This month marks eight years since a Fort Worth woman vanished from her own apartment complex. Since that time, her ex-boyfriend was sentenced to life behind bars for kidnapping her. The remains of another woman he’s connected to were discovered years after her disappearance. Still, Typhenie Johnson’s family say they’re no closer to finding her. They told Allie Spillyards they’re not giving up.
Recordings of Typhenie Johnson and camera rolls filled with photos are how loved ones keep her memory alive eight years after the 25-year-old disappeared.
“We know now about as much as we did from the beginning,” said Deborah Johnson.
Johnson’s lost count of how many times they’ve organized search parties for her daughter.
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
Then in 2019, a jury found Typhenie’s ex-boyfriend Christopher Revill guilty of kidnapping her.
As the trial wrapped up, loved ones say many seemed to forget she was still missing but they remained desperate for answers.
“There’s a gap in my heart that can't be healed until she is found. You know, I can't go to a grave site, you know, talk to her, celebrate her birthday or anything. It's just, there's nothing,” said Johnson.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
On the 8th anniversary of Typhenie’s disappearance, her sister Kiesha Crouse and aunt Janelle Hofeldt have joined Johnson in Texas to search yet again.
“We're basically doing searches again. We did two hours today, and we're going out again tomorrow. We have another small crew. We're going to start at eight o'clock. We're going to meet together, and we're going to go through every single bit of what we went through,” said Hofeldt.
That includes an area along South Hughes Avenue near East Rosedale Street where human remains were found last summer and identified as Taalibah Islam, another ex-girlfriend of Revill’s who disappeared 10 years before Typhenie.
It’s a clue. Still, the women hold onto hope that Typhenie had a different fate.
“I don’t like the word 'was.' To me, it's past tense. The word is 'is.' She's just a perfect, beautiful young lady,” said Hofeldt.
So they keep sharing her story and fighting for answers.
“When do we get our closure?” asked Johnson.
The family updates a Facebook group for those interested in the search.
They welcome volunteers to join them on Saturday morning. Those interested should meet between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m. at 5100 Endicott Avenue in Fort Worth. They are asked to wear closed-toe shoes and pants and to bring an ID, a hat, a walking stick and water.
There’s currently a $30,000 reward for information about Typhenie’s whereabouts. Anyone with information is asked to call Fort Worth Police.
