Overview

On February 17, 1993, Tracy dropped off her son at her parents’ home in Jenks, Oklahoma. She told her mother she had a job interview but did not disclose where she was going.

Later that day, witnesses saw Tracy exit her dark blue 1988 GMC extended-cab pickup truck at the Cherry Hill Apartments in Tulsa. She then entered a white GMC or Chevrolet flatbed pickup truck driven by an unidentified white male with brown hair, a mustache, and a baseball cap.

Witnesses noted that Tracy appeared hesitant, leading investigators to suspect she may have been coerced.

The following evening, her truck was found abandoned at another Tulsa apartment complex. Tracy herself was nowhere to be found.

Detailed Case Breakdown

Tracy Michelle Samuels: The Oklahoma Mother Who Vanished Without a Trace

On the morning of February 17, 1993, Tracy Michelle Samuels left her two young children with family in Oklahoma and said she was headed to a job interview. She never returned.

More than three decades later, Tracy’s disappearance remains one of Oklahoma’s most haunting cold cases. The 24-year-old wife and mother of two was last seen in Tulsa, Oklahoma, getting into a white flatbed pickup truck driven by an unidentified man. Witnesses reported that she appeared reluctant to enter the vehicle. That was the last confirmed sighting of Tracy.

Despite extensive investigation by the Tulsa Police Department, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services Missing and Murdered Unit, no arrests have been made and Tracy has never been found.

Who Was Tracy Michelle Samuels?

Born on September 4, 1968, Tracy was a member of the Cherokee Nation. She lived in Glenpool, a suburb south of Tulsa, with her husband and two children. Family members described her as a devoted mother who would never willingly abandon her children.

At the time of her disappearance, Tracy was reportedly struggling with issues involving cocaine, but her family has consistently maintained that she intended to rebuild her life and remain close to her children. She vanished only days before her daughter’s birthday, making the circumstances even more heartbreaking.

The Day Tracy Disappeared

On February 17, 1993, Tracy dropped off her son at her parents’ home in Jenks, Oklahoma. She told her mother she had a job interview but did not disclose where she was going.

Later that day, witnesses saw Tracy exit her dark blue 1988 GMC extended-cab pickup truck at the Cherry Hill Apartments in Tulsa. She then entered a white GMC or Chevrolet flatbed pickup truck driven by an unidentified white male with brown hair, a mustache, and a baseball cap.

Witnesses noted that Tracy appeared hesitant, leading investigators to suspect she may have been coerced.

The following evening, her truck was found abandoned at another Tulsa apartment complex. Tracy herself was nowhere to be found.

Key Evidence and Theories

Several details have fueled speculation about what happened:

1. Tracy was reportedly carrying a significant amount of cash.
2. She had connections to individuals involved in drug activity.
3. Her abandoned vehicle suggested she did not leave voluntarily.
4. Her reluctance to enter the white pickup truck indicated possible duress.

Investigators believe foul play is the most likely explanation. Although multiple theories have circulated—including drug-related violence and abduction—no definitive evidence has identified a suspect.

Family’s Long Search for Answers

For Tracy’s mother, Marsha Chastain, the years have been marked by uncertainty and grief. She has continued to advocate publicly for her daughter and encourages anyone with information to come forward.

In 2025, Tracy’s case gained renewed visibility when her photograph was included on a roadside billboard near Glenpool as part of the Muscogee Nation’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons awareness campaign. The initiative highlighted 29 unresolved cases and brought new attention to Tracy’s disappearance.

Latest Investigation Update (2025–2026)

The case remains officially open and active.

According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Cases database, Tracy’s file is listed as “Open,” and the investigation is being handled jointly by the Tulsa Police Department and the BIA Office of Justice Services Missing and Murdered Unit. The agency continues to solicit public tips through text, phone, and email.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Cold Case Files also prominently lists Tracy’s disappearance, reflecting ongoing efforts to keep the case in the public eye.

In July 2025, KJRH-TV in Tulsa featured Tracy in its “Oklahoma’s Cold Case Files” series, bringing her story to a new audience and emphasizing that investigators still believe someone knows what happened.

As of May 2026, no arrests or publicly announced breakthroughs have been reported.

How to Submit Information

Anyone with information about Tracy Michelle Samuels is encouraged to contact:

1. Tulsa Crime Stoppers
2. BIA Missing and Murdered Unit Tip Line: 1-833-560-2065
3. Text “BIAMMU” and your tip to 847411
4. Email: OJS_MMU@bia.gov

Even a seemingly minor detail may help investigators resolve this decades-old mystery.

Why Tracy’s Case Still Matters

Tracy Michelle Samuels is one of many Indigenous women whose disappearances remain unsolved across the United States. Her case underscores the urgent need for continued attention to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons investigations and the importance of public cooperation.

More than 33 years after she vanished, Tracy’s family continues to seek the same answer they have sought since 1993: what happened to their daughter, sister, and mother.

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Facebook Post:

Tracy Michelle Samuels went missing from the Tulsa area on February 17, 1993. She was twenty-four years old.

The day Tracy went missing, she got her seven year old daughter onto the school bus, and then dropped off her five year old son with her parents in Jenks around 11 am. She had apparently stated she was on her way to a job interview. Tracy’s truck would be found the next night parked at the Cherry Hill apartment complex in Tulsa. A resident of the apartments told police that they had seen a woman matching Tracy’s description getting out of her truck and into a white GMC of Chevrolet flatbed truck that was driven by an unknown man wearing a baseball hat. The resident further said that it appeared Tracy was reluctant to go with this unknown man.

Tracy never told anyone where or who she was interviewing with for the job, or even what type of job it was that she was interviewing for. According to some articles, it was believed that Tracy was carrying a large amount of cash with her when she went missing, how much constitutes a large amount is never stated. At the time Tracy went missing she was residing with her husband and children in Glenpool- and her daughter’s eighth birthday was on February 20th, three days after Tracy was last seen. It stands to reason that whatever happened to her, happened against her will, as she didn’t come home for her daughter’s birthday.

In 2012, Tulsa Police Department and the FBI received information that Tracy might be buried on property in Tulsa. Where this property is, who owned it, and why they thought she might be buried there isn’t known. Authorities searched and dug on the property for three days without finding Tracy.

Tracy is of the Cherokee Nation, with blonde hair and brown eyes. She stood at approximately five feet two inches tall at the time. She is listed in NamUs as # MP3265 and there are currently four comparisons for her DNA/dentals. Tracy has been gone for thirty-three years. Let’s bring her home before it’s thirty-four.

If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Tracy Michelle Samuels, please contact the Tulsa PD at 918-596-9222, referencing case #2006-079018.