The Disappearance of Chioma Gray
For this case, I watched an episode of Disappeared. It’s season 5 episode 13, titled ‘Too Young For Love.’
A 14 year old girl is kidnapped by an older man.
Background
Chioma Gray
Chioma Gray was a 14 year old girl at the time of her disappearance. She lived with her mom, Franciene Black and her older brother Paul. Chioma was described as being an A plus student, who loved going to school at Buena High, and loved being with her friends and family.
Andrew Joshua Tafoya
Josh Tafoya
Andrew Joshua Tafoya, who also was known as Josh, went to school at St. Bonaventure High School in Ventura, California. Josh played football with Chioma’s brother, Paul, and while they weren’t close friends, they knew each other. Josh noticed Chioma, and despite their six year age difference, they started spending time together. By the way, Josh was 20 and Chioma was 14.
Franciene started to notice changes in her daughter. Her grades were dropping and she wasn’t as outgoing. One day, Franciene received a call from Chioma’s soccer coach that Chioma had disappeared during soccer, and had gone somewhere with Josh.
Franciene was angry. Her daughter was only 14 years old and had no prior relationships. When Franciene confronted her daughter, Chioma said she would stop seeing Josh. Franciene also told Josh to leave her daughter alone, and he said he had very strong feelings for her.
Chioma’s Lies
After their talk about Josh, Chioma seemed to be back to her normal self. Her grades were even improving again.
Franciene had decided to go and surprise Chioma during lunch, and take her out. When she got to Buena High, Chioma wasn’t there. Franciene tried calling her daughter, and Chioma said she was across the street having lunch. Franciene went to look for her and couldn’t find her, she knew Chioma was lying. Her suspicions were confirmed, when Chioma pulled up in Josh’s car. Franciene was PISSED.
She took Chioma to the police station to get Chioma tested. Chioma told her mom that she and Josh had not been having sex, and Franciene knew it was a lie. The tests came back as positive for Josh’s DNA in her underwear.
Once again, Franciene called Josh to come to the house to tell him to stay away from Chioma, who again was 14! Josh came over, this time with his mom. Ms. Tafoya said she though Chioma was 19. Franciene didn’t believe that, and told Josh to stay away from Chioma.
Franciene knew he wouldn’t, so she went to the police again to file charges. Andrew Joshua Tafoya was arrested for unlawful sex with a minor, the age of consent in California is 18. He was sentenced to 6 months of work furlough, meaning he could work during the day and come back to the jail at night.
The Disappearance
On Thursday, December 13, 2007, Franciene said Chioma said goodbye to her and left for school. At 3pm, Paul, Chioma’s brother, went to pick her up. Chioma didn’t come out, and Paul tried calling her. Her phone, which she always had on her, kept going to voicemail. Paul called Franciene at 3:15pm, and said he couldn’t find Chioma.
Franciene immediately thought Chioma was with Josh. It had been six months, and he was probably released from his work furlough. She was right, Josh had been released that day at 12am, and never returned to his parent’s house.
The police were called, and it was discovered that Josh had stolen a car, an Accura. The license plate was put out, and it was believed that they were on their way to Mexico. Ventura was only five hours from the border. A warrant was also put out for Josh.
A hit came from the stolen car. It had crossed into Mexico at 1:20pm. The police called in the FBI to assist on the case.
Tips
There would be many tips and sightings in Mexico, of Chioma and Josh. Many of the tips ended up being false or Franciene didn’t believe them at all.
In June 2008, the police were looking at a website of people who have been killed in Mexico. They received information that a young African-American woman was found dead, her body had been charred. The age, ethnicity and facial structure matched Chioma, but it ended up not being Chioma at all.
In August 2008, a woman had seen Chioma working in a restaurant in Acapulco, Mexico. The woman said she had looked up Chioma’s name because it was so unique, and called the FBI and Missing Persons Organization after realizing she was a missing person.
There was no sign of Chioma or Josh in Acapulco.
A Private Investigator
In November 2009, Franciene received a call from her old friend, a man named Chuck Hookstra. He was now a private investigator, and wanted to help, he took the case pro bono.
Chuck traveled to Acapulco, and had flyers printed out. He ended up speaking to a young woman who said she worked with Chioma. She also said she knew Josh, and the couple seemed happy and in love. The young woman said they left Mexico because Chioma had gotten pregnant, and wanted to have the baby in the U.S.
Chuck called many hospitals, and there was no information about Chioma or Josh.
Law Suits are Filed
In January 2010, Franciene filed a lawsuit against the Tafoya family. She had gotten help from an attorney named Cris Armenta, who heard about the case and wanted to help.
The lawsuit alleged custodial interference, intentional infliction of emotional distress and aiding and abetting. They also filed a lawsuit to be able to access the Tafoya’s financial records to see if they had been sending money to Josh in Mexico.
The Return
On September 1, 2011, Franciene received a phone call from Josh. He said she needed to come to Mexico to pick up Chioma. Franciene immediately thought it was a setup and asked to speak to Chioma. Josh said Chioma wasn’t with him at the moment, and that she’d call her tomorrow. That call never came.
Josh made a call to the FBI and Marshal service, and they made a plan to meet them at the Los Angeles International Airport on October 5, 2011.
Chioma Gray was in fact alive, but Franciene believed she wouldn’t be the same person. She 100% believed Josh had brainwashed her daughter.
On this October day, Chioma was reunited with her family. Andrew Joshua Tafoya was arrested and taken into custody.
Franciene was right, Chioma was not the same person. She believed Chioma was a victim of Stockholm Syndrome, and that one day she hope Chioma knows she didn’t consent to going with Josh willingly.
Trial and Conviction
On January 23, 2012, Josh pleaded guilty to concealing a child and was sentenced to two years in prison.
Other
Two days after Chioma returned home to her family, she moved out and moved in with the Tafoya family.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I 100% believe that a relationship between a 20 year old and a 14 year old is wrong. If Chioma had been able to consent, and was an adult, it would be another story. Josh Tafoya definitely took advantage of Chioma, and I think his sentence should have been higher, plus they were on the run for four years.
I also don’t understand how Josh’s parents willingly helped and thought it was okay for their 20 year old son to be “dating” a 14 year old. SICK. There’s no way they weren’t helping, they were shady from the start.
I seem to have a theme this week, at least the last three days. It’s nice when the cases don’t end in an innocent person being killed. This case wasn’t the happiest of endings, even though Chioma is alive. She wasn’t the same person, and it’ll probably take years for her to recover. I hope she still has a relationship with her family, and I also hope her family focuses on their relationship and not whether or not she is a victim.
Sources
https://wehaveyourhusbandmovie.blogspot.com/2012/07/americans-kidnapped-in-mexico-chioma.html
