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Cops reveal haunting new theory about cold case mystery of eight-year-old girl who vanished without a trace
Cops have revealed a new theory about a cold case mystery of an eight-year-old girl who vanished without a trace over 25 years ago as they investigate a possible 'person of interest'.
Shy'Kemmia Shyrez Pate, affectionately known as Shy Shy, disappeared from outside her home in Unadilla, Georgia, while she was waiting for her older sister LaSwanda to drive her to a high school football game on September 4, 1998.
Her frantic family searched for her through the night but she was never found. Police believe she was last seen around 8.30pm about half a block from her home at Tucker Avenue and West Street.
Family and police have now said they believe the happy little girl was abducted by someone she knew and trusted.
And in a new series of Dateline's Missing in America, Dooly County Sheriff's Deputy Randy Lamberth revealed for this first time that there is now another 'person of interest' in the cold case.
'This other person was really hitting the radar heavy and still does, and nothing has been ruled out,' Lamberth told host Josh Mankiewicz - but could not provide further information.
Shy'Kemmia Pate was 8-years-old and entering third grade when she vanished on September 4, 1998, from outside her home in Unadilla, Georgia
On October 29 Shy Shy will be 34 years old. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children created an age-progression photo that was released in November 2023
Shy Shy's family home was located across the street from a three-in-one grocery store, night club and pool parlor called Roxy's where neighborhood kids would buy chips and candy and adults would visit afterhours.
The establishment reportedly attracted drug dealers who would stand outside and lookout for police.
However, when Shy Shey went missing in September 1998 they cooperated with the authorities and even tipped off police when they saw an older white man in the area.
They provided a vehicle description which police used to track him down but he was later ruled out as a possible suspect.
Investigators were also looking into a 20-year-old neighbor called Quentin 'Droopy' Kendrick, who lived approximately 200 yards from the Pate home.
He was a family friend and reportedly one of the last people who may have seen Shy Shy before she vanished.
Kendrick had been accused of attacking and raping three young girls, the youngest aged 12, and attempting to rape two others a few years after Shy Shy disappeared.
In 2002, he was charged with multiple counts of rape, kidnapping, burglary, aggravated assault, aggravated sodomy and armed robbery, and is currently serving a life sentence, WALB News reported.
However, Veronica Pate, Shy Shy's mother, who was also featured on the Dateline podcast, said she does not believe Kendrick was involved in her daughter's disappearance.
DailyMail.com reached out to Deputy Lamberth and the Dooly County police department for more details, but they were unavailable for comment.
September 4 will mark 26 years since Shy Shy's disappearance
Shy Shy's family believes that the little girl was abducted by someone she knew and trusted
In 2012, investigators drove nearly 13 hours to Detroit after receiving a tip about a Facebook picture of a girl who had a strong resemblance to Shy Shy.
But they hit a dead end when it emerged the photos were of Shy Shy's cousin, and had been posted on Facebook by the missing girl's aunt.
Veronica's sister later moved to Georgia to try and help find the child as investigators continued to explore different leads.
Then in 2022, an unexpected twist came when a woman from Missouri claimed to be Veronica's missing daughter.
The woman told her that she had been kidnapped and abused by her abductors, and had since changed her name.
Feeling hopeful after the stranger appeared to know things only her daughter would know, Veronica arranged a video call with her family to discuss the revelation.
But Lamberth explained during the podcast that after the woman was interviewed, a DNA test revealed she was not Shy Shy - leaving Veronica devastated.
Shy Shy's childhood home and the last place her older sister LaSwanda saw her before she vanished more than 25 years ago
A younger Shy Shy pictured smiling with one of her siblings
Shy Shy would be 34 years of age on October 29.
The day she disappeared, the dark-haired, brown-eyed girl was wearing a neon-green Atlanta Braves jersey with red lettering, Levis and had a brace on her leg.
She had braid extensions and and around a dozen gold beads in her hair. One of her distinguishing marks is a surgical scar on her waistline.
In November last year, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children published an age-progression photo to show what Shy Shy may look like today in the hope of bringing new attention to the cold case.
Natalie Wilson, co-founder of the Black and Missing Foundation, who was also featured on Dateline, told DailyMail.com they hope by sharing Shy Shy's story on the podcast they will shine more light on the case at a national level.
She added that almost 40 percent of those who go missing are people of color.
Last summer, Wilson visited Veronica and her family in Georgia and continues to stay in contact with the family.
'Unadilla is a small town in Georgia, where everyone knows one another,' she said, adding that she too believes the girl may have known her abductor.
On May 2023, the Pate family participated in a fundraiser for the missing in Unadilla, Georgia
Shy Shy's mother Veronica (pictured) eventually left the home where she raised her children and moved to another area in Georgia
Pictured: A diorama complete with several photos of when Shy Shy was just a child
After Shy Shy's disappearance, Veronica, who suffers from chronic asthma and kidney disease, eventually left the home where she raised her children and moved to another area in Georgia.
Veronica has since claimed that police did not respond immediately when she first called to report her daughter was missing and told her she had to wait 24 hours.
Wilson said: 'The first 24 to 48 hours are the most critical moments when someone is missing. Time is of the essence when someone is missing, especially an eight-year-old child who was last seen on her front porch, with a chronic medical condition.'
Both Veronica and her daughter LaSwanda, who has her own children now, say they can't help but blame themselves and describe the not knowing what happened as 'excruciating'.
'I felt like had I just stopped when I saw her on the porch then she would have been with me instead of going back after I got gas,' LaSwanda told Dateline.
'Had I stopped when I saw her maybe some of this would have never happened,' she said.
Veronica added that she feels that if she maybe if she started looking for Shy Shy sooner, she would have already been found.
Despite their despair, they continue to hold on to hope.
'I believe in my heart that I will see her again,' Veronica said.
Shy Shy's story is one of six cases featured on Dateline 'Missing in America' podcast, which is launching its third season next week. It will air every Tuesday and Thursday through August 1.