Phylicia Barnes

Phylicia Simone Barnes, born on January 12, 1994, and age 16 at the time of her disappearance, was an honor student from Monroe, North Carolina.

She was on track to graduate early and had plans to attend Towson University.

She was visiting her relatives in Baltimore when she disappeared.

Barnes initially was believed to have disappeared while walking to the Reisterstown Road Plaza in Baltimore from a nearby apartment complex on December 28, the last day she was seen.

Following her disappearance, she never used her cell phone or credit cards or updated her Facebook page.

On January 3, police stated they were 'enormously concerned' about the missing girl.

On January 22, America's Most Wanted aired a short feature during commercials.

Three months after her disappearance came a renewed effort for prayers.

A $36,000 reward was offered.

Billboards were placed along major highways advertising for clues on her disappearance.

The murder of Phylicia Barnes is believed to have occurred in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, on December 28, 2010, in relation to a crime.

Her body was recovered in the Susquehanna River on April 20, 2011, following a series of searches and national media coverage from various outlets, including The Today Show.

The investigation into her death was ruled a homicide.

On April 9, 2011, Maryland State Police conducted a massive search of Patapsco Valley State Park using more than 100 members of law enforcement and volunteers.

The search did not turn up Barnes's body, but another body with no ties to Barnes was found.

Police declared themselves 'back at square one' after the search did not find her.

Friends and classmates of Barnes in Monroe held a carnival to raise money in her honor on April 9.

At 7:30 am on April 20, 2011, workers spotted a body floating in the Susquehanna River near the Conowingo Dam.

Another body was later found nearby.

Police confirmed the next day through a tattoo and dental records that the first body was that of Barnes.

The body of the other victim, an adult male, was identified and deemed not connected to the case of Barnes.

Police at the time did not rule out foul play.

They said the investigation into forensics and into determining how Barnes died and how she got to a location 45 miles from where she disappeared could take weeks.

On May 4, following an autopsy, the death was officially ruled a homicide.

The cause of death was determined, but was withheld at that time for investigative purposes in fear of jeopardizing the investigation.

Soon after, a security expert discussed the Barnes case.

On September 6, WSOCTV obtained court documents that showed Barnes's sister was attempting to obtain a restraining order against her former boyfriend Michael Johnson just two months following the disappearance.

He was reportedly the last person to see Barnes alive.

Johnson's attorney stated that Johnson was not responsible for the murder, and that he had a new girlfriend and had moved on.

Johnson had been questioned eight times by police.

About a year later, on April 25, 2012, her half-sister's ex-boyfriend, Michael Johnson, was arrested and charged with her murder.

At the time, police declined to provide any details as to how the murder occurred, how they identified him as a suspect, or a motive in the case.

On April 25, 2012, Michael Johnson, the ex-boyfriend of Barnes' half sister, was arrested after fleeing from police, in connection with the disappearance and murder.

At the time, police did not release details on the connection between Johnson and Barnes; only that Johnson was the last to see Barnes alive.

Johnson was convicted on February 6, 2013, of second-degree murder.

However, the conviction was overturned when the trial judge granted the defense's motion for a new trial.

Upon commencement of the second trial, all charges against Johnson were dropped on January 20, 2015.

The case has been considered unusual because Barnes had no criminal history or any family problems.

Baltimore City Police considered the case the most vexing missing person case they had ever investigated.

They labeled it as Baltimore's Natalee Holloway case.