When a child disappears, the police have to quickly determine how seriously they need to take the situation. Is the child simply out with a friend and lost track of time, or did something more serious happen, and the child was abducted? Far too often, missing children are classified as runaways, and a search for the child may not begin until it is too late.
Regina Curtis
Regina Curtis was a 16-year-old freshman in high school who lived in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Curtis was an intelligent young woman with a wonderful sense of humor who loved to entertain her family. She loved her family and friends. She also adored her nieces and nephews and enjoyed spending quality time with them.
Missing
On an unknown date in May 2000, Regina left her sister’s house to walk three blocks to a local store to run an errand. But she never returned home. Her family knew something was wrong and felt Regina was in danger, so they reported her missing to the local police department. However, the family didn’t get the response they were expecting. The police believed that Regina had run away from home even though she did not have a history of running away. Regina’s parents, Gilbert and Inez, knew that wasn’t the case but could not convince the police of another possibility. The family was left without the support of the police department and had to search for Regina on their own.
Remains Found
On June 22, 2000, a man mowing his lawn near Draper Lake in Oklahoma City came across a disturbing find in the tall grass. He had stumbled upon a human skull that should not have been on his property. He called the police to alert them of his find, and soon the area off Sauna Lane by SE 134 Street was overtaken by investigators.
The police searched across a twenty-five-acre area near the lake and continued to find even more evidence of human remains. Altogether the police discovered a clavicle, a jaw bone, and a rib, all of which were closer to the lake’s shoreline. The police knew they likely had a murder victim on their hands. Investigators believed their victim was likely a young woman, but they didn’t know much about her. Regina’s family felt that the remains might belong to their loved one, but it wasn’t an idea the police took seriously or looked into too deeply. The police did not investigate the angle that their victim could indeed be Regina.
The Search for the Victim
The police department had a clay rendering made of their unknown victim’s skull. Once the rendering was complete, the police attempted to have it circulated through the media and the local school systems. The results of these attempts remain unclear. However, it appears the rendering never made it into the right hands, and the victim remained unidentified.
Two more years went by before the Oklahoma City Police Department once again attempted to circulate the clay rendering of the skull. Again, it appears the victim’s rendering did not receive much attention in the media. The police also sent in a DNA sample for testing, but unfortunately, there was not enough marrow in the sample to obtain a DNA profile.
Five years after discovering Regina’s body, the police department sent another sample out to test for DNA to see if they could get a match on their victim. However, the police still waited another full year before they considered asking Regina’s family for a sample of their DNA to test their victim’s DNA against to see if there was a match.
In 2010, the police released a composite sketch of the murder victim to the media that finally received some attention. It had been a full ten years since Regina had gone missing. The police confirmed at this point the victim may indeed be Regina. But they did not have any DNA evidence to establish that was the case.
In 2016, the University of North Texas found a match between the DNA sample the police had submitted and the DNA the family had donated to the cause in hopes of receiving answers. However, it took the Oklahoma City Police Department took an entire month to notify Regina’s family of the match. Regina’s family was informed on February 3, 2016.
The Investigation
The police determined Regina must have been kidnapped while walking from her sister’s house to the store. At some point, she had been the victim of a murder. However, if she was raped as well remained unknown due to the condition of the body. Regina’s body was dumped near the lake fifteen miles from where she disappeared and was likely scattered by predators.
It took close to sixteen years for Regina to be identified by investigators. Regina’s case had gone cold in that time frame, and evidence had been lost to time. While the case remains open, the police department does not currently have any suspects. And they don’t have a starting point in the investigation. There are only a few tips to go on.
Present Day
Regina’s family is upset because they had to wait sixteen years for answers. They don’t believe Regina’s case was treated equally in comparison to other cases. Regina’s brother pointed out that the police tried to close the case on at least two occasions before the body was identified, but he persisted each time in reopening the case. Virgil wanted justice for his sister.
If you have any information about the murder of Regina Curtis, please don’t hesitate to contact the Oklahoma City Police Department at (405) 231–2121.
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