“My heart aches for your return”: Missing Janteyl Johnson
Kyma Johnson’s life changed forever on Feb. 3, 2010 – the day she says her 15-year-old daughter, Janteyl Johnson, was lured away from her home in Newark, Delaware, and hasn’t been seen since.
Today, 15 years after her disappearance, NCMEC is releasing a new age-progression image of what Janteyl may look like at 30 years old. Her mom, Kyma, hopes this will help finally answer the question: What happened to Janteyl?
Janteyl Johnson age progressed from 15 years old (left) to 30 years old (right). (Courtesy: NCMEC)
Kyma says Janteyl was a fun and outgoing teenager, inseparable from her siblings and adored by her nieces and nephews. She was athletic, earning medals in track and field, and dreamed of becoming a hairdresser.
Janteyl prior to her disappearance. (Courtesy: Kyma Johnson)
Kyma says Janteyl was five months pregnant when she disappeared. While it initially shocked the family, they came together to support Janteyl.
“We were getting prepared,” Kyma said. “We were coming to terms with it and even starting to get excited.”
On the day of Janteyl’s disappearance, Kyma says she got a call from her daughter at school to say she wasn’t feeling well and would be coming home early. After leaving school, security footage captured Janteyl at a nearby grocery store buying a snack and talking on the phone. She left the store around 12:30 p.m.
Kyma says she received another call from Janteyl when she arrived home.
“She told me she was going to nap and asked me to call later to wake her up. She had to go back to school around 3 p.m. for an extracurricular activity.”
But when Kyma called back later to wake her up, Janteyl didn’t answer. Investigators later determined that she had received another phone call at 1:38 p.m., which lasted a few minutes, and she stopped answering her phone afterward. Janteyl never went back to school that afternoon and when her family arrived home that evening, Janteyl was gone. According to Kyma, Janteyl had not taken any belongings with her.
Kyma believes the person she last spoke with may have lured Janteyl away but is confident she would not have willingly stayed away for this long. “Janteyl was scheduled to have an appointment the week after she went missing to determine the sex of the baby,” Kyma said. “She was excited, there is no way she would leave like that.”
Janteyl’s disappearance has impacted the entire family, but they have remained hopeful throughout these years. They believe in their hearts that she is still out there.
Kyma hopes that this message will reach her daughter:
Dear Puff,
I can’t believe it’s been 15 years since you went missing. This is still so unreal to us all. But we still pray that God will keep you safe wherever you are until you are returned safely to your family. My heart aches for your return. Missing you deeply and your precious child. Life has not been the same without your loving spirit, beautiful smile and special presence. Keeping faith that we will see you soon. Love you with all the pieces of my broken heart.
Love, Mommy
If you have information about Janteyl Johnson or her disappearance, please call NCMEC at 1-800-843-5678, the New Castle County Police Department at 1-302-395-8171 or the San Antonio Police Department at 210-207-7273.
Janteyl Johnson's missing poster: https://www.missingkids.org/poster/NCMC/1141215/1.