Cynthia Bah-Traore, originally from Omaha, Nebraska, relocated to Texas in the early 2000s, where she worked as a substitute teacher.
She had two sons and was known as a smart, loving, and fun woman dedicated to her family, according to her mother, Tambra Alvoid.
But by 2021, when Cynthia was living in Crowley, Texas, and going through a divorce with her husband, she mysteriously disappeared at 39-years-old, and her family members find it hard to believe that she would just leave on her own volition.
“She really liked being a mother. She loved her children. That’s why this is pretty shocking because we know she would never go off somewhere without her kids,” detailed Cynthia’s older sister, Tiffany Alvoid.
It all began on Friday, February 5, 2021. That day, one of Cynthia’s sons claimed that his mom hadn’t been home since Wednesday. This started to set off alarm bells for Cynthia’s family.
At the time, while Cynthia was going through her divorce, she resided in her own Crowley, Texas, home with her eldest son. Meanwhile, her youngest son was staying at his father’s home, which was located around 20 minutes away in Fort Worth.
Upon hearing Cynthia hadn’t been home in two days, her loved ones reached out to her estranged husband, who claimed that she’d been in the hospital.
“And so, at that point, we thought, ‘Oh, I guess she’s not missing,'” Tiffany recalled.
Yet, once Cynthia’s family tried to reach her at the hospital, they learned from a nurse that she wasn’t there.
Facebook – pictured above is Cynthia
Tiffany was distraught over this, as she knew that every minute of investigation time counted when solving a missing person’s case.
“I went back to my dad, and I was kind of like, ‘I don’t understand what happened.’ And he said, you know, ‘It was a mistake. That’s what her husband thought,'” Tiffany stated.
Cynthia’s mother ultimately reported her missing on February 6, and once authorities were involved, they determined Cynthia had last been seen at a Shell gas station located at 1000 East Criner Street in Grandview, Texas, on February 3. The gas station was approximately 26 miles away from her Crowley home.
Cynthia was spotted on surveillance camera footage leaving the station at about 10:30 p.m. According to witnesses who saw her in the station’s convenience store that evening, her behavior seemed “a little odd.”
Her family shared how, in 2016, Cynthia had suffered from some mental health issues as a result of trauma. They think she might have experienced symptoms the day she went missing.
In the security footage, Cynthia walked around the convenience store before she left. Her car also drove away from the gas station, and she was never seen again.
Then, at about 2:00 a.m. on February 16, her vehicle, a dark blue Mazda, was discovered on Interstate 35 in Waco, Texas, by a state trooper.
The location and timing felt especially suspect for Cynthia’s family because, on February 11, a severe winter storm hit Texas, leaving millions without power. Moreover, Cynthia didn’t know anyone in Waco.
“The whole state was covered with snow and there was no electricity for some people for upwards of a week. So, who’s walking out to start a new life? It just doesn’t make any sense,” Tiffany said.
Still, Cynthia’s family felt that authorities did not properly search the car or for Cynthia herself.
“You expect me to believe my daughter got out of her car in the middle of a blizzard, walked up in the interstate, and locked her car? Nobody would do that,” Tambra explained.
However, Lieutenant Michael Tate of the Crowley Police Department reported that investigators did conduct multiple searches – including at Cynthia’s home, inside the car, and in the surrounding region where her car had been discovered.
“We used a drone in the area where the car was recovered. It’s a very rural area – lots of crops, barns, those kinds of things. We also used canines and didn’t come up with anything,” he stated.
Lieutenant Tate also claimed that the biggest problem in solving Cynthia’s disappearance is that “the leads have gone cold,” but investigators reportedly follow up on any tip they receive immediately.
Cynthia’s loved ones continue holding onto hope that her case will be solved. They’ve created the “Find Cynthia Coalition,” which is made up of social justice advocates and attorneys fighting to find her. A $50,000 reward is also being offered by the coalition for information that leads to Cynthia’s location.
“I know that God is going to bring my daughter home because she deserves a burial. Everyone deserves to be found,” Tambra said.
Cynthia was five foot six, weighed 160 pounds, and had black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing black pants, a blue long-sleeve shirt, and grey and white shoes.
If you have any information regarding her case, you are urged to contact the Crowley Police Department at (817) 297-2276.
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