Ta’niyah Monique Leonard, an 11-month-old girl, was last seen on October 19, 2002, in Bartow, Florida. Her disappearance is marked by conflicting accounts from her mother, Miranda Jones, and her mother's boyfriend, Michael Lewis. Jones stated that she left Ta'Niyah in Lewis's care at his apartment in the Azalea Gardens complex on Golfview Avenue at 10:30 p.m. while she went out with friends.
Lewis, however, claimed that Jones picked up her daughter the following morning between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. and that he has not seen her since. Jones denies this, maintaining that she has not seen her daughter since the evening of October 19. The case is considered endangered, and while some investigators believe she may still be alive, the Florida Department of Children and Families has presumed her deceased.
The day after Ta'Niyah was last seen, on October 20, 2002, Jones contacted the police to report a physical altercation with Lewis. She alleged that when she went to Lewis's apartment to pick up Ta'Niyah, he informed her the child was at a friend's house. After finding the friend's home empty, Jones confronted Lewis, leading to a dispute in which she claims he kicked her, resulting in the loss of several teeth. Lewis presented a different version of events, claiming Jones attacked him with a kitchen knife, causing cuts on his hands, and that he acted in self-defense. Investigators found blood in his apartment and photographed his injuries. Authorities have considered the possibility that Ta'Niyah was used as a pawn in the domestic dispute between her parents.
In the years following Ta'Niyah's disappearance, both Jones and Lewis have implicated each other, but a lack of evidence has prevented any charges from being filed. In a 2006 interview, Jones expressed her belief that Ta'Niyah was alive and being cared for by Lewis's relatives. She revealed there was an ongoing dispute about the identity of Ta'Niyah's biological father, with paternity tests scheduled for after her disappearance. Jones speculated that Lewis might have hidden Ta'Niyah out of fear of losing access to her if the tests proved he was not the father. Investigators believe one or both of them are responsible for Ta'Niyah's disappearance and probable death. Prosecutors offered both Jones and Lewis immunity in exchange for Ta'Niyah's safe return, but neither accepted the offer.
A year after Ta'Niyah vanished, Jones and Lewis had another child together. The Florida Department of Children and Families intervened and successfully terminated their parental rights to the newborn. The court petition in that case stated that Ta'Niyah was presumed to have been injured during a confrontation between her parents and was deceased. This second child was subsequently adopted. Lewis has been arrested multiple times since Ta'Niyah's disappearance, primarily for charges related to disputes with Jones. The case of Ta'Niyah Monique Leonard remains unsolved.Last Seen: Oct 19, 2002
