Viswa Vanapalli
Tammy Kingery was a loving mother of three working in North Augusta, South Carolina. On her wedding anniversary in 2014, Tammy came home from work abruptly because she wasn’t feeling well. Sadly, Tammy went missing on the same day. Investigation Discovery’s ‘Disappeared: Walk Into Darkness’ focuses on the circumstances surrounding Tammy’s vanishing and the ensuing search efforts. So, if you’re wondering if she has been found yet, here’s what we know!
What Happened to Tammy Kingery?
Tamara Sue Russell was born in Indiana in 1977. She had two sisters growing up and was close to both of them. Tammy’s mother described her as the perfect child who got along with everyone. After finishing high school, Tammy worked at a pharmacy where she met Park Kingery, her coworker. The two dated, eventually marrying in September 1994. They had three children: Caitlyn, Carter, and Cameron. The family lived in Edgefield County, South Carolina.
At the time of Tammy’s disappearance, she worked at a nursing home in North Augusta. On September 20, 2014, the 37-year-old had a 7 AM shift. However, about an hour into her job, she began feeling ill. Coworkers stated that she had been upset regarding something, even uncharacteristically raising her voice at one point. Tammy had also been checking her blood pressure several times. She then called Park and asked him to take her back home.
Park picked Tammy up from work and dropped her at their home. Later, she stayed back, resting, while Park went out to run some errands. But when he came back, Tammy was nowhere to be seen. All they had was a note that said she had gone out on a walk and would be back soon. After an unsuccessful search, Park called the authorities at around 2 PM that afternoon, leading to an exhaustive search.
Is Tammy Kingery Dead or Alive?
Investigators initially looked at Park’s whereabouts for the day. Tammy’s husband left home at around 10 AM with their two sons while Tammy was home. He then dropped off Carter at Tammy’s mother’s house to mow her lawn. Then, Park and Cameron went on to run a few errands before he picked Carter back up, and they all headed home. When they returned, all they found was Tammy’s note. Her purse and cellphone were all still inside the home, and so were her house keys.
On the show, it was stated that Park initially drove the way Tammy usually took to work. He believed that she may have gone back to retrieve her car. But, there were no signs of her. Park also called Caitlyn, who was at a friend’s house. He asked his daughter to drive around with her friend to look for Tammy. Once the police came in, an extensive search was conducted.
The authorities learned that Tammy had been dealing with depression and had tried to kill herself days before she vanished. Close to the family home, the police noticed a strong smell, which turned out to be inconsequential to the case. It was a dead dog in a trash bag. Through Tammy’s phone records, it came to light that she had been exchanging messages of a romantic nature with two men. However, they were quickly ruled out as potential suspects.
While Caitlyn searched for her mother, she came across someone sitting at the back of a motorbike that looked like Tammy. But when she turned around to follow the vehicle, they couldn’t find it. As per the show, a neighbor heard the sound of a vehicle with a loud exhaust that left the Kingerys’ driveway sometime between 10:30 AM and 11 AM. But that lead led nowhere. Over time, new information stopped coming in, leading the case to turn cold. Authorities also looked into the possibility that she may have left to start a new life elsewhere or that she killed herself.
Tammy’s family felt that the way she left so suddenly was odd. Her sister, Amy Thomas, said, “She didn’t have her phone or her purse with her, and I just felt like that was really strange. Something that stood out to me is why she wouldn’t have texted Park to say, hey, I’m going to go on a walk.” The family, though, has still held out hope for answers. Tammy’s mother said, “… It would be comforting to know where she is. I still have a fear in the back of my head that someone has her somewhere, that she can’t escape or something.”
Read More: Was Robert Hoagland Found?
