The Tara Calico Case: A Cold Case That Haunts

On September 20 1998, 19 year-old Tara Calico went for a bicycle ride in her hometown of Belen, New Mexico. She never returned home. Calico was a popular and well-liked member of her community. She was a student at the University of New Mexico and worked part-time as a waitress. She was also an active member of her church and volunteered at a local homeless shelter. On the day of her disappearance, Calico left her home at around 9:30 AM. She planned to ride her bicycle to a local convenience store to buy a magazine. She was last seen riding her bicycle on a highway north of Belen at around 11:45 AM. Calico's family and friends reported her missing later that day. A massive search was launched, but no trace of her was ever found. The Tara Calico case has baffled investigators for over 30 years. There have been many leads and theories, but none of them have led to a resolution. One of the most intriguing leads in the case came in 1989. A woman found a Polaroid photograph in a conve...