Mystery Man: LaQuanta Nachelle Riley

In this episode of Huntinf 4 Answers: In December 2003, 19-year-old LaQuanta Riley vanished after getting into a dark green car in Montgomery, Alabama. Days later, a cryptic message left on her mother’s answering machine—and then, nothing. No trace. No arrests. No answers. What happened that night? And most importantly, where is LaQuanta? Anyone with information about this case should contact the Montgomery Police Department at  334-241-2651 or their local authorities.  

This is the story of LaQuanta Nachelle Riley. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hunting for Answers is a production of the Black Effect
Podcast Network and iHeartRadio. Welcome to Hunting for Answers, a
true crime podcast. I'm your host Hunter, and today we're
discussing the haunting.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Mystery of a young woman.

Speaker 1 (00:15):
Whose dreams were just beginning when she vanished without a
trace in two thousand and three with the cryptic voicemail
and a mysterious driver. It's a case that has left Montgomery, Alabama,
with many lingering questions for decades. This is the story
of Laquanta Nachelle Right Lakwanta, known as Kwana to her

(00:42):
friends and family, was a nineteen year old honors graduate
from re Dan High School in Stone Mountain, Georgia. She
was bright, bubbly, and compassionate, a clarinet player, and a dreamer.
She had recently earned a full scholarship and planned to
steady criminal justice with hopes of building a career in

(01:03):
forensic science.

Speaker 2 (01:05):
But in December of two thousand and three, her promising
future took a dark turn.

Speaker 1 (01:13):
Just days before she vanished, Lacwanta left the apartment she
shared with her roommate in Ufaula, Alabama. She called her
mother on December fifth, upset about something and asked if
she could come pick her up and take her to Montgomery.
Her mother wasn't able to pick her up, so Laclanta
made other arrangements and ended up moving in with her

(01:34):
aunt and cousin on Hill Street. Two nights later, on
December seventh, is when everything changed. It was just after
eleven thirty pm when a dark green four door car,
possibly a four Tourists or Chevrolet Caprice, pulled into her

(01:54):
aunt's driveway. The driver was a man Lacanta seemed to know,
but her brother, who answered the door, had never seen
him before. She told him the man was a friend
from the neighborhood. Her brother watched as she got in
the car, and the man took her to her mother's
house a few miles away to grab a jacket.

Speaker 2 (02:17):
That was the last time anyone saw Lakwanta.

Speaker 1 (02:23):
In the following days, Laquanta didn't show up for work,
She never picked up her paycheck, and she missed a
planned shopping trip with her mom. Her purse and money
were left behind. Worried, her family reported her missing. The
days turned into weeks, and then came the voicemail, A

(02:44):
chilling message left on her mother's answering machine. A woman's voice,
faint and desperate, said either leave me alone or let
me go home. A man's voice then followed the call, however,
could never be traced. A sliver of hope came when
Laqwanta's name was tied to an apartment rental in Stone Mountain, Georgia,

(03:07):
the city where she had gone to high school. Her
mother traveled there determined to find answers. A resident had
confirmed that Laquanta had recently been in the building, said
she borrowed his phone after an argument, but by the
time her mother arrived, she was gone, and no one
knew where. Lakwanta's family says it's unlike her to leave

(03:31):
without a word.

Speaker 2 (03:32):
They believe she was the victim of a crime.

Speaker 1 (03:36):
Montgomery Police continued to classify her case as endangered missing.
Despite age, progressed photos and numerous leads, no arrests have
been made. La Quanta would be thirty nine years old today.
Lakwanta's mother, siblings, and extended family still hold out hope.

(04:00):
They remember her not only for her intellect and potential,
but for her warmth, her laughter, and the.

Speaker 2 (04:06):
Light she brought into their lives.

Speaker 1 (04:09):
The questions remain, though, who was the man in the car,
where did they go that night, and what happened to
Laquanta Riley. At the time of her disappearance, Laquanta stood
five eight and weighed two hundred pounds. She also had
a pierced tongue with a silver barbell and pierced ears.
There was a scar on her nose in two tattoos,

(04:33):
one on the left arm that read rest in Peace
Misha and another one on her right.

Speaker 2 (04:39):
Arm with her own name, but Quanta.

Speaker 1 (04:42):
She was last seen wearing a yellow and green Echo shirt,
blue jeans, and green and yellow rebox sneakers. She also
wore a silver chain bracelet. As for personal belongings, none
are definitely known, but her purse and We're left behind.
Anyone with information about Laquanta's case to contact the Montgomery

(05:07):
Police Department or their local authorities. You can find their
number in the description box below. As we close out
this episode, don't forget to hit the follow button to
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(05:29):
enjoyed this story leave us a five star rating. Thank
you so much for joining us on another episode until
next time. Hunting for Answers is a production of the

(05:52):
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