Neighbors Heard Her Screaming And Saw Four People Force Her Into A Car, And She’s Been Missing Since 1980
In 1980, Jennifer Wyant of Nashville, Tennessee, was 21-years-old and just beginning her young adult life. She’d moved out, gotten her own apartment, and worked at Colonial Bakery while attending night school to further her education.
“She was juggling a lot of balls, and she was juggling them very well,” recalled Jennifer’s friend and Colonial Bakery coworker, who preferred to remain unnamed.
“She bought a nice car. It was a black TransAm with the big gold bird on the hood, and she parked that car across two spaces because she did not want anyone dinging her doors.”
Yet, on June 27, Jennifer saw her coworkers for the very last time. They all went to lunch together at Taco Bell, and while eating, the group discussed their weekend plans. Jennifer shared how she was going to a softball party over the weekend.
Once Monday rolled around, though, she failed to show up for work in the morning. This immediately set off alarm bells, as she was known to be a reliable employee.
Jennifer’s parents ultimately reported her missing on Monday, June 30, and once an investigation was launched, authorities confirmed that she’d played in her softball game and attended her softball party as planned.
Afterward, she headed back to her home, located at 239 Tanglewood Court Apartments, now known as Whispering Oaks.
The police also searched Jennifer’s apartment, but the space appeared “undisturbed.” Her new car was still sitting in the parking lot as well.
For just over four decades, the public was given few details surrounding the 21-year-old’s disappearance. Then, in 2021, Metro Nashville investigators released shocking new information.
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Jennifer’s neighbors reportedly heard screaming and saw a dark-colored four-door sedan in the complex that night.
When they looked out their window, the neighbors witnessed a group of four people forcing a woman into the vehicle. Investigators suspect that the woman was Jennifer.
“[The neighbors] reported this information to the apartment security guard. Unfortunately, the security guard never notified the police,” said Metro Nashville Police Department Cold Case Unit Detective Matthew Filter.
The motive behind Jennifer’s possible abduction is unclear, but Detective Filter suggests it was “targeted.”
“It’s almost something I would say is targeted, that someone was looking at her for one reason or another and waiting for her to return home,” he explained.
Nearly six months after Jennifer vanished, her driver’s license was found by a contractor on December 11. The contractor had been working in a region known as Blue Lake Lane, which is a housing complex today in Rutherford County that was under development at the time.
Investigators brought canines to the area, which was almost 15 miles away from Jennifer’s apartment, and searched it. Nonetheless, no further evidence was uncovered.
“This is very close to the Piercy Priest Lake area. It’s very possible that they could have taken her into the woods and dumped her body. They did search the area with dogs, and there was nothing found,” Detective Filter detailed.
Today, Jennifer’s disappearance has gone unsolved for more than 44 years, and foul play is suspected.
At the time she went missing, Jennifer was five foot three, weighed 125 pounds, and had brown hair and brown eyes. She would be 66 years old today.
Anyone with information regarding her case is urged to contact the Metro Nashville Police Department Cold Case Unit at (615) 862-7329.
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