Expectant Mother Vanishes From Damaged Vehicle in 1991 Husband Suspected Without Proof

All that was left of 23-year-old Lisa Dianne Jameson after November 4, 1991, was her damaged vehicle. Jameson, an African American woman, lived in Gilbert, Arizona with her 18-month-old son Kyle and her husband Alan, who was a prison guard. On the day of the 4th, Jameson finished working at Motay Electronics in the city of Chandler at around 7:15 AM. She dropped off her coworker and that was the last time she was ever seen or heard from.

Her husband reported her missing when she didn’t come home as expected. Her red Pontiac LeMans was found abandoned on December 2nd in an adult bookstore parking lot in Phoenix, an almost thirty-minute drive from Gilbert. The employees of the store, Pleasure World, said that the car had been parked in the lot since November 22nd. That was 10 days before it was found. Lisa was last seen in a pink shirt, blue jeans, white shoes, and two silver necklaces. She has brown hair, brown eyes, and four piercings in each ear. She also has an unspecified medical condition as well as possibly being pregnant.

Authorities said there were no signs of foul play in the car, but an unknown source had a different story. This source reported that the rearview mirror was broken, there were footprints on the ceiling, the emergency brake was bent, and a sizable brown stain on the back seat. There was also a red fingernail on the floor of the back seat and there was a stain in the backseat and the trunk that could have been either sand or detergent. Finally, the lock on the trunk had been destroyed. It’s unclear why there are two different versions and why authorities said nothing was wrong with the car at all.

More Details

Some reports said that Lisa was dropped off by a coworker instead of her doing it, but an article from 1998 said that Lisa truly was the driver. This is the most logical because it was Lisa’s car that was found. All her belongings, clothes, and credit card were left behind. She did not take any money out of her and Alan’s joint bank account. The authorities found no reason that Lisa would abandon her son, who her family and friends she loved very much. The day before she disappeared, Lisa told her mother that she thought she may be pregnant with her second child and she was afraid to tell Alan because he did not want any more children.

No Results

Lisa’s family suspected Alan had something to do with his wife’s disappearance, but there was no evidence to prove this. They searched for her every single day in ditches, nightclubs, and anywhere she frequented., but never found her. They felt that not nearly enough was done by the police to find her. In 1993, Alan abandoned their son Kyle and went to live in Bolivia. Kyle was taken in by his maternal grandparents, Frank and Barbara Collins. The Gilbert Police Department questioned almost everyone who knew Lisa and couldn’t find anything that would give them answers to her disappearance. There are no known suspects or other leads. Nobody has been charged in connection to Lisa Jameson’s disappearance.

In 2004, there seemed to be good news. A detective of the Gilbert PD, Scott Zuberbuehler, said that they would DNA test hairs found in the car all the way back in 1991. The results of this test weren’t released, but the public and Lisa’s family can only assume they did not lead anywhere due to the fact that they have no leads to this day. She is classified as an endangered missing person and could also be going by her maiden name Lisa Collins. Authorities stand by their belief that Lisa had no reason to leave her family. She and Alan had no marital or financial issues to warrant her disappearance.

Black Women Matter

Jamison’s family felt like every possibility was not exhausted to help find Lisa. They felt like answers weren’t pursued hard enough. Many black families share these feelings about their missing loved ones, especially since they are often told that the missing person ran away or just abandoned their life if they are told anything at all. Black women’s mysterious disappearances are less publicized than white women’s. When a white college-aged girl goes missing, it is put all over social media and the news while investigators tirelessly work to find them. When Black children go missing, that is taken more seriously and an intense search commences, but more often than not, Black teenage and adult women are swept under the rug.

They are not shown on the news nearly as much as white women around the same age and their families are left wondering why their loved one isn’t important enough to search for and inform their communities about. The Black and Missing Foundation raises awareness for missing people of color. Their statistics say that 40% of missing people are people of color. 13% of that number is African Americans. Giving more attention and effort to finding white women than minorities is called Missing White Woman Syndrome. The reason behind it is rooted in white supremacy, which is that white women are seen as more important and desirable in the eyes of society. But black women are just as important when they go missing and the same amount of effort can be applied to find Lisa Jameson.

In addition to leaving behind a son, Jameson left behind six siblings. Her sister Dr. Treva Free-Kimbrough said her sister was an Angel who loved to smile, laugh, and bring happiness to those that loved her. She has also said they had no choice but to go on with their lives but has always felt guilty for doing so without Lisa. They want answers and to finally get closure about what happened to their loved ones. Her family releases 20 balloons in Lisa’s honor every year on Mother’s Day. Anyone with information on her disappearance should contact the Gilbert, Arizona Police Department.