The Missing Janteyl Johnson

The Missing
Janteyl Danielle Johnson
Newark, Delaware
DOB: September 8, 1994

Kind-hearted and loving teenager Janteyl Johnson was just 15 years old and 5 months pregnant when she was last seen at her family’s residence in the Autumn Park Apartments in the 30 block of Winterhaven Drive, on Wednesday, February 3, 2010 in Newark Delaware. She is a black female, 5’2” and weighed around 120 lbs at the time. She left the house wearing a “puffer” jacket with fur around the hood, blue jeans, sneakers, and her braids were tied back in a ponytail. She has both of her ears pierced, has a scar on her chin underneath her lip, and she wears either glasses or contacts, neither of which she was wearing that day.
All of her family members described her as a sweet girl who was very likable, and never caused trouble as a kid. She was lovingly nicknamed “Puff” because as a child she had very round, chubby cheeks. As she grew older, her friends eventually gave her the nickname ‘J.’ Janteyl and her family had a good relationship and they were shocked, but supportive of Janteyl’s pregnancy. During an interview, Janteyls mother Kyma says they both were very excited about an upcoming doctor’s appointment, where Janteyl would have learned the gender of her child.
She attended highschool in the morning that February day, but around an hour later, she called her mother to tell her she wasn’t feeling well and she was leaving school early to go home and rest. Janteyl was planning on going back to school later in the day for some after-school activities. Afterwards, her older brother Prennis Jr. was then supposed to pick her up from their home to take her to Philadelphia, PA for a church service, but by the time her sibling had gotten home, Janteyl was nowhere to be found. Her brother searched the property, finding their apartment door unlocked, but there was no indication of forced entry or a struggle. Nothing seemed to be missing, as Janteyls glasses, her new “Betty Boop” purse, and clothing were all still inside. According to her brother, it was apparent that Janteyl got home, took a nap, and made herself something to eat. Upon realizing her daughter was missing, Kyma and her son made calls to the school and to Janteyl’s friends, but no one had seen or heard from her.
Her family believes that Janteyl voluntarily left the apartment intending to be back soon, but something prevented her from returning.
In 2018 it was revealed that Janteyl was caught on video footage in the afternoon of the 3rd after she left school, making a purchase at a grocery store near her home, and then leaving.

(This site has the surveillance video of Janteyl buying candy an hour before she disappeared.)

https://www.claudiariverotv.com/cases/exclusive-last-known-sighting-of-missing-delaware-teen-janteyl-johnson-the-day-she-vanished

In the video, it shows Janteyl entering the store, purchasing a bag of candy at the self checkout, then exiting at 12:31p.m. As she’s walking away, she appears to be talking on her cellphone. She pauses to scratch her leg, then walks out of frame. This is the last confirmed sighting of the teenager.
Something happened to her between the time she arrived back at home from the store, and the time her brother returned home to pick her up. According to phone records, while at the home, Janteyls last phone call only lasted a few minutes, and it was from a burner phone, which was difficult for authorities to trace. It was eventually discovered to be the father of her unborn child, who’s name has not been made public. A few days later, Janteyl’s cell phone pinged near his relative’s home. The unnamed father is a 26 year old man, who quickly became uncooperative with police.
It was made apparent that Janteyl was also talking to several older men the day she vanished. Investigators believe that she might have left with one of those men, although no one has been named a suspect.
When police were notified of Janteyl’s disappearance at 10:00 p.m on February 3rd, Janteyl became classified as an endangered runaway. A K9 unit was brought out to search the area, and a reverse 911 call was sent out to neighbors and nearby residents to notify them of the search. Investigators believe Janteyl may have traveled to Wilmington, DE or Philadelphia PA. She may also be in Maryland, New York, or San Antonio, Texas. Janteyl would be 27 years old and her child would be 11 years old. She may be in the company of an adult male and a juvenile female. You would think a missing pregnant teen would make headlines on the evening news, but there was nothing. No social media frenzy, barely any media coverage at all. Her case was stagnant. Although, a few websites have recently written about Janteyl, and a few podcasts have featured her story. But the question remains, WHERE IS JANTEYL JOHNSON?

If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Janteyl Johnson, please contact Detective Toberto Herrera-Cortes at (302) 385 2784 or through his email at RJHerrera-Cortes@nccde.org. Or you can submit a tip through Delaware Crime Stoppers at 800-TIP-3333 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-THE-LOST (800-843-5678).

Sources:

https://www.whereisjanteyl.com/

https://www.voicesforjusticepodcast.com/post/janteyl-johnson

https://www.newcastlede.gov/1806/Janteyl-Johnson