Missing in Nashville: The Unexplained Disappearances of Laresha and Wanda Walker
In November 1999, 23-yer-old Laresha Walker, a young mother, disappeared from her Nashville home. 17 years later, in 2016, her mother, Wanda, also vanished without a trace. Both cases remain unsolved
Background
For the Walker family of Nashville, Tennessee, tragedy struck twice. In November 1999, Laresha Walker left her home and was never seen again. In October 2016, Laresha’s mother, Wanda, also disappeared while on her way to work.
Both cases remain unsolved, despite searches, flyers, news reports, and years of seeking answers.
Laresha Walker
Laresha Deana Walker was born on January 2, 1976, and grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. At the time of her disappearance, in late 1999, she was a 23-year-old young mother.
At the time she vanished, she was working through a temporary agency (the Nashville Career Advancement Center), at a company called Peterbilt Motor. She had recently moved into a small duplex on Edwards Avenue in Nashville, where she hoped to build a better life for herself and her son.
Her family described her as responsible, protective of her son, and someone who took her obligations seriously.
1999 Disappearance
On November 19, 1999, Laresha Deana Walker dropped her two-year-old son at her sister’s house in Nashville and told her family she planned to have her car appraised the next morning in Murfreesboro.
That night, Laresha phoned her father between about 9:30 and 10:00 p.m. for a routine call. Around 10:00 p.m., a neighbor reported hearing Laresha arguing with an unidentified man outside her duplex. It is unknown who that man was or what the argument was about.
When Laresha didn’t show up the next day, her sister went to check on her and found the apartment in a state that didn’t make sense. The lights were on, the music was still playing, and the clothes she had been wearing the night before were still there, along with her purse and other personal items, including her heart medicine.
However, one item that was noticeably missing was her 1995 maroon Oldsmobile Achieva. The same car she was going to have appraised. When hours became days, and her family had still not heard from Laresha, they reported her missing, and the Metro Nashville Police opened a missing-person case.
Investigation
Detectives canvassed the neighborhood, talked to neighbors, and collected the little physical evidence they could find. They started taking tips from anyone who might have seen Laresha or her maroon 1995 Oldsmobile Achieva.
The combination of a missing car and a missing person made investigators treat the case seriously. It led to flyers, public notices, and entries in national missing-person databases such as NamUs. Despite this, there was little to go on.
The reported argument that Laresha had with an unidentified man on the night of her disappearance was of interest to investigators; however, without a name or description, there was little to follow up on.
As weeks turned into months and then years, the case went cold. The missing car was never found. There were no arrests, no confirmed sightings, and no new physical evidence that pointed to a suspect.
Wanda Walker
Laresha’s mother, Wanda Faye Walker, was born on June 24, 1956, and at the time of her disappearance in 2016, she was 60 years old. In 2016, Wanda lived on the 1400 block of 11th Avenue South, Nashville, with a cousin. She had a part-time job at a local Dollar Tree. Family and friends remember her as someone grounded, caring, and dependable.
2016 Disappearance
On October 4, 2016, Wanda left for work. That morning, she ran into car trouble. According to reports, her car, a silver Nissan Maxima, had overheated somewhere near Wedgewood Avenue, close to a railroad trestle.
She called her boyfriend for help. He came over, added oil, and checked under the hood till he got the car running again. After that, the two parted ways as Wanda planned to head to work once the car cooled off. That was reportedly the last time Wanda was ever seen.
Wanda never made it to work, and when she failed to show up for her next shift, it was clear that something was wrong. Friends tried calling her phone, stopping by the house, and asking around about her, but there was no sign of her. After three days with no contact or sign of Wanda, her family filed a missing-person report.
Investigation
Roughly a week later, on October 13, 2016, Wanda’s car was found abandoned in an alley in the 1000 block of Wade Avenue. That location was only a few blocks from her home. The car was locked, but inside were many of her personal belongings.
Investigators also found a “significant amount” of blood on the back seat. Forensics later confirmed that the blood belonged to Wanda. As there were signs of a struggle, the police believe Wanda may have had a physical confrontation with someone she knew.
Additionally, some plant material, specifically a type of flowering shrubbery known as privet, was found inside the car, which was unusual. Because of these findings, foul play was strongly suspected.
The disappearance quickly became a missing-person and possible homicide investigation conducted by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) Missing Persons unit. The FBI joined the search effort, and crime scene investigators carefully processed the vehicle.
Investigators interviewed neighbors, family, coworkers, and the boyfriend who had helped her that morning. None of these interviews led to a suspect. Community groups and local news stations picked up the story, holding interviews with family members who asked the public for help. Weeks became months, and months turned into years. Despite the public appeals, no suspect was ever identified or charged.
Speculation and Theories
The mystery surrounding the disappearances of Laresha and Wanda Walker has led to speculation and several theories as to what may have happened. These are some of the more commonly discussed theories.
Foul Play by Different Individuals - One of the more common and likely theories is that the disappearances of Laresha and Wanda Walker were committed by different, unrelated individuals. The fact that Laresha’s vehicle was never recovered gives weight to the idea that someone may have taken her car deliberately to hide evidence or transport her.
While Wanda’s car was found locked and abandoned in an alley, with her personal belongings inside and a significant amount of blood in the back seat, police publicly stated they believe foul play is likely in Wanda’s disappearance.
Because of the significant time between the disappearances, it is likely that the two disappearances were carried out by unrelated people, for unrelated motives.
A Connection Between the Cases - Despite the differences, there are also reasons why the public and even investigators have wondered if the cases might be connected. First, there is a Family link. It is extremely rare for a mother and daughter to both go missing in separate events, years apart, in the same city.
The women lived in Nashville, and both disappearances occurred within a few miles of each other. In both cases, they disappeared suddenly without explanation and any confirmed sightings afterward.
However, this theory has no official confirmation. While the MNPD has never officially stated the cases are connected, they have said they cannot rule it out.
Unknown Threats Within Their Personal Circles - Another theory speculates that both women may have been threatened or harmed by someone within their personal lives. This could be someone the family might not have fully known about, or someone who stayed under the radar.
Over the years, some family or community members have speculated that there may have been “unsavory characters,” unresolved disputes, or even unpaid debts or personal problems associated with the family.
This theory has no confirmed evidence, but it remains one of the most commonly discussed possibilities among detectives and community members familiar with the cases.
Crimes of Opportunity - Another possibility is that both disappearances might have resulted from random, tragic events, where Laresha and Wanda ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Wrong-place/wrong-time cases are sadly common in missing persons or violent crime stories, and this theory reflects the possibility that neither disappearance was planned or connected, just tragic.
Recent Developments
In 2021, Metro Nashville Police and the FBI held a joint press conference urging the public to help solve Laresha and Wanda’s disappearances. They offered a reward of up to US $11,000 (with an added FBI incentive) for information leading to a conviction. Family members stood beside detectives, holding framed pictures of them and wearing shirts with their faces printed on them.
News stations reported the event widely. News Channel 5 Nashville interviewed the family on October 5, 2021. CBS News aired a segment showing the blood found in Wanda’s car and the theory that she was harmed by someone she knew.
In 2023, community volunteers and family members organized another physical search after receiving a possible tip. Relatives joined the search despite knowing that what they might find could be painful.
As of today, Laresha’s 1999 disappearance and Wanda’s 2016 disappearance are still listed as open missing-person investigations with Metro Nashville Police. Neither woman has ever been found, and no arrests have ever been made in connection with their cases.
Sources:
Roppolo, Michael. “Nashville Police and FBI Push to Solve Case of Missing Grandmother Wanda Faye Walker.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 2021, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/wanda-faye-walker-missing-nashville-grandmother-police-fbi-search/
“Laresha Deana Walker.” The Charley Project, 2024,https://charleyproject.org/case/laresha-deana-walker
“24 Years after Nashville Mother Disappeared, Her Family Waits for Answers.” News Channel 5 Nashville (WTVF), News Channel 5 Nashville (WTVF), 21 Nov. 2023, https://www.newschannel5.com/news/24-years-after-nashville-mother-disappeared-her-family-waits-for-answers
Johnson, Constance. “Search Continues for Missing Nashville Grandmother, Five Years after Her Disappearance.” Oxygen, Oxygen, 20 Dec. 2023, https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/fbi-nashville-police-continue-search-for-wanda-faye-walker