May 9, 1994 started off like any ordinary day. Eighteen year old Cleashindra Hall-Clea to her friends and family, left her home for her clerical job with Dr. Larry Amos, a dentist in Pine Bluff, AR. At around 8:00, Clea called her mother to check in. It was the last time Laurell Hall would ever hear from her daughter. Dr. Amos told police investigators that the young woman left around 8:30, but he didn’t see who she left with.
Cleashindra Hall was, by all accounts, an extraordinary young woman. Valedictorian of her class at Watson Chapel High School, she was scheduled to give the commencement address at her graduation two weeks after her disappearance. She was excited about leaving to attend Memphis State University. Active in her church and in the school choir and band, she hoped to become a pediatrician. Her future was bright and her potential was limitless.
In the almost 13 years since her disappearance, Laurell Hall has worked tirelessly to make sure that Clea’s name stays in the front of people’s minds, but it’s been a struggle, she says. “People have forgotten.” Still, she publishes the familiar pictures in the local newspaper every month, hoping that someone’s conscience will tug at them and she will finally know what happened to her daughter. “It’s hard to imagine that nobody seems to know where she is, or if they do, they won’t come forward.” The once yearly prayer vigils have faded away, replaced by private family remembrances.
Particularly frustrating is the lack of resources available to parents of missing adults. Because Clea was 18 at the time she disappeared, the Hall family was not eligible for the same services as the parents of younger missing children. In spite of the efforts of Clea’s mother, her case has never attracted the attention of the national media.
Pine Bluff police admit they are baffled. They believe that someone Clea knew murdered her, but they left no trace behind. There is a startling lack of evidence. They have followed every lead and can now only wait and hope that someone will call and provide them with the lead they need to break the case. Clea’s case recently caught the attention of victim’s right advocate Joseph Mammana. For twenty days, from November 5th to November 24th, he offered a $100,000 reward for a tip that would lead to Cleashindra Hall or her killer. No one ever came forward.
Much has changed in Pine Bluff since Clea’s disappearance. Both of the young woman’s grandmother’s have died. She has a new niece who will only know of her aunt through pictures and the memories of family and friends. But the pink ribbon tied around the large tree in the yard of Clea’s home remains, a reminder of the family who waits and hopes.
Cleashindra Denise Hall was last seen at 5309 Faucett Road in Pine Bluff, AR. She is 5’8′ tall and weighs 120 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a white shirt and short set with navy blue polka dots on one side and stripes on the other white socks, white athletic shoes and a white ponytail holder in her hair. Someone, somewhere knows what happened to Clea. If you have any information, contact the Pine Bluff Police Department at (870)543-5112.
