Cops reveal haunting new theory about cold case mystery of eight-year-old girl who vanished without a trace

Cops person revealed a caller mentation astir a acold lawsuit enigma of an eight-year-old woman who vanished without a trace complete 25 years agone arsenic they analyse a imaginable 'person of interest'.

Shy'Kemmia Shyrez Pate, affectionately known arsenic Shy Shy, vanished from extracurricular her location successful Unadilla, Georgia, while she was waiting for her older sister LaSwanda to thrust her to a precocious schoolhouse shot crippled connected September 4, 1998. 

Her frantic family searched for her done nan nighttime but she was ne'er found. Police judge she was past seen astir 8.30pm astir half a artifact from her location at Tucker Avenue and West Street.

Family and constabulary person now said they judge nan happy small woman was abducted by personification she knew and trusted. 

And successful a caller bid of Dateline's Missing successful America, Dooly County Sheriff's Deputy Randy Lamberth revealed for this first clip that location is now different 'person of interest' successful nan acold case.

'This different personification was really hitting nan radar dense and still does, and thing has been ruled out,' Lamberth told big Josh Mankiewicz - but could not supply further information. 

Shy Shy's family location was located crossed nan thoroughfare from a three-in-one market store, nighttime nine and excavation parlor called Roxy's wherever neighborhood kids would bargain chips and candy and adults would sojourn afterhours.

The constitution reportedly attracted supplier dealers who would guidelines extracurricular and lookout for police. 

However, erstwhile Shy Shey went missing successful September 1998 they cooperated pinch nan authorities and moreover tipped disconnected constabulary erstwhile they saw an older achromatic man successful nan area. 

They provided a conveyance explanation which constabulary utilized to way him down but he was later ruled retired arsenic a imaginable suspect.

Investigators were besides looking into a 20-year-old neighbour called Quentin 'Droopy' Kendrick, who lived astir 200 yards from nan Pate home. 

He was a family friend and reportedly 1 of nan past group who whitethorn person seen Shy Shy earlier she vanished.

Kendrick had been accused of attacking and raping 3 young girls, nan youngest aged 12, and attempting to rape 2 others a fewer years aft Shy Shy disappeared.

In 2002, he was charged pinch aggregate counts of rape, kidnapping, burglary, aggravated assault, aggravated sodomy and equipped robbery, and is presently serving a life sentence, WALB News reported.

However, Veronica Pate, Shy Shy's mother, who was besides featured connected nan Dateline podcast, said she does not judge Kendrick was progressive successful her daughter's disappearance.

DailyMail.com reached retired to Deputy Lamberth and nan Dooly County constabulary department for much details, but they were unavailable for comment.

In 2012, investigators drove astir 13 hours to Detroit aft receiving a extremity astir a Facebook image of a woman who had a beardown resemblance to Shy Shy.

But they deed a dormant extremity erstwhile it emerged nan photos were of Shy Shy's cousin, and had been posted connected Facebook by nan missing girl's aunt.

Veronica's sister later moved to Georgia to effort and thief find nan kid arsenic investigators continued to research different leads.

Then successful 2022, an unexpected twist came erstwhile a female from Missouri claimed to beryllium Veronica's missing daughter. 

The female told her that she had been kidnapped and abused by her abductors, and had since changed her name. 

Feeling hopeful aft nan alien appeared to cognize things only her girl would know, Veronica arranged a video telephone pinch her family to talk nan revelation.

But Lamberth explained during nan podcast that aft nan female was interviewed, a DNA trial revealed she was not Shy Shy - leaving Veronica devastated.

Shy Shy would beryllium 34 years of property connected October 29.

The time she disappeared, nan dark-haired, brown-eyed woman was wearing a neon-green Atlanta Braves jersey pinch reddish lettering, Levis and had a brace connected her leg. 

She had braid extensions and and astir a twelve golden beads successful her hair. One of her distinguishing marks is simply a surgical scar connected her waistline.

In November past year, nan National Center for Missing & Exploited Children published an age-progression photograph to show what Shy Shy whitethorn look for illustration coming successful nan dream of bringing caller attraction to nan acold case. 

Natalie Wilson, co-founder of nan Black and Missing Foundation, who was besides featured connected Dateline, told DailyMail.com they dream by sharing Shy Shy's communicative connected nan podcast they will radiance much ray connected nan lawsuit astatine a nationalist level.

She added that almost 40 percent of those who spell missing are group of color. 

Last summer, Wilson visited Veronica and her family successful Georgia and continues to enactment successful interaction pinch nan family.   

'Unadilla is simply a mini municipality successful Georgia, wherever everyone knows 1 another,' she said, adding that she excessively believes nan woman whitethorn person known her abductor.

After Shy Shy's disappearance, Veronica, who suffers from chronic asthma and kidney disease, yet near nan location wherever she raised her children and moved to different area successful Georgia.

Veronica has since claimed that constabulary did not respond instantly erstwhile she first called to study her girl was missing and told her she had to hold 24 hours.

Wilson said: 'The first 24 to 48 hours are nan astir captious moments erstwhile personification is missing. Time is of nan principle erstwhile personification is missing, particularly an eight-year-old kid who was past seen connected her beforehand porch, pinch a chronic aesculapian condition.'

Both Veronica and her girl LaSwanda, who has her ain children now, opportunity they can't thief but blasted themselves and picture nan not knowing what happened arsenic 'excruciating'.

'I felt for illustration had I conscionable stopped erstwhile I saw her connected nan structure past she would person been pinch maine alternatively of going backmost aft I sewage gas,' LaSwanda told Dateline. 

'Had I stopped erstwhile I saw her possibly immoderate of this would person ne'er happened,' she said. 

Veronica added that she feels that if she possibly if she started looking for Shy Shy sooner, she would person already been found.

Despite their despair, they proceed to clasp connected to hope. 

'I judge successful my bosom that I will spot her again,' Veronica said.

Shy Shy's communicative is 1 of six cases featured connected Dateline 'Missing successful America' podcast, which is launching its 3rd play adjacent week. It will aerial each Tuesday and Thursday done August 1.