Missing Since: 1979-06-11 Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Diane and her fourteen-year-old daughter, Tammy, disappeared together from Daytona Beach, Florida on June 11, 1979. They lived in an apartment in the 500 block of Park Drive. A neighbor saw them walking along International Speedway Boulevard away from their home at 6:00 a.m. Diane never showed up for work that day, and Tammy never arrived at school. They left all their belongings behind, as well as money in the bank. A photo of Tammy is posted with this case summary. Her skeletal remains were found in rural Screven County, Georgia in 1986, but they were initially believed to be those of a woman between 20 and 40 years old. It wasn’t until 1992 that an anthropologist determined the bones were those of a teenager, and they were not identified as Tammy’s until July 2013. Diane’s body has not been found. Tammy’s death and Diane’s disappearance remain unsolved. The chief suspect in their cases is Benjamin Ponder, who who was Diane’s boyfriend in 1979. He was born in Screven County, where Tammy’s body was found, and had family ties there. A photo of Ponder is posted with this case summary. He maintained his innocence in Tammy and Diane’s cases until his death in 2009. Diane’s parents and one of her sisters have died, but she has other relatives who are still alive and hope for a resolution. Investigating Agency Daytona Beach Police Department 386-671-5100 Source Information NamUs Florida Department of Law Enforcement The Orlando Sentinel The Daytona Beach News-Journal Our Black Girls Updated 4 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated February 17, 2021; details of disappearance updated.