Tamika Huston: Missing in Spartanburg by John Philpin, Criminal Profiler

A Deadly Secret: The Strange Disappearance of Kathie Durst -- In 2001, Robert Durst, heir to a two-billion-dollar fortune, was arrested for shoplifting. He was also on the run from a murder indictment-and suspected in the disappearance of his wife, Kathie. What transpired between her disappearance and the routine arrest was a 19-year, cross-country mystery of multiple identities that raised some baffling questions about one of the country's most prominent men.

Oblivion: The Mystery of West Point Cadet Richard Cox --

Harry J. Maihafer is the author of many books on military history, including, most recently, "The General and the Journalists."

On Saturday, January 14, 1950, at 6:18 p.m., Richard Cox left his room at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to go to dinner with an unidentified visitor. He never returned.

Despite a massive manhunt and several plausible theories, Cox was never found. In 1957, he was declared legally dead, and the files were closed. Then, in 1985, Marshall Jacobs, a retired teacher, decided to pursue the case as a research project. Through the Freedom of Information Act, he obtained voluminous once-secret files from the Army and FBI. Jacobs plunged into a labyrinthine search--and what began as a hobby became an obsession. After more than seven years, Jacobs found the one witness who helped him bring the case to a close.

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Update: 8/12/2005 Police in Spartanburg, S.C. arrested Christopher Hampton, 25, an acquaintance of Tamika's in prison for a parole violation stemming from a bank robbery conviction. He was scheduled to be released on August 12th 2005, when he was tied to Tamika's murder. At the time of Tamika's disappearance Hampton was living in an apartment where large amounts of her blood was found. Hampton then lead police to Tamika's skeletal remains. (Associated Press)

We know their names. We recognize their faces on the evening news. Of the hundreds of people reported missing every day in the United States, these are the ones deemed newsworthy. A news director at Fox or CNN or ABC decides that their stories "have legs." They hold the viewer's attention. They sell product.

With few exceptions, they are attractive young women, and they are white. Foul play is feared, usually realized. News readers hint at macabre and surreal details, titillating without offending.

We know their names. Lori Hacking, Brooke Wilberger, Laci Peterson, Dru Sjodin, Elizabeth Smart, Chandra Levy. We know who returned home, and who did not. We've met family members via televised press conferences and tabloid TV. We know the lead detectives, the media liaisons, the favorite foods, the family pets.

Tamika Huston disappeared in Spartanburg, SC. She is 24, stunningly beautiful, and African-American. Her name is not familiar, but she has been missing since June 2. Police consider her disappearance "suspicious." When they responded to the missing-person complaint, they found an abandoned dog that had given birth to a litter of puppies. Tamika would not leave her pet without providing for its care. Tamika's black Honda was found a five-minute drive from her home. Pay checks and a cell phone were in her house.

If you have any information about her disappearance please contact Spartanburg Lt. Steve Lamb at 864-596-2065 or, 864-596-2860.

And please visit: http://www.tamikahuston.com.

Author John Philpin is a regular contributor of exclusive true crime commentaries and short stories for KariSable.com True Crime and Justice Web site. Philpin, one of the first independent criminal profilers, is an internationally recognized expert on violent behavior and criminal investigation. Philpin is a frequent consultant to law enforcement and the media. A retired psychologist, he has authored and co-written seven books and numerous articles, and the featured character in an eighth, drawing on his experience. Philpin has been a guest commentator on Court TV, 20/20 Downtown, Unsolved Mysteries, America's Most Wanted, Inside Edition, Chronicle, The Geoff Metcalf Show, The Jim Bohannon Show, Northwest Afternoon and CBC's As It Happens. A recipient of numerous awards for contributions in murder investigations, his forensic work was featured in Philip E. Ginsburg's Shadow of Death the investigation of a series of murders along interstate highway corridors of Vermont and New Hampshire in the 1980s. His published works include the following true crime cases: Philpin is best known by mystery lovers for the suspenseful mysteries he skillfully writes independently and as a team with Patricia Sierra: Philpin holds degrees in English, clinical psychology, and forensic psychology from Harvard, Goddard, and Columbia Pacific. Philpin lives in rural Vermont and is a rabid fan of good rock music.

Articles by John Philpin

Evidence of Foul Play -- Shakira was last seen Saturday night, September 13. She and two brothers attended a block party. She was still dancing at ten PM. Then she was gone.

The Murder of Kurt Cobain -- A recent investigation of the facts and forensics of this case answers the lingering question "could it have been murder" for one forensic and crime scene expert.

The Night Birds -- West Memphis 3. Three kids. Two bikes. The boys Steve Branch, Christopher Byers, and Michael Moore had miles to ride before they slept.

Umbrella of Suspicion --Jon Benet Ramsey --Family members and acquaintances account for 90% of the homicides of young children.

Scott Peterson's Trial by Media

Science, Intuition, and Hope: The Art of Personality Profiling

Slaughter Night in Moscow
Series -- Moscow investigators have found 3 surviving victims who have provided similar descriptions of their assailant.

The Baton Rouge Serial Murders Series -- 5 part series of the search for the Baton Rouge Serial Killer.

Whether Kobe Bryant is leading the Lakers to a championship, or being charged with sexual assault, the cameras follow.

Who the Hell is Winston Moseley? And Why Would Anyone Care? -- The victim’s name, Catherine “Kitty” Genovese, still evokes a sense of lonely horror.

East on the Jericho Road: The Murder of Paulette Crickmore
September 10, 1986, Paulette, 15, was on her way to school when she vanished.

December 27, 2005

Stalemate -- 1997, a true story of child abduction and murder in the San Francisco Bay Area, featured on the ABC series Vanished, and Beyond Murder: The Inside Account of the Gainesville Student Murders -- 1994, the inside story of the serial sex slayer responsible for the Gainesville student murders in 1990. Philpin and veteran journalist John Donnelly detail the five murders and their aftermath in a gripping narrative. Optioned for a TV mini-series.

The Murder Channel -- Lucas Frank knows the cost of hunting human monsters. That's why he left Boston for the Michigan woods. But a tantalizing case lured the forensic psychiatrist back to work and into the path of a cold-blooded killer. Felix was just a teenager when he went on a murder spree that left three women dead. Now, after fifteen years locked away, Felix has escaped and is determined to finish what he started years ago.

Dreams in the Key of Blue -- Six years ago forensic psychiatrist Lucas Frank "retired" from hunting serial killers. But someone wants him back in the worst way. It begins with a brutal triple homicide in the picturesque Maine town of Ragged Harbor. And it won't stop there. Suddenly Lucas is forced to do what he swore he would never do again: enter the twisted mind of a killer who enjoys murder.

The Prettiest Feathers -- Sarah Sinclair was the perfect victim--she wanted to die. When a darkly enigmatic man approaches her in the small antiquarian book store where she works, Sarah is drawn into a slow dance toward death. A death she couldn't stop even if she wanted to.

Tunnel of Night -- The real-world backgrounds of renowned forensic psychologist Philpin and former private investigator Sierra shine through this sequel to The Prettiest Feathers. Narrated in three alternating voices? Semi-retired forensic scientist Lucas Frank; his NYPD detective daughter, Lane; and cunning murderer John Wolf?the thriller offers a scary glimpse into the mind of a man who kills for kicks.