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Crime Reporter's Notebook: 22 years ago, Sharon Davis disappeared without a trace

On June 13, 2001, Sharon Davis dropped her daughter off at school, then disappeared.

DALLAS — The case of Sharon Davis is one of the cases a reporter never forgets.

She was mom, a teacher and a volunteer. By all accounts, everyone really loved her. And then she disappeared -- poof off the face the of the earth -- just gone. 

"She was a very warm person. Very kind, optimistic, just very positive person. Always had a smile on her face. You know, she was very nurturing as a mother,” said Autumn Davis, Sharon Davis’ daughter.

On June 13, 2001, Sharon went to drop her daughter off, who was going to work that morning.

"I was working a summer job downtown and my mother dropped me off at the Park and Ride, and that was the last time I saw her,” said Autumn Davis.

Autumn Davis told WFAA that her mother was partially dressed in sweatpants and a robe because she was planning on going back home to get ready for a continuing education course.

"That day she was in a really good mood, you know, smiling and just rushing to make sure that I got to the stop on time,” said Davis.

Sharon never made it to class. She just disappeared. No one ever heard from her again. 

Sharon had two kids -- Autumn Davis, who was 18, and Ron Davis Jr., who was 20. He was in college at the time she disappeared. 

Autumn Davis said she knew immediately there was something wrong. She said her mother was a creature of habit, so when she didn’t show up at 6 p.m. that evening, they knew something had happened to her.

"And I told my father we need to call the police, and he said we needed to wait longer to see if she would show up," she said. "And I called my brother, and that was when my brother decided to get on the highway to see if maybe there was car trouble or if the car broke down.” 

They didn’t find Sharon’s vehicle right away. They found it later outside a gym where she typically worked out.

"There’s no DNA, there’s no fingerprints, there’s no witnesses. In today’s day and age, everybody has a camera at their house, somebody would have seen something in today’s day and age, but that wasn’t the case back then,” said former Dallas Police Department Lt. Sally Lannom, who was in charge of the case at the time.

“Again, it was even more panic because they found the vehicle she was driving and not her. So, it was more panic, you know, where she could be," said Autumn Davis. 

“And quite honestly, people don’t just disappear. It’s usually because something bad has happened," said Lannom. 

Police say, by all accounts, Ron Davis Sr., her husband, was uncooperative and he didn’t immediately do an interview with them and allow them to search the home.

“The detectives were unable to arrange a time to talk with him for several weeks. So, his lack of cooperation obviously raises some red flags,” said Lannom.

Police say they weren’t able to get into her home until several weeks later when they got a warrant. When they went in, there had been some remodeling -- specifically a bathroom. They didn’t find any evidence.

WFAA's senior crime and justice reporter Rebecca Lopez went to talk to Ron Davis Sr. at his home. He didn’t want to go on camera but told WFAA he did cooperate with Dallas police. He is the one who reported his wife missing, interviewed with DPD twice and says he allowed them to search his home. 

“She filed for divorce, she contacted her attorney and the attorney filed for divorce just a couple of days before she disappeared and then this happens, and she’s gone,” said Lannom.

Ron Davis Sr. told WFAA his wife had filed for divorce twice before, and on the day she disappeared, $20,000 also went missing from their accounts. 

He maintains he had nothing to do with her disappearance.

DPD never found her body, so it continues to be a missing person’s case. Due to that, it is not a crime, so there are no suspects at this time -- including family members. 

“It started as a missing person’s case and it continues and remains a missing person’s case until she’s located alive, or God forbid, she’s deceased,” said Lt. Cayce Shelton, DPD Special Investigations Unit -- where the case is currently assigned. 

"I fell in love with this case. And yes, it’s a challenge but like I said, there’s somebody out there, you know, that knows something," said Shelton. 

Anyone who has any information on this case, is asked to contact the Dallas Police Department. 

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