The family of a Queens woman who vanished 21 years ago is hoping that a “Find Renee” truck will help to reunite them.
Renee LaManna vanished in 1994 shortly after her boyfriend, a taxi driver from Afghanistan broke up with her. There have been many suspected sighting of LaManna in the past 21 years, especially around truck drivers and truck stops, but the family says that she suffers from mental illness and complete memory loss. She calls herself several names, including Darlene Hanson, Darlene Hartfield, and Renee Laman.
In February 2015, motorist Ruth Collins stopped to help after watching a homeless woman cross four lanes of traffic without looking in Rocky Mount, Virginia. Her encounter prompted her to do some internet research to learn more about the woman. When she stumbled across an age progressed sketch of LaManna, she was sure that she had found the identity of the homeless woman, which encouraged LaManna’s family to increase their efforts to find her. Another Good Samaritan who encountered Renee recalled her saying that “she couldn’t understand why her family hasn’t found her yet.”
One of the biggest resources in the “Find Renee” campaign is an 18-wheeler donated by Road Scholar Transport of Pennsylvania. The truck is wrapped with images of LaManna and information about how to contact her family if she is found. The truck does deliveries in the southeast, covering up to 600 miles per day. LaManna’s family hopes that this heavy exposure will help to bring Renee home.
If you have any information about Renee’s whereabouts, please call 888-RENEE11 or contact Renee’s sister Margaret directly at (561)339-2266. Renee’s family also encourages anyone who spots her to take a picture and to call 911.
Sources:
Pix 11