Account
Jul 06, 2011
Dec 19, 2023
Samantha
Clarke
33
19
61 inches
145 lbs
White / Caucasian
Female
In the quiet, early morning hours of September 13, 2010, 19-year-old Samantha Ann Clarke vanished from her home in Orange, Virginia. She had recently graduated from Orange County High School and was living with her mother and younger brother. That evening, she told her brother she was going out and would be back later, leaving the house with only her key. When her mother, Barbara Tinder, returned home from her overnight shift, Samantha had not returned. An initial worry grew into deep concern as the hours turned into days with no word from her. Her family officially reported her missing two days after she was last seen. Samantha, who often went by the nickname Sam, was described as a white female, 5'1" to 5'4" tall, and weighing around 145 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. She had several distinctive tattoos, including a pink Playboy bunny on her right arm, the character Tigger above her right ankle, the word "lucky" on her left ankle, and two dolphins on her lower back. She also had numerous piercings in her ears, nose, tongue, and right eyebrow. The investigation into Samantha's disappearance soon focused on a man named Randy Allen Taylor. Investigators discovered that Taylor had called Samantha's home multiple times in the hours before she went missing. Although he was identified as a person of interest early on, Taylor denied any involvement, and a lack of evidence prevented authorities from bringing charges against him in connection with her case. The case remained active but saw few developments for several years. The situation changed dramatically in August 2013 with the disappearance of another young woman, 17-year-old Alexis Murphy. Taylor became the prime suspect in Murphy's case, and he was eventually convicted of her abduction and murder, receiving two life sentences. This conviction, secured without the initial discovery of a body, renewed suspicion about his potential involvement in Samantha's disappearance. Investigators noted the chilling similarities between the two cases, and law enforcement publicly stated the two disappearances were "inextricably entwined". Years after she vanished, Samantha's case underwent a significant reclassification. In January 2021, the Orange County Police Department announced they were now investigating her disappearance as a homicide. This change was prompted by what officials described as "new information and advances in investigative and forensic technology," though specifics about the new evidence were not publicly disclosed. Despite this development and numerous searches over the years, including dives in Green Acres Lake, Samantha's remains have not been found. The case is an ongoing abduction and homicide investigation. Randy Allen Taylor remains the primary person of interest in the disappearance of Samantha Clarke, a young woman who walked out of her home for what she said would be a short time and was never heard from again, leaving her family with unanswered questions.
Sep 13, 2010
Orange
Virginia
Orange County
22960
27736
Orange County Sheriff's Office
Orange
Virginia
Orange County
22960
11350 Porter Road, Virginia
5406721200
County
Law Enforcement
2010-022414
Orange County Sheriff's Office
Brown
Brown
Brown
06/24/2026
