Tammy Belanger Was Last Seen On Her Way To School.

Tammy Lynn Belanger

She was a shy and quiet child.

Tammy was born on February 24th, 1976 in Exeter, New Hampshire to Patricia Ann Paige and Nelson Belanger. Nelson served in the United States Air Force and as Superintendent of the Exeter Water Department. 

On November 13th, 1984 Tammy and her family lived on 34 River Street. 

She was a third grader at Lincoln Street School. It was a little after 8 a.m. and Tammy set out on her mile-long route to school. She was wearing her aqua colored jersey with black and white stripes over her purple sweater. On top of that she had a blue-sleeved tan jacket. Tammy's long brown hair was pulled back in twin ponytails. She also had grabbed her red backpack, with her name and address written on it. 

Betty Blanchette, a neighbor and family friend, observed Tammy standing by the side of the road as she look both ways before she skipped across Court Street and vanished forever.

Tammy's parents were not notified of her absence from school that morning because there was no policy of that nature in place at the time. So Tammy’s mother waited until 3:30 p.m. for Tammy to return. When her daughter didn't arrived home, Patricia called the school and learned that Tammy had not been in class. Patricia freaked out and immediately called the police. 

Soon an extensive multi-day search, which included helicopters and hundreds of volunteers was soon underway. Boats were called in to scour the Exeter River which flowed behind the Belanger's house. Divers searched the depths of a nearby quarry. Searchers looked for freshly dug tracts of earth in surrounding woods. Leaf and compost piles in neighboring yards were turned over and multiple ponds around town were drained. Unfortunately, nothing was found.

The day after Tammy’s abduction the Exeter School System, and many surrounding communities implemented mandatory verification of student absences. 

Two days after Tammy’s abduction, the Exeter Police received a call from an New Hampshire parole officer. 

He was monitoring a then 41 year old Victor George Wonyetye Jr. Wonyetye worked in Exeter at Brad's Custom Auto Body which was off of Main Street, not far from the route Tammy walked to and from school almost every day. He didn't show up for work on the day of Tammy's disappearance. Police found a photograph of Tammy in his house as well. Wonyetye also had a criminal history of sexual offenses against young girls.

Wonyetye had been released from prison in 1983 on charges of molesting his step-daughter. He is also considered a suspect in the 1984 Florida disappearance of Marjorie Luna. Wonyetye lived near Marjorie's residence at the time she vanished and her case remains unsolved as well.

Wonteye was incarcerated for burglary in Florida in 1992. At the trial, prison inmates testified that he admitted killing Luna and Tammy. He was was released from prison in 2012 and died eight months later. He was never charged in connection with either Tammy or Luna's cases and there was no physical evidence linking him to either of the girls' abductions. 

Four days after Tammy went missing, authorities called off the search stating that Tammy must have been abducted and taken out of the area.

At the time of her disappearance, Tammy was 8 years old, 4'6" tall 70 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. She also had a lazy eye. She was last seen wearing a purple sweater, an aqua jersey with thin black and white stripes, a short tan jacket with blue sleeves, tan corduroy pants, tan suede boots and green and blue socks. She was carrying a red backpack with her name and address on it.

If you have any information on Tammy's disappearance, no matter how small, please contact the Exeter Police Department at 603-772-1212