Shy’Kemmia Shy’Rezz “ShyShy” Pate was born on October 29th, 1989. From early on, she was described as a playful, independent, outgoing, sweet, and happy child. She loved to ride her bike and get dirty, skate, get new clothes, and sing in her church choir. She had just entered 3rd grade and was making excellent grades at the time of her disappearance.

She also had several medical conditions, which made school more difficult. This included severe asthma (which required regular breathing treatments), an underdeveloped kidney, and a weak bladder, which required her to wear pull-ups. Otherwise, she would’ve had to use the restroom every 10 to 15 minutes. In addition, she had a displaced kneecap that required a leg brace.

Even though these conditions made her tire easily, she never let her challenges affect her school performance or her cheerful demeanor.

Disappearance

On the evening of September 4th, 1998 the Pate family had plans to attend a local high school football game. Her older sister, LaSwanda (then a high school senior), was a member of the color guard and had a performance during the game.

As LaSwanda was getting ready, ShyShy played outside. While it was common for the neighborhood children to play together outside, the neighborhood was rough. Things like drug dealing and gambling were common. However, it was still considered safe for kids.

Once LaSwanda was ready, the plan was for her to take ShyShy to the game in her car. She searched for her younger sister both inside and outside of their house but couldn’t find her. At first, she wasn’t too concerned. She decided to get gas and then pick up her sister. Otherwise, she would’ve been late.

As she drove away from the house, she spotted ShyShy on the corner of their block. Once she saw her sister, LaSwanda decided to continue to the gas station and let ShyShy play for a little while longer.

However, when LaSwanda returned, her sister was nowhere to be found. She tried to search as long as possible, but as the minutes ticked by, she realized she had to get to the game. As a result, she called their mother, Veronica, who was at a beauty shop. After explaining the situation, Veronica called a neighbor, who agreed to keep an eye out for the young girl.

For many, it was strange that ShyShy disappeared. She knew about the evening’s plans, and she talked to at least a few others about how excited she was to go.

At first, no one was concerned. Some thought that she had found another ride to the game. Or she could’ve been playing with another child and lost track of time. No one panicked until LaSwanda came home from the game around midnight without ShyShy.

At that point, Veronica called the police.

Investigation

From the beginning, ShyShy’s investigation was full of mistakes. When Veronica called the police, she was incorrectly told that she would have to wait 24 hours before she could officially file a missing person’s report. As a result, investigators were behind from the moment they started working on her case.

Upon hearing the news, the neighbors decided to search for her that night. While it was helpful to have so many people searching for her, they might have destroyed or compromised evidence in the process.

By the next morning, officers came to the residence and spoke with the Pate family. It was at this point that the investigation kicked into high gear. Neighbors, the local fire department, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI) initiated searches by land and air. During the searches, interviews were conducted, and the Pate family was ruled out.

In addition to the outside searches, neighbors allowed the police to search their residences. Thanks to their cooperation, every residence within a 5–6 block radius of the Pate home was searched. However, this failed to produce any new leads.

For several weeks, authorities worked upwards of 80 hours per week on her case, and they offered a $15,000 reward for any information. Despite the reward and the man-hours invested, no evidence emerged.

Sadly, her case has received very little attention since. Many residents of Unadilla have since moved away or died in subsequent years. Very few people outside her community know about her case, although several individuals and organizations are trying to keep her story alive.

Despite the efforts of her family, community, and the authorities, ShyShy remains missing as of this writing.

My Thoughts

The disappearance of Shy’Kemmia Shy’Rezz “ShyShy” Pate is equally heartbreaking and infuriating. At eight years old, she had already dealt with more challenges than most people ever will. Despite these difficulties, she didn’t let them stop her. She lived life with a smile on her face. Like many kids, she loved to ride her bike, skate, and get dirty. She loved her older sister, and she was so excited to watch her Colorguard performance. Unfortunately, she never got that chance because someone stole it from her. Since then, a family and community have been left with a void for over 25 years.

Unfortunately, the police mishandled the case, and it might’ve cost ShyShy everything. Who knows, if the authorities had jumped on this case as soon as the report came in, there might not be a case to discuss now.

As a side note, if your loved one ever goes missing, REPORT THEM IMMEDIATELY. Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to wait 24–48 hours before reporting a missing person. You must report them as soon as you know they’re missing. If the police give you any pushback, be firm and assertive. Be respectful, but do not take “no” for an answer. If the officer you’re speaking with refuses to file a missing persons report, request to speak with a supervisor. Don’t let your loved one slip through the cracks.

Here are some reasons why it’s vital to report a missing person as soon as possible:

• It protects the integrity of evidence. The longer a crime scene goes unsecured, the higher the likelihood that evidence will get lost or destroyed. This can mean the difference between the case getting solved quickly and having it go unsolved for decades.
• The victim could be in danger. This is especially true for vulnerable people, such as children, those with disabilities, and the elderly. The perpetrator could plan to harm or kill them, and they can also get into a dangerous situation if they don’t have access to food, water, or medications.
• It’s easier to get media attention. The information the police receive tends to be more accurate and credible, which increases the likelihood that news stations will pick up the case.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s proceed to the theories:

1. ShyShy wandered off on her own/ran away.
2. ShyShy’s family was responsible for her disappearance.
3. ShyShy was abducted, either by a stranger, someone she knew, or a local.

Let’s address these one by one.

First, we have the theory that ShyShy wandered off or ran away. I don’t put much stock into this theory. From what I could tell, she went missing with the clothes on her back and nothing more. If she planned to run away, you would think she would take food, money, extra clothes, or her medications. Anything that would’ve helped her to survive. Not only that, but she was excited about the football game. Why run away right before an exciting event? Especially when people are expecting you at said event. She also had a great family life, had lots of friends, and did well in school. What would’ve motivated her to leave all of that behind? For me, this theory has too many holes.

Second, we have the theory that ShyShy’s family was somehow responsible. When a child disappears, they point the finger at the family, and rightly so. However, there wasn’t any evidence that the family was involved. For one, they all loved ShyShy, and they were distraught when she disappeared. They searched high and low for her, tried to file a missing person’s report, and spread the word about her disappearance. Even all these years later, the family is still giving interviews and trying to keep her story alive. This doesn’t sound like the behavior of a guilty party. Most of the time, if a family member is involved, they’ll delay calling the police, refuse to cooperate with the investigation, and not give interviews to local media. The family did the exact opposite. Not only that, but the police quickly ruled them out. Because of all this, I believe we can safely rule this theory out.

Lastly, we have the theory that ShyShy was abducted by a stranger, a local, or someone she knew. She could’ve been abducted by a stranger, but there were no reports of screams, shouts, or suspicious/unfamiliar people in the area. Bear in mind that she was abducted during the day in a neighborhood where people were coming and going. I find it hard to believe that if a stranger was responsible, no one heard or saw anything.

That leads me to believe that it had to either be a local and/or someone ShyShy knew. If it was, then that would draw less attention, which would explain why no one reported screams, shouts, tires squealing, suspicious/unfamiliar people, or anything else unusual. But decades later, police haven’t even released a person of interest, never mind a suspect. The only thing they have stated is that they believe the abductor was a local.

Unfortunately, if it was a local, people might be protecting ShyShy’s abductor for unknown reasons. That’s purely speculation on my part, but it’s a possibility that we have to consider. It would certainly explain why witnesses never came forward.

Unless and until someone comes forward, I doubt we’re ever going to figure out what happened. Given her medical history, it’s very likely she died either the day she disappeared or shortly after. Her abductor probably didn’t seek medical care from an official hospital or clinic since they would likely contact the police. This person might’ve had an unofficial or illegal means to get her the meds she needed, but it’s unlikely at best.

Even if she’s de*ad, she deserves to be found, receive a proper burial, and receive justice. Someone out there knows something. This child didn’t just vanish into thin air. Someone’s responsible for what happened, and until they’re caught, her family will never receive closure.

ShyShy was eight years old when she disappeared from Unadilla, Georgia on September 4th, 1998. Even after all this time, her family has fought to keep her story alive. They still remember her as their sweet little girl who loved bike rides, skating, buying clothes, and singing in her church choir. Even her medical issues gave her challenges, she never let it affect her cheerful demeanor or the love she had for her family. Someone selfishly stole her from her family, leaving them with a void in their lives.

It’s not too late to come forward. If you know something, no matter how big or small, call it in. Help bring peace to ShyShy’s family, and let’s bring her home.