Sheryia Ronsha Grant

Grant, circa 2016; Sheriya's bird tattoo; Lamont Sutton; Laneshia Young

  • Missing Since 08/19/2016
  • Missing From Kilgore, Texas
  • Classification Endangered Missing
  • Sex Female
  • Race Black
  • Date of Birth 11/17/1995 (28)
  • Age 20 years old
  • Height and Weight 5'5, 130 pounds
  • Clothing/Jewelry Description A black t-shirt, a pink undershirt and gray yoga pants.
  • Medical Conditions Grant was eight months pregnant at the time of her disappearance; the baby, a girl she planned to name I'yanna Ree Grant, was due on September 16, 2016.
  • Distinguishing Characteristics African-American female. Black hair, brown eyes. Grant's hair was in a ponytail at the time of her disappearance. Her ears are pierced in the lobes and the upper cartilage. She has a tattoo of eight birds flying on her forearm; a photo of it is posted with this case summary. Grant's nickname is Gata.

Details of Disappearance

Grant was last seen in Kilgore, Texas at approximately midnight on the night of August 19-20, 2016. She has never been heard from again.

Her family never believed she had left of her own accord, as she was looking forward the birth of her baby and had purchased many things for it. She spent part of every paycheck from her job at the Chicken Express on baby clothes, diapers and other supplies, and she planned to take only a short maternity leave so she could provide for her daughter.

The baby things, and all of Grant's belongings, were left behind. Authorities found evidence that indicates both Grant and her unborn daughter were killed shortly after Grant was reported missing.

Grant's house in the 700 block of Martin Luther King Street caught fire and was completely destroyed a month after her disappearance, but investigators don't think this was related to her disappearance. Two suspects were charged with insurance fraud in connection with the fire. One of them was Grant's older sister, who also lived in that house.

In March 2017, Laneshia Lashae Young and Allen "Lamont" Sutton Jr. were charged with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence in Grant's case; the evidence they allegedly tampered with was a human corpse.

Photos of Sutton and Young are posted with this case summary. Grant's family stated Sutton is her ex-boyfriend and the father of her unborn child, and that he had repeatedly threatened her after she became pregnant. A car belonging to Young and Sutton was repossessed after Grant disappeared, and the trunk liner was discovered to be missing. There was blood in the trunk and DNA matched it to Grant.

Both suspects were convicted of tampering with physical evidence with intent to impair a missing persons investigation, although Sutton is appealing his conviction. Although investigators believe Grant was a homicide victim, no one has been charged in connection with her actual presumed death and her body has never been found. Her case remains unsolved.

Investigating Agency

  • Kilgore Police Department 903-218-6903

Updated 2 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated December 6, 2019; details of disappearance updated.