Sylvia Browne takes away hope: Tabitha Tuders

[Questioninggeller]

I was doing some research and decided to share this one. I first came across the story in the Tennessean ("Psychic tells parents Tabitha is deceased", Tennessean, December 24, 2003) and later found further references.

About the family meeting with Browne:

Tuders Family Meet With Psychic
www.newschannel5.com
Posted: 12/18/2003 6:21:06 PM

In an act of desperation, the parents of missing East Nashville teen Tabitha Tuders went to a psychic on a television show hoping for some clue where to find their missing daughter, but they've returned heartbroken.

A spokeswoman with the Montel Williams Show said psychic Sylvia Browne told the Tuders family Tabitha is dead.

The show was taped Wednesday and Tuders’ parents came home Thursday.

A family member said the family was very upset and in no mood to speak publicly about what happened.
...
The family member NewsChannel 5 spoke with said Debra Tuders held out hope that her daughter was alive, but that Brown dashed those hopes.

Full: www.newschannel5.com

Here's an excerpt of what aired:

SHOW: THE MONTEL WILLIAMS SHOW
DATE: February 18, 2004 Wednesday
TITLE: The unspoken truth; Sylvia Browne answers audience questions
LENGTH: 7185 words
HOST: Montel Williams
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Montel Williams, Diane Rappoport
...


WILLIAMS: You know, on April 29th of 2003, 13-year-old Tabitha vanished without a trace. I want you to take a look at this.

(Excerpts from video)

WILLIAMS: On April 29th, 2003, 13-year-old Tabitha Trudors vanished without a trace while walking to her school bus stop. Tabitha never made it to the bus and hasn't been seen since. Authorities suspect foul play. Despite an extensive search, police have no leads. The investigation continues today, and Tabitha's parents are desperate for answers.

(End of excerpts)

WILLIAMS: Please welcome Tabitha's parents, Debra and Bo, to the show.

Debra, what happened that day?

DEBRA: On April the 29th, Tabitha was woken up by her daddy at 7:00, and she left to go to school at 7:50. And she never made it to school that morning. And we were just wanting to know, you know, if you could tell us if she's been--who picked her up and everything.

WILLIAMS: But before we go that much further, before Sylvia jumps in...

DEBRA: Mm-hmm.

WILLIAMS: ...let's talk a little bit more about this. You didn't even know that she didn't make it to school until midday.

DEBRA: I didn't know she didn't make it to school until 4:30. She gets home at 4:00 every day, and she then she didn't arrive at home.

WILLIAMS: And she was 13 at the time?

DEBRA: Thirteen.

WILLIAMS: So...

DEBRA: She turned 13 in February.

WILLIAMS: This is one of those of times I'll take a moment on the show to say, to me, it's an abomination if a child doesn't go to school and the school doesn't contact...

BROWNE: Yeah, if they don't call.

DEBRA: Right.

WILLIAMS: You know, somehow, I don't get this. And I don't what our taxpayer dollars work for. Did anybody see her? Are there any witnesses? Witness accounts...

DEBRA: They saw her walking to the bus stop.

WILLIAMS: So they saw her get to the bus stop or walking towards the bus stop?

DEBRA: Right, they saw her at the bus stop--at one bus stop, where she normally catches it every day. But I've always told her to not sit there by herself, to go to the next stop where the other children are.

WILLIAMS: So someone saw her at the first bus stop...

DEBRA: Right.

WILLIAMS: ...where you told her not to stay. No one saw her at the second bus stop.

DEBRA: They saw her crossing the street to go down the hill to the second bus stop, but she never made it at the bottom of the hill.

WILLIAMS: That's important.

BROWNE: Yeah. A 19-year-old Hispanic male by the name of--well, I guess it's John or it would be Juan--and it seems like the last name is...

DEBRA: Do you know what kind of car they're in?

BROWNE: I'm sorry?

DEBRA: Do you know what color car that they're in?

BROWNE: I--green. It was green.

DEBRA: Can you see the plate number?

BROWNE: There's an F and a two and a four in it.

DEBRA: Is she still living?

BROWNE: No.

DEBRA: Can you tell me where she's at?

BROWNE: I don't think she's that far from where you are.

DEBRA: Mm-hmm.

BROWNE: And I don't know--do you have a field near you?

DEBRA: Do we?

WILLIAMS: Field, open pasture area, farm area, farmland?

BROWNE: Field, open pasture area.

WILLIAMS: It's all individual houses for miles and miles and miles?

DEBRA: It's all individual houses. Yeah.

BO: Well, there's--there's a field probably a half a mile, three-quarter of a mile from our house. Wooded area.

BROWNE: Well, that's what I'm talking about.

DEBRA: When--when did he take her life?

BROWNE: Right away. See, now, here we go again. Just like this lovely lady here. I think this guy is still around.

DEBRA: But why? I mean...

BROWNE: Why anything anymore, with this day and age? Why--why do people go into houses and steal kids out of there?

DEBRA: Did he...

WILLIAMS: Will they find--will they find her?

BROWNE: Yeah, I still would like them to inch by inch go through that...

DEBRA: How did he take her? I mean, did he just strangle her or...

BROWNE: No, I think she knew him or she had seen him. I don't think this was a stranger to her. Will you ask around the school and see if this 19-year-old by the name of Juan was doing any kind of handy work around there?

DEBRA: OK.

WILLIAMS: I got to take a little break. We'll be back right after this.
...

Click here for the full transcript.

The case remains unsolved and you can read more about Tabitha at http://www.tabithatuders.net

 

[ExMinister]

How awful for that poor family.

It struck me, reading the transcript, how Montel doesn't even let Browne talk until he's told the complete story. I wonder if this is because of the time she told the family of the 9/11 firefighter that he'd drowned. He may have figured out that the less guessing (speaking?) he allowed her to do, the less likely another embarrassing situation would arise.

 

[Maia]

This is an extremely well-known case in this area. I used to date someone who was in Marcia Trimble's junior high class (another famous case years ago that was extremely similar) and knew her very well; the entire class got the announcement the day she was killed. He had a crush on her and was incredibly traumatized. There are some very credible theories now about exactly what happened and who did it where Tuders is concerned, but nothing involving a 19-year-old Hispanic male that I know of. Of course, this is pretty much what you'd expect from Sylvia.

 

[desertgal]

Very appropriate thread title, and what I find most despicable about SB-she takes hope away, in such a heartless manner.

 

[shandyjan]

And if a poor unfortunate called Juan or John had recently been staying in the area it could have caused a few problems for him!