Jovanna, a 21-month-old toddler living in the P. T. Barnum Housing Project in Bridgeport, Connecticut, went missing on June 5, 1981. Jovanna, also known by her middle name “Stacey,” was last seen wearing a blue and white jumpsuit.
At the time of her disappearance, she weighed around thirty pounds and had black hair and brown eyes.
The Disappearance
Before heading to work, Mary Corbin asked her then-boyfriend, Ronald Garrett, to watch her daughter Jovanna until her grandmother, Mary Moales, could pick her up. It was typical for Jovanna’s grandparents and great-grandparents to watch her because Mary Corbin and Mary Moales shared a housing complex.
However, on June 5th, 1981, a young African-American boy, approximately 10–11 years old, knocked on Mary Corbin’s door. The boy told Ronald Garrett that Mary Moales had sent him to bring Jovanna to her house. In reality, Mary Moales had never sent the boy and had never met him before.
The Investigation
The immediate aftermath of Jovanna’s disappearance involved significant confusion and concern. When it was realized that Mary Moales had not sent anyone to pick up Jovanna, panic set in.
Ronald Garrett was promptly arrested on June 9th, 1981, for felony risk of injury to a minor, having handed the toddler over to an unidentified boy. Despite his arrest and subsequent conviction, which led to a one-year prison sentence, Garrett maintained his account of the events, insisting he had no involvement in Jovanna’s vanishing.
Extensive searches and investigations were launched to locate Jovanna and identify the mysterious boy. Unfortunately, there was no evidence to suggest the boy Garrett described even existed. Authorities scoured the neighborhood and the housing complex, hoping to find witnesses or clues, but to no avail. The boy was never identified, and Jovanna was never seen again.
The Case Today
Today, over four decades later, Jovanna’s whereabouts remain unknown, and the case remains unsolved. The disappearance of Jovanna, last seen at just 21 months old, is presumed to involve foul play. Jovanna’s mother, Mary Corbin, and the rest of her family have long awaited answers and closure.
Jovanna’s photograph has been age-progressed to show what she might look like at 43 years old, in attempts to keep public interest in the case alive and hopefully generate new leads. Efforts by law enforcement, as well as community and national organizations dedicated to missing children, continue. However, without new evidence or breakthroughs, Jovanna’s case remains one of the many heartbreaking and tragic mysteries.
The disappearance of Jovanna underscores the importance of community vigilance and the perpetual need to support families in their search for missing loved ones. Her story serves as a grim reminder of the fragility and preciousness of human life and the enduring pain and uncertainty faced by those left behind.
