Finding Latoyia Figueroa

Latoyia Figueroa, a 24-year-old woman five months' pregnant with her second child, disappeared in Philadelphia July 18. She has a seven-year-old daughter and never missed a shift at the restaurant where she worked, so her loved ones are fearing the worst.

Latoyia Figueroa The Citizens Crime Commission of Delaware Valley has offered a $10,000 reward for information about her whereabouts.

Richard Blair, a Philly blogger, is trying to get her case on the same television news programs that have covered Natalee Holloway, Laci Peterson, and the Runaway Bride. He's already managed to attract the attention of CNN.Com, based on coverage Figueroa has received on blogs, and has been invited by several networks to talk about the blog angle:

Latoyia's story has moved from CNN to MSNBC and Fox this evening. So it's getting some exposure. Still nothing on Nancy Grace. I've been answering email and on the phone all evening, so I apologize in advance for not having a whole lot more to offer today. Just to give you an idea, I've turned down on-air interview requests now from all "big three" cable news nets, as well as ABC's Good Morning America. This isn't about how we collectively pushed Latoyia's story out there (yet, anyway) -- it's about finding a missing young pregnant woman who needs to be found.

Figueroa's an unlikely subject for round-the-clock treatment, for reasons you might have surmised. Wrong color, wrong class, wrong background. Sadly, she lost her own mother at age 2 to a violent death.

Blair's desire to make the broadcast media address the substance of this story, rather than covering the novelty of the blogosphere's outrage-motivated adoption of a missing person, may greatly limit the exposure he could have gotten for her disappearance.

Speaking from personal experience, there's an extremely short window of time in which the national media cares about a no-name blogger's unusual media hack. Thursday may be the last day he gets any invites; no one outside of the fruit fly family has a shorter attention span than TV news producers.

2005/07/28 · 15 COMMENTS · Link

Comments

You give the conventional wisdom on this:

"Figueroa's an unlikely subject for round-the-clock treatment, for reasons you might have surmised. Wrong color, wrong class, wrong background. Sadly, she lost her own mother at age 2 to a violent death."

I rather suspect another motivation (which is not to say that race/class is wholly uninvolved) - many of the people who have gotten wall to wall coverage have allowed reporters to expense trips to nice locations (Aruba, for instance).

You sometimes see this in the consulting and sales world, where customers/prospects in nice locations get inordinate attention...

#1 · James Robertson · 2005/07/28

many of the people who have gotten wall to wall coverage have allowed reporters to expense trips to nice locations (Aruba, for instance).

Yeah, I hear Salt Lake was the must see place during the Elizabeth Smart case. Those Mormons really know how to party!

An attractive blonde southern belle with good grades and purity written all over her cherubic face vs. a Salt('n Pepa) lookalike with two presumably out of wedlock children from presumably two different babies daddies?

Mr. Robertson, you have delivered much more intelligent conversation around here than this.

#2 · Scotty · 2005/07/29

The attention to this story is still pretty strong, if traffic at allspinzone is an indicator. Sure, focusing on how bloggers forced the media to do something might have even gotten us the Sunday news shows, but I personally quashed that during an appearance on Tucker Carlson's show -- he wanted to make it a "left vs. right" thing, and I moved us back to talking about a missing woman.

Alas, they have not found her after searching all weekend. Would that the media had stirred several days earlier -- the police appreciated that eventual stirring as it spurred the powers that be to devote money to a search of the park. That's the true power of media, but they were stuck in Arube for the seventh straight week.

#3 · SpinDentist · 2005/08/01

Thats bullshit, the fact is that she is not the only one in danger so is her unborn child. But it takes a moron to try to air dirty laundry in such a tragic moment. Its not hard to assume that your white.

#4 · Tiredofwhitefolks · 2005/08/09

#5 · Katie · 2005/08/12

I didn't say I agreed with it I merely stated what is being said in every producers meeting about the likelihood of the story making the lead for Mr. and MRs. Flyover Country.

Ask Rogers himself about these television producers.

And your comment confuses me, is what I said "bullshit" or is it "dirty laundry"? Either the girl is unmarried with questionable patriarchal parentage of her children or she isn't.

The media stories not covering the grieving husband/father at home then most anyone is going to reach the same conclusion I did as to why the story isn't gaining airtime.

#6 · Scotty · 2005/08/12

Okay, I just hope that Latoyia, her unborn baby, and Natalee Holloway are all found safe and sound. In the Latoyia case, I personally think that investigators need to focus more attention on the boyfriend and his other girlfriend. She got robbed a few months back and now shes missing without a trace. Yeah, she may stll be alive, but for how long? This is the reason investigators need to get going on this case. In the Natalee Holloway case, One of the three young men mentioned that something bad had happened to Natalee, but what is it? That is one of the biggest leads right there., I do not think investigators are doing what they need to be doing. In either one of these cases, and I was an investigator, I would not stop looking until I find a body or at least some kind of evidence that would connect with the Latoyia or Natalee case.

#7 · visitor · 2005/08/12

i think natalee holloway's mother has a lot to do with the case getting so much attention. As a mother of two daughters i would be doing the exact same thing mrs. holloway twitty is doing. Not stopping till i find my child and letting everyone out there know. i am a black mother and if my daughter was to go missing, she would get the same attention as natalee holloway. because i wont stop pushing until it happens.

#8 · indy girl · 2005/08/12

I have sent e-mails to MSNBC, ABC, and FOX NEWS. I saw a brief clip regarding Latoyia Figueroa several weeks ago but never saw anything else about it. I did a google search today to see what was going on and realized that she still hasn't been found. There needs to be more publicity regarding this story so her family can find out what happened. My heart goes out to her family and especially her daughter. I hope she is found soon! Everyone needs to work together to fight for the media to cover this story. Someone out there knows something and Latoyia needs to be found! She has a daughter and an unborn child!

#9 · Tiffany · 2005/08/17

my condolnences go out to her and her family.
She was very beautiful.

-nat

#10 · Natalie Baker · 2005/08/20

this is bullshit the media hasent aired this tory more there is something really wrong with this i just found out today about this whole story why because shes a black girl???
we shoud all be treated with th same attention!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#11 · jason · 2005/08/20

My thoughts and prayers are with this family. I have been following the case with a heavy heart. The media DID cover her disappearance and the search. I live in Delaware and I have been aware of it. I'm white (not that that matters - just in response to other postings) and her color didn't even enter my mind. I just saw a very pretty woman with a child who must be hurting that she was missing. I wish the family peace and justice. What a senseless tragedy.

#12 · Jill · 2005/08/20

My prayers go out to the family of LaToyia Figueroa. My heart goes out to her daughter. Keep praying and God will get your family through this.

LaToyia family did not get the coverage that Natalee does. I seen Natalee story on the news everyday in the beginning but LaToyia was not aired like Natalee. That's because she wasn't white, on the honor roll or have blonde hair.

#13 · diamonnique · 2005/08/20

I agree

#14 · MsStrickland · 2005/08/20

its a shame for both girls, may they both rest in peace, they both were two beautiful girls, its two different stories for the both and ther both sad. yes Latoyia has a little girl and was having one on the way, but its not her falt she already was making her own little family,, and its a shame for Natalee because she did have a life and a family, may the both rest in peace.

#15 · delilah santiago · 2008/07/18