Ashani Karin Creighton, a 4-year-old girl from Orlando, Florida, was last seen on March 21, 1997. She had been sent to visit her grandparents, Ernest and Kaia Jackson, who refused to return her to her mother. The grandparents, also known by aliases Ernest and Abiola Anderson, subsequently abducted Ashani. Over a year later, in August 1998, they relocated from Florida to Tulsa, Oklahoma, bringing their other children, but Ashani has not been seen or heard from since.
Despite extensive searches, her case remains unresolved.
In October 2000, the Jacksons were arrested in Oklahoma on unrelated child abuse charges, stemming from the severe abuse of their own son. Though Ashani was not with them at the time of their arrest, they have been considered prime suspects in her disappearance. Authorities believe Ashani may have been murdered in 1999, and her body possibly buried in the Tulsa area. In 2012, investigators searched for her remains, focusing on specific locations near Tulsa, though these efforts were unsuccessful.
The grandparents faced significant legal consequences for their abusive treatment of other children, with Kaia Jackson serving a 35-year sentence for child abuse. Ernest Jackson, acquitted in one trial for abuse, was later convicted on separate charges involving another child in New Jersey. However, despite their convictions for other crimes, neither grandparent has been charged in connection with Ashani's disappearance.
Investigators continue to pursue leads, but over two decades later, Ashani's whereabouts remain unknown, and her case continues to haunt those involved. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Orange County Sheriff's Office.Last Seen: Mar 21, 1997
