Luzeia Larea Mae Mathis

• Missing Since 08/20/2019
• Missing From Phoenix, Arizona
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Female
• Race Black
• Age 18 years old
• Height and Weight 5'11, 155 pounds
• Distinguishing Characteristics African-American female. Black hair, brown eyes. Mathias has pierced ears, a pierced nose and a scar on her cheek. She has a tattoo of writing on her chest; a photo of it is posted with this case summary.

Details of Disappearance

Mathis was last seen at her residence in the area of north 35th Avenue and west Indian School Road in Phoenix, Arizona on August 20, 2019. She has never been heard from again. After her disappearance, her phone was turned off.

After Mathis's disappearance, she stopped paying rent. Prior to this, she had been reliable with her payments and usually paid early. On September 20, Mathis's apartment building's management were in the process of evicting her for nonpayment. They went to her apartment and noticed a strong smell coming from her door, and called the police.

When authorities went inside, they found two plastic bags containing pillows stained with large amount of blood. There was an inflatable chair in the living room that was bloodstained and several cleaning products were sitting out. In the bedroom, there was burnt incense in the air vents and bloodstains on the walls and carpet. The mattress appeared to be bloodstained; someone had tried to cover the stains up with black spray paint.

There was no sign of Mathis and her car not at the apartment complex. Her car was subsequently found abandoned in downtown Phoenix. In the trunk there were bloodstains and the smell of decomposing human remains. There was chlorine and a shovel, of a brand sold by Walmart, present in the car also.

People at the apartment building said Mathis lived there alone but that they'd seen her with her boyfriend, Jamal Lamar Jones, several times. A photo of Jones is posted with this case summary. He has a criminal history and involved in several domestic violence incidents with Mathis.

In May 2019, he was arrested for aggravated assault after he allegedly hit Mathis in the face ten times with a handgun. In July, while Mathis was pregnant, Jones and his brother allegedly pulled her out of a car and beat her, causing her to miscarry. Jones had also threatened Mathis, once texting her, "I'll kill you once I beat this case with you."

Authorities learned that on September 16, Jones had been at a Walmart near 35th Avenue and Southern Avenue and purchased a shovel and chlorine. Police also found a white tank top, men's underwear and a wave cap, all of which appeared to be bloodstained.

On November 26, Jones was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in Mathis's case, as well as abandonment or concealment of a body and misconduct involving weapons. Although he maintained his innocence and said he wasn't a violent person, he was convicted in October 2023, and in April 2024 he was sentenced to the maximum term of 41 years in prison.

Mathis's body has never been located, but foul play is suspected in her case due to the circumstances involved.