Missing Woman: Ricarda Tillman-Locket -TN-02/19/2007

[Linda]

http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=c23f39a5-a039-4234-8df3-f0b5491e3b1d&rss=59






Missing Woman: One Year Later

February 18, 2008

MEMPHIS, TN - It has been one year since a Memphis woman went missing and her family is still searching for answers about her disappearance.

Ricarda Tillman-Lockett was last seen in downtown Memphis February 18, 2007, when she was picked up by her husband from her job at Jillian's. No one has been arrested in the case and there has been no sign of the 22 year-old wife and mother.

Eyewitness News Everywhere spoke to Ricarda's family on February 18, 2008 and they say it is difficult to hear of female bodies being found in the Memphis area, such as that of Charlene Gaither, whose body was found February 14, 2008 in DeSoto County, near Highway 78.

Ricarda's sister, Bobbi Medina, says her sister could light up a room.

"She walked into a room and brightened it up and make everybody laugh. She would call me and cheer me up all the time," said Medina.

Medina says she misses those phone calls and says she believes Ricarda's husband, Louis Lockett, killed her. She says Lockett abused Ricarda, which forced her to go to a battered women's shelter to try to get away from him. Louis Lockett has always denied anything to do with Ricarda's disappearance.

Ricarda's family says they have come to terms that their loved one may be dead, but they want her remains to be found and her killer arrested.

"I believe we're gonna find her. She will be found."

Ricarda's family plans to march from Jillian's in downtown Memphis to 201 Poplar on Tuesday, February 19, at 1:30 p.m. The family says anyone who wants to join them is welcome. Once at 201 Poplar, the family says they hope to get a response from police or the District Attorney about where the case into Ricarda's disappearance stands.

Police gave a statement to Eyewitness News Everywhere on Monday, regarding the case.

"This case is not closed and remains an active investigation. Police have to let the facts and evidence lead the investigation. We cannot solve a case on mere speculation."

[Denise]

http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=c23f39a5-a039-4234-8df3-f0b5491e3b1d&rss=59

Missing Woman: One Year Later

  Reported by: Dana Rebik
Email: danarebik@myeyewitnessnews.com
Contributor: Adrienne Phillips
Last Update: 5:28 pm 

Ricarda Tillman-Lockett has been missing since February 18, 2007.

 MEMPHIS, TN - It has been one year since a Memphis woman went missing and her family is still searching for answers about her disappearance.

Ricarda Tillman-Lockett was last seen in downtown Memphis February 18, 2007, when she was picked up by her husband from her job at Jillian's. No one has been arrested in the case and there has been no sign of the 22 year-old wife and mother.

Eyewitness News Everywhere spoke to Ricarda's family on February 18, 2008 and they say it is difficult to hear of female bodies being found in the Memphis area, such as that of Charlene Gaither, whose body was found February 14, 2008 in DeSoto County, near Highway 78.

Ricarda's sister, Bobbi Medina, says her sister could light up a room.

"She walked into a room and brightened it up and make everybody laugh. She would call me and cheer me up all the time," said Medina.

Medina says she misses those phone calls and says she believes Ricarda's husband, Louis Lockett, killed her. She says Lockett abused Ricarda, which forced her to go to a battered women's shelter to try to get away from him. Louis Lockett has always denied anything to do with Ricarda's disappearance.

Ricarda's family says they have come to terms that their loved one may be dead, but they want her remains to be found and her killer arrested.

"I believe we're gonna find her. She will be found."

Ricarda's family plans to march from Jillian's in downtown Memphis to 201 Poplar on Tuesday, February 19, at 1:30 p.m. The family says anyone who wants to join them is welcome. Once at 201 Poplar, the family says they hope to get a response from police or the District Attorney about where the case into Ricarda's disappearance stands.

Police gave a statement to Eyewitness News Everywhere on Monday, regarding the case.

"This case is not closed and remains an active investigation. Police have to let the facts and evidence lead the investigation. We cannot solve a case on mere speculation."

 

[Linda]

http://www.wreg.com/global/story.asp?s=7893563


Family Says Police Are Not Doing Enough to Find Missing Woman

FAST FACTS:

    * Family marks one year anniversary of loved one's disappearance
    * Ricarda Tillman Lockett was last seen leaving Jillian's restaurant with her husband on February 19, 2007
    * Family says Ricarda's husband is the only person who knows what happened to her
    * Family says police aren't doing enough to find Ricarda

(Memphis 02/19/08) It's been exactly a year and still no clues in the disappearance of a Jillian's hostess.  Ricarda Tillman Lockett,22,  was last seen by co-workers leaving the downtown restaurant with her husband after work. Her husband says he took her home, but doesn't know what happened to after that.

On the anniversary of her disappearance Ricarda's family, friends and co workers gathered downtown to bring attention to her case and ask police to do more to find out what happened to her.

Ricarda's father traveled all the way from Sioux City, Iowa to take part and says he longer holds out hope his daughter will be found alive.

"If she was she would have contacted us or we would have heard something," said Lester Tillman.

Lester Tillman says two days before Ricarda disappeared she told him she was divorcing her husband and moving to Iowa to live with him.

 Ricarda's family believes her husband is the only one who knows what happened to her.

"You know he's choked her. He's threatened, he's hit her. He's abused her and that's why she was leaving," said Tillman.

The month before she went missing Ricarda's husband  Lou Lockett was arrested for domestic violence but in a sit down interview insisted that he had nothing to do with her disappearance.

Police have questioned Lockett, but so far have not named him a suspect and are still calling this a missing persons case.

 Tillman says police aren't doing enough to find his daughter.

" It's pretty obvious there is foul play and we just want justice done," said Tillman.

Tillman says right now the family needs closure and will never stop looking for Ricarda.

"We'll do whatever it takes," said Tillman.

Ricarda's family is fighting Lou Lockett for custody of the couple's two year old son. They will be back in court in May.

 Police say this is still a very active investigation and they continue to follow leads in the case.

[Denise]

http://www.wmctv.com/global/story.asp?s=8251749

Family fights over missing woman's son

Updated: April 30, 2008 06:38 PM CDT
 
According to her aunt, when Richarda Tillman Lockett disappeared last February, the missing woman's husband, Lou Lockett, was the last person seen with her.  Now, the family is fighting over Lou Lockett's custody of the couple's young son.

Richarda's father, Lester Tillman, said trouble was brewing shortly before his daughter disappeared.

"She talked to me on the phone. She was afraid of him she had fears of him cause she was getting ready to leave him," Lester Tillman said.

According to Tillman, police took Lou Locket in for questioning, but later released him, saying homicide investigators didn't have a body, or any other evidence, to charge him or anyone else at that time.

While Lou Locket was in custody, Richarda's aunt, Richarda Prichard, was given custody of the missing woman's infant son, Donnell. The family cared for the child for about eight months, but after several juvenile court hearings, Lou Lockett was awarded custody.

"I had to hand the baby to him, and that was devastating for me," Prichard said.

Now, Prichard and other family members are hoping an appeal hearing scheduled Thursday in Juvenile Court will take custody away from Lou Lockett and give it back to them.

"As I understand it, the state went for this appeal," Tillman said. "The state was the one that wanted to grant the appeal, because they thought it was a wrongful judgment, as well as us."

Family members claim Lou Lockett hasn't allowed them to see Donnell since the court took him away in October.

[Denise]

http://www.wreg.com/Global/story.asp?S=8257000

Posted by Melissa Moon

Family of Missing Jillian's Hostess Fight for Custody of Her Son
 
 FAST FACTS:

Ricarda Tillman Locket Disappeared in February of 2007
Her husband has been questioned, but never named a suspect in the case
State is questioning judges decision to give her husband custody of their 2 year old son
melissa.moon@wreg.com

(Memphis 05/01/08)  More than a year after the disappearance of a Memphis woman the courts are still deciding who should get custody of her two-year old son.

 Ricarda Tillman Locket was last seen leaving a downtown Memphis restaurant, where she worked, with her estranged husband.

 Her husband, Lou Locket, has been questioned, but never named a suspect. Still, the state is questioning a judges decision to give him custody of their son.

Locket was back in juvenile court Wednesday. Ricarda's Aunt was also there trying to win custody of the child.

"They said the baby is doing fine. I'm glad to know that. The baby is a beautiful child," said Richenda Prichard, Ricarda's aunt.

After disappeared in February of 2007 Richenda Prichard was given temporary custody of Ricarda's son, Donnell. Eight months later a judge ordered the child be returned to Locket.

Family members can't understand why the judge awarded Locket custody and say the state appears to agree.

"The state made the appeal before we could," said Rhonda Tillman, Ricarda's aunt.

Ricarda's mother and father traveled from Iowa to be at the courthouse today. They say Ricarda would never abandon her child and say her husband knows exactly what happened to her.

Thursday a new judge said before he made any decision about custody he wanted to know more about the police investigation into Ricarda's disappearance , if Locket was a suspect and why the case was at a standstill.

Ricarda's relatives were encouraged and say those are the same questions they've been asking for more than a year.

"I'm glad the judge, somebody is doing something. I'm hoping we can get some closure from this. It's been 15 months. That is ridiculous," said Lester Tillman, Ricarda's father.

"I've been going through hell," said Francesca Medina.

Homicide Detectives have been investigating Ricarda's disappearance, but are still calling this a missing person's case. Last year Locket told us he had no idea what happened to his wife.

Locket and Ricarda's aunt will be back in court for another hearing on August 21st.

[Linda]

http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=3e42e17f-0c29-44a2-b45d-6dbed8aade51

Several Mid-South Women Missing

6/12/08

Near Tunica, MS - A Farmer discovered skeletal remains in a rural field about a mile outside Tunica.  Tunica County investigators believe the remains belong to a woman, but they said they don't know for sure.  There are several Mid-South women missing, including 44 year-old Doris Butler, who was last seen in Tunica February 3, 2008.  “It’s too early to tell whether it’s her or not," said K.C. Hamp, Tunica County Sheriff.  Butler was last seen going to a Tunica grocery store.

86 year-old Elizabeth Ferguson was last seen May 2.  Her family said she was supposed to go to a doctor’s appointment from her Berclair home, but never made it to the doctor’s office.  She drove a 1993 Mercury Sable.  Police are still looking for Ferguson and her car.

Latoya Lusk was 22 years-old when she vanished on March 25, 2007, while leaving “Christie’s Cabaret” in South Memphis.  Police found her car several days after her disappearance, but there is still no sign of her.

Ricarda Tillman-Lockett was 22 years-old when she disappeared.  She was last seen February 19, 2007, leaving her job at “Jillian’s” in Downtown Memphis.

Dr. Cheryl Pearson was 37 years-old when she vanished January 5, 2002.  A few days after she disappeared, police found her car at a nearby apartment complex, wiped clean of all fingerprints.

K.C. Hamp, Tunica County Sheriff said it is too soon to tell who the skeletal remains belong to.  They plan to collect DNA samples from them, and may work with neighboring police departments about their missing persons cases.

The bones discovered will be sent to the Mississippi Crime Lab in Jackson.  Investigators say they are not sure how long the bones were in the field, and cannot tell the woman’s age or race.  Crews will continue searching the field for clues Friday.

If you have any information that could help officers locate any of these missing people, call police.

[Deborah]

http://www.wmctv.com/Global/story.asp?s=7896442


Reported by Jason Miles
Family seeks answers one year later

Updated: Feb 19, 2008 11:19 PM EST
 
Amazing Grace. Just one of the songs sung on the one year anniversary of Ricarda Tillman-Lockett's disappearance.

Dozens of friends, family members, and others ending a march through downtown Memphis at 201 Poplar.

Praying for new leads. Keeping this case from getting cold.

"We're never going to forget her...gonna always have her in our hearts," sister Bobbi Medina said.

Tillman-Locket, known as Rica by those who knew her, vanished on February 19th 2007.

Co-workers at Jillian's said she left with the husband her family says she was planning to leave.

Lou Locket sat down with Action News 5 days later, denying any involvement in his wife's disappearance.

But authoring a book last summer about killing a woman did not do much to diminish suspicion.

Some of Rica's family are here from Iowa in hopes of persuading police to do more.

"Tell us something, give us some direction. What else can we do?" aunt Rhonda Tillman said.

Their commitment to solving this case, even stronger.

One year later.

[La Vina]

NamUs - National Missing Persons Data System - Ricarda Tillman-Locket # 179

       

[LoriDavis]

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/t/tillman-locket_ricarda.html
Charley Project profile for Ricarda Tillman-Locket

[LoriDavis]

Relatives Looking For Answers Four Years After Woman's Disappearance

Melissa Moon
4:43 p.m. CST, February 18, 2011

FAST FACTS:
Four years after a Memphis woman disappeared, her relatives are still searching for answers
Twnety-Two-year-old Ricarda Tillman Locket went missing on February 19, 2007
Relatives believe she is dead and say they know who is responsible

(Memphis 2/18/2011) No word yet from Memphis Police on the identity of skeletal remains found earlier this week in North Memphis, but the family of a missing woman is very interested to find out who that person is.

Saturday marks the four year anniversary of the disappearance of a Memphis restaurant hostess.

Homicide detectives have been working the case, but so far turned up nothing.

Twenty-two year old Ricarda Tillman Locket disappeared on February 19, 2007 leaving behind all her personal belongings and her 21-month-old son.

Read more: http://www.wreg.com/wreg-jilliansdisappearance-story,0,814297.story

[LoriDavis]

Four years after her disappearance, family wonders if Memphis woman is dead or alive

Posted: Mar 02, 2011 4:18 PM EST
Updated: Mar 02, 2011 11:46 PM EST
By Ursula Madden

MEMPHIS, TN (WMC-TV) - Four years ago, Memphis waitress Ricarda Tillman Lockett clocked out at work and was never seen again, leaving behind a young son and a devastated family.

Lockett's aunt, Richenda Pritchard, says her niece, known as Rica to her family, was staying at a shelter for abused women in the days leading up to her disappearance on February 19, 2007.

"She says, "Auntie, I'm not going back to him,' she says, 'cause he's been using me,'" Pritchard said.

The "him" Pritchard referred to is Lockett's estranged husband, Lou Lockett, the author of a book which includes theories on dissolving human bones with acid, and how to bury a body so it is never discovered.

Read more: http://www.wlbt.com/story/14173945/four-years-after-her-dissapearance-family-wonders-if-memphs-woman-is-dead-or-alive?clienttype=printable

[LoriDavis]

http://www.abc24.com/news/local/story/Five-Years-Later-Memphis-Family-Continues-Search/YvQ8sM3PKk68vS8uf1vVkQ.cspx

Five Years Later Memphis Family Continues Search for Ricarda Tillman Lockett

Reported by: Jackie Orozco
Published: 2/18/2012 9:21 pm
Updated: 2/19/2012 1:45 pm
 
MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - A Memphis family is still searching for answers after Ricarda Tillman Lockett mysteriously vanished. Sunday, February 19, 2012 marks five years since her disappearance. Lockett's family believes she's dead and they blame her husband for killing her. The family says police aren't doing enough and it's turning into a cold case with no body, no leads, and no one in custody.

"I want justice done. That wasn't fair. It's not fair for him to just kill my niece and then go live happily ever after with the baby and not even let me see the baby,� said Lockett�s aunt, Richenda Pritchard.

Pictures are the only things that help Richenda Pritchard keep her niece's memory alive. She blames Ricarda's estranged husband, Lou, for her death.

"He had been trying to get her back. She left him, you know, because she was staying in a woman�s shelter,� Pritchard told abc24.com. "He was beating her up and had a gun on her and everything. She was so full of fear. She just kept looking back at the door."

The couple separated a week before she disappeared. Witnesses saw her husband pick her up from work, making him the last person to see her alive. �To my knowledge they think that I murdered her. I didn't murder her,� Lou Lockett told abc24.com on February 27, 2007, one week after she had gone missing.

Police never named Lou Lockett as a suspect. Ricarda's aunt says he was abusive to her niece. He was even arrested for domestic violence in the past. Lou also wrote a manuscript that raised suspicion.

"It's filthy and full of things in there about how to kill and how to get rid of a body so no one can find it,� said Pritchard.

Pritchard fears Ricarda will never see her now 5-year-old son Donnel grow up.

�It hurts my whole family. I'll never forget her, she was my niece, I raised her here,� Pritchard said.

Lou Lockett has custody of the couple's son. We went to Lou's last known address and neighbors told us he hasn't lived there in years. We also tried calling him but the number is disconnected.