Jovanna Stacey Crawford

Date of Birth*: August 29, 1979
Birthplace:
Age at the Time: One Year and 9 Months (~ 21 Months)
Age Group: Infant
Biological Sex: Female
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Skin Complexion:
Shoe Size:
Ethnicity: African or Black
Nationality: United States
Languages Spoken: English

*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.

Physical Build: Slim or Thin

Height:

Weight

Distinguishing Marks:

• Pierced Ears

Medical Condition:
Physical Abnormality:
Dental Condition:
Scars & Other Marks:
Piercings: Ear
Tattoos:

Other Descriptors:

Clothing

Blue and White Jumpsuit

Possessions:

Date of the Disappearance*: June 5, 1981

Description: On June 5, 1981, 21-month-old Jovonna Stacey Crawford disappeared from her family’s apartment in the P.T. Barnum Housing Project in Bridgeport, Connecticut. She lived there with her mother, Mary Corbin, and an older brother. That morning, her mother left for work around 8:00 a.m. after instructing her then-boyfriend, Ronald Garrett, who was staying at the apartment, to watch Jovonna temporarily. He was later supposed to take her to her maternal great-grandmother, Mary Moales, who resided in the same housing complex and often babysat. Garrett, who was not the biological father but a family friend and romantic partner of Corbin, agreed to this arrangement.

According to Garrett’s account, which he has maintained consistently over the years, an unidentified Black boy approximately 10 or 11 years old, with small braids in his hair and wearing a blue and white pinstriped suit, knocked on the door around 10:20-10:30 a.m. The boy claimed that Moales had sent him to pick up Jovonna and take her to Mosales’ home. Garrett, who reportedly recognized the boy as someone from the neighborhood, handed Jovonna over to him without further verification, believing the story to be credible since the great-grandmother lived nearby. However, Moales confirmed she had not sent anyone, and no family members or relatives had arranged for such a pickup. Jovonna never arrived at her great-grandmother’s apartment, and she has not been seen or heard from since.

When Jovonna’s mother returned home from work at approximately 5:00 p.m., she discovered Jovonna was missing and immediately contacted authorities. A search of the apartment revealed a bloodstained purple bath towel in the bathroom, but forensic testing at the time could not confirm the source of the blood or its relevance to the case. Police interviewed Garrett, who provided the story about the boy. Despite extensive searches in the housing project and surrounding areas, no witnesses reported seeing a boy matching that description, either alone or with a toddler. Investigators have expressed skepticism about the boy’s existence, suggesting it may have been fabricated, though no direct evidence ties Garrett to harming Jovonna. The case is classified as a non-family abduction with foul play suspected, and it remains unsolved as of 2026.

On June 9, 1981, Garrett was arrested and charged with felony risk of injury to a minor for negligently releasing Jovonna to an unknown child. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one year in prison, serving approximately 10 months before release. Garrett was not charged with any more serious crimes related to the disappearance, and he has never altered his account, even in later conversations with Corbin. He has since relocated out of state. Mary Corbin has publicly expressed hope that her daughter is alive, possibly living unaware of her true identity, and has advocated for the case in media interviews, such as one with the Connecticut Post in 2011 where she dreamed of reuniting with her now-adult daughter.

No suspects beyond the initial scrutiny of Garrett have been publicly identified, and there are no confirmed leads or sightings.

Multiple Victims?: No

Rumored or Actual Sightings:

*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.

Date the Body was Recovered:

Description: Unknown

Time of Death:

Cause of Death:

Recovered Remains (if partial):

Suspected Homicide?: No

Multiple Victims?: No

DNA Tested (No Match):

*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.

Description:

License Plate:

Description: An unidentified Black boy approximately 10 or 11 years old, with small braids in his hair and wearing a blue and white pinstriped suit