Tara Calico was born on February 28, 1969 in Belen, New Mexico to her parents David Calico and Patty Doel. On the morning of September 20, 1988, when Tara was 19 years old, she left her home in Valencia County, NM to go on her daily bike ride along the same route that she took everyday. She would typically go with her mother, Patty, but she had been skipping the rides lately and still allowed Tara to go because of their familiarity with the route. There was an incident not too long before Tara’s disappearance where a car had been driving aggressively and gotten close to her, passing her intentionally several times. This made Tara nervous and discouraged to continue the daily bike riding tradition. However, Tara continued and denied her mothers suggestion that she carries mace with her. On the morning of her disappearance, Tara made a joke to her mom about coming to look for her if she wasn’t back by noon for her date with her boyfriend. Nothing bad had ever happened over the years that she rode down the same stretch. Noon came and went and Tara Calico never returned home.

That afternoon, Patty drove up and down the route and did not catch any sign of her daughter. She then contacted the police and there was a search party put together. Nobody was able to locate Tara or her bike and nobody who was questioned witnessed any type of kidnapping or accident. A few people recollected seeing Tara riding along the stretch and seeing a light-colored pickup truck almost driving along with her as she was cycling. Pieces of Tara’s Walkman and a cassette tape were found but there was still no trace of her or her bike.

Police had suspected that she may have run away from home, but her family denied as she was described to be a cheerful girl beaming with enthusiasm. David and Patty waited desperately for answers to her daughters whereabouts but there was no forthcoming evidence. Nearly nine months after Tara Calico’s disappearance on June 15, 1989, a polaroid picture was discovered in the parking lot of a convenience store in Port St. Joe, Florida, nearly 1500 miles away from where she had gone missing. The photo showed a teenage girl and young boy lying on sheets and a pillow in the back a van. Both are bound by their wrists and have duct tape over their mouths. The woman who found the photo immediately called police and notified them that she has seen a white Toyota van parked in the spot where the polaroid was found just before she got there. The driver looked to be about in his thirties and had a mustache. Police tried to roadblock and intercept the vehicle but it was unsuccessful.

The photo was featured on the TV sho America’s Most Wanted and that is where her family saw the photo and knew it was her by a scar on her thigh and a book by Tara’s favorite author next to her in the image. Police were skeptical of this theory until the young boys family came forward and mentioned that his name was Michael Henley and he vanished in New Mexico in 1988. In the end only one family received answers when Michael’s remains were found in 1990 just seven miles from where he disappeared in New Mexico but he had died of exposure long before the polaroid had been developed.

Tara Calico has been missing for more than 30 years. It was never confirmed whether or not it was actually her in the photo, and there were several other similar photos found that could have also included Tara. She is still missing to this day.