I put Taranika Raymond‘s name into Newslibrary again today and found what I think is her brother’s obituary from June 2005. It’s from the New Orleans Times-Picayune:
Darnell Quintrell “Hell” Dorsey, a student at First Ward High School in Pine Bluff, Ark., died Saturday of gunshot wounds at Porter and Johnson streets. He was 17. Mr. Dorsey was born in New Orleans and lived in Pine Bluff. Survivors include his companion, Angelia Holiday; a daughter, Amiah Dianna Dorsey; his mother, Betty Dorsey; his stepfather, Kenneth Johnson; two brothers, Charles Raymond Jr. and Terrell Dorsey; two sisters, Taranika Raymond and Marion Dorsey; and his grandparents, Betty Cheneau and Simmuel Raymond Sr.
I looked up Darnell’s name and discovered that he was arrested for murder less than a year before his disappearance. The press release notes his address as north Derbigny Street — the same street Taranika lived on; presumably they lived together. He would have only been about seven years old at the time of her disappearance. I wonder what happened with the murder charge. I think it must have been dropped or something. If Darnell was awaiting trial for murder they would hardly have let him attend high school out of state.
It sounds like Taranika lived in a very troubled home. I hope she really did run away and has a better life now, but the passage of time since her disappearance and her young age — she was thirteen — makes me wonder if she is dead.
The Charley Project Blog 
So sad. You see these families sometime and there doesn’t seem to be anything anybody can do to help them live better lives.
Pine Bluff is a pretty rough city, with a terrible crime rate for its size.
I’ve been there a few times.
New Orleans has something called the 60-day rule, also known as Article 701 of the Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure. It states that no one can be held longer than 60 days on a felony arrest without an indictment.
I saw a television show titled Gangland that features profiles of various criminal gangs across the country. On one particular episode, they were profiling a New Orleans African-American gang called the Gotti Boys who resided in some notorious housing project before Katrina wrecked it. The program mentioned that there were a tremendous amount of unsolved murders in that area because New Orleans Police Department would arrest someone, but DA’s office didn’t make a charging decision within the 60-day period. There was a phrase “60-day homicide” meaning that if a suspect kept quiet for 60 days, they would walk. And many did all the time. Katrina only made it worse with records and evidence being destroyed in the surge.
The NOPD never did have the best reputation among big city police departments, but I think pretty much the whole judicial system in New Orleans is pretty well shot, especially after Katrina. I don’t think New Orleans will ever recover from that. In 2009, New Orleans had the unwelcome distinction of once again being the murder capital of the United States according to the FBI’s homicide data.
You might want to look up the term “misdemeanor murder” on Wikipedia.
honestly i hope she ranaway bu she was only thirteen! where would a 13 yr old run to for 15 years. i would hope she didnt get dragged into prostitution or something!
It’s highly likely that she did get into prostitution at some point. A significant percentage of runaways, maybe even a majority, do.
That is my aunt and Darnell is my father
This is totally unrelated, but the NCMEC has notified me the Silah boys (family abductions) have been found safely.
If Taranika ran away, at her age and with that background, there wouldn’t be any other thing for her to do than hit the street, either on her own or with a pimp or a madam. It just doesn’t look very good for her no matter what.
Her family seems to think she is alive. Trevell Henley‘s brother was also killed after Trevell’s disappearance, and in the obit it said Trevell had predeceased his brother.
Bitch you don’t know the story so stfu I’m related to them and I know what happen & who she was with so can you please stfu and mind your business? Thanks & if she’s dead then let her rest ! But I hope not our family have to much going on to be dealing with y’all bs my aunt Betty did everything she can for them they didn’t have a troubled home & y’all can get off Darnell case and stfu !
What happened? I’m related to her on her father side and this effected me alot. No1 ever said anything about what had happened. All I ever heard is that she disappeared. Could she be living her life? Or something bad happened? Please share. I looked her named up, looking to find peace about this tragic event in all our lives
If taranika never got in touch with her family or friends then them saying they think she’s still alive is probably just wishful thinking.
Perhaps she did contact them after her disappearance. Runaways frequently send postcards or make hang-up calls: “Hi, I don’t want to come home, I’m not saying where I’m at, just wanted you to know I’m alive” etc. I don’t know many details about the case.
Thats my cousins and I miss them both our family deal witj alot so we dont need all this extra bs we missin you tyra and nellybell
Ikrr tearss 😩❤
It’ S really sad how ppl can judge over what is being read!!! Tara was a friend of mine ,and for the record they weren’t rasised in a troubled home.Mrs.Betty did her best and would have given each of them the world if she could .so ppl need to stop being so quick to judge when they don’t know the facts .I wonder every single day where she maybe or will they ever locate her where bouts.But God knows her story what happend to so leave that to him and only him…Missin u Tara…one love 9th w/d c.t.c baby…
Tyra was my friend as well, she was a good girl with a sparkling personality! I remember her deep dimples! I am still praying we will find her. 🙏🏾❣ I love you Tara! 9th ward C.t.c. 4life 💯sn: heyyyyy TER-RONCE! Miss u girl 🥰