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Missing

Janteyl Johnson

A pregnant 15 year old disappears from her family's apartment in Newark, DE

  • Last updated: October 4, 2022
  • Newark, DE
  • February 3, 2010

Overview of Janteyl Johnson

Like any other 15 year old, Janteyl Danielle Johnson had big dreams, specifically of going to beauty school in Philadelphia to train to be a hairstylist. Beyond that, she dreamed of getting a business degree so she could open her own hair salon one day. Janteyl is described by her mother as being a kindhearted and loving teenager, who loved dancing. Others in her life describe Janteyl as a sweet girl who was very likable, and as someone who didn't cause any trouble as a child. Janteyl was lovingly nicknamed 'Puff' as a child, thanks to the round, chubby cheeks she had as a child. As she got older, she continued using the nickname, however, her friends and classmates gave her another simple nickname, 'J'.   Fifteen year old Janteyl had become pregnant roughly 15 months before her disappearance, leaving her family shocked, but excited. In an interview, Janteyl's mother describes being so excited about an upcoming doctor's appointment where Janteyl would learn the gender of the child. Though a shock, Janteyl and her family embraced the pregnancy just as Janteyl had, as she continued her dedication to her goals.   The morning of February 3, 2010, began just as any other day. Janteyl, her older brother, and her mother piled into their car to head to the train station and eventually school. After some time spent at school, Janteyl called her mother at around noon to let her know that she wasn't feeling well, and would be leaving the school to go home and rest. Janteyl was planning on going back to the school later in the day for some after-school activities before she would be picked up by her brother so they could go meet their mother in Philadelphia to attend a church service. Janteyl is seen briefly on surveillance footage at a grocery store near her home buying candy before heading back to her home. Tragically, something would happen between the time Janteyl arrived at her home and when her brother arrived home.   According to cell phone records, while at the home, Janteyl receives a phone call, which only lasts a few minutes. The call was initially difficult for investigators to trace because the call came from a burner phone, however, they would later learn that the caller was the father of Janteyl's unborn child. Janteyl's mother called her later in the afternoon and assumed that she was sleeping or had gone back to school when there was no answer.   When Janteyl's brother arrives back at the family's home later that afternoon, he cannot find Janteyl anywhere. After calling his mother to tell her that Janteyl isn't at the home, the pair begins placing several phone calls to Janteyl's school and classmates. No one had seen or heard from Janteyl since she left the school earlier in the day. By 10:00 pm, Janteyl is reported missing by her mother and is labeled as an endangered runaway by police. The immediate investigation consists of several law enforcement officials along with a K9 unit, in addition to a reverse 911 call being placed to neighbors and nearby residents to inform them about the search.   A few days after her disappearance, Janteyl's phone pings near the home of a relative of the father of Janteyl's child, an unnamed 26 year old man. Investigators followed him as a lead to possibly learn more information about Janteyl's disappearance, however, he would quickly become uncooperative with police. Janteyl is known to have been in communication with several older men at the time of her disappearance, and investigators believe that she may have left with one of those men, though no one is officially named a suspect.   In late 2013, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children released an age-progression image of Janteyl, which showed what she may look like at age 19, in an attempt to gain new information. Another age-progression image is released four years later, in 2017, which showed what Janteyl may look like at age 23. Janteyl's case was relabeled as a cold case by investigators in 2018, not due to the age of the case, but instead due to the lack of new leads for investigators to follow.   Janteyl was 5 months pregnant at the time of her disappearance and was last seen wearing a black ski jacket with fur around the hood. Her hair was in braids at the time of her disappearance, and she has both of her ears pierced. Janteyl has a scar on her chin underneath her lip, and she wears either glasses or contact lenses, which she was not wearing when she was last seen. Investigators believe that Janteyl may have traveled to Wilmington, DE, or Philadelphia, PA and that she may be in need of medical attention. Janteyl has been missing for more than 12 years. Today, Janteyl would be 27 years old and her child would be 11 years old.   If you have any information regarding the February 3, 2010 disappearance of Janteyl Johnson, please contact Detective Roberto Herrera-Cortes at (302) 385-2784 or through his email at RJHerrera-Cortes@nccde.org. You can also submit a tip through Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) TIP-3333 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at (800) THE-LOST (800-843-5678).

Information

  1. Date Missing:February 3, 2010
  2. Birthday:September 8, 1994
  3. Current Age:29
  4. Age at Incident:15
  5. NAMUS Number:MP8237
  6. Race:African-American / Black
  7. Gender:Female
  8. Height:5'2"
  9. Weight:120 lbs
  10. Hair Color:Brown

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