Charley Project
Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: June 6, 2015 from Pendleton, South Carolina
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: May 25, 2014
Age: 1 year old
Height and Weight: 2'0, 29 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: African-American female. Black hair, brown eyes. Some agencies spell Leaona's name "Leonna" or "Leaoana." She was not yet walking by the time of her disappearance, but she was able to crawl.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A long white sleeper t-shirt.
Details of Disappearance
Leaona was last seen in Pendleton, South Carolina on June 6, 2015. Her mother, Kiara Sullivan, said she disappeared from their home at the Edgewood Square apartment complex on Cherry Street during the morning hours. Sullivan had left her three children in the care of her boyfriend, Travis Devon Jones, while she attended a party. She arrived home at 5:30 a.m. and gave Leaona a cup of juice. She checked on her once more, at 6:30 a.m., before going to bed. Sullivan said she and Jones woke up at 9:30 a.m. to find Leaona gone and the apartment door wide open. Sullivan theorized Leaona's three-year-old sister let her out. A neighbor called 911 and reported Leaona missing at 9:47 a.m.
On June 11, Leaona's sister and her six-year-old brother were taken into custody by the South Carolina Department of Social Services. Three weeks after Leaona's disappearance, Sullivan and Jones were arrested and charged with neglecting Leaona's three-year-old sister. Authorities stated a drug test proved the toddler had been exposed to cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine, and both Sullivan and Jones tested positive for those drugs. Photos of them are posted below this case summary. Jones subsequently admitted he'd used drugs while caring for Leaona's sister, and pleaded guilty, but he hasn't been cooperative in the investigation into Leaona's disappearance.
Investigators openly questioned Sullivan's story; they stated they didn't believe Leaona's sister left the apartment door open and they didn't believe Leaona was even there when Sullivan arrived home at 5:30 a.m. that day. Police believe both Sullivan and Jones lied about the circumstances surrounding Leaona's disappearance and hindered law enforcement efforts to find the girl. However, no one has been charged in Leaona's disappearance. Her case remains unsolved.