Cold and Missing: Ameera Deadrick

WEBVTT

00:00:24.209 --> 00:00:27.170
I'm your host, Ali McLaughlin -Sulkowski. And

00:00:27.170 --> 00:00:29.910
I'm your co -host, Eli Solkowski. And this is

00:00:29.910 --> 00:00:32.409
Cold and Missing, where we cover cold cases and

00:00:32.409 --> 00:00:35.420
missing person cases. Hello, everyone, and welcome

00:00:35.420 --> 00:00:37.960
back to Cold and Missing. I'm your host, Ali .

00:00:38.479 --> 00:00:43.799
Your co -host, Eli. Welcome back, everyone. There's

00:00:43.799 --> 00:00:47.640
been life in these past few weeks for us over

00:00:47.640 --> 00:00:50.460
here at Cold and Missing, but we are very happy

00:00:50.460 --> 00:00:53.899
to be back this week. The phrase, when it rains,

00:00:53.939 --> 00:00:56.579
it pours, has never been more true. So it has

00:00:56.579 --> 00:00:59.200
been pouring here, but I think the sunshine is

00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:01.899
peaking out and we are back on schedule with

00:01:01.899 --> 00:01:03.780
cold and missing. Thank you for hanging with

00:01:03.780 --> 00:01:06.819
us. Thank you for coming back. We always appreciate

00:01:06.819 --> 00:01:09.840
being a part of your week. To get right into

00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:14.980
it, we are on episode 132 this week. Missing

00:01:14.980 --> 00:01:17.579
person case. Let's go ahead and get into it.

00:01:18.109 --> 00:01:20.250
So just as a bit of a content warning at the

00:01:20.250 --> 00:01:24.069
top, this case does involve a young person. Today,

00:01:24.090 --> 00:01:26.409
we are talking about the missing person case

00:01:26.409 --> 00:01:29.750
of Ameera Deadrick . And this takes place in the

00:01:29.750 --> 00:01:34.629
fall of 2016 in Houston, Texas. I wanted to take

00:01:34.629 --> 00:01:37.129
a second here just at the top to make a quick

00:01:37.129 --> 00:01:40.129
note about the timeline today. It's going to

00:01:40.129 --> 00:01:43.170
be very different than the timelines that I've

00:01:43.170 --> 00:01:45.670
covered in the past. There's a lot of information

00:01:45.670 --> 00:01:50.180
missing. With that said, let's just go ahead

00:01:50.180 --> 00:01:52.719
and get into it and learn a little bit more about

00:01:52.719 --> 00:01:56.500
Amira. Ameera is described as being an intelligent

00:01:56.500 --> 00:02:00.319
and sassy little girl. She was fearless in how

00:02:00.319 --> 00:02:02.879
she approached the world. We'll have a couple

00:02:02.879 --> 00:02:06.159
photos of Ameera on our Instagram, at coldandmissing,

00:02:06.159 --> 00:02:09.419
but she has a huge smile that crinkles into her

00:02:09.419 --> 00:02:12.099
eyes, and you can almost hear the laughter that

00:02:12.099 --> 00:02:14.979
sits just behind the smile, so please go check

00:02:14.979 --> 00:02:18.560
those out. So for the timeline today, we really

00:02:18.560 --> 00:02:20.860
need to start at the beginning of Amira's life.

00:02:21.139 --> 00:02:25.560
She was born October 1st, 2008, and her mother,

00:02:25.800 --> 00:02:29.639
Tiara McWilliams, was in an unhealthy relationship

00:02:29.639 --> 00:02:33.280
with her father, Anthony Diedrich. Tiara says

00:02:33.280 --> 00:02:36.580
that the relationship was abusive, and just a

00:02:36.580 --> 00:02:39.680
few months after Ameera was born, she fled with

00:02:39.680 --> 00:02:42.659
her daughter to the Midwest. Anthony threatened

00:02:42.659 --> 00:02:45.830
her for leaving. said he would make her pay for

00:02:45.830 --> 00:02:48.610
taking his daughter away. Once Tiara and Amira

00:02:48.610 --> 00:02:51.930
were safe in the Midwest, slowly, over the first

00:02:51.930 --> 00:02:54.650
few years of Amira's life, Tiara and Anthony

00:02:54.650 --> 00:02:57.310
begin to talk again. They both ended up in a

00:02:57.310 --> 00:03:00.289
place where they were texting every day and Anthony

00:03:00.289 --> 00:03:02.430
would even come up and visit them from time to

00:03:02.430 --> 00:03:05.569
time and spend time with Ameera. Ameera and her

00:03:05.569 --> 00:03:08.250
mother were mostly living between Wisconsin and

00:03:08.250 --> 00:03:11.229
Illinois, so Anthony would come up from Texas

00:03:11.229 --> 00:03:14.210
to visit them there. At the beginning of the

00:03:14.210 --> 00:03:17.930
summer of 2013, so Ameera is four years old and

00:03:17.930 --> 00:03:20.629
Tiara agrees to let her spend the summer with

00:03:20.629 --> 00:03:23.250
Anthony and his girlfriend in Houston, Texas.

00:03:23.990 --> 00:03:26.629
The plan was for her to come home at the end

00:03:26.629 --> 00:03:29.969
of the summer. As the summer of 2013 comes to

00:03:29.969 --> 00:03:33.129
a close, Tiara tried to make plans for Anthony

00:03:33.129 --> 00:03:36.750
to bring Ameera back, but he refused. He wouldn't

00:03:36.750 --> 00:03:38.770
bring her back home as they had previously agreed.

00:03:39.270 --> 00:03:43.620
So in the spring of 2014, Ameera would be five

00:03:43.620 --> 00:03:45.699
years old now, and this is just a few months

00:03:45.699 --> 00:03:48.939
after Anthony refused to bring her home. Tiara

00:03:48.939 --> 00:03:51.400
heads to Houston, Texas to bring her daughter

00:03:51.400 --> 00:03:54.620
back home. Anthony again refused to let Amira

00:03:54.620 --> 00:03:57.439
go with her mother, and he went a step further

00:03:57.439 --> 00:03:59.719
and refused to let the two of them spend any

00:03:59.719 --> 00:04:03.180
time alone. She says, quote, her father was very

00:04:03.180 --> 00:04:06.159
strict about allowing me to see her. He wouldn't

00:04:06.159 --> 00:04:08.479
allow her to stay in my hotel room by herself.

00:04:08.919 --> 00:04:11.550
He wouldn't leave her with me. He just monitored

00:04:11.550 --> 00:04:14.830
the whole visit. Tiara called the police for

00:04:14.830 --> 00:04:17.689
help. But because there was no formal custody

00:04:17.689 --> 00:04:20.209
agreement between the parents, the police refused

00:04:20.209 --> 00:04:24.329
to assist in the matter. Eventually, Tiara headed

00:04:24.329 --> 00:04:27.009
back to the Midwest without her daughter. This

00:04:27.009 --> 00:04:28.889
time when she went home, there was a noticeable

00:04:28.889 --> 00:04:31.769
shift. It became harder and harder for her to

00:04:31.769 --> 00:04:34.709
get a hold of her daughter. While communication

00:04:34.709 --> 00:04:38.149
was not perfect, it continued like this for the

00:04:38.149 --> 00:04:41.910
next few years. Tiara and Ameera would keep in

00:04:41.910 --> 00:04:44.750
contact over the phone and by using video calls.

00:04:45.389 --> 00:04:48.370
Tiara also started the legal process of getting

00:04:48.370 --> 00:04:50.610
her daughter back and getting a formal custody

00:04:50.610 --> 00:04:55.610
agreement in place. Around April 1, 2016, so

00:04:55.610 --> 00:04:58.490
Ameera would be 7 years old at this point, she

00:04:58.490 --> 00:05:01.829
appears on a Facebook video. The video appears

00:05:01.829 --> 00:05:04.550
to have been taken at a Chuck E. Cheese, likely

00:05:04.550 --> 00:05:08.399
in Houston. The FBI say that this is the last

00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:12.240
confirmed sighting of Amira. However, it appears

00:05:12.240 --> 00:05:15.939
that Ameera and Tiara still communicated after

00:05:15.939 --> 00:05:19.379
that Facebook video at Chuck E. Cheese. However,

00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:23.379
abruptly in the summer of 2016, all communication

00:05:23.379 --> 00:05:27.540
stops. Tiara tried to contact anyone who may

00:05:27.540 --> 00:05:30.300
know where Ameera is, but no one was helpful.

00:05:30.779 --> 00:05:33.860
She says, quote, phones started getting disconnected.

00:05:34.620 --> 00:05:37.420
I couldn't reach out to anyone. No one was returning

00:05:37.420 --> 00:05:40.620
any of my phone calls or even opening my messages

00:05:40.620 --> 00:05:45.139
on Messenger. According to reports, people in

00:05:45.139 --> 00:05:47.819
Houston reported seeing Ameera in the fall near

00:05:47.819 --> 00:05:50.759
her birthday, but it doesn't appear that anyone

00:05:50.759 --> 00:05:54.540
can produce any photos or videos of proof of

00:05:54.540 --> 00:05:58.399
this. That fall of 2016, Anthony Dedrick goes

00:05:58.399 --> 00:06:01.860
to prison. It takes months for Tiara to learn

00:06:01.860 --> 00:06:05.129
this. She doesn't learn it until spring of 2017,

00:06:05.430 --> 00:06:08.410
and at this point, Anthony has been in jail for

00:06:08.410 --> 00:06:11.470
months. She says, quote, I knew something was

00:06:11.470 --> 00:06:14.629
wrong when I found out he was in jail. I could

00:06:14.629 --> 00:06:17.930
feel it in my body. Houston Police Department

00:06:17.930 --> 00:06:20.170
wouldn't help me, so I contacted police where

00:06:20.170 --> 00:06:23.350
I lived, and they reached out to the HPD and

00:06:23.350 --> 00:06:26.370
the Attorney General's office, who then opened

00:06:26.370 --> 00:06:30.250
a case for Amira. When the case is opened, Amira

00:06:30.250 --> 00:06:33.189
is eight years old. And finally, police start

00:06:33.189 --> 00:06:36.370
looking for her. Her mother says, quote, she

00:06:36.370 --> 00:06:38.689
had never been enrolled in school. She had never

00:06:38.689 --> 00:06:41.589
been to the doctor. So now everybody's wondering,

00:06:41.829 --> 00:06:44.750
okay, where is this little girl? Who has her?

00:06:45.490 --> 00:06:47.449
Police head straight to the prison where her

00:06:47.449 --> 00:06:50.670
father was serving time. Police begin questioning

00:06:50.670 --> 00:06:54.730
Anthony on Amira's whereabouts. Police say, quote,

00:06:55.050 --> 00:06:57.990
Her biological father says he gave custody of

00:06:57.990 --> 00:07:00.550
Ameera to a lady that he had met at a convenience

00:07:00.550 --> 00:07:04.649
store somewhere in the Waco area. He said her

00:07:04.649 --> 00:07:07.930
name was Linda, but some people knew her as Tuti.

00:07:08.209 --> 00:07:11.170
But we could not locate or verify that this woman

00:07:11.170 --> 00:07:15.870
ever existed. Anthony told police that someone

00:07:15.870 --> 00:07:19.910
named Linda, who also went by Tuti, was watching

00:07:19.910 --> 00:07:23.189
Amira. He gave police the address of the apartment

00:07:23.189 --> 00:07:25.769
building where the woman lived in Waco, Texas.

00:07:26.170 --> 00:07:29.910
It was in the Bordeaux Apartments. Anthony said

00:07:29.910 --> 00:07:33.310
that she worked in the healthcare industry. Police

00:07:33.310 --> 00:07:36.089
were never able to find a woman who lived at

00:07:36.089 --> 00:07:39.230
that address who matched that description, and

00:07:39.230 --> 00:07:42.230
there was no sign of Ameera there. We know police

00:07:42.230 --> 00:07:44.930
give Anthony a lie detector test, but we don't

00:07:44.930 --> 00:07:48.160
know the results of it. We also know police do

00:07:48.160 --> 00:07:50.980
a cadaver search of Anthony's last known residence

00:07:50.980 --> 00:07:54.199
in Hubbard, Texas, but there's no sign of Amira

00:07:54.199 --> 00:07:57.379
there. Eventually, Anthony will be released from

00:07:57.379 --> 00:08:01.000
prison, yet he doesn't go pick up Amira. He doesn't

00:08:01.000 --> 00:08:03.319
give any more information on her whereabouts.

00:08:04.459 --> 00:08:08.500
So in 2019, Tiara moved to Houston, Texas, to

00:08:08.500 --> 00:08:11.180
be closer to the investigation and try to uncover

00:08:11.180 --> 00:08:33.519
her own details. She says, quote, Tiara has said

00:08:33.519 --> 00:08:38.230
the police have been unhelpful. Quote, The Attorney

00:08:38.230 --> 00:08:40.789
General's office initially helped, but they came

00:08:40.789 --> 00:08:43.669
to a dead end and the case came to a halt until

00:08:43.669 --> 00:08:46.470
they get more information. They're supposed to

00:08:46.470 --> 00:08:48.629
be investigating now, but I don't know much about

00:08:48.629 --> 00:08:51.309
it. Someone has been trying to leave clues or

00:08:51.309 --> 00:08:53.389
breadcrumbs that Ameera could still be alive.

00:08:53.929 --> 00:08:56.309
There are a lot of games being played and many

00:08:56.309 --> 00:08:59.769
people are involved in the case. In September

00:08:59.769 --> 00:09:03.649
of 2022, Ameera has been missing for six years.

00:09:04.409 --> 00:09:06.669
And her mother believes that her daughter is

00:09:06.669 --> 00:09:09.330
no longer with us. But she still wants answers.

00:09:09.669 --> 00:09:12.889
Quote, God has given me peace. I had to get sober

00:09:12.889 --> 00:09:15.549
to get it, but he's given me peace and I know

00:09:15.549 --> 00:09:20.309
my daughter is with him. In June of 2023, FBI

00:09:20.309 --> 00:09:23.269
emergency response team head to Hubbard, Texas

00:09:23.269 --> 00:09:26.409
to test some new technology and to see if they

00:09:26.409 --> 00:09:29.799
can get any evidence in Amira's case. It's unclear

00:09:29.799 --> 00:09:33.279
what exactly the new technology is and if they're

00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:36.620
able to get any evidence, but there's no update.

00:09:37.440 --> 00:09:40.179
That's the last piece of information that I could

00:09:40.179 --> 00:09:43.919
find on Amira's case. So if you know anything

00:09:43.919 --> 00:09:47.019
about the disappearance of Ameera Deadrick or

00:09:47.019 --> 00:09:49.980
her whereabouts today, or if you know anything

00:09:49.980 --> 00:09:53.340
about a woman named Linda who may also go by

00:09:53.340 --> 00:09:57.440
Tootie, who lived in the Waco, Texas area, please

00:09:57.440 --> 00:10:03.419
call the Houston Police at 713 -884 -3131 or

00:10:03.419 --> 00:10:12.080
the Waco Police at 254 -750 -7500. So that is

00:10:12.080 --> 00:10:17.039
the missing person case of Ameera Deadrick. You

00:10:17.039 --> 00:10:21.220
know, with this case, I've gotten to see the

00:10:21.220 --> 00:10:26.679
pictures of Ameera already and, um... You know,

00:10:26.679 --> 00:10:30.620
just instantly she reminded me of our nieces,

00:10:30.620 --> 00:10:36.600
the smile and her description of just what her,

00:10:36.720 --> 00:10:41.320
you know, blooming personality was like. And

00:10:41.320 --> 00:10:46.379
I know I say this often with cases, but I can't

00:10:46.379 --> 00:10:48.940
stress it enough. So I think it bears repeating.

00:10:49.039 --> 00:10:53.700
I'm so glad that you brought this case to us.

00:10:54.190 --> 00:10:57.529
Even with the timeline being something different

00:10:57.529 --> 00:11:00.809
from the way you have put together timelines

00:11:00.809 --> 00:11:06.769
before, you know, each person is special and

00:11:06.769 --> 00:11:12.230
unique and different. So what happened, you know,

00:11:12.250 --> 00:11:17.049
surrounding any of these cases is worthy of covering.

00:11:17.750 --> 00:11:22.669
So I'm really grateful to know Amira's name.

00:11:23.360 --> 00:11:26.620
Yeah, this is a case that I instantly felt needed

00:11:26.620 --> 00:11:29.919
to come to cold and missing and needed to get

00:11:29.919 --> 00:11:32.340
out to our listeners because it's not one that

00:11:32.340 --> 00:11:35.600
I was familiar with, but it's a case where we

00:11:35.600 --> 00:11:38.740
really need more information and we need to just

00:11:38.740 --> 00:11:42.159
get Amira's picture out there and get it circulating

00:11:42.159 --> 00:11:46.159
and getting people talking about her. 2016 was

00:11:46.159 --> 00:11:50.539
not that long ago and it's fresh enough that

00:11:50.539 --> 00:11:54.419
I think a lot of people However many people had

00:11:54.419 --> 00:11:58.519
to do with this young girl going missing have

00:11:58.519 --> 00:12:04.200
answers. And that I feel almost sure of. Yeah,

00:12:04.200 --> 00:12:06.779
it feels like there is so much more information

00:12:06.779 --> 00:12:09.940
out there. People who might have seen her might

00:12:09.940 --> 00:12:12.519
have seen her since she has officially gone missing.

00:12:13.059 --> 00:12:17.299
So, yeah, there's more information out there.

00:12:17.379 --> 00:12:20.940
And I'm just hoping that. Bringing her case here,

00:12:21.039 --> 00:12:22.940
getting it to our listeners, getting other folks

00:12:22.940 --> 00:12:25.000
talking about it kind of gets that information

00:12:25.000 --> 00:12:31.360
to generate and for it to help bring Ameera back

00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:37.879
home. Yeah, just moving right into what we can

00:12:37.879 --> 00:12:42.980
speak of on this timeline is the person we're

00:12:42.980 --> 00:12:46.159
getting most of the information from, which is

00:12:46.159 --> 00:12:50.700
Tiara, her mother. Because she has stayed so

00:12:50.700 --> 00:12:56.200
diligent in looking for her daughter, she has

00:12:56.200 --> 00:13:00.679
given us specific time markers of things. And

00:13:00.679 --> 00:13:05.080
this woman, what she has done, what she is going

00:13:05.080 --> 00:13:09.240
through to find her daughter, I feel panicked

00:13:09.240 --> 00:13:11.720
thinking about this case because I so badly want

00:13:11.720 --> 00:13:14.559
those answers for her. And I really hope that...

00:13:14.799 --> 00:13:16.980
our listeners, you know, again, like I've said

00:13:16.980 --> 00:13:20.840
before, do their thing and share this case because

00:13:20.840 --> 00:13:27.080
this woman is working so incredibly hard to find

00:13:27.080 --> 00:13:33.759
Ameera and with no help. And I know we'll go back

00:13:33.759 --> 00:13:36.700
and forth and discuss that more, but the obstacles

00:13:36.700 --> 00:13:41.259
that she has been up against is, it's insurmountable.

00:13:41.700 --> 00:13:45.629
Yeah. Amira's mother has been very diligent and

00:13:45.629 --> 00:13:47.710
has really been the reason that I was able to

00:13:47.710 --> 00:13:51.389
get any information in this case is because of

00:13:51.389 --> 00:13:54.070
her mother giving interviews and keeping it in

00:13:54.070 --> 00:13:59.250
the media. I will say that throughout the reporting

00:13:59.250 --> 00:14:03.250
and everything, there is some contradicting times

00:14:03.250 --> 00:14:06.129
and things like that. So I tried to get the timeline

00:14:06.129 --> 00:14:09.590
just as close. to what I think is accurate as

00:14:09.590 --> 00:14:12.529
possible. Sometimes years shift or, you know,

00:14:12.529 --> 00:14:14.970
a spring versus fall, but I try to just get it

00:14:14.970 --> 00:14:18.690
consistently what's been said over and over again.

00:14:19.450 --> 00:14:23.710
I also think that, you know, having your personal

00:14:23.710 --> 00:14:28.929
information out there, like it being included

00:14:28.929 --> 00:14:33.629
in this timeline necessarily. So, and I'm talking

00:14:33.629 --> 00:14:37.980
about The fact that she was in an abusive relationship

00:14:37.980 --> 00:14:43.059
with Amira's father, you know, for that to be

00:14:43.059 --> 00:14:47.159
public knowledge and for it to be part of the

00:14:47.159 --> 00:14:50.899
timeline here, I would imagine is extremely difficult.

00:14:51.580 --> 00:14:56.220
And I don't know, I just really stand by this

00:14:56.220 --> 00:15:02.580
woman and want justice for her and answers. And

00:15:02.580 --> 00:15:06.590
for somebody... To help her, like, for the love

00:15:06.590 --> 00:15:10.509
of God, please help her. If there are resources

00:15:10.509 --> 00:15:13.350
out there that could be or should be helping

00:15:13.350 --> 00:15:17.269
her, why are you not doing it? Yeah, I think

00:15:17.269 --> 00:15:19.909
that gets into the heart of the whole case here

00:15:19.909 --> 00:15:26.009
is that what's going on? Who is working this

00:15:26.009 --> 00:15:29.850
case and who is looking for Amira? We know the

00:15:29.850 --> 00:15:35.470
FBI. has been involved to some extent. But it

00:15:35.470 --> 00:15:38.929
boggles my mind that, you know, the adults that

00:15:38.929 --> 00:15:43.250
she was left with who were supposed to be taking

00:15:43.250 --> 00:15:46.870
care of her don't have answers for where she

00:15:46.870 --> 00:15:51.669
is today. Like, that is crazy to me. That boggles

00:15:51.669 --> 00:15:56.730
my mind that we don't have answers from the people

00:15:56.730 --> 00:15:59.889
who were supposed to be taking care of her. And

00:15:59.889 --> 00:16:05.730
from the sounds of it, when Tiara went looking

00:16:05.730 --> 00:16:09.830
for answers via calling people, messaging people,

00:16:09.970 --> 00:16:14.970
texting people, to receive dead ends, to receive

00:16:14.970 --> 00:16:21.169
voicemails, to receive phones disconnected, shut

00:16:21.169 --> 00:16:26.169
off, those are all adults making those decisions

00:16:26.169 --> 00:16:32.350
to to essentially dead -end her at every step,

00:16:32.629 --> 00:16:37.470
every turn. So there are a lot of people involved

00:16:37.470 --> 00:16:41.269
in this case. At least that's what it seems like

00:16:41.269 --> 00:16:45.230
to me, based on the timeline you've provided

00:16:45.230 --> 00:16:47.710
and the information that we have. If she was

00:16:47.710 --> 00:16:49.950
calling multiple people who don't want to be

00:16:49.950 --> 00:16:52.230
involved, why don't you want to be involved?

00:16:53.330 --> 00:16:57.620
I'm really curious to know the answers. to that

00:16:57.620 --> 00:17:00.620
question because I don't understand if a child

00:17:00.620 --> 00:17:04.359
is missing why is it not all hands on deck all

00:17:04.359 --> 00:17:08.119
everyone on board looking for her her other her

00:17:08.119 --> 00:17:11.779
other loved ones or people that know of her connected

00:17:11.779 --> 00:17:15.000
to her connected to her father connected to Tiara

00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:19.740
and I know I feel like I'm getting a little worked

00:17:19.740 --> 00:17:22.299
up but I don't know this case is worth being

00:17:22.299 --> 00:17:26.579
worked up over absolutely and Yeah, there were

00:17:26.579 --> 00:17:30.000
a lot of people in Texas who in the fall of 2016

00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:33.299
claimed that they saw Ameera around her birthday.

00:17:33.579 --> 00:17:38.180
But it does not appear that photos or video have

00:17:38.180 --> 00:17:42.079
come forward in that because the FBI say that

00:17:42.079 --> 00:17:47.359
the last known appearance of Amerra is on that.

00:17:47.950 --> 00:17:51.150
Facebook video of her at Chuck E. Cheese. So

00:17:51.150 --> 00:17:53.549
that's kind of the last visual sighting that

00:17:53.549 --> 00:17:56.470
the FBI is saying happened. So if people do have

00:17:56.470 --> 00:17:59.569
pictures of her at a birthday party, you know,

00:17:59.569 --> 00:18:03.569
at a summer something, at a fall hangout, at

00:18:03.569 --> 00:18:06.069
a back to school, bring those pictures forward.

00:18:06.130 --> 00:18:08.369
Let us get more of the timeline in place and

00:18:08.369 --> 00:18:18.430
narrow down when Ameera truly went missing. Amira

00:18:18.430 --> 00:18:22.990
were communicating after the Chuck E. Cheese

00:18:22.990 --> 00:18:26.609
video. I'm curious to know if they were, you

00:18:26.609 --> 00:18:29.089
know, video chatting, if it was strictly text

00:18:29.089 --> 00:18:34.150
messages, if it was phone calls. Because to me,

00:18:34.150 --> 00:18:38.289
that changes things. Because it would mean that

00:18:38.289 --> 00:18:42.190
that video isn't the last, you know, like CCTV

00:18:42.190 --> 00:18:46.269
we have of her. So the Chuck E. Cheese video,

00:18:46.529 --> 00:18:50.109
the FBI says that was taken April 1st, 2016.

00:18:50.630 --> 00:18:54.430
Now, this is an area where I did find some conflicting

00:18:54.430 --> 00:18:58.490
reports, but this is overwhelmingly what was

00:18:58.490 --> 00:19:02.329
said, is that after the Chuck E. Cheese video,

00:19:02.509 --> 00:19:06.670
April 1st, 2016, Ameera and her mother were still

00:19:06.670 --> 00:19:09.960
communicating. I don't know the specifics of

00:19:09.960 --> 00:19:12.740
if that was text messages, phone calls, video.

00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:16.559
That I don't know. But abruptly in the summer

00:19:16.559 --> 00:19:19.660
of 2016, it seems that all communication stops.

00:19:19.900 --> 00:19:23.339
And that's when Tiara couldn't get a hold of

00:19:23.339 --> 00:19:26.099
anybody. That's when that blockade starts coming.

00:19:26.359 --> 00:19:29.059
And then we know in the fall, her father, Anthony,

00:19:29.319 --> 00:19:32.700
goes to prison on unrelated charges. So from

00:19:32.700 --> 00:19:37.960
April of 2016 through... The fall where it's

00:19:37.960 --> 00:19:41.079
critical that we narrow down that timeline, but

00:19:41.079 --> 00:19:46.000
we just don't know when exactly she goes missing.

00:19:46.559 --> 00:19:51.180
My follow -up question to Amira's father, Anthony,

00:19:51.339 --> 00:19:55.799
going to prison is why wasn't Amira's mother,

00:19:56.019 --> 00:20:01.450
Tiara, contacted? I guess I'm kind of answering

00:20:01.450 --> 00:20:03.849
my own question there because no one has been

00:20:03.849 --> 00:20:08.150
helpful up to this point. So it makes sense that

00:20:08.150 --> 00:20:11.769
no one would have reached out. And, you know,

00:20:11.789 --> 00:20:17.069
outside of maybe people who knew Ameera directly,

00:20:17.230 --> 00:20:20.349
but it doesn't appear that Ameera was ever enrolled

00:20:20.349 --> 00:20:22.329
in school. So, you know, there was no school

00:20:22.329 --> 00:20:25.380
system keeping an eye on her or. you know, would

00:20:25.380 --> 00:20:27.759
count for her going missing. And it doesn't appear

00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:30.140
that she ever went to a doctor either. So again,

00:20:30.259 --> 00:20:35.119
just like another place where it's nobody's looking

00:20:35.119 --> 00:20:37.740
for her or expecting her or checking up on her.

00:20:38.160 --> 00:20:42.119
So it was already a very limited pool of people

00:20:42.119 --> 00:20:47.099
who had eyes on Amira. Yeah, my, because there

00:20:47.099 --> 00:20:52.140
was essentially no paper trail of her, of...

00:20:52.430 --> 00:20:55.609
Any sort of paperwork, like at a doctor's visit,

00:20:55.690 --> 00:20:59.049
where it records a moment in time of where you

00:20:59.049 --> 00:21:05.609
were existing. My questions are for the adults

00:21:05.609 --> 00:21:09.390
that were maybe around her, which is Anthony's

00:21:09.390 --> 00:21:13.670
girlfriend. Where was the girlfriend? And does

00:21:13.670 --> 00:21:17.910
she have any answers? Has she been questioned?

00:21:18.130 --> 00:21:24.910
Does anyone know who she is? This supposed Linda

00:21:24.910 --> 00:21:30.589
slash Tootie, that is a big red flag to me. It

00:21:30.589 --> 00:21:35.410
sounds to me like a made -up person. And his

00:21:35.410 --> 00:21:41.349
story about handing her over in a convenience

00:21:41.349 --> 00:21:48.450
store, I just... The following... After writing...

00:21:49.470 --> 00:21:51.990
As fast as I could these questions down, the

00:21:51.990 --> 00:21:55.829
following thing I wrote was, this story is filled

00:21:55.829 --> 00:21:59.390
with lies and holes. And I mean more coming from

00:21:59.390 --> 00:22:02.829
Anthony than anything. This guy owes a lot of

00:22:02.829 --> 00:22:07.750
answers. I want answers. That's how I feel with

00:22:07.750 --> 00:22:12.569
this case. It does not make sense to me why these

00:22:12.569 --> 00:22:15.750
questions are not being answered. So police were

00:22:15.750 --> 00:22:18.430
never able to track down this Linda or Tootie

00:22:18.430 --> 00:22:24.660
woman. And Anthony gave an address in Waco, Texas,

00:22:24.779 --> 00:22:26.740
where this woman was supposed to live and she

00:22:26.740 --> 00:22:29.619
didn't live there. So police are asking if anybody

00:22:29.619 --> 00:22:33.039
knows anyone that, you know, whose name is Linda,

00:22:33.200 --> 00:22:36.099
but maybe goes by the name Tootie, would work

00:22:36.099 --> 00:22:39.099
in the health care industry and maybe spent time

00:22:39.099 --> 00:22:43.369
in Waco, Texas. Please. call police and let them

00:22:43.369 --> 00:22:46.170
know who this woman is because this supposedly

00:22:46.170 --> 00:22:49.630
is who Ameera was handed off to. And there's no

00:22:49.630 --> 00:22:53.150
other details of did they just meet in a convenience

00:22:53.150 --> 00:22:55.849
store? Had they known each other for some time?

00:22:56.049 --> 00:22:58.609
Was there any trust there? Was there a phone?

00:22:58.690 --> 00:23:02.589
Like there's so many questions about why you

00:23:02.589 --> 00:23:05.730
would hand off your daughter to another person

00:23:05.730 --> 00:23:09.470
instead of having her go to her mother or another

00:23:09.470 --> 00:23:12.079
family member. Just a woman in a convenience

00:23:12.079 --> 00:23:16.940
store. I'm not buying it. But if anybody knows

00:23:16.940 --> 00:23:20.880
this woman, please come forward. Well, I really

00:23:20.880 --> 00:23:23.900
don't like talking about this part of the timeline.

00:23:24.059 --> 00:23:28.579
I do think it's important to speak about it again.

00:23:28.799 --> 00:23:31.640
You know, I felt sick to my stomach knowing that

00:23:31.640 --> 00:23:34.440
that child was maybe wearing a bell in the company

00:23:34.440 --> 00:23:37.900
of adults that were supposed to be taking care

00:23:37.900 --> 00:23:44.099
of her. was maybe needing to steal food to care

00:23:44.099 --> 00:23:47.660
for herself. That was deeply disturbing and upsetting

00:23:47.660 --> 00:23:52.160
to hear. So if there were adults around who were

00:23:52.160 --> 00:23:57.299
witnessing that, now is the time to come forward.

00:23:57.579 --> 00:24:01.880
Yeah, that information came from Tiara, and it's

00:24:01.880 --> 00:24:05.160
information that she uncovered by herself of

00:24:05.160 --> 00:24:09.109
going in and... asking questions and trying to

00:24:09.109 --> 00:24:14.089
see what happened to her daughter. And yeah,

00:24:14.190 --> 00:24:18.710
it's heartbreaking and despicable to think about

00:24:18.710 --> 00:24:24.230
this little girl living in that situation. I

00:24:24.230 --> 00:24:29.490
do think that something very hopeful to come

00:24:29.490 --> 00:24:33.849
from what we've learned from this story so far

00:24:33.849 --> 00:24:42.470
is that tiara has reached sobriety um you know

00:24:42.470 --> 00:24:44.970
or did i i really hope for her that it's continued

00:24:44.970 --> 00:24:47.809
sobriety because hell yeah that's incredible

00:24:47.809 --> 00:24:52.869
and to do something like that while this is happening

00:24:52.869 --> 00:24:59.390
in your life is um for some people you know next

00:24:59.390 --> 00:25:03.769
to impossible and she's doing it and that's that's

00:25:03.769 --> 00:25:06.930
really incredible and will only make her stronger

00:25:06.930 --> 00:25:10.950
in finding justice for her for her child for

00:25:10.950 --> 00:25:15.269
Ameera because it's because it is time it has

00:25:15.269 --> 00:25:19.650
been time yeah this is a case where I really

00:25:19.650 --> 00:25:23.690
hope we get to see Ameera come home healthy and

00:25:23.690 --> 00:25:28.329
happy you know if Linda is a real person I hope

00:25:28.329 --> 00:25:32.349
she took Ameera and treated her beautifully and

00:25:32.349 --> 00:25:36.069
Ameera is growing up and Just maybe starting to

00:25:36.069 --> 00:25:39.589
remember and figure out, you know, that's my

00:25:39.589 --> 00:25:42.950
deepest hope in this case. We know, you know,

00:25:42.970 --> 00:25:45.269
her mother feels that Ameera is no longer with

00:25:45.269 --> 00:25:49.869
us. And we know the FBI has searched for cadavers

00:25:49.869 --> 00:25:53.650
and have taken technology out to last known residences

00:25:53.650 --> 00:25:56.430
to see if they can find any evidence of Amira.

00:25:56.509 --> 00:25:59.750
But we don't truly know the results or if anything

00:25:59.750 --> 00:26:03.140
has been found. It seems like. There's been very

00:26:03.140 --> 00:26:07.920
little evidence of Ameera outside of her mother

00:26:07.920 --> 00:26:12.400
and photographs. There's very little evidence

00:26:12.400 --> 00:26:18.319
of her after that. Well, I think you choosing

00:26:18.319 --> 00:26:26.000
to cover this case this week adds to, maybe not

00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:30.279
evidence, but to the timeline, to coverage, to...

00:26:31.400 --> 00:26:36.259
the exposure of her name and this case. And again,

00:26:36.339 --> 00:26:39.700
what Tiara is doing for her, what she's been

00:26:39.700 --> 00:26:43.420
doing. I'm just so glad that you brought it to

00:26:43.420 --> 00:26:46.559
us because I think that this case can move forward

00:26:46.559 --> 00:26:49.359
with more eyes on it and more attention on it

00:26:49.359 --> 00:26:54.440
again. Yeah. Ameera was let down by a lot of adults

00:26:54.440 --> 00:26:57.480
in her life. And, you know, I just wanted to

00:26:59.279 --> 00:27:03.099
Bring her here and now she's going to be exposed

00:27:03.099 --> 00:27:05.059
to so many people who are going to be thinking

00:27:05.059 --> 00:27:08.559
about her and hoping the best for her and looking

00:27:08.559 --> 00:27:11.759
for her. But again, if you know anything about

00:27:11.759 --> 00:27:14.819
the disappearance of Ameera Diedrich in the fall

00:27:14.819 --> 00:27:19.079
of 2016 or her whereabouts today, or if you know

00:27:19.079 --> 00:27:21.779
a woman who goes by the name Linda or Tootie

00:27:21.779 --> 00:27:24.240
who might have spent time in Waco, Texas and

00:27:24.240 --> 00:27:26.779
works in the healthcare industry. please call

00:27:26.779 --> 00:27:33.160
the Houston Police at 713 -884 -3131 or the Waco

00:27:33.160 --> 00:27:40.400
Police at 254 -750 -7500. We will have some photos

00:27:40.400 --> 00:27:44.279
of Ameera on our Instagram and as well as an age

00:27:44.279 --> 00:27:46.980
progression to her teenage years. So what she...

00:27:47.279 --> 00:27:50.799
would look like today. So please go check that

00:27:50.799 --> 00:27:52.880
out. Please share it in your circles. Get her

00:27:52.880 --> 00:27:55.000
name out there. Get her picture out there. You

00:27:55.000 --> 00:27:57.220
can find us at Cold and Missing. We'll pop right

00:27:57.220 --> 00:27:59.299
up. And, you know, if we ever need to take a

00:27:59.299 --> 00:28:01.819
week off like we did last week, we'll always

00:28:01.819 --> 00:28:03.779
update you on the Instagram. So that way you

00:28:03.779 --> 00:28:08.690
can be in the loop with us and stay. with us

00:28:08.690 --> 00:28:12.069
stay in sync with us we also on our website have

00:28:12.069 --> 00:28:14.609
full transcripts and all of our old episodes

00:28:14.609 --> 00:28:16.750
there so if you want to go look at old episodes

00:28:16.750 --> 00:28:18.730
or if you or someone you love is hard of hearing

00:28:18.730 --> 00:28:21.190
you can find the official transcripts on our

00:28:21.190 --> 00:28:25.230
website www .coldandmissing .com and then if

00:28:25.230 --> 00:28:27.930
you could take a moment today to rate and review

00:28:27.930 --> 00:28:30.529
us in whatever player you're listening to us

00:28:30.529 --> 00:28:33.829
in we're so close to 100 in both apple and spotify

00:28:33.829 --> 00:28:37.019
which are our two biggest platforms so Race to

00:28:37.019 --> 00:28:40.039
100. Let's see who gets there first. But if you

00:28:40.039 --> 00:28:41.880
could take some time, give us five stars. It

00:28:41.880 --> 00:28:44.180
means a lot. And it really helps the podcast.

00:28:44.559 --> 00:28:47.160
And it gets Amira's case out there. It gets all

00:28:47.160 --> 00:28:49.759
these cases out there. So please rate and review.

00:28:49.900 --> 00:28:53.900
We would appreciate it so much. But that is all

00:28:53.900 --> 00:28:56.660
I have for you this week. Thank you so much for

00:28:56.660 --> 00:28:58.579
listening to Cold and Missing. Thank you so much

00:28:58.579 --> 00:29:01.059
for sticking with us and coming back. I'm your

00:29:01.059 --> 00:29:04.440
host, Ali . And I'm your co -host, Eli. Have

00:29:04.440 --> 00:29:06.720
a good week and stay safe, y 'all. Stay safe,

00:29:06.799 --> 00:29:07.059
y 'all.