FL Joanna Kay Otto 19 missing from Pensacola, Florida 1992

Moonwalker9

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  • #1
Joanna Kay Otto – The Charley Project
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
Joanna Kay Otto

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Otto, circa 1992; James Gibson, circa 2010

  • Missing Since11/20/1992
  • Missing FromPensacola, Florida
  • ClassificationEndangered Missing
  • Date of Birth08/03/1973 (45)
  • Age19 years old
  • Height and Weight5'7, 140 pounds
  • Clothing/Jewelry DescriptionA white sweater, blue shorts with lace trim, a silver necklace and gold earrings.
  • Distinguishing CharacteristicsCaucasian female. Brown hair, brown eyes. Otto's nickname is Jo.
Details of Disappearance
Otto was last seen on November 20, 1992. She and her roommate went to a party, but her roommate became ill and had to go home. Otto got a ride home later with a friend, 27-year-old James Earl Gibson. He later told police that he took two other people home and then dropped Otto off at her apartment at Maison de Ville Apartments in the 800 block of Royce Street. She never arrived home and has never been heard from again.

Otto had a history of dropping out of sight for days at a time, but she'd never been gone for longer than three days without calling home, and her family became worried after she failed to contact them over Thanksgiving. She was not reported missing until December 8. She was unemployed at the time of her disappearance, but looking for a job, and had gotten an interview for a position at the mall.

A photo of Gibson is posted with this case summary. He is currently incarcerated, serving a 35-year sentence for a 1994 kidnapping and rape. He had abducted an eighteen-year-old girl, an acquaintance of Otto's, sexually assaulted her and held her for nearly nine hours before releasing her. Authorities believe he could be a serial killer. He has not been charged in Otto's case, however.

Otto was born in Dotham, Alabama and attended Woodham High School in Pensacola. She dropped out of high school in her junior year. Her mother described her as a trusting individual who loved going to parties. Foul play is suspected in her case.
 
  • #2
COLD CASE UNIT – Escambia County Sheriff's Office
BBM
Joanna Otto
Joanna Kay Otto was last seen on November 21st, 1992, by her best friend and other witnesses after leaving a party on Yacht Harbor Circle. According to a witness who drove her home, he dropped her off at her apartment on Royce Street after the party. Since then, family and friends have not seen or heard from her.

If you have any information about this case, you can remain anonymous and collect a cash reward through Crime Stoppers, call 850-433-STOP. You can also, call the ECSO at 850-436-9620.
 
  • #3
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  • #4
Bumping, today is Joanna’s birthday.
 
  • #5
Bumping for Joanna - it's now been 30 years.
 
  • #6
Today is Joanna’s birthday.
 
  • #7

Joanna has now been missing 31 years .​

 
  • #8
Bumping, today is Joanna’s birthday.
 
  • #9
Bump for Joanna.

3 Unidentified Person Exclusions
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  • #10
Joanna has been missing for 32 years today.
 
  • #11
All the information we have about her indicates that her friend Gibson was the murderer... according to him, he brought two more people to her house apart from Otto and then left her outside her apartment... no one can confirm that and there are no witnesses... surely he beat her hard or raped and killed her at gunpoint or with a knife... maybe God knows where he left her body...
whatever the case
rest in peace
 
  • #12

February 3, 2025

James Earl Gibson is currently serving a two year sentence at Graceville Correctional Facility for failing to report to the Florida Sex Offender Predator Registry. Escambia Sheriff's deputies say he is a person of interest in the 1992 disappearance of Joanna Otto.

More at link.
 
  • #13
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The memorial is in remembrance of all missing children including Garrett’s friend Joanna Otto who disappeared in 1992 at the age of 19

“That night I was like, ‘I’ve got to find somebody that can bring Joanna home,’” Liseth Garrett said. “I’m going around asking people, asking anybody, and these guys lived right down the road and our apartment was on their way, but she never made it home. I feel responsible for getting her a ride with James Gibson.”
 
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  • #14
Today is Joanna’s birthday.
 

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