December 10, 2025 • 11 mins
In this episode of Hunting 4 Answers: In October 2023, 45-year-old Tameka Norris vanished in the high desert of northern New Mexico. For months, she kept in touch with her mother and aunt through Facebook—until one day, without warning, she blocked them both. Six days later, she made one final post. And then, silence. A year later, human remains were discovered south of Tres Piedras. While investigators have not publicly identified the remains, the location and timing raise urgent questions for Tameka’s family, who are still searching for answers. If you have any information about Tameka’s disappearance or about the remains found near Tres Piedras, contact the Taos County Sheriff’s Office at 575-758-3361 or submit a tip through the Black and Missing Foundation at: https://blackandmissinginc.com/tipline/?mp_id=7450.
This is the story of Tameka Norris.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hunting for Answers is a production of the Black Effect
podcast Network and iHeartRadio. Welcome to Hunting for Answers at
True Crime Podcasts. I'm your host Hunter, and today we're
highlighting a case that began in North Carolina but led
to the high desert of northern New Mexico. In June
(00:22):
twenty twenty three, a forty five year old woman was
supposed to fly to Ohio to celebrate her mother's birthday.
She called and said she was still coming, but she
never arrived. Instead, she traveled to New Mexico for four months.
(00:43):
She kept in touch with her family on Facebook. Then
on October fourteenth, she blocked her mother and her aunt.
Six days later, she made one final Facebook post and
after that islence. This is the story of Tamika Norris.
(01:11):
Tamika Norris was forty five years old when she disappeared
from Trace Piadres, New Mexico in October twenty twenty three.
Her family described her as kind hearted, polite, en quote
sharp as attack. She wore eyeglasses, had a gap between
her front teeth and a small mole on the left
(01:33):
side of her jaw. She also sometimes went by the
name Israel Panel in Ohio, Tamika volunteered at her local
VA office with her aunt, pushing veterans in wheelchairs and
helping where she could. She loved her dog, and at
one point even ran a small business called Small Furnished,
(01:58):
where she helped people style and furnish tight living spaces.
In twenty eighteen, Tamika was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder,
and her family says she sometimes struggled to consistently take
her medication. In June twenty twenty three, four months before
(02:20):
she vanished, Tamika was supposed to fly from North Carolina
to Columbus, Ohio to celebrate her mother's birthday. She missed
the flight, but called her mother and said she was
still on her way, but she never made it to Ohio. Instead,
(02:40):
Tamika had traveled to New Mexico, a move her family
still can't explain. From June through October, Tamika stayed in
touch with her mother and her aunt, Kitty Harris, mostly
through Facebook Messenger. She was alive, she was responding, but
(03:02):
something changed as October approached. That was the same month
she bought a small plot of land in trace Piadres Estates,
a remote rugged area with no septic, no running water,
and no shelter of any kind. Trace Piadres sits on
(03:25):
the high desert of northern New Mexico, right along the
line between Tows County and Rio Arriba County. It's a
place where living off grid is common and where people
can come and go without much trace. Tows County Sheriff
Steve Mierra says the area has a transient population, with
(03:49):
some people staying just a few months before moving on.
He also said they've seen cases where people who don't
actually own the land and build on it or even
try to sell lots to others, and because of that,
it's still unclear whether the land Tamika bought was even
(04:11):
a legitimate purchase. October fourteenth, twenty twenty three, without warning,
Tamika blocked her mother and her aunt on Facebook, no message,
no explanation. Then six days later, on October twentieth, her
final post appeared on her page, and since that day
(04:36):
she has never been heard from again. A month went
by with no word from Tamika, and on November twentieth,
twenty twenty three, her family filed a missing person report.
Her mother, Sheila Wells, was terrified. Tamika had dropped out
(04:56):
of sight before, but never for this long, never with
this level of silence. Sheila had been hoping to seek
guardianship and have Tamika medically evaluated back in Ohio, but
now she didn't even know if her daughter was safe
(05:18):
or even alive. Desperate for answers, Sheila contacted every agency
she could think of, the Columbus Police Department, a mobile
crisis team, and the Tows County Sheriff's Office. In Tows County,
records clerk Miguel Rodriguez had directed her to the GIS coordinator,
(05:40):
Anthony Martinez, who helped pinpoint the exact location of the
remote lot Temika had purchased. Once she had those coordinates,
Sheila requested a welfare check through tao's central dispatch. A
Tows County deputy out to check the property. He told
(06:03):
Sheila the land looked completely abandoned, like no one had
been there for a long time. No shelter, no supplies,
no sign of Tamika, just a bare, isolated desert in
the middle of nowhere. Sheila Wells also reached out to
(06:26):
the Black and Missing Foundation, the nonprofit dedicated to raising
awareness for missing people of color and providing resources for
families who feel left behind by law enforcement. Sheila Wells
put her fears into words. The fact is that no
(06:48):
parent wants to outlive their children. We're supposed to go first,
not them. That's what I'm afraid of. I'm afraid the
cops are going to call, come to my door and
tell me something happened to her. That's why I need
somebody to find her. A mother's plea desperate, heartbreaking, and
(07:15):
still left unanswered. More than a year passed with no
sign of Tamika. Then, on February twenty fifth, twenty twenty five,
two employees with the Carson National Forest were marking an
area for timber sales just south of Trace Piandres. That's
(07:40):
when they noticed something on the ground human remains, a
round skull. They photographed it immediately and then alerted law enforcement.
New Mexico State Police had responded to the scene. At
(08:00):
the scene, investigators found a skull with what appeared to
be medical wire mesh on the back, along with a
lower mandible teeth still attached, and several other bones, including
parts that looked like hip bones. Scattered nearby were personal items,
(08:22):
a pair of gray Nike shoes, a red button ut
baseball style shirt, shorts, socks, and a part of a
black shirt. There were also a pair of pants, a
glass speaker tool, a pen, a hypodermic needle, and a
set of tweezers. Some of the clothing, including the shoes, shorts,
(08:47):
and the red shirt, appeared to have light burn marks.
Investigators have not publicly said whether any of these items
are connected to a specific person. As of the time
of this recording, the remains discovered near Trace Piadres have
(09:08):
not been publicly identified. The investigation remains active and Tamika's
family is still waiting for answers. And so the questions linger,
Why did Tamika go to New Mexico, who sold her
(09:28):
that remote plot of land, Why did she cut off
contact on October fourteenth, what happened after that final Facebook post?
And could the remains found in February twenty twenty five
finally bring her family the answers they've been searching for.
(09:48):
For now, those questions have remained unanswered. Our thoughts and
prayers are with the family and friends of Tamika Norris.
If you have any information about the disappearance of Tamika
or about the human remains found near Trace Piandres, please
(10:09):
contact the Towles County Sheriff's Office. You can also submit
tips through the Black and Missing Foundation website. That information
can be found in the description below. As we close
out this episode, remember that sharing Tamika's story helps to
spread awareness and also helps to support her family on
(10:31):
their search for answers. Follow Hunting for Answers to stay
updated on Tamika's case and others like it. Subscribe on
YouTube and follow us on Instagram and TikTok from more
true crime stories and updates. And if you're watching on YouTube,
feel free to share your thoughts on this case and
(10:52):
the comments below. Thank you so much for joining us
for another episode. Until next time. Hunting for Answers is
(11:16):
a production of the Black Effect Podcast Network. For more
podcasts from the Black Effect Podcast Network, visit the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Hunting for Answers is a production of the Black Effect
podcast Network and iHeartRadio. Welcome to Hunting for Answers at
True Crime Podcasts. I'm your host Hunter, and today we're
highlighting a case that began in North Carolina but led
to the high desert of northern New Mexico. In June
(00:22):
twenty twenty three, a forty five year old woman was
supposed to fly to Ohio to celebrate her mother's birthday.
She called and said she was still coming, but she
never arrived. Instead, she traveled to New Mexico for four months.
(00:43):
She kept in touch with her family on Facebook. Then
on October fourteenth, she blocked her mother and her aunt.
Six days later, she made one final Facebook post and
after that islence. This is the story of Tamika Norris.
(01:11):
Tamika Norris was forty five years old when she disappeared
from Trace Piadres, New Mexico in October twenty twenty three.
Her family described her as kind hearted, polite, en quote
sharp as attack. She wore eyeglasses, had a gap between
her front teeth and a small mole on the left
(01:33):
side of her jaw. She also sometimes went by the
name Israel Panel in Ohio, Tamika volunteered at her local
VA office with her aunt, pushing veterans in wheelchairs and
helping where she could. She loved her dog, and at
one point even ran a small business called Small Furnished,
(01:58):
where she helped people style and furnish tight living spaces.
In twenty eighteen, Tamika was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder,
and her family says she sometimes struggled to consistently take
her medication. In June twenty twenty three, four months before
(02:20):
she vanished, Tamika was supposed to fly from North Carolina
to Columbus, Ohio to celebrate her mother's birthday. She missed
the flight, but called her mother and said she was
still on her way, but she never made it to Ohio. Instead,
(02:40):
Tamika had traveled to New Mexico, a move her family
still can't explain. From June through October, Tamika stayed in
touch with her mother and her aunt, Kitty Harris, mostly
through Facebook Messenger. She was alive, she was responding, but
(03:02):
something changed as October approached. That was the same month
she bought a small plot of land in trace Piadres Estates,
a remote rugged area with no septic, no running water,
and no shelter of any kind. Trace Piadres sits on
(03:25):
the high desert of northern New Mexico, right along the
line between Tows County and Rio Arriba County. It's a
place where living off grid is common and where people
can come and go without much trace. Tows County Sheriff
Steve Mierra says the area has a transient population, with
(03:49):
some people staying just a few months before moving on.
He also said they've seen cases where people who don't
actually own the land and build on it or even
try to sell lots to others, and because of that,
it's still unclear whether the land Tamika bought was even
(04:11):
a legitimate purchase. October fourteenth, twenty twenty three, without warning,
Tamika blocked her mother and her aunt on Facebook, no message,
no explanation. Then six days later, on October twentieth, her
final post appeared on her page, and since that day
(04:36):
she has never been heard from again. A month went
by with no word from Tamika, and on November twentieth,
twenty twenty three, her family filed a missing person report.
Her mother, Sheila Wells, was terrified. Tamika had dropped out
(04:56):
of sight before, but never for this long, never with
this level of silence. Sheila had been hoping to seek
guardianship and have Tamika medically evaluated back in Ohio, but
now she didn't even know if her daughter was safe
(05:18):
or even alive. Desperate for answers, Sheila contacted every agency
she could think of, the Columbus Police Department, a mobile
crisis team, and the Tows County Sheriff's Office. In Tows County,
records clerk Miguel Rodriguez had directed her to the GIS coordinator,
(05:40):
Anthony Martinez, who helped pinpoint the exact location of the
remote lot Temika had purchased. Once she had those coordinates,
Sheila requested a welfare check through tao's central dispatch. A
Tows County deputy out to check the property. He told
(06:03):
Sheila the land looked completely abandoned, like no one had
been there for a long time. No shelter, no supplies,
no sign of Tamika, just a bare, isolated desert in
the middle of nowhere. Sheila Wells also reached out to
(06:26):
the Black and Missing Foundation, the nonprofit dedicated to raising
awareness for missing people of color and providing resources for
families who feel left behind by law enforcement. Sheila Wells
put her fears into words. The fact is that no
(06:48):
parent wants to outlive their children. We're supposed to go first,
not them. That's what I'm afraid of. I'm afraid the
cops are going to call, come to my door and
tell me something happened to her. That's why I need
somebody to find her. A mother's plea desperate, heartbreaking, and
(07:15):
still left unanswered. More than a year passed with no
sign of Tamika. Then, on February twenty fifth, twenty twenty five,
two employees with the Carson National Forest were marking an
area for timber sales just south of Trace Piandres. That's
(07:40):
when they noticed something on the ground human remains, a
round skull. They photographed it immediately and then alerted law enforcement.
New Mexico State Police had responded to the scene. At
(08:00):
the scene, investigators found a skull with what appeared to
be medical wire mesh on the back, along with a
lower mandible teeth still attached, and several other bones, including
parts that looked like hip bones. Scattered nearby were personal items,
(08:22):
a pair of gray Nike shoes, a red button ut
baseball style shirt, shorts, socks, and a part of a
black shirt. There were also a pair of pants, a
glass speaker tool, a pen, a hypodermic needle, and a
set of tweezers. Some of the clothing, including the shoes, shorts,
(08:47):
and the red shirt, appeared to have light burn marks.
Investigators have not publicly said whether any of these items
are connected to a specific person. As of the time
of this recording, the remains discovered near Trace Piadres have
(09:08):
not been publicly identified. The investigation remains active and Tamika's
family is still waiting for answers. And so the questions linger,
Why did Tamika go to New Mexico, who sold her
(09:28):
that remote plot of land, Why did she cut off
contact on October fourteenth, what happened after that final Facebook post?
And could the remains found in February twenty twenty five
finally bring her family the answers they've been searching for.
(09:48):
For now, those questions have remained unanswered. Our thoughts and
prayers are with the family and friends of Tamika Norris.
If you have any information about the disappearance of Tamika
or about the human remains found near Trace Piandres, please
(10:09):
contact the Towles County Sheriff's Office. You can also submit
tips through the Black and Missing Foundation website. That information
can be found in the description below. As we close
out this episode, remember that sharing Tamika's story helps to
spread awareness and also helps to support her family on
(10:31):
their search for answers. Follow Hunting for Answers to stay
updated on Tamika's case and others like it. Subscribe on
YouTube and follow us on Instagram and TikTok from more
true crime stories and updates. And if you're watching on YouTube,
feel free to share your thoughts on this case and
(10:52):
the comments below. Thank you so much for joining us
for another episode. Until next time. Hunting for Answers is
(11:16):
a production of the Black Effect Podcast Network. For more
podcasts from the Black Effect Podcast Network, visit the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Host
Hunter Gilmore
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