By Carla Wilson and Heather Knight
Elmore Autauga News
Prattville Alabama
September 1, 1989, is a date that lives in Mary Harris’ mind, and it is not one of celebration. After 35 years a murder mystery involving her daughter Tashynina (Tasha) Reese of Prattville remains unsolved.
Tasha was just 16 and an 11th grader at Prattville High School. It was the beginning of Labor Day Weekend; a Friday night and the teenager had come home to get ready to go to the Prattville Lions’ football game. Mary was at work when her daughter came home after school, but she knew Tasha had plans to attend the football game.
When Tasha didn’t come home after the game would have been over, the worry set in. When Tasha still hadn’t returned by the morning, Mary called the Prattville Police Department.
Mary had no idea if someone had picked Tasha up, if she went alone and could not give a lot of information about what Tasha may have been wearing. She learned later from a Sergeant investigating the case that information was obtained that showed Tasha never made it to the football game.
Just two days later her body was found in Montgomery County in the Alabama River. Her death was ruled as a homicide. It was the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Case, but Mary talked often with Prattville investigators who were assisting as well as now former Chief of Police Alfred Wadsworth. Wadsworth was the Assistant Chief when Tasha was reported missing. Ike Crew was the Chief of Police for Prattville at the time.
Mary had the nightmare of going to the river to identify Tasha’s body.
Tasha’s funeral service was held Sept. 13, 1989, at Macedonia Baptist Church in Prattville. Tasha had attended the church and was a very active and faithful member, Mary said.
“Tasha was a very nice child, very loving, great heart, and a sweet girl that loved hugs,” Mary remembered. “If it weren’t for Chief Wadsworth back then, I would have never made it through.”
Prior to her death, Tasha had lived with her mother, grandmother and her five siblings.
The morning before she disappeared, Tasha was leaving for school and about to get on the bus. She kissed her grandmother and mother goodbye and said, “I love you, I love you Ma.”
“Those were the last words I heard from her. You never know when you will have the last moments with someone,” Mary said somberly. “I didn’t know that would be our last.”
Mary was not Tasha’s birth mother, but had raised her since she was just 18-months old. Her birth mother was Bertha Whetston Reese. Mary and Bertha were raised together as sister in the same home, so Mary took Tasha in as her own when Bertha passed away at a young age.
Tasha had planned on going shopping that Saturday of Labor Day weekend with her sister Jackie.
“Tasha saved up her own money. She wanted to shop for school clothes and for her room. She wanted all blue in her room,” Mary said. “She planned to buy blue everything to redo her room.”
Mary said she understands that after 35 years and no answers, and no suspects that this is a very cold case, but she will never give up and prays for a miracle.
In speaking with investigators about the case, it still remains on the books. Many people were interviewed and questioned in the months after Tasha’s disappearance. There is no statute of limitations for murder, so if new evidence comes to light, it can be prosecuted, they said.
“Our family has never stopped thinking of Tasha and if it’s the Lord’s will, we are optimistic the case will be solved,” Mary said.
If you have any information about this unsolved 35-year-old murder case, please contact the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at 334-832-4980 or the Prattville Police Department at 334.595-0208 or the secret witness line to remain anonymous at 334-595-0259.
The family hopes that after all this time, witnesses may come forward that may have been too frightened right after Tasha’s disappearance. They believe that someone out there knows something, maybe something that could bring them closure.
There are so many unanswered questions about where Tasha went that evening and who she was with.
For now, Mary still lives in the same house where Tasha was raised. The family still visits Tasha’s grave. They can still remember her beautiful smile and her laughter. That is the way they will always remember her.
