She Met Up With Her Ex-Boyfriend And Then Went Missing
The search continues for Cierra Chapman, a 30-year-old mother of one from Ohio who vanished in December 2022.
She’s remembered as a family-oriented woman who frequently spent time with relatives, enjoyed working on cars, and loved her pet cat.
Leading up to her disappearance, Cierra was living with her sister, Latisha Lofton, on Cambridge Avenue in Dayton. She’d also recently broken up with her ex-boyfriend.
So, on the morning of December 27, 2022, Cierra visited Autumn Woods Apartments in Trotwood, Ohio, where her ex-boyfriend lived. The former partners had supposedly planned to exchange their belongings that day.
Yet, Cierra was never seen or heard from again afterward. Two days later, on December 29, her sister Latisha contacted their aunt, Regina Chapman, and claimed she hadn’t been able to get in touch with Cierra for days. Instead, all of Latisha’s calls were going straight to voicemail.
According to Regina, Cierra had not checked on her 15-year-old son or her beloved cat. That’s what set off alarm bells in her mind.
“So I was like, okay, we’re going to call the police at this point. This is something to be worried about,” she recalled.
Latisha reported Cierra missing the same day, and after authorities launched an investigation, they found security camera footage showing Cierra at Autumn Woods Apartments.
Her vehicle was seen driving away from the complex at approximately 4:30 a.m. However, it’s unclear if the police actually saw Cierra in the car.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
Cierra’s vehicle, a silver 2014 Cadillac SRX with the license plate number JVQ8612, was discovered abandoned in Middletown, Ohio, 10 days later on January 6, 2023.
Her personal items, including her purse, had been left behind, but according to investigators, no evidence was uncovered inside.
Dayton Police Department Major Brian Johns said that Cierra wasn’t from Middletown and had “no reason” to be there.
“So it’s very odd that her car would be found in Middletown, Ohio. It is a very suspicious missing persons case,” Major Johns stated during a news conference.
The police reportedly asked residents who lived on Jewell Avenue, Shelly Street, and Tytus Avenue in Middletown, as well as along State Route 4, to check their security cameras for signs of Cierra’s vehicle from 3:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. on December 27, 2022.
Additionally, investigators wanted Cierra’s ex-boyfriend to visit the police station for an interview. As of July 2023, he still hadn’t gone to the station. Instead, her ex reportedly provided a verbal statement over the phone.
There have been limited updates released on Cierra’s case, with authorities citing the ongoing investigation. Her bank account has remained inactive since the day she went missing, and she hasn’t gotten in touch with any loved ones. This is out of character for Cierra, who was known to always pick up her phone and return any missed calls.
“This is very strange behavior for her, so we’re worried something bad has happened to her,” Major Johns admitted in January 2023.
Within just a few days of her disappearance, a nonprofit that aids the recovery of missing people of color, the Dock Ellis Foundation, got involved in Cierra’s case.
Unfortunately, Michelle Luster, the nonprofit’s Director of Missing Persons, revealed that attention on solving it has waned, and Cierra’s family has been left without answers for over two years now.
Her aunt, Regina, maintains that Cierra never would’ve abandoned her teenage son and hopes anyone with information will come forward.
“I worry a lot, and every time I hear anything, it makes me nervous. If I hear they found remains, I get nervous. When her son calls me and talks to me, he’s missing his mom. He wants his mom, and that’s the hardest part,” she explained.
Cierra was five foot five, weighed 123 pounds, and had brown eyes and black hair. She was last seen wearing blue jeans, a short-sleeve Tommy Hilfiger shirt, and black boots.
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to Cierra’s recovery, as well as the identification, arrest, and conviction of the person(s) responsible for her disappearance. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Dayton Police Department at 937-333-2677 or the FBI at 1-800-225-5324.
More About:True Crime
Read This Next
