In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, things were going as they normally would for Tonee Turner. The 22-year-old enjoyed her day as usual in her community of Hazelwood. Tonee stopped at Dobra Tea, a tea shop that she frequented, before heading to the bus stop. She got on a city bus at around 6:00 pm that night with the intention of heading home.
This was a usual day for Tonee. For that reason, the bus driver remembered her face and the stop she usually got off at. The driver recalled that she got off at Giddings Street as per usual. That is where the normalcy of the day would end. Tonee never made it to work the next morning. In fact, none of her friends and family ever saw her again.
Something happened to Tonee after she got off the bus that night.
That same night, a firefighter was riding his bike for exercise. As he was headed down the Homestead Grays Bridge, he noticed an item on the ground. It was a purse. There was also a ceramic pot and shoes along with it. The firefighter continued to investigate the surrounding area. He didn’t see anyone walking around who may have left those items on the ground. He then decided to take just the purse back to his house.
Inside the purse, the firefighter found some items that could help with identifying who the purse belonged to. One of those items included a cell phone. He called one of the contacts in the phone and reached a woman who identified herself as Tonee’s aunt. Tonee’s family met with the firefighter and he told them the story of how he came into the possession of her purse. They then went to the area where he found it and saw no trace of the shoes and ceramic pot.
Tonee’s family worked with the police through several tips and leads, but nothing has panned out yet. Still, though, her family has not given up hope. Her sister has also expressed her frustration with the police’s belief that Tonee may have jumped off the bridge in an effort to take her own life. “I feel as though they could have pushed more… I think they really leaned on this idea that she committed suicide,” Sydnee said.
If you have any information regarding her disappearance or whereabouts, you are urged to contact the Pittsburgh Police Department at (412) 323–7800.
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