Tanisha Lorraine Watkins

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Austin Police Department (TX)

Missing From:

Austin, Texas

Summary:

Tanisha Lorraine Watkins, 2, went missing from Austin, Texas on January 5, 1984 and has not been seen since. She was last seen in front of her home. Foul play is suspected.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

In early 1984, Debra and Tanisha resided in a mobile home with Debra's grandmother, Loraine Dory, at 2110 Thrasher Lane in Austin, Texas. Around 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 5, 1984, Debra swept a rug inside the home. Tanisha played outside on a set of swings in the front yard. Debra checked on the toddler a few minutes later, but Tanisha was gone. Debra went to a neighbor's home to use the phone, but the neighbor thought Tanisha had just wandered off. The two began searching for the little girl, and when they could not find her, Debra called the police at 3:37 p.m.

Additional Details:

Shortly after, police used dogs to search around the mobile home area. A Department of Public Safety helicopter, equipped with an infrared sensing device, flew over the area. Ground and car searches also took place, but police found no sign of Tanisha. Six days later, a group of 25 volunteers and half a dozen police officers performed a grid search for Tanisha in about 15-30 acres of land located behind the mobile home. The search team found no physical evidence, such as blood or clothing, indicating Tanisha had been harmed. A witness reported seeing Tanisha later that day, walking eastbound on Riverside Drive with a slender, bearded man wearing a green Army hat. She has never been seen again and her companion has not been identified. Crime Stoppers offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and grand jury indictment of the people responsible for Tanisha's disappearance. In November 1984, police received a tip about a possible sighting of Tanisha Watkins. A witness reportedly had seen a couple moving into a Northeast Austin apartment with a little girl who resembled Tanisha. Police went to the apartment, and while the girl did look like Tanisha, she was not the missing tot. Tanisha's fingerprints, DNA, and dental records are reportedly not on file.

Case Last Updated:

Nov 14, 2026