Shaquanna Lakita Rutherford was 25 years old when she was reported missing from Salisbury, Maryland, in Wicomico County. Public records in NamUs list her date of last contact as May 19, 2025, and describe her as a Black woman, about 5 feet 2 inches to 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighing between 280 and 330 pounds, with black hair, short curly hair, brown eyes, and aliases or nicknames including Shaquanna Seawright and Shaquanna Plowden.
The NamUs case states that family members reported her missing after she had not been seen or heard from since that date, and the investigating agency is the Salisbury Police Department. At the time she disappeared, she was reportedly wearing a gray sweatshirt with blue lettering, dark and light green camouflage leggings, hoop earrings, and dark slip-on or tie-up shoes.
In the days and weeks after Shaquanna disappeared, local reporting gave a fuller picture of the worry surrounding her absence. She was known to many people close to her as Kita, and her sister, Dynasha Seawright, said the family had been searching the places where Shaquanna was known to spend time. One of the last reported sightings described by Salisbury Police and local media placed Shaquanna at the Wawa on Route 13 South in Salisbury on May 18, 2025, around the time her sister said the family lost contact with her. Her family said people often saw her downtown, including near the bridge by the La Quinta and Anchorage Nursing Home, and described her as someone who liked to walk, but not someone who would typically get into a vehicle and simply vanish.
Salisbury Police publicly asked for help finding Shaquanna in early June 2025, saying she had last been seen in the area of Salisbury City Park approximately two weeks earlier. Police described her as critically missing because of health concerns, while also stating that there were no other suspicious circumstances known at that time. Family members also shared concerns about her health, including mental health disorders, while saying they believed those conditions would not have stopped her from seeking help if she were in danger. The public appeal reflected the urgency of the search: Shaquanna was a loved daughter, sister, and community member whose sudden silence was deeply out of character to those who knew her.
As the investigation continued, Salisbury Police sought help identifying people who might have information connected to the search. On June 5, 2025, police asked the public to identify two men in connection with the search for Shaquanna; that same report was later updated to say the two men had been identified. A few days later, police also asked for help identifying another man in connection with the disappearance investigation. Local reporting stated that police had identified and questioned three potential witnesses, but investigators were still seeking leads that could help determine where Shaquanna went after her last known movements.
By August 2025, Shaquanna had been missing for nearly three months, and her family and police were still searching for answers. Her sister said some tips had not been valid and that rumors about Shaquanna being found deceased were frightening and untrue. Salisbury Police Lieutenant Brandon Caton said investigators were still treating the matter as a missing persons case because there was no additional evidence at that time making it anything else. The Maryland State Police Dive Team searched the Wicomico River from Downtown Salisbury to the Wicomico Yacht Club in Eden, but no trace of Shaquanna was found. Investigators said leads were slowing down and that they were trying to fill gaps in the timeline, while focusing parts of the search in West Salisbury.
NamUs does not list Shaquanna Rutherford’s case as resolved, and no reviewed source showed that she had been found alive or located deceased. The case remains the story of a 25-year-old Salisbury woman, known affectionately as Kita, whose family reported her missing after contact ended in May 2025; a woman last associated with familiar parts of Salisbury including the Route 13 South Wawa, downtown areas, Salisbury City Park, and places near the Wicomico River; a critically missing person whose health concerns increased the urgency of the search; and a loved one whose family, police, and community have continued looking for credible information that can explain what happened and bring her home.Last Seen: May 19, 2025
