July 24, 2025 • 9 mins
In this episode of Hunting 4 Answers: When 16-year-old Tioni Theus said goodbye to her father on January 7th, 2022, no one could have imagined it would be the last time. The next morning, her body was found on the side of a Los Angeles freeway—shot in the neck and discarded like she didn’t matter. Three years later, there have been no major leads, no persons of interest and no arrests. Her family and investigators are still left searching for answers. Anyone with information about this case should contact the California Highway Patrol at 323- 644-9557 or submit an anonymous tip at 888-412-7463.
This is the story of Tioni Theus.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
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, a
true crime podcast. I'm your host Hunter, and today we're
discussing a case that took place in Los Angeles, California,
back in January twenty twenty two. This case has remained
(00:21):
unsolved to this day. And it all began when a
sixteen year old student and golf player pulled her father
goodbye before heading to a party with friends. Little did
he know that would be the last time he would
see his daughter. This is the story of Tianni Theis.
(00:47):
Tianni Theus was a sixteen year old student at Centennial
High School who lived in Compton with her family. But
she was much more than your average student. She was
a dedicated golfer who participated in the Southern Area Junior
Golf program. Her coach described her as a bright student
(01:08):
and a joyful, charismatic friend who loved golf, music, dance,
and being around her family. Her uncle, Michael Daufin, described
her as loved and appreciated, saying you would not believe
the little girl that she was. Tianni was the kind
of teenager who brought joy to everyone around her, but
(01:32):
everything shifted when she was thirteen years old. Tianni and
her cousin were going to meet her mother, Teresa, at
an event to get house keys when they came across
a horrific discovery. As they pulled up, they saw a
body laying in the middle of the street with blood everywhere.
(01:53):
Tianni immediately recognized her mother's purse and shoes. That's my mother,
she told her cousin, and her mother had been struck
by a vehicle in a hit and run incident.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
She was alive, but barely.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Police never found the driver and that case remains unsolved
to this day. As well, Tianni was sure her mother
wouldn't survive. Fortunately she did. However, she slipped into a
coma and was never quite the same, and Tianni was
(02:29):
never quite the same either. Her mother was moved to
the Wittier Pacific Care Center, a long term rehabilitation facility,
where she remains today. The incident rattled Tianni to the core.
Tianni comes from a very large family and a very
(02:51):
loving family, so extended family took turns caring for her.
At first, she stayed with her grandparents but cancer made
that a complicated situation. Soon, her grandparents ended up passing
away from cancer, and Tianni stayed with other members of
her family. Tianni was Teresa's only daughter. Her aunt Solana
(03:17):
said she did a lot with her mom and would
ask me if her mother was ever going to be
normal again, and I would.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Tell her I didn't know.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
January seventh, twenty twenty two, a Friday evening in Los Angeles,
Tianni said goodbye to her father, Gary and Jackson one
last time. Before leaving the house. She told her family
she was going to a party with a friend. It
was supposed to be a normal night out for a teenager.
Her father had no idea that this goodbye would be
(03:56):
their last. The last thing I told her was I
loved her, he would later say. That night, Tianni never
came home. January eighth, twenty twenty two. The very next morning,
as drivers made their way along the one ten freeway,
(04:17):
someone made a horrific discovery on the Manchester Avenue on
ramp near South Figueroa Street in South Los Angeles. There
on the side of the freeway was the body of
sixteen year old Tianni. THEUS the teenager who was just
seen by her father hours before, had.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Been shot in the neck.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
For Tianni's father, this would be the second child he
had lost to violence. His son Darien, had been shot
and killed in twenty sixteen, at the very early age
of nineteen. The discovery of Tianni's body sent shockwaves through
(05:04):
her community. Here was a young black girl, a student,
a golfer, someone's daughter, just gunned down in cold blood.
The circumstances were particularly chilling. Whoever killed Tiani didn't just
murder her. They transported her body to a freeway and
(05:28):
left her there to be found by strangers. The investigation
immediately began, but from the start, detectives faced.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
A lot of challenges.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Who had Tiani been with that night, what had happened
at the party, and most importantly, who was the person
who pulled the trigger. According to Los Angeles District Attorney
George Gascon, there is evidence to suggest that Tiani may
have been a victim of sexual exploitation. The area where
(06:02):
she was found, specifically Figueroa Street, is known for things
like prostitution. As news of Tianni's murder spread, the community
rallied around her family. The district attorney spoke to the
severity of the crime, stating how sixteen year old Tiani
was murdered in cold blood and her killer has yet
(06:25):
to be brought to justice. The reward money began to
accumulate as officials recognize the importance of solving this case.
The county initially offered ten thousand dollars, while the state
and City of Los Angeles each put up fifty thousand dollars.
The total reward eventually reached one hundred and ten thousand dollars,
(06:50):
then increased to one hundred and twenty thousand dollars for
more information leading to the arrest of those responsible for
Tiani's death. On January twenty eighth, twenty twenty two, Tianni's
family and friends gathered to lay her to rest.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
The funeral was a.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Heartbreaking reminder of a life ended way too soon, but
even as they said goodbye, Tianni's family refused to let
her death be in vain. They continued to push for answers,
to keep her story in the public eye and to
(07:28):
demand justice. The golf community also rallied around Tianni's loved ones.
She had been one of their own, a young player
with promise, and her death represented not just a personal tragedy,
but a loss for the entire sport. As months turned
(07:49):
to years, nothing was leading to anything substantial. The reward
money remained unclaimed. But somewhere out there, someone knew what
happened to Tiani that night.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Someone knew who killed her and why.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
By January twenty twenty three, a full year had passed
since Tianni's murder. Her family continued to grieve, continued to
seek answers, and continued to hope that justice would eventually come. Today,
the investigation remains active and detectives continued to work the case,
(08:27):
but Tianni's family continues to live with the pain of
not knowing who killed their daughter and why. Tianni THEUS
would be eighteen years old today. She should be graduating
from high school, maybe planning for college, or continuing her
golf career. My thoughts and prayers are with her family
(08:49):
and friends. Her life mattered and her death deserves justice.
Anyone with information about Tiani's case should contact the California
Highway Patrol or submit a tip anonymously. You can find
that information in the description box below. As we close
(09:10):
out this episode, don't forget to click the follow button
to stay updated on Tiani's case and others like it.
Be sure to subscribe to Hunting for Answers on YouTube
and follow us on Instagram and.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
TikTok for more true crime updates.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
And if you are watching us on YouTube, let us
know your thoughts on this case down in the comments.
Thank you so much for joining us on another episode
until next time. Hunting for Answers is a production of
the Black Effect Podcast Network. For more podcasts from the
(09:48):
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, a
true crime podcast. I'm your host Hunter, and today we're
discussing a case that took place in Los Angeles, California,
back in January twenty twenty two. This case has remained
(00:21):
unsolved to this day. And it all began when a
sixteen year old student and golf player pulled her father
goodbye before heading to a party with friends. Little did
he know that would be the last time he would
see his daughter. This is the story of Tianni Theis.
(00:47):
Tianni Theus was a sixteen year old student at Centennial
High School who lived in Compton with her family. But
she was much more than your average student. She was
a dedicated golfer who participated in the Southern Area Junior
Golf program. Her coach described her as a bright student
(01:08):
and a joyful, charismatic friend who loved golf, music, dance,
and being around her family. Her uncle, Michael Daufin, described
her as loved and appreciated, saying you would not believe
the little girl that she was. Tianni was the kind
of teenager who brought joy to everyone around her, but
(01:32):
everything shifted when she was thirteen years old. Tianni and
her cousin were going to meet her mother, Teresa, at
an event to get house keys when they came across
a horrific discovery. As they pulled up, they saw a
body laying in the middle of the street with blood everywhere.
(01:53):
Tianni immediately recognized her mother's purse and shoes. That's my mother,
she told her cousin, and her mother had been struck
by a vehicle in a hit and run incident.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
She was alive, but barely.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Police never found the driver and that case remains unsolved
to this day. As well, Tianni was sure her mother
wouldn't survive. Fortunately she did. However, she slipped into a
coma and was never quite the same, and Tianni was
(02:29):
never quite the same either. Her mother was moved to
the Wittier Pacific Care Center, a long term rehabilitation facility,
where she remains today. The incident rattled Tianni to the core.
Tianni comes from a very large family and a very
(02:51):
loving family, so extended family took turns caring for her.
At first, she stayed with her grandparents but cancer made
that a complicated situation. Soon, her grandparents ended up passing
away from cancer, and Tianni stayed with other members of
her family. Tianni was Teresa's only daughter. Her aunt Solana
(03:17):
said she did a lot with her mom and would
ask me if her mother was ever going to be
normal again, and I would.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Tell her I didn't know.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
January seventh, twenty twenty two, a Friday evening in Los Angeles,
Tianni said goodbye to her father, Gary and Jackson one
last time. Before leaving the house. She told her family
she was going to a party with a friend. It
was supposed to be a normal night out for a teenager.
Her father had no idea that this goodbye would be
(03:56):
their last. The last thing I told her was I
loved her, he would later say. That night, Tianni never
came home. January eighth, twenty twenty two. The very next morning,
as drivers made their way along the one ten freeway,
(04:17):
someone made a horrific discovery on the Manchester Avenue on
ramp near South Figueroa Street in South Los Angeles. There
on the side of the freeway was the body of
sixteen year old Tianni. THEUS the teenager who was just
seen by her father hours before, had.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Been shot in the neck.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
For Tianni's father, this would be the second child he
had lost to violence. His son Darien, had been shot
and killed in twenty sixteen, at the very early age
of nineteen. The discovery of Tianni's body sent shockwaves through
(05:04):
her community. Here was a young black girl, a student,
a golfer, someone's daughter, just gunned down in cold blood.
The circumstances were particularly chilling. Whoever killed Tiani didn't just
murder her. They transported her body to a freeway and
(05:28):
left her there to be found by strangers. The investigation
immediately began, but from the start, detectives faced.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
A lot of challenges.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Who had Tiani been with that night, what had happened
at the party, and most importantly, who was the person
who pulled the trigger. According to Los Angeles District Attorney
George Gascon, there is evidence to suggest that Tiani may
have been a victim of sexual exploitation. The area where
(06:02):
she was found, specifically Figueroa Street, is known for things
like prostitution. As news of Tianni's murder spread, the community
rallied around her family. The district attorney spoke to the
severity of the crime, stating how sixteen year old Tiani
was murdered in cold blood and her killer has yet
(06:25):
to be brought to justice. The reward money began to
accumulate as officials recognize the importance of solving this case.
The county initially offered ten thousand dollars, while the state
and City of Los Angeles each put up fifty thousand dollars.
The total reward eventually reached one hundred and ten thousand dollars,
(06:50):
then increased to one hundred and twenty thousand dollars for
more information leading to the arrest of those responsible for
Tiani's death. On January twenty eighth, twenty twenty two, Tianni's
family and friends gathered to lay her to rest.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
The funeral was a.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Heartbreaking reminder of a life ended way too soon, but
even as they said goodbye, Tianni's family refused to let
her death be in vain. They continued to push for answers,
to keep her story in the public eye and to
(07:28):
demand justice. The golf community also rallied around Tianni's loved ones.
She had been one of their own, a young player
with promise, and her death represented not just a personal tragedy,
but a loss for the entire sport. As months turned
(07:49):
to years, nothing was leading to anything substantial. The reward
money remained unclaimed. But somewhere out there, someone knew what
happened to Tiani that night.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Someone knew who killed her and why.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
By January twenty twenty three, a full year had passed
since Tianni's murder. Her family continued to grieve, continued to
seek answers, and continued to hope that justice would eventually come. Today,
the investigation remains active and detectives continued to work the case,
(08:27):
but Tianni's family continues to live with the pain of
not knowing who killed their daughter and why. Tianni THEUS
would be eighteen years old today. She should be graduating
from high school, maybe planning for college, or continuing her
golf career. My thoughts and prayers are with her family
(08:49):
and friends. Her life mattered and her death deserves justice.
Anyone with information about Tiani's case should contact the California
Highway Patrol or submit a tip anonymously. You can find
that information in the description box below. As we close
(09:10):
out this episode, don't forget to click the follow button
to stay updated on Tiani's case and others like it.
Be sure to subscribe to Hunting for Answers on YouTube
and follow us on Instagram and.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
TikTok for more true crime updates.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
And if you are watching us on YouTube, let us
know your thoughts on this case down in the comments.
Thank you so much for joining us on another episode
until next time. Hunting for Answers is a production of
the Black Effect Podcast Network. For more podcasts from the
(09:48):
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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