Tyler Weathersby grew up alongside his three siblings in Chicago, Illinois, as a shy yet inquisitive kid. Then, despite being more introverted during childhood, he blossomed into an outgoing young man.
According to Tyler’s mother, Janine Weathersby Harris, he was one of her most loving and compassionate children.
“He didn’t have a problem expressing how much he loved his family. Tyler always told me, ‘Mama, I love you,’ in his text messages,” she recalled.
“I raised four children who are like that. That’s the common thread in our family, a whole lot of love and affection.”
Tyler was especially close with his older brother, Greg, and was known for his creativity. The pair of brothers began dancing as teenagers, kick-starting their own performance group and getting signed by an LA talent agency. Then Tyler and Greg pursued more endeavors together.
“Tyler and I started doing music together. We started a brand called Millions United, started a clothing brand. We got into music, [and] we toured about two or three times,” Greg detailed.
However, Tyler eventually told his brother that he wanted to do his own thing. This led him to relocate to South Dakota during the mid-2010s and launch a streetwear clothing company known as Wake with MonaLisa Perez, a friend turned business partner.
Tyler and MonaLisa later tied the knot in 2021, and he became a father to her two kids. In March 2024, the pair also welcomed a new baby into the world while living in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
“He’s an amazing person. He is an amazing husband, father, friend, businessman,” MonaLisa said.
GoFundMe – pictured above is Tyler
But despite Tyler being thrilled about his family and work, he reportedly struggled with depression from time to time. That’s why he began going on walks every day to clear his mind and meditate.
Yet, after Tyler left for a walk on the morning of September 4, 2024, as usual, he vanished and has remained missing ever since.
Prior to his disappearance, his mother, Janine, planned to visit her son and new grandchild in Sioux Falls from August 26 to September 4. She claimed that Tyler seemed fine up until September 3, when they got into an argument.
“It was out of character for him. We’ve never had an argument. We’ve never exchanged words,” she explained.
And even though Janine’s flight home wasn’t until the following day, Tyler drove her to the airport on the night of September 3. Janine called her other son, Gregory, to fill him in on the situation, and he got her a hotel room.
Next, Gregory contacted Tyler and realized his brother did not sound like himself.
“Tyler didn’t sound right. It didn’t sound like Tyler was Tyler and, um, how he normally talks. It was like he was speaking in circles and wouldn’t really explain what happened,” Gregory remembered.
MonaLisa agreed that her husband was saying things that were very unlike him that day. After he returned home from bringing his mother to the airport, he and MonaLisa reportedly barely slept that evening.
The following morning, she woke up and found Tyler had already left to go on a morning walk. MonaLisa was preparing to bring the children to school when he got back.
Together, they all went into the garage, and Tyler and MonaLisa put the kids in the car. They all said goodbye, and MonaLisa watched as Tyler went on a second walk while she was pulling out of the driveway.
Once MonaLisa returned home from dropping off the children, she realized Tyler wasn’t home yet. However, she wasn’t immediately worried.
“Sometimes he’s out meditating, and he’s gone for an hour and a half, two hours,” she noted.
Tyler didn’t bring his phone, keys, or wallet with him, though, and around 10:30 a.m., MonaLisa started to become concerned. She called her mother and her sister before driving around the neighborhood to search for her husband.
That afternoon, she ultimately reported Tyler missing to the Sioux Falls Police Department, and the search for him has been underway ever since.
Authorities reviewed surveillance footage from a nearby business and in the neighborhood. Tyler could be seen walking, but Sam Clemens, a public information officer for the Sioux Falls Police Department, stated that Tyler wasn’t being forced anywhere. He was simply walking by himself.
“The officers checked the area. They were, you know, looking basically different places where he could go or potentially could go. Our goal is just to find him, make sure he’s okay,” Clemens detailed.
Nonetheless, months have now passed since Tyler disappeared, and investigators have not found any clues of his whereabouts.
Tyler was last caught on camera around one mile away from his neighborhood in northeast Sioux Falls. Police don’t know which direction he went after that, and even after interviewing Tyler’s immediate circle, no information has led them any closer to finding Tyler.
Foul play is not currently suspected in his case since Clemens claims nothing has indicated it.
“We’ve asked for tips or information from the public, and we’ve been able to follow up on those and essentially eliminate any of those that have come in. So we don’t have any reason at this point to believe there was anything criminal that happened,” he said.
Still, the exact circumstances of Tyler’s disappearance remain a mystery, and his family is desperate to find answers.
“I feel in my heart because I can feel my four children; I don’t feel my son is here,” his mother, Janine, admitted.
But if he is out there, she thinks her son may need assistance, despite her belief that Tyler would never hurt himself.
“Trauma is serious, and this has been traumatic from day one. He may need some help.”
Tyler’s wife MonaLisa agrees, thinking that he is alive and “just not in his right state of mind.” She also expressed her gratitude for the Sioux Falls community, which has come together during this trying time.
Gregory set up a GoFundMe to raise money for a private investigator and has since retained Legal Eye Investigations, LLC, which stated they are “fully committed to pursuing every lead in the search for Tyler.”
Tyler was six feet tall, weighed 160 pounds, and had shaved, dark brown hair at the time he vanished. He was last seen wearing black shorts and a white T-shirt.
Anyone with information regarding his case is urged to contact the Sioux Falls Police Department at (605) 367-7212.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.