Name: Tamia Taylor
Age: 21 years old
Last seen: September 9, 2023
Location: Memphis, Tennessee
Status: Found deceased on September 23, 2023
Case Information
21-year-old Tamia Taylor was last seen in Memphis, Tennessee on September 9, 2023. She disappeared while out celebrating her 21st birthday with friends aboard a “booze cruise” along the Mississippi River.
Background
Tamia Taylor is a mother of two from Covington, Tennessee.
Disappearance
On September 9, 2023, Tamia Taylor was last seen in Memphis, Tennessee, where she planned to celebrate her 21st birthday with three friends aboard the Midnight Booze Cruise from the Memphis Riverboats tour agency.
Around 9:30 pm, Taylor arrived in Memphis with a friend and they parked on Beale Street. They were soon joined by two more friends at 11:15 pm while waiting at Memphis Riverboats on Riverside Drive.
Around 11:30 p.m the group boarded the Island Queen Cruise, starting the 7-10 mile round trip along the Mississippi River in the Downtown Memphis Riverfront area.
At 11:39 pm, Taylor last sent a text message to her mother while aboard the boat. The group of four then proceeded to party and celebrate her 21st birthday.
According to her friends, Taylor walked off alone at some point to use the bathroom on the second floor and put down her cellphone on the table. When Taylor failed to return fifteen minutes later, her friends went looking for her but had no luck.
Around 1:30 am the boat docked at the Harbor, but Tamia Taylor was nowhere to be seen. Tamia hasn’t been seen or heard from since.
Her mother filed a missing person’s report with the Memphis Police Department the next day when Tamia didn’t return home.
Investigation
Social media video footage shows that Taylor was still on the boat as it was pulling into the Harbor. While there were no cameras inside the boat, Memphis Riverboats do not believe Taylor could have gone overboard.
A woman matching Taylor’s description, described as very intoxicated, was reportedly seen by a golf cart taxi driver on dry land with a man and two women following the cruise.
The group asked for a ride at the time, but the taxi driver was already driving another customer. The driver later returned to the riverboats but the group turned down his offer for a ride at that time.
On Saturday, September 23, 2023, a female body was recovered from the Mississippi River in Crittenden County, Arkansas. DNA was taken from Tamia’s mother on Monday to help make an identification.
Body Found in Mississippi River Identified as Tamia Taylor
On September 26, 2023, the Memphis Police Department confirmed that the body found in the river over the weekend was Tamia Taylor.
The coroner confirmed she died of drowning, but could not confirm whether her death was accidental. Police say they do not suspect foul play in her case.
Appearance
Physical Description:
Black female with black hair and brown eyes. Tamia stands 5’7 tall and weighs 120 pounds.
Distinctive Physical Features:
No information available.
Clothing and accessories:
Tamia was last seen wearing a beige shirt, a black jacket, white shorts and white shoes.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Tamia Taylor please contact the Memphis Police Department at (901) 545-2677.
Resources & Further Information
Memphis Police Department – Facebook
News & Media Links
US Coast Guard Joins Search for Missing Mom Who Vanished Aboard Booze Cruise – Crime Online 09/2023
Memphis Police set up command unit near river as search for Tamia Taylor continues – WREG 09/2023
Man claims he saw Tamia Taylor on dry land before disappearance – FOX 13 Memphis
When the taxi driver returned was it the same amount of person ‘ s in the group , and the same people , or had others joined ? .
Who was looking after her children at the time ? .
Was the boat ever checked once they docked or did anybody return at a later stage , did the boat also serve as a house – boat ? .
During the period that they were on board was there any fights or arguments , were they the only group on board ? .