Naman Shrestha
Apart from covering the Briseida Guillen murder case, Investigation Discovery’s ‘In Pursuit With John Walsh: Darkest Hour’ also delves deep into the mysterious murder case of Allahnia Lenoir, a 24-year-old woman whose body has not been found since July 2022. The mystery surrounding her disappearance baffled the investigators for several months as they were unable to catch all the perpetrators involved in the crime. As the episode also includes interviews with the victim’s loved ones and the officials linked to the case, we also learn several exclusive details about Allahnia and the case.
Allahnia Lenoir Went Missing From a Midtown Apartment Complex
Born in the late 1990s to Jeannette Jackson and Abraham LeNoir, Allahnia Lenoir seemed to have grown up under the umbrella of love and support of her mother as they shared a close-knit bond right until Allahnia’s disappearance. Residing in Atlanta, she was a free-spirited woman who knew how to maintain relationships with everyone around her, be it her mother, friends, and other acquaintances. However, when she vanished at the age of 24, her aspirations and dreams in life came to a sudden halt.
On July 31, 2022, Allahnia made plans with one of his friends to visit the Peachtree Apartments complex, which is situated on Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta. However, when she did not return home until the next day, her loved ones were concerned about her whereabouts, and hence, she was reported missing on August 1. When the authorities got involved, they launched a search for the missing woman and attempted their best to find the ones responsible for the crime. Upon going through the security footage of the apartment complex, Allahnia could be seen with two men and a friend.
The footage showed four people entering the apartment complex, but only three people came out. Worried about her beloved daughter, Jannette Jackson stated, “There is a piece of me that’s gone, and nobody can give it back and unless they give her back, I’m always going to be incomplete.” Although the body of the 24-year-old woman could not be found despite the best attempts from the officials and loved ones, many believed that she was killed.
Three Men Were Involved in the Murder of Allahnia Lenoir
In the first few months, Allahnia Lenoir’s family handed out flyers in the hopes of getting a significant lead in the case that could help the police locate her. As the detectives dug deeper into the case and followed the trials of clues left behind by the perpetrators, they charged two men with the kidnapping, felony murder, and various other crimes in relation to Allahnia’s murder case — Steven Oboite and Diante Reynolds. It was learned that the two accused got the victim inside an apartment and provided her with opiates on the fateful night. As per reports, when the effect of opiates backfired, she was in need of medical attention. However, Steven and Diante did not call 911 in order to cover up their crime.
Several months later, in January 2023, the investigators declared Nicholas Hendrickson as the third suspect in the case. He reportedly assisted the other two accused in moving the victim’s body and getting rid of it while lying to the police about his whereabouts that night in July 2022. While Diante was charged on August 9, 2022, with felony murder, tampering with evidence, forgery, identity theft, concealing the death of another, and many more, Nicholas was also booked on November 25, 2022, for tampering with evidence, concealing the death of another, hindering the apprehension or punishment of a criminal, and false statements. Since Steven was still on the run, her family had put up a $15,000 reward for anyone whose information could lead to him and his arrest.
Nicholas Hendrickson, Diante Reynolds, and Steven Oboite Are in Police Custody
Nicholas Hendrickson’s defense attorney entered a not-guilty plea and requested a bond several times while he remained imprisoned. But his requests were denied by the court each time. In January 2023, he was indicted for helping the alleged killers to dispose of Allahnia’s body. On the other hand, Diante’s hearing was shifted to another date. Speaking with 11Alive, Jeannette expressed her grief during a conversation with 11Alive, saying, “It’s been 676 days since my daughter disappeared. My daughter, not being with us. I’m not sure you could pay that kind of debt in any form.”
Jeannette added, “It is indescribable, and I don’t think that I would ever be able to really challenge myself to describe it because it’s a minute-by-minute day, you know, some hours I try to find time to deal with it. Honestly, I don’t have my daughter. I don’t feel like I’m any closer to having her.” After being on the run for about two long years, the third accused killer of Allahnia, Steven Oboite, was finally arrested on June 1, 2024, but for an unrelated charge. Steven had been riding a jet ski on Lake Allatoona in Bartow County and violated several boat traffic rules.
When the game wardens tried to pull him over for that, he left the jet ski and made a run for it, escaping into the woods to evade the officials. However, he was captured and charged with BUI and obstruction. Soon, it was discovered that he was also charged with the 2022 murder of Allahnia. Upon his arrest, Jeannette Jackson, her mother, requested him to give the authorities information about the whereabouts of her daughter’s remains. She said, “If there’s anything in you left that’s human please, just tell me where my daughter is. Steven, please give me back my daughter.”
Read More: Anna Mae Florence Murder: Where is Zina Roberson Now?
