A tragic ending

last updated 8 January 2015

Chester, Pa.

Police in Pennsylvania this week discovered the remains of a pregnant Philadelphia woman, LaToyia Figueroa, who had been missing since mid-July. For a month, Figueroa’s family and friends distributed fliers and held massive volunteer searches. Her case received little publicity outside her hometown until bloggers accused TV networks of ignoring Figueroa because she was black and Hispanic. Her disappearance then received a flurry of media attention, although far less than was given the recent disappearances of “runaway bride” Jennifer Wilbanks and college student Natalee Holloway in Aruba. Police found Figueroa’s remains by following the father of her unborn child, who led them to a burial site in an empty lot. He was charged with two counts of murder.