tracked down the actual woman in the photo. She was working at a flea market in South Florida. All evidence points to Tara being abducted and likely murdered within 24-48 hours after she was last seen cycling in New Mexico.

Authorities determined long ago that the photos were taken as a joke, and not Calico or Henley.

Sources seem to conflict on the detectives finding those, and there is much unexplained about how those photos (which do not seem anything like a joke) came to be associated with the case if they were indeed a gag of some kind.

Personally, I don't buy the woman they allegedly found in Florida was the one in the photo.

Sources seem to conflict on the detectives finding those, and there is much unexplained about how those photos (which do not seem anything like a joke) came to be associated with the case if they were indeed a gag of some kind.

Personally, I don't buy the woman they allegedly found in Florida was the one in the photo.

The actual undersheriff during the late 80s-early 90s was interviewed by current detectives a few years ago where he literally says they found the girl in the photo working at a flea market in Florida, but sure, sources seem to "conflict".

The actual undersheriff during the late 80s-early 90s was interviewed by current detectives a few years ago where he literally says they found the girl in the photo working at a flea market in Florida, but sure, sources seem to "conflict".

Can you link to a source for this?

I am sick and tired of having to repeat this story to people everywhere who don't know about the update. It would be nice to have some proof to show them.

Can you link to a source for this?

I am sick and tired of having to repeat this story to people everywhere who don't know about the update. It would be nice to have some proof to show them.

Here (https://www.patreon.com/VANISHEDPod) on episode 18. It's behind a paywall, but I transcribed the relevant portion here (https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showpost.php?p=6069719&postcount=186).

Can you link to a source for this?

I am sick and tired of having to repeat this story to people everywhere who don't know about the update. It would be nice to have some proof to show them.

Here is a recent article about the Tara Calico case, including the Polaroid photo:

https://people.com/crime/tara-calico-polaroid-photo-true-story/

Incidentally, this is not the first time this has happened in Florida. A 12 year old paperboy by the name of Johnny Gosch went missing in Des Moines, Iowa in 1982. Two decades later, the mother of Gosch received photos of 3 boys that were bound and gagged. However, detectives ruled out that possibility, when it was found that the photo in question was staged as a joke by some friends of the boys in 1979, three years before Johnny went missing.

https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna14818169

Thanks to both of you. That should quiet these people down. I feel like a broken record trying to correct all these folks who are so behind on this very relevant (and, by now, rather dated) update.

Michael Henley disappeared on a family camping trip in New Mexico in 1988. Two years later, his skeletal remains were recovered in the state park that the family had camped in. Michael had wandered off, and died of exposure to the elements (he likely froze to death), and no foul play is suspected.

The girl in the photo was thought to be Tara Calico by some. However, in the 90s, detectives were tipped off, and tracked down the actual woman in the photo. She was working at a flea market in South Florida. All evidence points to Tara being abducted and likely murdered within 24-48 hours after she was last seen cycling in New Mexico.

Authorities determined long ago that the photos were taken as a joke, and not Calico or Henley.

I did literally say that about Michael Henley. I know that is NOT Tara in the photo, but have never found anything about any tip-offs. I did also say she was likely raped and murdered the day she disappeared.

Thanks to both of you. That should quiet these people down. I feel like a broken record trying to correct all these folks who are so behind on this very relevant (and, by now, rather dated) update.

I apologize, I thought this was a discussion to share information. I've been doing research on this case for YEARS and have never come across a couple of the updates people have mentioned. Also, "quiet people down"? Isn't the point of this to help share information and update others on the statuses of cold cases? Aren't we all here because we are interested in these cases?

I wasn't talking about you or anything to do with this site. Relax.

This "the undersheriff said they found the girl at a flea market" line has become one of the most oft repeated lines in missing persons cases, with people simply repeating it without bothering to consider its veracity or source.

Yes sources conflict. Proof? How about that People article linked above? What does it say about the photo? Quote

"To this day, neither the boy nor the girl in the photo has ever been positively identified. "

Ok, so what about the proof that they solved who was in the photo? The source that claims this is taken from a podcast made decades after the fact interviewing a LE officer who claims to have traveled to Florida and positively identified this woman selling stuffed alligators.

There are issues with this on so many levels, the fact that it is relying on decades old recollections, the fact that officials in NM supposedly went to Florida rather than simply seeking assistance from the FBI or Florida LE instead, the claim that they were supposedly able to find the girl in that photo out of millions of people that live in FL in what was presumably a short time-frame, and the complete lack of explanation as to how they were sure the girl they supposedly met was the one in photo.

Even assuming everything happened as stated, one still has to wonder what proof if any the girl provided that she was the one in the photo, or what if any motive she had for saying it was or was not her.
Also keep in mind that the FBI could not come to a conclusion while Scotland Yard said it was her in the photo.

Suffice to say, the photo is not a foregone conclusion.

Suffice to say, the photo is not a foregone conclusion.

Yes it is. It's not Tara Calico.

The girl was supposedly identified, yet by any account I've read, the boy was not.

I suppose an important oddness to this story should be brought up: Why did she not know who the boy was? Surely, if this photo was "only" some sort of sick joke, she'd know something about the other kid.

I suppose an important oddness to this story should be brought up: Why did she not know who the boy was? Surely, if this photo was "only" some sort of sick joke, she'd know something about the other kid.

She may have. The interview with Tony Scazerro was very brief, and the current investigators didn't press him too much when he said they found the girl in the photo in Florida. Which makes me think they too already knew that the girl in the photo wasn't Tara.

She may have. The interview with Tony Scazerro was very brief, and the current investigators didn't press him too much when he said they found the girl in the photo in Florida. Which makes me think they too already knew that the girl in the photo wasn't Tara.

If she did, she must have known very little about him, as all we keep hearing is that the boy remains unidentified.

I always figured the people in the photo were identified and we never heard of it. Check my post (#54) from 2014:
https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=325404&page=4

Here (https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/19135143/mystery-teenage-girl-vanished-bike-ride-stalked/) is another source that indicates the FBI have ruled out Tara as being the girl in the polaroid.

^^^

Pardon me if I use your first source over this one, lol. The Sun says the girl is not Tara Calico. Keep reading to learn how to catch a ghost with a Tootsie Roll and a jar!