Missing Little Lenoria
Three year old Lenoria Jones was born into a seemingly difficult life in Tacoma, Washington. When she entered the world on January 3, 1992, she was born with cocaine into her system, and soon after her mother gave up her parental rights. Many of her extended family members fought to keep her, but Lenoria was given to her great Aunt Berlean Williams. From all accounts, although Berlean never fully adopted Lenoria, she had a pretty decent upbringing with Berlean and there had been no apparent issues with her.
However, on July 20, 1995, things turned tragic. That day, around 8:45am Berlean reported that Lenoria was missing to her daughter. Then about an hour later, she reported her missing to the police. Berlean did not give a clear answer why she did not call the police first, and why she waited an hour later to call them.
She told police Lenoria disappeared while they were shopping. When police looked at store cameras, they showed Lenoria never entered the store. Berlean stated that Lenoria was with her when she entered the store, at least when she was about to enter through the door. In fact, according to Berlean, Lenoria asked, “Can I have a toy?,” then Berlean responded, “Once we we finish looking for me a bathing suit, we can go look for a toy.” Then Berlean stated Lenoria said, “Ok,” but Berlean said she never looked back at her when she gave her answers.
After more questioning, Berlean changed her story a few times. From stating that two men took her in an alley, and kidnapped the child, to knowing where she was and that she she was safe, but she couldn’t tell them where she was. She also stated that Lenoria just wandered away from their home, and also stated she was possibly abducted by two African American men from the home. Berlean retracted again, and stood by her statement that Lenoria was with her in that store. Then she stopped talking altogether.
On the night of July 23, 1995, a few days after Berlean said Lenoria went missing, her daughter Narissa read a statement to news reporters from Berlean reading the “toy and bathing suit” story. She read that Berlean changed her story many times because she was distraught and nervous about the disappearance. After the press conference, her family took no questions.
Lenoria’s mother stated to police that she had tried to call Berlean to talk to Lenoria two days before she disappeared, but Berlean did not let her.
No one else in the family has ever been questioned since 1995.
Berlean was placed under house arrest for four months for not providing case information, and her day care center was shut down. Berlean Williams has not been charged with any connection to Lenoria’s disappearance.
Twenty-four years later, there have been almost no leads in the case in the disappearance of three year old Lenoria Jones, and her case is still open; but the Tacoma Police do not believe Lenoria is alive.
