“Everyone’s Heartbroken” Where is Tyson Jones?
Tyson Jones may have been a bit shy and timid around people, but at home with his “Mema,” Tyson was a happy kid who loved Ninja Turtles and Mickey Mouse.
“He was just a good-natured little guy,” said Diane Gardner, Tyson’s maternal grandmother. “He liked to go to the park. I used to take him to the park all the time. He loved the sliding board.”
Diane’s daughter, Kristi Gardner, had Tyson with her boyfriend Tyshan Jones on Aug. 5, 2013 in Abington, Pennsylvania.
“He was just a super happy kid,” said Shakeya Jones, Tyshan’s sister. “He had these super big, wide eyes. He loved running around and loved smiling.”
Tyson has two older siblings and lots of cousins to play with. They loved jumping on the trampoline together. Tyson especially loved dogs…his Mema had three…and Tyson always wanted to give them treats.
In July of 2015, Tyson’s father, Tyshan, passed away. About two years later, Diane says Kristi and Tyson moved out of her house and went to live with a friend.
There’s not a lot known about what took place between May 2017 and September 2020, when Tyson was reported missing. During that time, Diane says Kristi communicated with her through texts and online chats, explaining that Tyson was one place or the other. But when Kristi passed away in early September, the entire family said, “Where is Tyson?”
Law enforcement and Tyson’s family had to work on putting together a timeline that went back years, to the last time any of them physically saw Tyson. Investigators settled on early May 2017. Nobody knows what happened, and two families are heartbroken.
“I ask that anyone with a heart, anyone with a sound mind, body and soul, if you see my nephew, get in contact with someone,” said Shakeya. “If you know anything about his disappearance, get in contact with someone. To Tyson, we will never give up on you until we bring you home. We love you.”
“We miss him, we love him, we want him to come home,” said Diane. “We want him to be with his brother and sister again. We know he’s out there and we just need to find him.”
Tyson’s hair was shaved shortly before he was last seen.
Tyson is biracial with black hair and brown eyes. When he was last seen, he was 3’0 tall and weighed 35lbs. According to his grandmother, Tyson may have visible issues with his teeth, and you may notice that he blinks frequently. This age progression image, created by forensic artists at NCMEC, shows what Tyson might look like today, at 7 years old.
Click here to share Tyson Jones’ missing poster.
If you have any information about Tyson Jones, you are urged to contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST, that’s 1-800-846-5678, or the Philadelphia Police Department at 215-686-8477.