Juanita was 19 years old when she left the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota to protest with the American Indian Movement during their Longest Walk in Washington, D.C. in the summer of 1978. Her last known whereabouts were in Nashville, Tennessee where authorities believe she may have gotten a ride from a truck driver who promised to bring her home. She was never heard from again.
Tragically, Juanita's remains were discovered on May 22nd, 1980 by a survey crew in the southbound lane of Interstate 985 (then Ga.365) near a former rest stop in Hall County, Georgia. Evidence surrounding the body (including a glass eye) led police to believe the victim had sustained major head trauma prior to their death, and far prior to their murder. Juanita had suffered a severe car accident in the years prior to her disappearance which resulted in the loss of her right eye. Still, her remains would stay unidentified for 30 years.
In 2010, a member of Juanita's family saw a new forensic reconstruction of the decedent then known as The Lady with the Glass Eye and immediately felt the description matched Juanita. A coral/turquoise ring found with the remains matched the description of one belonging to Juanita in addition to the physical evidence pointing to her identity. Juanita was officially identified via DNA in 2011.
Authorities have stated that a cause of death could not be confirmed in Juanita's case. Her family believes she was "brutally murdered." Juanita left behind a three-year-old son. May she rest in presence and may her family and community receive justice.
If you have any information regarding the disappearance or death of Juanita Adams, you are encouraged to contact the Hall County Sheriff's Office.
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