Lisa Lambert, 14: Last Seen Leaving Home For Dance Class In 1979
A trip to a dance class became a parent’s worst nightmare back in 1979. It was on October 17 that Lisa Lambert, 14, was said to have left her residence, a home she lived in with her mother and stepfather in Baltimore, Maryland, to make her way to a dance class at a nearby church. It is unclear if she ever truly made it to the class, but her family reported she never came home.
However, several days after Lisa Lambert went missing, her step-brother claimed he saw her getting into a Mark 7 Lincoln automobile. That would be the last time anyone allegedly saw the teenager. Over the years, this sighting has been the subject of heavy speculation; William Chestnut, Lisa’s stepfather, had nine children of his own, making for a large, blended family. It was reportedly one of his sons that was said to have seen the teen after she disappeared, yet, it has not been shared exactly who made the claim. Additionally, in recorded news reports decades later in the 2000s, the sighting was never mentioned by Lisa’s mother, Marlene Chestnut. It has been argued that the outlet may have omitted the information, but that has not been substantiated.
Of course, because someone said they saw Lisa days after she vanished, it was theorized that she was just another teenage runaway.
Marlene sat down with WBAL News in 2009 to shed light on her daughter’s case, adding that Lisa Lambert was considered to be a runaway by authorities, so she tried conducting her own investigation to no avail. She also reportedly clarified that she believed Lisa did make it to her class because the teen called home after it was over. Her stepfather reportedly told Lisa to come straight home because it was past her curfew.
“I don’t know where my baby is,” Marlene told reporters back in 2010. “But I just don’t feel like she’s deceased… I’m tenacious. I hang on to an idea or belief and you have to show me I’m wrong. So far, nobody has.”
From what I could find, it looks as if Marlene passed away in 2013.
Meanwhile, in 2011, a 56-year-old Baltimore man named Tony Chestnut, a name listed on William’s Chestnut’s 2004 obituary as a son, was arrested on charges of possessing child pornography and sexual abuse. It is unclear at this time if this was the same Tony Chestnut from the obituary, but this is what CBS Baltimore reported in 2011:
“When police searched the suspect’s computer, not only did they find child porn, they stumbled across a video they say shows him sexually abusing a man with developmental disabilities at the group home where he worked.
“The proof police say was found on computer. Video files were seized from the Parkville home he shares with his wife and daughter… WJZ has learned the assault took place at a Catholic Charities group home on Conduit Road in Parkville, where Chestnut worked.
“The victim in this case is a man with such severe developmental disabilities that he’s not even able to speak. Chestnut confessed to police that’s the reason why he chose that victim, according to court charging documents.”
At the time of her disappearance, Lisa Lambert stood 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighed 145 pounds. She had brown hair and brown eyes. Lisa is described as being biracial (Black and white). Lisa was last seen wearing blue jeans, black tights, a maroon shirt, a blue quilted vest, and brown shoes. Her middle name is “Monique” and she would be 57-years-old at the time of this publication.
Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the Baltimore Police Department Missing Persons Unit at 443-984-7395. The agency case number is 034F08366.
Please share this story about Lisa Lambert to help reignite the investigation into her case. She is our sister and her life matters.
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