This song was decicated 2 the missing person Tamika Huston, 2005
The Tamika Huston Foundation for the Missing Officially Launches on the 5th Anniversary of the Disappearance of Spartanburg, SC Woman
Foundation to Assist Families of the Missing with Various Resources
Miami, FL/May 27, 2009 — On May 27, 2004, Tamika Antonette Huston disappeared from Spartanburg, SC. It took two weeks for the family to realize that the independent free spirit, who lived alone in her own home and had a penchant for spontaneous travel, had been missing. Precious days had been lost in the investigation but even if they had been regained, it would not likely have saved Tamika. Eventually, the investigation would reveal that she almost certainly had been killed on the Thursday preceding Memorial Day Weekend 2004. A new acquaintance, Christopher Hampton, would later confess to Tamika’s murder and lead investigators to Tamika’s partial remains. Hampton eventually entered a plea of guilty on the first day he was to stand trial and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. However, the positive impact that Tamika had upon others was not extinguished upon her death at the young age of 24. Her legacy can best be illustrated by what occurred during the 15-month period between the time of her disappearance and the time her remains were uncovered in August 2005.
During those early weeks and months, Tamika’s family was troubled by the lack of attention her case received from national media while Chandra Levy and Laci Peterson before her, and Lori Hacking and Natalee Holloway after her, became household names. Having no idea where Tamika may have gone or who may have harmed her, the family believed it was crucial to cast as wide a net as possible in order to get answers. Continuing to plug away by using their individual skills sets including public relations, website development and other mass communications efforts, Tamika’s family was relentless despite the lack of interest her disappearance initially garnered. Eventually, Tamika Huston would spark a national debate and become a symbol of the disparity in which media covers missing person cases involving minorities.
This personal tragedy led Tamika’s family to establish a Foundation to honor Tamika’s spirit of always helping others and to provide assistance for those who find themselves in situations similar to their own. The family is joined by the Foundation’s Board in proudly announcing the launch of The Tamika Huston Foundation for the Missing on May 27, 2009 — the fifth anniversary of Tamika’s disappearance. This 501(c)(3) non-profit Foundation is dedicated to assisting family and friends of missing persons with a variety of resources and services including: media outreach; webpage development; presenting practical information on how to develop positive working relationships with law enforcement; and providing guidance on how to become effective advocates for missing loved ones.
The Foundation particularly seeks to bring a spotlight to many of the open missing person cases across the United States that fail to garner local, regional or national media attention — an important component which often aids in the search of missing persons. Visit http://www.tamikahuston.org for additional information