Have you ever seen those t-shirts that say “I’d rather be listening to a true crime podcast”? I feel like I should have one, because that’s pretty much all I do at work. I am a regular listener of Crime Junkie, a Date with Dateline and 3 Spooked Girls. I always hope for an Agatha Christie ending where everything can be explained and all the people get closure, but that’s not real life. It’s the unsolved cases that stick with me the most.

Niqui McCown was just 28 years old in the summer of 2001 when she went missing. From an outsider’s perspective, her life was moving in an upward trajectory. She had just celebrated her daughter’s ninth birthday, and was set to marry her high school sweetheart in 3 weeks. The Sunday that she went missing unfolded like any other Sunday. She went to church, then home to change clothes, and then off to the laundry mat. That’s the last time she was ever seen again.

Niqui’s fiancé, Bobby Webster, was the first person to express concern about Niqui’s whereabouts. He kept calling her sister, looking for her, but when the family wanted to report Niqui missing, he chose to stay home and watch a movie.

He watched The Gift starring Katie Holmes. It’s about a woman who goes missing before her wedding, because her fiancé killed her. It felt very odd to her family in light of Nicqui’s disappearance.

The movie wasn’t the only odd thing that Bobby did. He cancelled the wedding right after Nicqui disappeared. He also sold his wedding ring and cashed a tax check. It was as if he didn’t expect her to come home.

5 months after Niqui went missing, the SUV she had been driving was found in Dayton, Ohio. Her laundry was still in the car and the radio had been stolen, but there were no signs of a struggle. Even more strange was the location of the car. It was found in the same apartment complex where her ex boyfriend lived. Witnesses say the car had been there between 2 weeks and 2 months. They also claimed the car had been moved multiple times. Was someone trying to make sure it was noticed in order to make her ex look like a suspect?

As police continued their investigation, the name of Nicqui’s coworker, Tommy Swint, kept being mentioned. Her sister’s said he was infatuated with Niqui. He had taken her on shopping sprees and bought her lingerie for her bridal shower. There was also a story about Tommy attempting to assault Niqui in her home.

As police dug deeper into Tommy Swint, they learned that he had a girlfriend who lived near where Niqui’s SUV had been found. His story about his whereabouts kept changing. He inserted himself into the search for Niqui, and made her family uncomfortable. Unfortunately, there was no smoking gun.

5 years after Niqui McCown disappeared, Tommy Swint became a police officer in a neighboring town, but only for 2 months. He was asked to resign, because he had failed to disclose being a person of interest in Niqui’s disappearance. Tommy responded with a press conference, professing his innocence. The Richmond police responded by publicly asking for Tommy’s DNA.

The DNA was not for Niqui’s case though. Tommy had been connected to the 1991 murder of Tina Ivery. Dayton police already had a witness come forward with a story of a missing comforter that resembled the one she was found wrapped in and a trail of blood. Tommy’s DNA proved to be the smoking gun. Unfortunately, before he could be arrested, Tommy Swint committed suicide.

The best part of the podcast, Missing: Niqui McCown is that her family is part of the story. We hear the memories of Niqui’s sisters and daughter in their own words. Maybe telling her story again and again will trigger a witness memory that help the family bring Niqui home.

If you know anything, please use the flyer to share with investigators.

Prayers to you all.

Kristie