Cincinnati, Ohio (November 1, 1996) — The mysterious disappearance of Carmen Tolbert Butts, a 36-year-old woman from Cincinnati, Ohio, remains unsolved after over two decades. Carmen vanished from her apartment on the Westside of Cincinnati on November 1, 1996, and despite ongoing efforts, the case continues to baffle authorities and her loved ones.
What Happened: Carmen Tolbert Butts Vanishes Without a Trace
Carmen Tolbert Butts was last seen at her apartment in Cincinnati in late 1996. At the time of her disappearance, her relationships were strained. She had recently gone through a breakup and did not have the best relationship with her mother, which led people around her to assume she simply left to blow off steam. No one initially reported her missing, thinking she would return soon. However, days turned into weeks, and weeks into years, with no sign of Carmen.
It wasn’t until her children and favorite niece turned 18 that the search for Carmen officially began. After reaching adulthood, they reported her missing, but by then, so much time had passed. What seemed like an isolated incident soon turned into an enduring mystery, with no clues or leads to explain her disappearance.
Investigation: From Local to Federal Attention
After years of stagnant investigation, the Ohio Attorney General’s office took over the case and moved it to federal jurisdiction. This shift in oversight came after the officer who was initially assigned to Carmen’s case was jailed for mishandling hundreds of special victims’ cases, including rape kits, without proper investigation.
With the case now under the spotlight, authorities ran Carmen’s name, fingerprints, and Social Security number through national databases to check if she had started a new life somewhere else. They searched for any instances where her name, fingerprints, or social security number had been used in official records, such as utilities, credit cards, or apartment leases. However, these efforts turned up nothing. Carmen’s information has not surfaced in any database since the week she vanished.
Physical Description and Identifying Information
Carmen Tolbert Butts is described as a Black woman standing 5’6″ and weighing approximately 155 pounds at the time of her disappearance. She has Black hair and brown eyes. At the time she went missing, she may have been using the name Carmen Butts or Carmen Tolbert Butts.
Despite numerous efforts, there have been no verified sightings or reports connecting Carmen to any known activities or locations since 1996.
What You Can Do: Help Solve Carmen’s Disappearance
The disappearance of Carmen Tolbert Butts remains an open case, and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation continues to seek any information that could help resolve this decades-long mystery. Authorities are asking anyone with information about her whereabouts, or any possible leads into her disappearance, to come forward.
If you have any details that could aid in the investigation, please contact the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation at 740-845-2419.
Her family continues to hold out hope that one day they will have the answers they desperately seek and that Carmen’s story will no longer be one of uncertainty and silence.
This story may be updated with more information as it becomes available.
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