The Disappearance of Tiahease Tiawanna Jackson

 

A Summer Day That Never Ended

On August 14th, 1983, ten-year-old Tiahease Tiawanna Jackson left the Mariner’s Harbor Motel on Forest Avenue in Staten Island, New York — and was never seen again.

Tiahease and her family had been living in the motel after their apartment was destroyed in a fire. Her mother, exhausted from trying to rebuild their lives, was asleep that afternoon when another motel resident asked Tiahease to run a quick errand: pick up chicken wings from the nearby Crown Supermarket. It was just a few blocks away.

But Tiahease never made it back.

When her mother woke up three hours later, she realized her daughter was gone — and panic set in. She immediately called the police, but by then, Tiahease had vanished without a trace.

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A Child with Courage — and Health Challenges

Tiahease was a bright, cautious little girl who was described as “streetwise” by those who knew her. She often ran errands alone, but she’d been taught to avoid strangers.

At the time of her disappearance, she wore a dark blue ski jacket with white trim, blue Gitano jeans, and a gold butterfly necklace she loved. She also had serious health conditions — diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, and Bright’s Disease, a kidney disorder requiring regular medication. Missing even a few doses could be life-threatening.

Despite extensive searches and media coverage, no trace of Tiahease was found. The case quickly went cold — until a familiar and terrifying name resurfaced.

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The Shadow of Andre Rand

Authorities soon focused on Andre Rand, a convicted child sex offender who had been released from prison just twelve days before Tiahease disappeared.

Rand had set up a makeshift campsite in the Baron Hirsch Cemetery, less than half a mile from the motel where Tiahease lived. Her mother told police she’d seen a man matching his description hanging around the parking lot in the days before her daughter went missing.

Rand’s name would later become synonymous with some of Staten Island’s darkest crimes. Over the years, he has been linked — though not convicted — to a series of child disappearances in the area:

• Alice Pereira (1972)

• Ethel Atwell (1978)

• Holly Hughes (1981)

• Jennifer Schweiger (1987)

Twelve-year-old Jennifer Schweiger, who had Down Syndrome, was tragically found buried near Rand’s former campsite on the abandoned grounds of the Willowbrook State School — a now-infamous location associated with horrific neglect and abuse of children.

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The Man Behind the Monster

Rand, whose birth name is Frank Rashan, was convicted for the kidnappings of Jennifer Schweiger and Holly Hughes. He continues to maintain his innocence.

However, investigators and locals believe Rand may know far more than he’s ever admitted — and that Tiahease Jackson was one of his earliest victims.

To this day, volunteers continue to search the grounds of the Staten Island Developmental Center (formerly Willowbrook) twice a year, hoping to uncover evidence that might finally reveal what happened to the missing children.

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Gone, But Not Forgotten

If alive today, Tiahease Jackson would be 53 years old.
She was only ten when she vanished — a child full of promise, taken too soon, and too cruelly.

Her story reminds us of how easily innocence can be stolen, and how important it is to keep these cases alive in public memory. Justice can only be found when the world refuses to forget.

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The Unanswered Question

Was Andre Rand truly acting alone — or was there someone else helping him prey on the vulnerable children of Staten Island?

Share your thoughts below, and follow Crimes Against Innocence for more true stories of missing children and the ongoing fight for truth and justice.