READER DISCLAIMER
The information presented in this article has already been submitted to law enforcement. The purpose of this piece is to provide additional insight, connect potential relatives, and compare information from various sources in hopes of bringing closure to the case discussed below.
"This page is dedicated to Nicole Shalonda Johnson, who vanished just after her sixteenth birthday in December 2002. Below is a detailed comparison to a Jane Doe found in Bayonne, New Jersey in 2007. Our hope is to preserve Nicole’s memory and ensure she’s not forgotten, while offering information that could help bring her home."
NICOLE SHALONDA JOHNSON
MISSING DATE: December 13, 2002
LAST SEEN: Illinois (Chicago)
DETAILS OF THE CASE
Nicole disappeared from the Bronzeville neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois on December 9, 2002 (2 days after her 16th birthday). She was then sighted two more times on December 13, in two different places: the 8700 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue, and the 7900 block of South King Drive, in Chatham. Authorities believe Nicole left of her own accord. Her friends even stated that she had told them that she did not plan to return home. Nicole also suffers from mild depression which was being treated with medication, but hadn’t taken it in months prior to her disappearance. She has not been seen since.
It is speculated that Nicole may still be in the Chicago area. Despite the information given in this case, Nicole's case is one of many missing person cases where the information about the case is limited to the public. We are asking anybody who has more details about the day of Nicole's disappearance including relatives to help piece together what happened on that day to help better resolve her case.
IDENTIFIERS
Ethnicity: Black (Non-specific)
Gender: Female
Hair Color: Brown
Eyes Color: Brown
Height: 5'7
Weight: 115 lbs
Date of Birth: December 6, 1986
Missing Age: 16
Current Age: 38 (as of August 2025)
ATTIRE
A black jacket with a red hood
A blue denim shirt
Blue jeans and red
White jump shoes
ACCESSORIES
It is unknown what accessories were with Nicole at the time of her disappearance.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Her ears are pierced.
She was last seen wearing hair extensions down to her shoulders.
Her nickname given to her by family members is either "Bunny" or "Runny" (most sources say "Runny", but according to "NamUs" it's "Bunny").
UNTIL NOW….
BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY: Bayonne Jane Doe
DATE OF DISCOVERY: October 18, 2007
This young woman was found along Route 440 in between E. 30th Street and New Hook Road on the side of a highway lying in the brush. The area where she was discovered was described as isolated despite being located in an industrial area.
Route 440 carries local, inter-county, and interstate traffic and the decedent could have potentially been brought to this area, via car, from anywhere in the continental United States due to the significant amount of traffic that converges in that area.
The young woman had been deceased several weeks before discovery. Her cause of death is currently undetermined, however, homicide is suspected.
In July 2022, it was revealed that one or both of her parents have ancestral ties to Haiti.
IDENTIFIERS
Ethnicity: Black (Haitian ancestry)
Gender: Female
Hair Color: Black
Eyes Color: Unknown
Height: 5'2-5'5
Weight: 118-138 lbs
Approx. Age: 16-20
TIME FRAME IN WHICH THE PERSON BEEN DECEASED: Weeks
ATTIRE
Vigoss brand green camouflage pants, size 11-12
Pascal Tex brand pink top, size M
Pascal brand boy short underwear
Buff brand black bra with red lace around the cups, size 36C
White socks with orange toes and green-colored bear head on the ankles
ACCESSORIES
Ring
Necklace
Brown-colored translucent ring on right thumb
Silver-colored body chain around torso
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
28 inch black braided hair extensions attached to victim's hair with some brown/copper colored braids as well.
She had gaps between some of her teeth. One dental filling in one of the upper back teeth.
DENTALS: Available
FINGERPRINTS: Available
DNA: Available
THE COMPARISON
NICOLE SHALONDA JOHNSON & BAYONNE JANE DOE
("The Doe has features resembling Nicole’s, such as the lips and eyebrows - Notice the similar lip shape (especially the upper lip); her nose also shares similarities with Nicole’s, although it appears slightly wider in the Doe’s photo, and the eyebrows have the same arch and thickness. We're not saying this is 100% her, but there are striking resemblances that are worth looking into.”)
BOTH ARE BLACK
BOTH ARE FEMALE
NICOLE WAS LAST SEEN WEARING HAIR EXTENSIONS ALBEIT DOWN TO HER SHOULDERS WHILE JANE DOE WAS DISCOVERED WITH EXTENSIONS PAST HER SHOULDERS. ALSO, JANE DOE'S NATURAL HAIR MORE LIKELY IS BROWN LIKE NICOLE BUT MIGHT HAVE BEEN MISTAKE FOR BLACK.
JANE DOE WAS STATED TO HAVE SOME GAPS BETWEEN SOME OF HER TEETH. BASED ON THE AGE PROGRESSED OF NICOLE BY NCMEC, NICOLE DENTAL STRUCTURE MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE SAME WAY - THOUGH THIS IS OUR HYPOTHESIS.
NICOLE WAS 16 YEARS OLD WHEN SHE WENT MISSING. AT THE TIME OF JANE DOE'S DISCOVERY, SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN 20 YEARS OLD. JANE DOE IS BETWEEN 16 AND 20 YEARS OLD. SO GIVEN THE APPROXIMATE AGE RANGE OF THE JANE DOE, IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT BOTH YOUNG WOMEN WERE AROUND THE SAME AGE IN 2007.
NICOLE WAS BETWEEN 5'7 IN HEIGHT. JANE DOE IS ABOUT 5'2-5'5 IN HEIGHT. SO BOTH YOUNG WOMEN'S HEIGHT ESTIMATE WAS LIKELY CLOSER TO 5'6.
NICOLE WEIGHTED 115 lbs WHILE JANE DOE WEIGHTED 118-138 lbs. BOTH YOUNG WOMEN WEIGHED ABOUT THE SAME.
OUR THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT "POSSIBLY" HAPPENED
[This is one possible explanation, not a definitive answer—Nicole’s life deserves every chance at being reunited with her family]
We believe Nicole left on her own accord and has been staying with various people and places during the 5 year timeframe of her disappearance and the discovery of Jane Doe. In that time frame, her appearance would've changed due to aging and style choice.
Ultimately, it's possible she was met with foul play by an assailant(s) who she either knew or not, and was possibly killed elsewhere and disposed of in Bayonne, New Jersey.
PLUS, NICOLE AND THE JANE DOE LOOK CANDIDLY ALIKE WITH BOTH YOUNG WOMEN "LITERALLY" HAVING THE SAME FEATURES WITHOUT GOING INTO SPECIFICS.
IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT "NICOLE SHALONDA JOHNSON" AND THE "2007 BAYONNE JANE DOE" CASES, PLEASE SEND THE INFORMATION TO:
Chicago Police Department - Area Central (Nicole's Case)
Address: 5101 South Wentworth Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60609
County: Cook County
Main Phone: (312) 747-8380
Agency Case Number: HH859459
Case Owner: Maria Moore [Detective]
NamUs Case Number: #MP6229
Bayonne Police Department (Jane Doe's Case)
Address: 630 Avenue C, Bayonne, New Jersey 07002
County: Hudson County
Main Phone: (201) 858-6925
Website URL: https://www.bayonnepd.com/
Agency Case Number: 2007-80029
Northern Regional Medical Examiner's Office (Jane Doe's Case)
Address: 325 Norfolk St, Newark, New Jersey 07103
County: Essex County
Main Phone: (973) 648-4500
Website URL: https://ocsme.nj.gov/NRMEO
Case Owner: Evan Bird [Forensic Anthropologist]
CASE CONTRIBUTORS (Jane Doe's Case)
Anna Delaney [Forensic Anthropologist]
Work #: (609) 584-5054 ext. 5656
Email: anna.delaney@njsp.gov
New Jersey State Police Office of Forensic Services (Jane Doe's Case)
Address: 1200 Negron Drive, Hamilton, New Jersey 08691
County: Mercer County
Main Phone: (609) 584-5054
General Email: NJSPOFS@NJSP.ORG
Website URL:
https://www.njsp.org/division/investigations/forensic-sciences.shtml
Also, anyone with ancestral ties to Haiti is encouraged to upload their DNA to GEDmatch or Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) for this case.
IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS CASE OR FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE SENDING INFORMATION ABOUT IT TO THE POLICE - PLEASE SEND THE INFORMATION TO:
trigganationreignsupreme@gmail.com
Thank you for stopping here, sharing her story, and acknowledging that every identity matters. Please share this page if Nicole's picture, name, or story hits your heart.