Account
Apr 15, 2010
May 30, 2023
Lenoria
Jones
32
3
36 inches
40 lbs
Black / African American
Female
In the summer of 1995, a little girl named Lenoria Jones, just three years old, vanished from Tacoma, Washington. She was last seen on July 20, 1995, reportedly wearing a black "Barney" T-shirt and blue turquoise pants, with her hair neatly done in braids. Lenoria, an African-American female with black hair and brown eyes, was described as being 3 feet tall and weighing 40 pounds. At the time of her disappearance, she was in the legal custody of her great-aunt, Berlean Williams, who was in the process of adopting her. Lenoria had been born with cocaine in her system and was diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), for which she was taking prescription medication. The initial report to the police stated that Lenoria had disappeared from inside a Target store while shopping with her great-aunt. The initial account of Lenoria's disappearance quickly unraveled when store surveillance footage showed Berlean Williams entering the Target alone. This discovery prompted Williams to change her story multiple times. Her subsequent explanations for Lenoria's absence included the possibilities that the little girl had wandered away from home, been abducted from the Target parking lot, or been taken by two unidentified men near their residence. At one point, Williams claimed Lenoria was safe and living in an undisclosed location. The inconsistencies in her statements raised suspicions among investigators. Adding to the disturbing nature of the case, a neighbor reported hearing someone at the Williams' home say, "She's dead, mama. I killed her," just days before Lenoria was reported missing, though at the time the neighbor thought the comment was about a pet. Williams was eventually placed under house arrest for four months for failing to provide information but was never charged in connection with Lenoria's disappearance. Her lawyer attributed her conflicting stories to pressure from law enforcement. Over the years, the investigation into Lenoria's disappearance has continued, though it has grown cold. Foul play is suspected in her case, and while she is officially listed as a missing child, detectives believe she is likely deceased. Lenoria's mother, Deidre Jones, believes her aunt and cousins were involved in her daughter's disappearance. In 2024, when detectives located and questioned Berlean Williams, she became agitated and stated that she had "made good with God," which Lenoria's mother views as an admission of guilt. Various theories about Lenoria's fate have been considered, including an accidental overdose of her medication, being given to relatives, or wandering off and meeting with foul play. However, no evidence has surfaced to substantiate any of these theories. The case remains an open and unsolved mystery, a painful void for a mother who continues to seek closure and the chance to provide her daughter with a proper burial.
Jul 20, 1995
Tacoma
Washington
Pierce County
No
26663
Tacoma Police Department
Tacoma
Washington
Pierce County
98409
3701 South Pine Street, Washington
2535915950
Local
Law Enforcement
952010300
Tacoma Police Department
Black
Brown
Brown
06/18/2026
