NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It has been more than two decades since 10-year-old Tabitha Tuders disappeared without a trace while walking to her school bus stop in East Nashville. Despite years of investigation and efforts to bring closure to her case, the mystery of her disappearance remains unsolved.
Tabitha vanished on the morning of April 29, 2003. According to her father, Bo Tuders, the last words he shared with his daughter were filled with love and ordinary routine. “I told her to get up and get ready for school because I had to leave and go to work,” Bo recalled in an interview. “She said, ‘Okay, daddy. I love you!’ I said, ‘I love you, too, and I’ll see you this evening.’ That was the last I saw of her.”
She never made it to the bus stop.
Investigators with the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) have worked on the case for over two decades, but little new information has emerged to explain what happened to the young girl. Her disappearance has left a lasting impact on her family, particularly her father, who continues to search for answers. A banner featuring her picture still hangs from the Tuders’ home as a symbol of hope and an ongoing plea for information.
“Well, we’re still surviving — it’s been 22 years of torture,” Bo Tuders said in a recent interview with News 2. The emotional weight of not knowing what happened to his daughter has only intensified over the years.
In 2020, police ruled out a person of interest who had once been considered a potential lead, but Tabitha’s whereabouts remain a mystery. Bo’s suspicions have led him to consider various possibilities, including the tragic potential that she could have fallen victim to human trafficking. Despite his gut feeling that Tabitha may still be alive, he acknowledges the possibility that she may be gone forever.
“Somebody took her, and she’s gone,” Bo said. “It could be sex trafficking people. We never know. My fatherly instincts say I think she’s out there, but my manly instincts probably think she’s gone.”
Tabitha’s disappearance has captured the attention of not only local authorities but also the FBI. In 2021, the federal agency released an age-progressed image of what Tabitha would look like at 34 years old, further emphasizing the passage of time. The image, while a sobering reminder of how much time has passed, also symbolizes the enduring hope that she may still be found.
The FBI has offered a reward of $50,000 for information leading to Tabitha’s recovery and the prosecution of the person responsible for her disappearance. Despite the lack of answers, the Tuders family remains steadfast in their quest for closure.
“If she’s out there, she needs to come home,” Bo Tuders said, his voice filled with a mixture of hope and sorrow. “We’ll treat it just like this had never happened, but it would be hard to catch up on 22 years.”
Tabitha is described as a sweet, loving child, who was last seen carrying her report card — with straight A’s — as she left for school that morning. She has a birthmark on her stomach, a scar on her finger, and pierced ears, which are key identifying marks in the case. Anyone with information is urged to contact the MNPD at 615-742-7463 or the FBI at 1-800-225-5324.
As time passes, the pain for the Tuders family only grows deeper, but their determination to find out what happened to their beloved daughter remains unwavering. The search for Tabitha Tuders continues, and the hope for justice and closure endures.
