FL FL - Uma Davi Sewpersaud, 13, Orlando, 28 Jan 2002

[Moonwalker9]

Another immigrant girl missing. Uma appears to be of indian ancestry from Guyana.

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)


Case Numbers
NCMEC Number1163894
Demographics
Missing Age13 Years
Current Age31 Years
First NameUma
Middle NameDavi
Last NameSewpersaud
Nickname/Alias--

SexFemale
Height4' 4" (52 Inches)
Weight70 lbs
Race / EthnicityBlack / African American

Circumstances
Date of Last ContactJanuary 28, 2002
NamUs Case CreatedNovember 19, 2009
Last Known Location Map
LocationOrlando, Florida
CountyOrange County

Circumstances of DisappearanceUma was last seen getting off of her school bus. She has not been seen or heard of since this time. Uma is of Guyanese descent.
Physical Description
Hair ColorBlack
Head Hair Description--
Body Hair Description--
Facial Hair Description--
Left Eye ColorBrown
Right Eye ColorBrown
Eye Description--
Distinctive Physical Features
Item
Description
Other distinctive physical characteristic
Guyanese descent


Clothing and Accessories
No Information Entered
Additional Case Info

 

[AnnieOakley]

I just read about Uma. I'm dumbfounded....

Who on earth thinks a tiny 13 year old girl -- 4 feet 4 in, so she looked like an 8 year old-- could get on a plane by herself (post 911, no less) and go to Guyana? What?!

Even if her height is way off and it's supposed to be 5'2" (we've seen that inches/feet thing get messed up before), she LOOKS like a 12 year old at most. She was last seen getting off the school bus.

SMDH

 

[BrownBear]

Uma's photo is shown age-progressed to 29 years.

Have you seen this child? Uma Sewpersaud

 

[Aurora90]

I just read about Uma. I'm dumbfounded....

Who on earth thinks a tiny 13 year old girl -- 4 feet 4 in, so she looked like an 8 year old-- could get on a plane by herself (post 911, no less) and go to Guyana? What?!

Even if her height is way off and it's supposed to be 5'2" (we've seen that inches/feet thing get messed up before), she LOOKS like a 12 year old at most. She was last seen getting off the school bus.

SMDH

Came here to post exactly that..... What sort of detective work is this?

 

[Aurora90]

I tried looking for articles or any bits of information about her online... surely her family must have attempted to look for her...

The only things I managed to find was some legal files related to a possible family member....

The pdf files were way too large for me to go through, but it does seem that the family has some members whom have been in trouble with the law. The pages about deleting whatsapp messages and emails didn't really paint one of the male family members as a outstanding citizen...

 

[Aurora90]

I just read about Uma. I'm dumbfounded....

Who on earth thinks a tiny 13 year old girl -- 4 feet 4 in, so she looked like an 8 year old-- could get on a plane by herself (post 911, no less) and go to Guyana? What?!

Even if her height is way off and it's supposed to be 5'2" (we've seen that inches/feet thing get messed up before), she LOOKS like a 12 year old at most. She was last seen getting off the school bus.

SMDH

Where are you getting that she got on a plane?

Bumping for Uma. Where are you?

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Uma's NamUs Profile: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Doe Network: 3304DFFL - Uma Davi Sewpersaud

Charley Project: Uma Davi Sewpersaud – The Charley Project

"Authorities believe she left of her own accord."

IMO, nope. She was 13. I believe she would have been influenced by someone if she "ran away." I wonder who she lived with, what her situation was, what her parent(s) or caregivers believe happened.
If authorities believe she travelled, does that mean they have an unnamed POI they believe she went to?
It is sad how many years have passed; she was so young.

 

[spartanx]

Uma's NamUs Profile: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Doe Network: 3304DFFL - Uma Davi Sewpersaud

Charley Project: Uma Davi Sewpersaud – The Charley Project

"Authorities believe she left of her own accord."

IMO, nope. She was 13. I believe she would have been influenced by someone if she "ran away." I wonder who she lived with, what her situation was, what her parent(s) or caregivers believe happened.
If authorities believe she travelled, does that mean they have an unnamed POI they believe she went to?
It is sad how many years have passed; she was so young.

It's the same thing I was going to write... there is very little information about her, her parents etc... but I could never believe that she went to Guyana alone... I think the detective wanted to get out of the case quickly...
rest in peace

 

[Aurora90]

bumping for you Uma..

 

[Aurora90]

I am begining to wonder if someone who actually did harm to her is the one telling law enforcement that she likely went on a plane to guayana. She was last seen getting off a school bus and apparently never made it home....

I wonder what the time difference is between when she was last seen and when she was reported missing, and by whom....

I have my suspicions but don't wish to name them without evidence.

 

[Aurora90]

I think of Uma often.

 

[Beccalicious]

Bumping

 

[PayrollNerd]

When they interviewed those remaining on the bus after Uma got off, did they notice any cars waiting, or adults waiting, to meet her? Did Uma walk in the direction she normally did to get to her home?

 

[PayrollNerd]

The only way she would have been able to board a plane would have been as an unaccompanied minor. That requires paperwork and an adult to do the handover at each end. No way Uma got on a plane unnoticed 6 months after 9/11/01.

Snip from Charlie Project page

Details of Disappearance​

Uma was last seen getting off her school bus in Orlando, Florida on January 28, 2002. She never arrived home from school that day and has never been heard from again. Authorities believe she left of her own accord. Uma may have traveled to Guyana. Few details are available in her case.

 

[Aurora90]

I used to be a travel agent. Not to brag but at one point I was the top travel agent in Canada (I won an all expenses paid 2 week trip to china because of it)

There are certain things that are just impossible to input into the old system that used to exist when I worked there about 15+ years ago. An unattended minor without any notes or accommodations is one of them. If someone managed to bypass it in the system it would have been caught at the airport.

Airlines used to use a really old computing system. They started transitioning to a more modern updated system around 2010s which is when I left. The old model was really old. Anyone remember that computer from the TV show LOST? It was like that. The flashing rectangle? Commodore 64-esque

That so-called outdated” system (I preferred it. Acoustic vs Electric) allowed developing countries to connect with more developed countries. It was the reason you really could fly almost anywhere in the world if you spun a globe and put your finger on it. It was an old yet simplistic system that streamlined airports, airplanes, ticketing and tracking information, etc.

in my opinion She would not have been allowed to get on a plane without surveillance. She absolutely would have had notes on her “file” so that the airline, the air stewardess and even the grounded folks at the airport would keep an eye out for her. A ‘responsibility chain of command’ sort of thing. It also served as a way to reduce lost children. It was a money reason. A way to avoid lawsuits from parents whose children ending up stuck in Costa Rica when they should have boarded the flight to Spain.

She would have been accompanied from TSA (after the shoe debacle and the body scan) to her gate and told to be seated. then the agent at the gate would watch over her until boarding. then she would have a flight attendant escort her from the gate to her seat on the plane, and then and another airline agent in Guyana would be there at the terminal once they landed to lead her to luggage pick up and then ensure she had the correct guardian or whoever was responsible for her at drop off.

Back then and even in the 80s/90s, kids who flew alone would get like a cool pin and maybe a dessert like Ice cream when in the air but it’s because they were flagged in the system and the flight attendants were explicitly told to keep a close eye on them.I can’t remember what those were called but kids who flew between divorced parents got a lot of them pins, lol.

IMOO she definitely did not get on a plane. Not without any traceable evidence for LE to track. That I can tell you for sure.

Especially not 6 months after 9/11, when you could even bring a pair of tweezers on board.

Again this is pure speculation.. for now.

 

[Aurora90]

The only way she would have been able to board a plane would have been as an unaccompanied minor. That requires paperwork and an adult to do the handover at each end. No way Uma got on a plane unnoticed 6 months after 9/11/01.

I wrote before reading your response. I couldn’t agree more.

 

[Aurora90]

Neither NAMUS or Doe Project says anything about authorities believing she went to Guyana at all. I think the wording is interesting. The notes don’t give any information one way or another regarding her disappearance. The only thing hinting to a runaway is the category her disappearance is filed under. Endangered Runaway.

Nothing in the circumstances of her disappearance indicates intentional runaway, nor does anything hint at her choosing to go back to Guyana.

In my opinion the guilty party told LE “I dunno where she is, maybe she went to Guayna that’s where we are from” so LE has to say “she may be in Guyana. She is of Guyanese descent.” I get the impression that LE feels they have to say that because they have nothing ruling it out. But it’s like that saying about “sounds of hooves”, think Horses not Zebras.

I’ve never seen a PBA or anything suggesting that they are taking that suggestion seriously. I think that quote is only in there because they can’t rule it out. I think LE is hoping “Who knows maybe someone in Guyana will remember and send a tip.”

But I personally don’t think so and I don’t think LE thinks she’s there either. It’s more about finding evidence linking it to whomever did it.

Because to be honest, I think LE has a strong idea of who may have caused her harm.

 

[Aurora90]

Those measurements are also suspect.

Leads me to believe that they are going off of “last recorded measurements by a physician” which may have been significantly prior to her disappearance.

Did they not trust the current in their height/weight descriptions and choose to go with last recorded measurements?or are they accurate measurements which is also concerning for other but equally as serious reasons. I would very much like to know the gap in time between her last doctors appointment and her disappearance. Does anyone remember her in class? Was she the type that wanted to run? Rambunctious? Want to escape? Heck, Can anyone find school photos? Or was the one provided the only year she attended?

Is there a significant gap between when her family last saw her and non-family members saw her?

All these questions are leading me to suspect that someone close to her may be responsible for her disappearance. And furthermore, that LE knows this but lacks enough evidence for a conviction.

Back then there was much less tech to track and trace.