February 14, 2025 • 31 mins
Cleashindra "Clea" Hall, an 18-year-old high school senior with a promising future, disappeared on May 9th, 1994 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Clea was described by friends and family as reliable, level headed, silly and extremely intelligent. She was grounded firmly in faith, family and education, and was on her way to a pre-med program at Tennessee State University that very fall. Three decades later, despite desperately searching, her fate remains unknown. What happened that night? Could the answers still be hidden in plain sight?
If you have any information regarding Cleashindra Hall’s disappearance, please contact the Pine Bluff Police Department at (870) 730-2090 or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST, that’s 1-800-843-5678.
Follow @forgottenechoespodcast on Instagram, TikTok and subscribe on Youtube
To suggest a case email me at forgottenechoespodcast@gmail.com
Sources:
Dateline
The Arkansas Justice Project
https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2019/may/10/cleashindra-halls-family-continues-search-after/
https://www.thv11.com/unsolved-clea-hall
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Cleashindra_Hall
https://katv.com/archive/cleashindra-hall-family-outraged-over-evidence-delay
https://ourblackgirls.com/2022/03/11/cleashindra-hall-missing-1994/
Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is intended for mature audiences only. It contains discussions of violent crimes, including murder, assault, and other sensitive topics that may be disturbing to some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.
The views, opinions, and statements expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any associated organizations or sponsors. All information presented is based on publicly available sources and is intended for educational and informational purposes only.
While we strive for accuracy, some details may be subject to interpretation or may have changed since the time of recording. The podcast is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional advice, legal or otherwise.
By listening to this podcast, you agree to hold the hosts, guests, and producers harmless from any and all claims, damages, or liabilities that may arise from your use of the information provided.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hi everyone, this is your host Raven Siyad and welcome back to Forgotten Echoes, a podcast
(00:05):
where we dive into the mysterious and unexplained cases of black women that often get lost in
time.
Today we dive into a case of Cleashindra Hall, an 18-year-old high school senior with a promising
future who disappeared on May 9, 1994 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
Despite years of searching, her fate remains unknown.
(00:27):
What happened that night, and could the answer still be hidden in plain sight?
This is Forgotten Echoes, episode 4, The Disappearance of Cleashindra Hall.
(01:02):
Cases for today's episode include Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Without a Trace,
Our Black Girls, ABC7, The Arkansas Justice Project, Dateline, Arkansas Online, and Wikipedia.
Now let's get into the case.
Cleashindra Denise Hall, or CLIA, as she was known by family and friends, was born on March
(01:26):
30, 1976, the only daughter to parents Willie and Laurel Hall.
Cleashindra was described by friends and family as reliable, level-headed, silly, and extremely
intelligent.
She was grounded firmly in faith, family, and education.
But she also had a playful, silly side to her.
(01:49):
It wasn't uncommon to see her laughing or goofing around with her friends.
She was the kind of kid and student that parents brag about, and the type of friend you look
up to.
And this totally tracks as she was selected as her high school's 1994 valedictorian.
Unfortunately, she would never get the chance to read her speech on graduation day, just
(02:12):
two weeks after her disappearance.
Cleashindra also had a passion for children.
When she worked in the nursery at her local church, it was common to see her laughing
and smiling with a child.
Sound familiar?
She sounds like she was a breath of fresh air.
When you saw CLIA, she was always playing with somebody's child, her mother Laurell Hall
(02:35):
remembered.
And it didn't end there.
Her loved children sparked her dream of becoming a pediatrician.
Not only was she a dedicated honor student at Watson Chapel High School, she had been
accepted into the pre-med program at Tennessee State University on scholarship, her absolute
(02:55):
dream.
And that summer, she was set to begin an internship at a pediatrician's office in Boston, the
first step towards fulfilling her goal of becoming a doctor.
I just want to jump in here and say that the 2025 kids would say that CLIA is that girl.
(03:15):
I mean, like seriously, I want to be her friend because pre-med wants to be a pediatrician
on scholarship.
Tennessee State in the 90s, a young black woman.
I mean, she was just that girl.
And it's really awesome to see one the way her family and friends talk about her and
(03:40):
remember her really mirrors her life and it shows how intelligent, how responsible, you
know, how kind she was.
You can see that in her every day.
So just throwing that out there because what an accomplishment at such a young age.
And then on top of that, her high school valedictorian, like, that's incredible.
I was just blown away at how accomplished she was at only being 18 years old.
(04:05):
I also wanted to jump in and clarify some timing.
So from Arkansas, she was going to go to Boston to attend her internship.
I also saw some reports of maybe attending a leadership conference.
I don't know if it was together or two separate things that just so happened to be in Boston,
but she was spending the summer in Boston.
And then from there, she was going to be flying or going to Tennessee for her first fall semester
(04:31):
in pre-med program.
So just clarifying some timing.
Arkansas to Boston to Tennessee.
To sum it up, Clea wasn't just academically gifted.
She was also responsible, kind and so deeply loved by her family and friends.
Doing my research for this case, it's so obvious they were all extremely close knit.
(04:52):
This leads up to a warm spring evening in May, just weeks before Clea was set to embark
on the next chapter of her life.
That Monday was the Hall's first day back to their normal routine following a busy weekend.
Clea's prom had been that past Friday.
She then attended a sorority ball on Saturday and to top it all off, they celebrated Mother's
(05:14):
Day on Sunday.
Nobody could have ever imagined what would happen that upcoming week.
On Monday, May 9th, 1994, which should have been just another normal evening for Clea and
her family was anything but usual.
She was dropped off at work by her mother around 5pm, just after finishing up a day at
(05:35):
school.
Clea worked at the home office of Dr. Larry Amos, a man who ran a nonprofit organization
supporting in-home daycare centers.
And to jump in here, so Dr. Larry Amos wasn't actually a medical doctor.
I searched for licenses.
I searched for some type of certificate schooling.
(05:59):
I also read other blogs and interviews and everyone else is asking the same thing and
many other people have confirmed that he has no actual medical license.
So he's not an actual medical doctor.
It looks like he just worked for a nonprofit that supported children within the community.
So maybe within the healthcare or wellness space, but important to note that he's not
(06:19):
an actual medical doctor.
At around 8pm, Clea called her mother and asked if anyone had tried to reach her.
When Laurel said no, Clea simply responded, okay, and hung up.
That was the last time anyone in her family heard from her.
Laurel, expecting another call when Clea was ready to be picked up, dozed off on the couch.
(06:42):
When her husband, Willie, came home around 1am and noticed Clea wasn't in her room,
panic immediately set in.
Her mother told the Arkansas Gazette, quote, I hopped up out of my sleep and went to look
at her bed because I was literally half asleep.
Laurel Hall said.
I said, I don't know, I went to the phone, looked at the number to her job and asked
(07:06):
her boss, was she still at work?
He said, no, I think she left around 8.30.
I said, who did she leave with because I was supposed to pick her up.
He's like, I don't know.
Laurel Hall added, almost confirmed Clea left at 8.30 by checking her time card, quote.
(07:26):
Patricia, Dr. Amos's wife, who was also at the home while Clea was working, told police
in a written report, quote, it was odd that she left without telling either of us, quote.
Apparently, Clea made a habit out of telling them when she was clocking out for the evening
before she left the home.
So this wasn't normal at all.
(07:47):
Laurel stated, I'm thinking, okay, she's never done this before, but she is a teenager
and she's 18, about to graduate.
So maybe she decided that she's going to flex her independent muscles, Laurell said.
But I stayed up all night because I'm looking out the window thinking, you're going to
be in trouble, young lady, when you come home.
(08:09):
But daylight came and she wasn't at home.
At first, Clea's family thought she might have gone straight to school that morning,
but the Hall's middle son confirmed that when he got to school, Clea didn't show up.
The Halls contacted the police that morning, only to be told they needed to wait 24 hours
before filing a missing persons report.
(08:30):
Frustrated and worried, Laurel took matters into her own hands, searching the area near
Clea's workplace and putting up missing person flyers.
Finally, after the 24 hours, the initial missing persons report mentions Clea wearing a two
piece short set that was navy blue and white, white socks and white tennis shoes and a white
(08:52):
bow in her hair.
Her family provided additional information stating Clea was 5'9", weighed 120 pounds
and had dark eyes and short black hair, which she often worn a ponytail.
She also had a surgical scar on her left knee.
It didn't help that Clea didn't have a purse or an ID on her at the time of her disappearance.
(09:15):
I just want to recap the last two minutes of me talking.
So to start, in most states, there's not an actual law that prohibits police from taking
a statement before the 24 hour mark.
Keep calling, keep checking in, do your due diligence, and that's exactly what this family
did.
(09:35):
A lot of police departments will use this as a rule of thumb, especially if the perceived
person is 18 or older because they could have left on their own volition, they could
be out partying with friends, whatever the case is, especially teenagers, and majority
of the time that is exactly what's happening.
However, I am a firm believer and I see both sides of the coin when I say this, but I'm
(10:00):
a firm believer that parents know their children.
Clea was not the type of kid that would just leave on her own volition, not tell her mom,
especially when her mom had just spoke to her at eight and just not show up at home
or at school the next day.
That was not in her character.
So just remember, and I mean, I hope that anyone listening to this, this doesn't happen
(10:22):
to you, but remember, check your laws.
Most likely it's not a law, especially if the person that might be missing is under
the age of 18 because I've seen in some cases where the person is 16, 17, and they still
use that rule of thumb when, before they declare that person missing or want to start an investigation.
(10:43):
So do your due diligence, follow up, keep checking in, be annoying, the person perceived
missing absolutely deserves it.
I also want to go over the fact that apparently Clea left and Dr. Amos tells her mother that
he doesn't really know when she left, but he's thinking around 8.30 and then verifies
(11:05):
that on her time card, which is strange because the wife, Patricia, is saying that she never
said anything when she left.
She just kind of dipped.
So I mean, she calls him in the middle of the night and she's like, Hey, have you seen
Clea?
And he's like, I don't know.
She might have left at 8.30.
And then he looks at her time card and verifies, yes, it was 8.30.
So did she not tell anyone she was leaving or, you know what I mean?
(11:30):
Like how would you know she left at 8.30?
You would say, I don't know when she left.
She just left.
Let me call you back and look that up or whatever the case is.
But to tell her mom on the phone, because her mom calls randomly in the middle of the night
around like 1.00, 2.00 AM, you know, to say 8.30 ish right off the back and then verify
it was a little strange to me.
Something's not adding up.
(11:51):
And I also just think, you know, like I said a little earlier, she was a responsible kid.
He had mentioned that she had maybe had gotten into a car or they don't know with who or
anything along those lines.
But I just don't see that happening.
And I think it was a little strange that he had mentioned that maybe she got in the car
with someone else at some point.
(12:13):
All of it was a little weird to me.
But that was my takeaway from the last two minutes or so.
Now when police start their investigation, they immediately speak with Dr. Amos, who claimed
Clea had signed out of the workplace at 8.30 PM, just as he told her parents.
However, he said he heard the garage door open and assumed that she had gotten into
(12:34):
the car with someone.
And that's what I just prefaced into 30 seconds ago.
But this is super important.
He never saw who the person was.
He just says that he hears the garage door open.
He assumes or maybe sees she's getting into the car or sees a car pull up, but he doesn't
know who the person is.
(12:54):
Police eventually try and figure out who this mystery driver could have been.
But there were very little leads.
No one had seen Clea after she left work and no one came forward to say that they picked
her up.
Suspicions soon fell on Dr. Larry Amos.
Larry, who is the last person to see Clea, and his story raised a lot of questions to
(13:15):
say the least.
If he had heard the garage door open, why didn't he check to see who picked her up?
Two years later, in 1986, police conducted a search of Dr. Amos' home, but nothing significant
was found.
This was the last known sighting of Clichendra Hall.
The police believe she left with someone she knew, but they have no leads on who that person
(13:40):
might be.
Now, jumping in here again, I don't believe that she went home with someone else or she
got a ride home with someone else.
Because there were a couple different accounts as to what happened that evening.
I just don't believe it.
And I think it's a little also strange that Dr. Amos, when he talked to the parents, is
(14:00):
saying, I think she left at 8.30.
Oh, let me verify that.
Oh, in her time sheet it does say 8.30.
But then to the police, he mentions that he hears the garage open and sees her get into
a car.
There are very small changes to the story, but they're significant because if you saw
her leave and get into the car, then that kind of clashes with Patricia, his wife, saying
(14:26):
that she just left and they never knew when she left.
And then that also clashes with him saying, I don't know when she left.
Let me check her time sheet to verify because you knew exactly when she left.
You heard the garage door open and you saw her get into a car.
All of it was a little weird.
And like I said, we can't verify one way or another, but it's just the stories.
(14:47):
They're slightly shifted over a period of time and they just don't really make sense.
So bear with me for a second as I go down a Dr. Larry Amos rabbit hole.
So Detective Lieutenant Hobson, who has been on the case for its entirety, stated, quote,
in this case, almost was the last person to see her, but that alone doesn't make him
(15:10):
guilty, quote.
On the other hand, Clea's family believes almost his actions after Clea's disappearance
were suspicious.
Her mother said, I don't think he's done enough to rule himself out as a suspect.
Just one day after Clea went missing, Amos left the state for a business trip.
(15:31):
However, he said that this was a pre-planned trip and had nothing to do with the disappearance
whatsoever.
He came home as word got around that Clea was still missing and it looked suspicious
he was gone.
I think it's a little weird playing devil's advocate.
I think it's weird that he left for sure, but if it was pre-planned and I am assuming
(15:54):
and I'm giving the Pine Bluff Police Department the benefit of the doubt that they looked
into this, that this trip was booked, the flight was booked or however he got there.
And it in fact was pre-planned because if it was then obviously that doesn't correlate
necessarily with her disappearance.
But I do think it's a little weird that your employee goes missing, especially because
(16:18):
this is an in-home facility.
So it's like they're very close knit.
It's a small team with a few employees.
So it makes a difference.
You have a young girl who is off to a really big internship in college.
She goes missing.
You're the last person to see her and you still choose to leave the state.
(16:40):
It's a little weird.
Detective Hopson stated that while police were initially given full access to Amos's
home upon his return, a disagreement with another detective who has since left the department
led Larry to revoke their access.
And the next time they were able to search the property was two years later, though they
(17:01):
didn't find anything during this search.
It wasn't until March 29th of 2012, 18 years after Clea's disappearance, that authorities
conducted a more extensive search of his property, which was actually two homes side by side.
Based on new witness statements and affidavit for a search warrant was signed at the time
(17:25):
by Pine Bluff Police Department Lieutenant Bob Rawlinson and it stated, quote, recently
obtained sworn and unsworn statements linked Dr. Amos to the disappearance of Cleashindra
Hall.
Sworn statements indicate the observance of a false wall inside the residence containing
blood on the insulation.
(17:48):
Also statements indicate that the body was buried on the property at 5309 Fawcett Road
in a hole where bricks and rocks and powdered concrete was used to cover up something, quote.
However, nobody was found, but investigators did remove four pieces of evidence from the
(18:08):
property that day.
Shockingly, those items were never sent to the crime lab due to clerical error, a failure
that still haunts Clea's case today.
Eventually, Pine Bluff Police acknowledged the forensic evidence collected on March 29
was finally sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab and Police Chief Brenda Davis-Jones assured
(18:32):
the Hall family that the evidence was now with the crime lab and that her department
has been in regular contact with them.
We call the crime lab at least once a week, but they haven't processed it yet, Davis-Jones
said at a city council meeting.
Once we receive the results, we'll be more than happy to move forward in the case.
Turns out the items that were submitted, they were submitted after more than a month
(18:56):
which compromised them forensically.
Once reports came back, items taken from Larry Amos's home in March showed no blood evidence.
But can we even believe this?
And just throwing in more of my two cents here, why was the evidence never sent to the
crime lab immediately?
Like this is the part that just frustrates you and I think this is the part where police
(19:21):
departments, especially when it comes to cases involving minorities, specifically young black
victims or women, I just think these type of little clerical errors and these little issues
throughout the case, they're just not deemed as important because something as simple as
(19:42):
four pieces of evidence couldn't even make it to the crime lab on time and safely.
Mind you, this is a cold case going on two decades old.
It's astonishing and it's borderline disrespectful.
I don't even know what else to call it.
And another thing, shout out to once again, Clea's family for just being consistent.
(20:03):
Throughout this case, they have been on pine bluffs, police departments, but like why don't
they, like they are at city council meetings, they are calling out police chiefs, they are
calling on the lieutenant investigators, they are like doing everything they can almost
two decades later to make sure that Clea's name is not forgotten and she has is essentially
(20:26):
being advocated for.
A pine bluff police department spokesperson confirmed that an internal investigation
was underway to determine the cause of the delay here.
And turns out it was just good old insubordnance, someone not doing their job, which seems to
be the common denominator throughout this case.
(20:47):
So yes, this was just somebody who just didn't do their job and didn't submit the evidence
on time and it actually was sitting in the back of a truck the entire time.
Clichendra's mother expressed frustration over the handling of her daughter's cold case,
stating, quote, I can't believe the chief held on to this evidence for so long, Hall
said before her daughter's vigil.
(21:09):
My question is, why?
Those in the department who seem to be obstructing this investigation will be there tomorrow.
But she said, tonight, it's about Clea, quote.
It had been 18 years since Cleashindra went missing and her family was consoling one another.
So I'm going to point out a few things because we went over a lot in like five minutes.
(21:33):
That was a lot of information and the case pretty much went cold from like 1996 where
they did that little like search that wasn't too extensive, but it was a search and they
didn't find anything to then fast forward 2012.
And they do a really extensive search because of this affidavit that's brought up.
(21:56):
Now in the affidavit, they have unsworn and sworn statements from people that are saying
that there was some blood found within the home.
They noticed a concrete slab where there was a one before and they thought that could have
been maybe hiding a body, et cetera, et cetera.
I want to say what I mentioned next is based off of my own sleuthing at 2am going down
(22:22):
a rabbit hole on Reddit.
This is only opinion and based off of that.
And if you know anything about Reddit, then you know, you know.
So this is opinion based.
It is not factual.
It's not backed by anything.
This is just me talking and going over what I saw.
Now on a couple of threads, I thought it was really interesting that one, these statements
(22:45):
may have been made by employees of Larry as well as construction workers.
So they were working on the home.
That's where they find blood on the insulation.
Once again, we don't know if this was construction workers or employees, but this is where it's
coming from.
And a specific employee that had seen Larry's home over the years noticed the concrete slab
(23:10):
and thought that was really strange because it almost came about overnight.
And construction workers weren't able to go around that concrete slab.
So that was very interesting.
I saw it because I was kind of like blood on the insulation, where did that come from?
But then when I saw the construction workers, that was interesting.
(23:32):
Also thought it was really interesting that Larry almost his property wasn't just the
one own or the one home part of me.
It was also the home next to his home.
So he owned both properties and both properties were extensively searched and just the four
pieces of evidence that we weren't able to find anything out about were found.
(23:54):
I mean, it doesn't really mean anything in particular.
It's just strange.
I don't know.
All of it.
I didn't know that he had two homes, both his properties, the random concrete slab, former
employee, et cetera.
Now on another thread, I saw that the night Klishendra went missing, there may have been
(24:18):
a gathering or even a party at Larry's home.
And they even essentially linked this to the fact that Klishendra was going to be wrapping
up her time working for Dr. Amos.
Obviously she's going on her internship to Boston that summer.
So this gathering or party, if you will, was for her.
(24:38):
Nothing in this is on Reddit, I don't know if this is true, but actually on this thread,
they had a link to this website where they wanted to source the article.
They got this information from.
Unfortunately, the link was broken.
So I wasn't able to obtain that so I only can go off of this Redditor's word.
Now this is really interesting because that means there was more people at the house.
(25:01):
I assumed the entire time it was Larry, Patricia.
It's a childcare, so possibly some children.
And then Clea, who's working her night shift, and that's about it.
But if there was a gathering or some sort at the house, I'd go into who else was there,
were they spoken to, police haven't confirmed or denied this.
(25:24):
So it's hard to say if it's true or not, but that was what I read, which would be very
interesting.
Another thing I thought of too was the fact that Clea didn't have a cell phone.
Now she made the call to her mother at 8pm from Larry's home phone.
Were phone records ever obtained or was any data gathered?
(25:46):
Was that even possible in the mid 90s?
I would assume so, but I don't know because if that second call was made, then we know
something maybe more sinister might have been at play because if she called out once again
to her mother to come pick her up, but maybe it didn't go through or whatever the case
is, I don't know, that would be a little strange.
(26:08):
Now if we never get a call, that's also weird because Larry is saying that the garage went
up and she left at 8.30 and that's the time she clocked out.
And her mother saying she called and spoke to her physically at 8 o'clock.
So what happened in those 30 minutes?
And why didn't she call a second time to say, can you come pick me up or to say I'm getting
(26:29):
a ride or I'm walking or whatever the case is?
So I just think the phone data would be really helpful no matter which way it goes.
The second call or not seeing a second call in there.
Another thing that I read and I believe this is actually confirmed as well is the Hall's
family actually met with Larry Amos' ex-wife.
(26:50):
And this is once again an opinion.
It's not fact based.
This is just what I've read.
But to kind of find out more about Larry because I don't think he's ever been truly cleared
in the eyes of the Hall's family.
They meet up with his ex-wife and his ex-wife essentially describes him as being abusive
(27:11):
and violent in having an explosive temperament, which obviously doesn't mean he's guilty,
but I definitely think it speaks to his character.
I mean, I read even that the ex-wife was so scared when meeting up with the Hall family
that she hired someone to essentially be undercover outside of the restaurant they were meeting
(27:33):
up at.
And Laurel or Clea's mom asked the ex-wife like, hey, that person looks like they're
watching us.
And the ex-wife says, yeah, he is.
I hired him because I was so fearful.
I thought Larry was behind you guys meeting up with me.
Once again, not factual, but I thought it was really interesting and chilling to read,
(27:58):
if true.
And I did read a little bit more into the ex-wife and she did actually say that a reason for
their divorce was he was violent and abusive.
But once again, police have said that they looked into this theory actually and said
that she could have been doing this out of vengeance.
There was some other stuff going on at play during their divorce.
It got kind of messy, et cetera, et cetera.
(28:19):
So we don't actually know if that's factual or not.
Now police have not found any other physical evidence leaking almost or anyone else to
Clea's disappearance and have declined to name him as a suspect as of today, 2025.
As the years have passed, Clea's family has never given up hope.
(28:39):
Her mother stated, quote, I have a fear of leaving Earth and not knowing what happened
to her.
If I stop looking or we stop looking, who's going to help me find out what happened to
my child?
quote.
Each year on her birthday, the family releases balloons and Clea's honor, refusing to let
her memory fade.
(29:00):
Someone somewhere knows what happened to Cleashindra Hall.
Could new evidence still emerge?
Could someone finally come forward with the truth?
It's been really difficult, Laurel Hall says.
We're a strong Christian family, but even with that, we can only take on so much.
We have our good days and our bad days.
(29:21):
Today is not a real good day for me because it's been 30 years and 30 years is a long
time.
My oldest grandchild, which she hasn't seen, is 22.
And so time is passing by and we haven't a clue as to where she is.
We know there is somebody out there with the information we need.
(29:42):
While addressing a small crowd in front of her church, Laurell Hall pleaded for anyone
with information to come forward, asking, quote, is it you?
She couldn't have vanished in a thin air.
God is able, but I don't think that's what happened to her, quote.
Now here's the call to action.
If you have any information regarding Cleashindra Hall's disappearance, please contact the
(30:07):
Pine Bluff Police Department at area code 870-730-2090 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children at 1-800-THE-LOST.
That's 1-800-843-5678.
Clea was a shining light and her case remains open until this day.
(30:32):
Although there have been no new developments in this 1994 case, the continued public interest
is a powerful reminder of how deeply she was loved and how her memory lives on.
We will keep sharing her story and photos, holding on a hope that time and changing circumstances
will encourage someone to come forward.
(30:54):
While no one has been criminally charged in her disappearance, I can ensure that those
responsible are reminded of her face every time they see her story shared.
Like Clea's family, I will lean on my faith and pray that they receive the answers they
seek.
Thank you for tuning in to Episode 4 of Forgotten Echoes.
(31:15):
Please do me a favor and show your support by following this podcast and liking, subscribing,
and sharing this episode.
I'm Raven Siyad and I'll see you next week with another case that needs to be remembered.
Stay vigilant, stay aware, and keep the echoes of the forgotten alive.
I'll see you soon.
Hi everyone, this is your host Raven Siyad and welcome back to Forgotten Echoes, a podcast
(00:05):
where we dive into the mysterious and unexplained cases of black women that often get lost in
time.
Today we dive into a case of Cleashindra Hall, an 18-year-old high school senior with a promising
future who disappeared on May 9, 1994 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
Despite years of searching, her fate remains unknown.
(00:27):
What happened that night, and could the answer still be hidden in plain sight?
This is Forgotten Echoes, episode 4, The Disappearance of Cleashindra Hall.
(01:02):
Cases for today's episode include Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Without a Trace,
Our Black Girls, ABC7, The Arkansas Justice Project, Dateline, Arkansas Online, and Wikipedia.
Now let's get into the case.
Cleashindra Denise Hall, or CLIA, as she was known by family and friends, was born on March
(01:26):
30, 1976, the only daughter to parents Willie and Laurel Hall.
Cleashindra was described by friends and family as reliable, level-headed, silly, and extremely
intelligent.
She was grounded firmly in faith, family, and education.
But she also had a playful, silly side to her.
(01:49):
It wasn't uncommon to see her laughing or goofing around with her friends.
She was the kind of kid and student that parents brag about, and the type of friend you look
up to.
And this totally tracks as she was selected as her high school's 1994 valedictorian.
Unfortunately, she would never get the chance to read her speech on graduation day, just
(02:12):
two weeks after her disappearance.
Cleashindra also had a passion for children.
When she worked in the nursery at her local church, it was common to see her laughing
and smiling with a child.
Sound familiar?
She sounds like she was a breath of fresh air.
When you saw CLIA, she was always playing with somebody's child, her mother Laurell Hall
(02:35):
remembered.
And it didn't end there.
Her loved children sparked her dream of becoming a pediatrician.
Not only was she a dedicated honor student at Watson Chapel High School, she had been
accepted into the pre-med program at Tennessee State University on scholarship, her absolute
(02:55):
dream.
And that summer, she was set to begin an internship at a pediatrician's office in Boston, the
first step towards fulfilling her goal of becoming a doctor.
I just want to jump in here and say that the 2025 kids would say that CLIA is that girl.
(03:15):
I mean, like seriously, I want to be her friend because pre-med wants to be a pediatrician
on scholarship.
Tennessee State in the 90s, a young black woman.
I mean, she was just that girl.
And it's really awesome to see one the way her family and friends talk about her and
(03:40):
remember her really mirrors her life and it shows how intelligent, how responsible, you
know, how kind she was.
You can see that in her every day.
So just throwing that out there because what an accomplishment at such a young age.
And then on top of that, her high school valedictorian, like, that's incredible.
I was just blown away at how accomplished she was at only being 18 years old.
(04:05):
I also wanted to jump in and clarify some timing.
So from Arkansas, she was going to go to Boston to attend her internship.
I also saw some reports of maybe attending a leadership conference.
I don't know if it was together or two separate things that just so happened to be in Boston,
but she was spending the summer in Boston.
And then from there, she was going to be flying or going to Tennessee for her first fall semester
(04:31):
in pre-med program.
So just clarifying some timing.
Arkansas to Boston to Tennessee.
To sum it up, Clea wasn't just academically gifted.
She was also responsible, kind and so deeply loved by her family and friends.
Doing my research for this case, it's so obvious they were all extremely close knit.
(04:52):
This leads up to a warm spring evening in May, just weeks before Clea was set to embark
on the next chapter of her life.
That Monday was the Hall's first day back to their normal routine following a busy weekend.
Clea's prom had been that past Friday.
She then attended a sorority ball on Saturday and to top it all off, they celebrated Mother's
(05:14):
Day on Sunday.
Nobody could have ever imagined what would happen that upcoming week.
On Monday, May 9th, 1994, which should have been just another normal evening for Clea and
her family was anything but usual.
She was dropped off at work by her mother around 5pm, just after finishing up a day at
(05:35):
school.
Clea worked at the home office of Dr. Larry Amos, a man who ran a nonprofit organization
supporting in-home daycare centers.
And to jump in here, so Dr. Larry Amos wasn't actually a medical doctor.
I searched for licenses.
I searched for some type of certificate schooling.
(05:59):
I also read other blogs and interviews and everyone else is asking the same thing and
many other people have confirmed that he has no actual medical license.
So he's not an actual medical doctor.
It looks like he just worked for a nonprofit that supported children within the community.
So maybe within the healthcare or wellness space, but important to note that he's not
(06:19):
an actual medical doctor.
At around 8pm, Clea called her mother and asked if anyone had tried to reach her.
When Laurel said no, Clea simply responded, okay, and hung up.
That was the last time anyone in her family heard from her.
Laurel, expecting another call when Clea was ready to be picked up, dozed off on the couch.
(06:42):
When her husband, Willie, came home around 1am and noticed Clea wasn't in her room,
panic immediately set in.
Her mother told the Arkansas Gazette, quote, I hopped up out of my sleep and went to look
at her bed because I was literally half asleep.
Laurel Hall said.
I said, I don't know, I went to the phone, looked at the number to her job and asked
(07:06):
her boss, was she still at work?
He said, no, I think she left around 8.30.
I said, who did she leave with because I was supposed to pick her up.
He's like, I don't know.
Laurel Hall added, almost confirmed Clea left at 8.30 by checking her time card, quote.
(07:26):
Patricia, Dr. Amos's wife, who was also at the home while Clea was working, told police
in a written report, quote, it was odd that she left without telling either of us, quote.
Apparently, Clea made a habit out of telling them when she was clocking out for the evening
before she left the home.
So this wasn't normal at all.
(07:47):
Laurel stated, I'm thinking, okay, she's never done this before, but she is a teenager
and she's 18, about to graduate.
So maybe she decided that she's going to flex her independent muscles, Laurell said.
But I stayed up all night because I'm looking out the window thinking, you're going to
be in trouble, young lady, when you come home.
(08:09):
But daylight came and she wasn't at home.
At first, Clea's family thought she might have gone straight to school that morning,
but the Hall's middle son confirmed that when he got to school, Clea didn't show up.
The Halls contacted the police that morning, only to be told they needed to wait 24 hours
before filing a missing persons report.
(08:30):
Frustrated and worried, Laurel took matters into her own hands, searching the area near
Clea's workplace and putting up missing person flyers.
Finally, after the 24 hours, the initial missing persons report mentions Clea wearing a two
piece short set that was navy blue and white, white socks and white tennis shoes and a white
(08:52):
bow in her hair.
Her family provided additional information stating Clea was 5'9", weighed 120 pounds
and had dark eyes and short black hair, which she often worn a ponytail.
She also had a surgical scar on her left knee.
It didn't help that Clea didn't have a purse or an ID on her at the time of her disappearance.
(09:15):
I just want to recap the last two minutes of me talking.
So to start, in most states, there's not an actual law that prohibits police from taking
a statement before the 24 hour mark.
Keep calling, keep checking in, do your due diligence, and that's exactly what this family
did.
(09:35):
A lot of police departments will use this as a rule of thumb, especially if the perceived
person is 18 or older because they could have left on their own volition, they could
be out partying with friends, whatever the case is, especially teenagers, and majority
of the time that is exactly what's happening.
However, I am a firm believer and I see both sides of the coin when I say this, but I'm
(10:00):
a firm believer that parents know their children.
Clea was not the type of kid that would just leave on her own volition, not tell her mom,
especially when her mom had just spoke to her at eight and just not show up at home
or at school the next day.
That was not in her character.
So just remember, and I mean, I hope that anyone listening to this, this doesn't happen
(10:22):
to you, but remember, check your laws.
Most likely it's not a law, especially if the person that might be missing is under
the age of 18 because I've seen in some cases where the person is 16, 17, and they still
use that rule of thumb when, before they declare that person missing or want to start an investigation.
(10:43):
So do your due diligence, follow up, keep checking in, be annoying, the person perceived
missing absolutely deserves it.
I also want to go over the fact that apparently Clea left and Dr. Amos tells her mother that
he doesn't really know when she left, but he's thinking around 8.30 and then verifies
(11:05):
that on her time card, which is strange because the wife, Patricia, is saying that she never
said anything when she left.
She just kind of dipped.
So I mean, she calls him in the middle of the night and she's like, Hey, have you seen
Clea?
And he's like, I don't know.
She might have left at 8.30.
And then he looks at her time card and verifies, yes, it was 8.30.
So did she not tell anyone she was leaving or, you know what I mean?
(11:30):
Like how would you know she left at 8.30?
You would say, I don't know when she left.
She just left.
Let me call you back and look that up or whatever the case is.
But to tell her mom on the phone, because her mom calls randomly in the middle of the night
around like 1.00, 2.00 AM, you know, to say 8.30 ish right off the back and then verify
it was a little strange to me.
Something's not adding up.
(11:51):
And I also just think, you know, like I said a little earlier, she was a responsible kid.
He had mentioned that she had maybe had gotten into a car or they don't know with who or
anything along those lines.
But I just don't see that happening.
And I think it was a little strange that he had mentioned that maybe she got in the car
with someone else at some point.
(12:13):
All of it was a little weird to me.
But that was my takeaway from the last two minutes or so.
Now when police start their investigation, they immediately speak with Dr. Amos, who claimed
Clea had signed out of the workplace at 8.30 PM, just as he told her parents.
However, he said he heard the garage door open and assumed that she had gotten into
(12:34):
the car with someone.
And that's what I just prefaced into 30 seconds ago.
But this is super important.
He never saw who the person was.
He just says that he hears the garage door open.
He assumes or maybe sees she's getting into the car or sees a car pull up, but he doesn't
know who the person is.
(12:54):
Police eventually try and figure out who this mystery driver could have been.
But there were very little leads.
No one had seen Clea after she left work and no one came forward to say that they picked
her up.
Suspicions soon fell on Dr. Larry Amos.
Larry, who is the last person to see Clea, and his story raised a lot of questions to
(13:15):
say the least.
If he had heard the garage door open, why didn't he check to see who picked her up?
Two years later, in 1986, police conducted a search of Dr. Amos' home, but nothing significant
was found.
This was the last known sighting of Clichendra Hall.
The police believe she left with someone she knew, but they have no leads on who that person
(13:40):
might be.
Now, jumping in here again, I don't believe that she went home with someone else or she
got a ride home with someone else.
Because there were a couple different accounts as to what happened that evening.
I just don't believe it.
And I think it's a little also strange that Dr. Amos, when he talked to the parents, is
(14:00):
saying, I think she left at 8.30.
Oh, let me verify that.
Oh, in her time sheet it does say 8.30.
But then to the police, he mentions that he hears the garage open and sees her get into
a car.
There are very small changes to the story, but they're significant because if you saw
her leave and get into the car, then that kind of clashes with Patricia, his wife, saying
(14:26):
that she just left and they never knew when she left.
And then that also clashes with him saying, I don't know when she left.
Let me check her time sheet to verify because you knew exactly when she left.
You heard the garage door open and you saw her get into a car.
All of it was a little weird.
And like I said, we can't verify one way or another, but it's just the stories.
(14:47):
They're slightly shifted over a period of time and they just don't really make sense.
So bear with me for a second as I go down a Dr. Larry Amos rabbit hole.
So Detective Lieutenant Hobson, who has been on the case for its entirety, stated, quote,
in this case, almost was the last person to see her, but that alone doesn't make him
(15:10):
guilty, quote.
On the other hand, Clea's family believes almost his actions after Clea's disappearance
were suspicious.
Her mother said, I don't think he's done enough to rule himself out as a suspect.
Just one day after Clea went missing, Amos left the state for a business trip.
(15:31):
However, he said that this was a pre-planned trip and had nothing to do with the disappearance
whatsoever.
He came home as word got around that Clea was still missing and it looked suspicious
he was gone.
I think it's a little weird playing devil's advocate.
I think it's weird that he left for sure, but if it was pre-planned and I am assuming
(15:54):
and I'm giving the Pine Bluff Police Department the benefit of the doubt that they looked
into this, that this trip was booked, the flight was booked or however he got there.
And it in fact was pre-planned because if it was then obviously that doesn't correlate
necessarily with her disappearance.
But I do think it's a little weird that your employee goes missing, especially because
(16:18):
this is an in-home facility.
So it's like they're very close knit.
It's a small team with a few employees.
So it makes a difference.
You have a young girl who is off to a really big internship in college.
She goes missing.
You're the last person to see her and you still choose to leave the state.
(16:40):
It's a little weird.
Detective Hopson stated that while police were initially given full access to Amos's
home upon his return, a disagreement with another detective who has since left the department
led Larry to revoke their access.
And the next time they were able to search the property was two years later, though they
(17:01):
didn't find anything during this search.
It wasn't until March 29th of 2012, 18 years after Clea's disappearance, that authorities
conducted a more extensive search of his property, which was actually two homes side by side.
Based on new witness statements and affidavit for a search warrant was signed at the time
(17:25):
by Pine Bluff Police Department Lieutenant Bob Rawlinson and it stated, quote, recently
obtained sworn and unsworn statements linked Dr. Amos to the disappearance of Cleashindra
Hall.
Sworn statements indicate the observance of a false wall inside the residence containing
blood on the insulation.
(17:48):
Also statements indicate that the body was buried on the property at 5309 Fawcett Road
in a hole where bricks and rocks and powdered concrete was used to cover up something, quote.
However, nobody was found, but investigators did remove four pieces of evidence from the
(18:08):
property that day.
Shockingly, those items were never sent to the crime lab due to clerical error, a failure
that still haunts Clea's case today.
Eventually, Pine Bluff Police acknowledged the forensic evidence collected on March 29
was finally sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab and Police Chief Brenda Davis-Jones assured
(18:32):
the Hall family that the evidence was now with the crime lab and that her department
has been in regular contact with them.
We call the crime lab at least once a week, but they haven't processed it yet, Davis-Jones
said at a city council meeting.
Once we receive the results, we'll be more than happy to move forward in the case.
Turns out the items that were submitted, they were submitted after more than a month
(18:56):
which compromised them forensically.
Once reports came back, items taken from Larry Amos's home in March showed no blood evidence.
But can we even believe this?
And just throwing in more of my two cents here, why was the evidence never sent to the
crime lab immediately?
Like this is the part that just frustrates you and I think this is the part where police
(19:21):
departments, especially when it comes to cases involving minorities, specifically young black
victims or women, I just think these type of little clerical errors and these little issues
throughout the case, they're just not deemed as important because something as simple as
(19:42):
four pieces of evidence couldn't even make it to the crime lab on time and safely.
Mind you, this is a cold case going on two decades old.
It's astonishing and it's borderline disrespectful.
I don't even know what else to call it.
And another thing, shout out to once again, Clea's family for just being consistent.
(20:03):
Throughout this case, they have been on pine bluffs, police departments, but like why don't
they, like they are at city council meetings, they are calling out police chiefs, they are
calling on the lieutenant investigators, they are like doing everything they can almost
two decades later to make sure that Clea's name is not forgotten and she has is essentially
(20:26):
being advocated for.
A pine bluff police department spokesperson confirmed that an internal investigation
was underway to determine the cause of the delay here.
And turns out it was just good old insubordnance, someone not doing their job, which seems to
be the common denominator throughout this case.
(20:47):
So yes, this was just somebody who just didn't do their job and didn't submit the evidence
on time and it actually was sitting in the back of a truck the entire time.
Clichendra's mother expressed frustration over the handling of her daughter's cold case,
stating, quote, I can't believe the chief held on to this evidence for so long, Hall
said before her daughter's vigil.
(21:09):
My question is, why?
Those in the department who seem to be obstructing this investigation will be there tomorrow.
But she said, tonight, it's about Clea, quote.
It had been 18 years since Cleashindra went missing and her family was consoling one another.
So I'm going to point out a few things because we went over a lot in like five minutes.
(21:33):
That was a lot of information and the case pretty much went cold from like 1996 where
they did that little like search that wasn't too extensive, but it was a search and they
didn't find anything to then fast forward 2012.
And they do a really extensive search because of this affidavit that's brought up.
(21:56):
Now in the affidavit, they have unsworn and sworn statements from people that are saying
that there was some blood found within the home.
They noticed a concrete slab where there was a one before and they thought that could have
been maybe hiding a body, et cetera, et cetera.
I want to say what I mentioned next is based off of my own sleuthing at 2am going down
(22:22):
a rabbit hole on Reddit.
This is only opinion and based off of that.
And if you know anything about Reddit, then you know, you know.
So this is opinion based.
It is not factual.
It's not backed by anything.
This is just me talking and going over what I saw.
Now on a couple of threads, I thought it was really interesting that one, these statements
(22:45):
may have been made by employees of Larry as well as construction workers.
So they were working on the home.
That's where they find blood on the insulation.
Once again, we don't know if this was construction workers or employees, but this is where it's
coming from.
And a specific employee that had seen Larry's home over the years noticed the concrete slab
(23:10):
and thought that was really strange because it almost came about overnight.
And construction workers weren't able to go around that concrete slab.
So that was very interesting.
I saw it because I was kind of like blood on the insulation, where did that come from?
But then when I saw the construction workers, that was interesting.
(23:32):
Also thought it was really interesting that Larry almost his property wasn't just the
one own or the one home part of me.
It was also the home next to his home.
So he owned both properties and both properties were extensively searched and just the four
pieces of evidence that we weren't able to find anything out about were found.
(23:54):
I mean, it doesn't really mean anything in particular.
It's just strange.
I don't know.
All of it.
I didn't know that he had two homes, both his properties, the random concrete slab, former
employee, et cetera.
Now on another thread, I saw that the night Klishendra went missing, there may have been
(24:18):
a gathering or even a party at Larry's home.
And they even essentially linked this to the fact that Klishendra was going to be wrapping
up her time working for Dr. Amos.
Obviously she's going on her internship to Boston that summer.
So this gathering or party, if you will, was for her.
(24:38):
Nothing in this is on Reddit, I don't know if this is true, but actually on this thread,
they had a link to this website where they wanted to source the article.
They got this information from.
Unfortunately, the link was broken.
So I wasn't able to obtain that so I only can go off of this Redditor's word.
Now this is really interesting because that means there was more people at the house.
(25:01):
I assumed the entire time it was Larry, Patricia.
It's a childcare, so possibly some children.
And then Clea, who's working her night shift, and that's about it.
But if there was a gathering or some sort at the house, I'd go into who else was there,
were they spoken to, police haven't confirmed or denied this.
(25:24):
So it's hard to say if it's true or not, but that was what I read, which would be very
interesting.
Another thing I thought of too was the fact that Clea didn't have a cell phone.
Now she made the call to her mother at 8pm from Larry's home phone.
Were phone records ever obtained or was any data gathered?
(25:46):
Was that even possible in the mid 90s?
I would assume so, but I don't know because if that second call was made, then we know
something maybe more sinister might have been at play because if she called out once again
to her mother to come pick her up, but maybe it didn't go through or whatever the case
is, I don't know, that would be a little strange.
(26:08):
Now if we never get a call, that's also weird because Larry is saying that the garage went
up and she left at 8.30 and that's the time she clocked out.
And her mother saying she called and spoke to her physically at 8 o'clock.
So what happened in those 30 minutes?
And why didn't she call a second time to say, can you come pick me up or to say I'm getting
(26:29):
a ride or I'm walking or whatever the case is?
So I just think the phone data would be really helpful no matter which way it goes.
The second call or not seeing a second call in there.
Another thing that I read and I believe this is actually confirmed as well is the Hall's
family actually met with Larry Amos' ex-wife.
(26:50):
And this is once again an opinion.
It's not fact based.
This is just what I've read.
But to kind of find out more about Larry because I don't think he's ever been truly cleared
in the eyes of the Hall's family.
They meet up with his ex-wife and his ex-wife essentially describes him as being abusive
(27:11):
and violent in having an explosive temperament, which obviously doesn't mean he's guilty,
but I definitely think it speaks to his character.
I mean, I read even that the ex-wife was so scared when meeting up with the Hall family
that she hired someone to essentially be undercover outside of the restaurant they were meeting
(27:33):
up at.
And Laurel or Clea's mom asked the ex-wife like, hey, that person looks like they're
watching us.
And the ex-wife says, yeah, he is.
I hired him because I was so fearful.
I thought Larry was behind you guys meeting up with me.
Once again, not factual, but I thought it was really interesting and chilling to read,
(27:58):
if true.
And I did read a little bit more into the ex-wife and she did actually say that a reason for
their divorce was he was violent and abusive.
But once again, police have said that they looked into this theory actually and said
that she could have been doing this out of vengeance.
There was some other stuff going on at play during their divorce.
It got kind of messy, et cetera, et cetera.
(28:19):
So we don't actually know if that's factual or not.
Now police have not found any other physical evidence leaking almost or anyone else to
Clea's disappearance and have declined to name him as a suspect as of today, 2025.
As the years have passed, Clea's family has never given up hope.
(28:39):
Her mother stated, quote, I have a fear of leaving Earth and not knowing what happened
to her.
If I stop looking or we stop looking, who's going to help me find out what happened to
my child?
quote.
Each year on her birthday, the family releases balloons and Clea's honor, refusing to let
her memory fade.
(29:00):
Someone somewhere knows what happened to Cleashindra Hall.
Could new evidence still emerge?
Could someone finally come forward with the truth?
It's been really difficult, Laurel Hall says.
We're a strong Christian family, but even with that, we can only take on so much.
We have our good days and our bad days.
(29:21):
Today is not a real good day for me because it's been 30 years and 30 years is a long
time.
My oldest grandchild, which she hasn't seen, is 22.
And so time is passing by and we haven't a clue as to where she is.
We know there is somebody out there with the information we need.
(29:42):
While addressing a small crowd in front of her church, Laurell Hall pleaded for anyone
with information to come forward, asking, quote, is it you?
She couldn't have vanished in a thin air.
God is able, but I don't think that's what happened to her, quote.
Now here's the call to action.
If you have any information regarding Cleashindra Hall's disappearance, please contact the
(30:07):
Pine Bluff Police Department at area code 870-730-2090 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children at 1-800-THE-LOST.
That's 1-800-843-5678.
Clea was a shining light and her case remains open until this day.
(30:32):
Although there have been no new developments in this 1994 case, the continued public interest
is a powerful reminder of how deeply she was loved and how her memory lives on.
We will keep sharing her story and photos, holding on a hope that time and changing circumstances
will encourage someone to come forward.
(30:54):
While no one has been criminally charged in her disappearance, I can ensure that those
responsible are reminded of her face every time they see her story shared.
Like Clea's family, I will lean on my faith and pray that they receive the answers they
seek.
Thank you for tuning in to Episode 4 of Forgotten Echoes.
(31:15):
Please do me a favor and show your support by following this podcast and liking, subscribing,
and sharing this episode.
I'm Raven Siyad and I'll see you next week with another case that needs to be remembered.
Stay vigilant, stay aware, and keep the echoes of the forgotten alive.
I'll see you soon.
Popular Podcasts
Are You A Charlotte?
In 1997, actress Kristin Davis’ life was forever changed when she took on the role of Charlotte York in Sex and the City. As we watched Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte navigate relationships in NYC, the show helped push once unacceptable conversation topics out of the shadows and altered the narrative around women and sex. We all saw ourselves in them as they searched for fulfillment in life, sex and friendships. Now, Kristin Davis wants to connect with you, the fans, and share untold stories and all the behind the scenes. Together, with Kristin and special guests, what will begin with Sex and the City will evolve into talks about themes that are still so relevant today. "Are you a Charlotte?" is much more than just rewatching this beloved show, it brings the past and the present together as we talk with heart, humor and of course some optimism.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.