(NewsNation) – A parent should never have to bury a child, but losing a child to the unknown — with no body and no answers — is a different kind of hell.
Deb Johnson is living this nightmare. Nearly six years ago, she says, her daughter Typhenie Johnson disappeared at the hands of an ex one fall night in Texas.
“I told him if he ever hurt her I would kill him. And that’s where we ended up,” said Deb Johnson.
The then 25-year-old woman was last seen in 2016 chatting with her ex-boyfriend outside of their home near Fort Worth.
In her family, Typhenia is affectionately known as “Pippy” or “Kit Kat.” They say she was the one whose dimpled smile could instantly light up a room.
Her Instagram page paints a picture of a typical 25-year-old, selfies, fun nights out with friends, and quotes about love. Also included in her feed are two seemingly happy photos with former boyfriend Chris Revill, a man and a relationship that Typhenie’s family calls “controlling.”
“He was very jealous of Typhenia,” said Aunt Janelle Hofeldt. “Typhenie and I were talking about Chris.”
Hofeldt adds: “If something didn’t go his way, it was Typhenie’s fault, always Typhenie’s fault.”
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At 9:05 p.m. ET, NewsNation’s Marni Hughes and Markie Martin will be discussing this case live. You can view it on this page. If you have any questions you want her to answer, leave them here.
Typhenie’s mother chimes in: “He told her what to wear, what’s appropriate to be with him, how to look, don’t wear makeup when you’re out alone.”
They were together for about six months before Typhenia ended the relationship and tried to move on, her family says.
In October 2016, Typhenie was hanging out with her twin brother and his girlfriend at their apartment near Fort Worth. A new guy she was hanging out with was about to drop by when Revill showed up instead. The two had a heated conversation outside the apartment.
Typhenia has not been seen since.
Sergeant John Phillips of the Fort Worth Police Department responded to the scene that night. He’s been on the case since the 911 call came in.
“It was a missing person. It was probably a kidnapping. It was all related to the relationship they were in,” Phillips said.
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According to Phillips, lead detectives and investigators look at a 90-minute window. Authorities reported finding Typhenie’s keys, cell phone and sock in the parking lot. They say Revill drove away but then returned to the scene.
“Once we started interviewing Chris, we knew,” Phillips said. “We knew from the answers he gave to the questions that he was deceptive about certain events, and that made us very suspicious that something bad had happened to Typhenia.”
Investigators arrested Revill that night. Three years later, in 2019, he was convicted of aggravated kidnapping by Typhenia.
In a twisted turn of events, his sentence was reduced to life imprisonment after Revill was linked to the disappearance of a second ex-girlfriend, 20-year-old Talibaah Islam, who also disappeared from Fort Worth in 2006.
“I can tell you emotionally that I and a lot of the detectives who worked on this case envision her together,” Phillips said. “I mean, that’s just… they’re inseparable due to the circumstances of her disappearance.”
Families across the country are demanding justice.
“It’s like you’re in hell. It has to stop. We need answers. We need Typhenia and Talibaah at home,” Hofeldt said.
Deb Johnson still speaks present tense about her daughter, preferring to believe Typhenia is still alive.
“I just don’t have that gut feeling yet,” she said.
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Meanwhile, time is passing, the years are passing and she has no rest.
“Yes, I don’t go to birthday parties or family gatherings. I’ve missed reunions, you know, I can’t do them,” Johnson said, later adding, “Because Typhenie loved her. She loved being with family. She loved hanging out with friends and she’s not around.”
There are two women missing, one suspect, but since the moment they both disappeared, there hasn’t been a single credible lead in either case.
Typhenie’s mother believes her daughter was trafficked into the sex trade. Police believe Revill killed both women and hid their bodies in a wooded area. They say that if Revill had buried Talibaah 16 years ago and nobody found her, he probably would have buried Typhenie with her to try his luck a second time dodging the police.
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