The person at the center of this case
Tara Leigh Calico
Missing Person · Open - Unsolved
37 years waiting · since 1988
TARA LEIGH CALICO
Justice for Tara Leigh Calico — the trail went cold in 1988, but the truth hasn't.
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Key leads to think about
🚗
vehicle
Lead #1Neon pink Huffy mountain bike with yellow control cables and sidewalls—distinctive enough to be recognized; was it recovered?
⏰
timeline
Lead #2The gap between 9:30 a.m. departure and 11:45 a.m. last sighting covers approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes on a routine 36-mile route—what was the exact planned route and were there any deviations?
📍
location
Lead #3Highway 47 in Valencia County was part of her daily routine; did anyone else use this route regularly who might have information?
Tara Leigh Calico, a 19-year-old from Belen, New Mexico, disappeared on September 20, 1988, while on a routine 36-mile bicycle ride along Highway 47. She left home at 9:30 a.m. on a neon pink Huffy mountain bike and was last seen at approximately 11:45 a.m., but was never found. The case remains unsolved after more than 35 years, with the FBI offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to her location or the identification of those responsible.
Case
#266
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) - Albuquerque Field Office
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More leads to consider
Beyond the top three above — each detail below could be the thread that pulls this case open.
🔍
evidence
Lead #4Distinctive jewelry (gold butterfly ring with diamond, gold amethyst ring, half-inch gold hoop earrings) and clothing with bank logo could aid identification if she was encountered elsewhere.
👁️
witness
Lead #5Who was in the area along Highway 47 on September 20, 1988 between 9:30 a.m. and noon?
Have information about any of these leads?
Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.
Official wording
Source Narrative
September 20, 1988 Belen, New Mexico Tara Leigh Calico left her home on Brugg Street in Belen, New Mexico, to go on a bike ride at 9:30 a.m. on September 20, 1988.
She rode her mother's bicycle as her own was damaged. She was last seen riding along Highway 47 in Valencia County at approximately 11:45 a.m.
Calico biked this route daily during her routine 36-mile ride. She was 19 years old at the time of her disappearance, and was never seen again.
Remarks: Calico was last seen riding a neon pink Huffy mountain bike with yellow control cables and sidewalls. She was wearing a white t-shirt with '1st National Bank of Belen' on it (size medium), white shorts with green stripes, white ankle socks, and white and turquoise Avia tennis shoes.
Calico was also wearing a gold butterfly ring with a diamond insert, a gold amethyst ring, and half-inch gold hoop earrings.
Timeline of Events
👤
1988-09-20
09:30Left home for bike ride
Tara Leigh Calico left her home on Brugg Street in Belen, New Mexico to go on a bike ride at 9:30 a.m.
👁️
1988-09-20
11:45Last sighting on Highway 47
Calico was last seen riding along Highway 47 in Valencia County at approximately 11:45 a.m. on her mother's neon pink Huffy mountain bike
Key Locations
Interactive map showing important locations related to this case
Case Information
Incident:September 20, 1988 at 9:30 AM
Last Updated:September 10, 2026
Up to $20,000 Reward
For information leading to the resolution of this case
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Case Information
Incident:September 20, 1988 at 9:30 AM
Last Updated:September 10, 2026
Up to $20,000 Reward
For information leading to the resolution of this case