Unsolved true crime podcast bringing attention to cases that need it.

Researched, written and hosted by crime analyst Leah Owens. Co-hosted by Scott Owens.

UNSOLVED DISAPPEARANCE: LUCY MEADOWS

, , , ,

When a toddler vanishes from the parking lot of a popular Tennessee mall, she’s the third child to disappear from the area within just weeks. Fearing that she was abducted, local police launch an investigation that takes years’ worth of twists and turns in this episode of Last Seen Alive.

This age-progression image from the NCMEC shows what Lucy may have looked like at age 13. If alive in summer of 2025, Lucy would be 32-years-old. source: NCMEC.
This age-progression image shows what Lucy may have looked like at age 20. If alive in summer of 2025, Lucy would be 32-years-old. Image source: NCMEC. Image source: NCMEC.
Lucy’s mom, Yong Meadows, (pictured) told police that Lucy vanished from the parking lot of the Rivergate Mall in Goodlettsville, TN. No evidence ever arose to substantiate this claim. Image source: The Tennessean.
Lucy Meadows was 3-years-old when she vanished from northern Tennessee in 1996. No trace of her has been located since. Image source: family photo.

Sources used to research this episode:

Without a Clue (The Commercial Appeal via newspapers.com)

Unsolved TN: What Happened to Toddler Who Vanished from RiverGate Mall in 1996? (Sierra Rains / WKRN News)

Abductions Stir Fear, Strength (Stephanie Broadbent / The Daily News via newspapers.com)

Searches Continue (The Tennessean via newspapers.com)

Three Mothers of Kidnap Victims to Plead for Daughters (The Commercial Appeal via newspapers.com)

Lucy’s Sister Says Child Held for Debt (Catherine Trevison / The Tennesseean via newspapers.com)

William Glenn Rogers v. State of Tennessee (Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee at Nashville via JUSTIA US Law)

Seeking Information | Unknown Suspect: Kidnapping and Murder, Bowling Green Kentucky, July 24, 1996 (FBI.gov)

Police Doubt Mom’s Story of Tot’s Mall Disappearance (Catherine Trevison / The Tennessean via newspapers.com)

‘Deception’ Concerns Police (Jill Noelle Cecil / The Leaf-Chronicle via newspapers.com)

Missing Lucy: A Mother’s Story Unfolds (Catherine Trevison / The Tennessean via newspapers.com)

Police Have Witnesses in Disappearance (The Messenger via newspapers.com)

Divorce Testimony Cites Missing Child (Catherine Trevison / The Tennessean via newspapers.com)

One Year Later, Girl Still Missing (Diane Tsimekles / The Leaf-Chronicle via newspapers.com)

Police Release Updated Photo of Missing Girl (Catherine Trevison / The Tennessean via newspapers.com)

Lucy Meadows’ Father Fears People Will Forget His Girl (Catherine Trevison / The Tennessean via newspapers.com)

Girl Just Looked Like Missing Child (The Daily News Journal via newspapers.com)

Yong Mun Chong Meadows vs. Tommy C. Meadows (Court of Appeals of Tennessee at Nashville)

Child Murder by Mothers; Patterns and Prevention (Susan Hatters Friedman and Phillip J Resnick / World Psychiatry via the National Library of Medicine)

Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report: Murder in Families (John M. Dawson, Patrick A. Langan, Ph.D., and BJS Statisticians)

Witness May Resolved 1996 Case, Police Say (Christian Bottorff / The Tennessean)

If you have any information on the disappearance or whereabouts of Lucy Meadows, please contact the Goodlettsville Police Department at 615-851-2236 or the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.

Leave a comment

Trending