Account
Nov 19, 2019
Apr 30, 2024
Faith
Lindsey
22
17
62 inches
120 lbs
American Indian / Alaska Native
Female
In the fall of 2019, a heart-wrenching story began to unfold in Oklahoma with the disappearance of 17-year-old Faith Lindsey. A member of the Chickasaw Nation, Faith was last seen on October 28, 2019. At the time, she was living in Pauls Valley with her 24-year-old boyfriend, Tanner Dean Washington. Faith, who was originally from Ada, Oklahoma, had moved in with Washington about four months prior to her disappearance and was working at a local Sonic restaurant. The circumstances surrounding her last known moments were immediately fraught with inconsistency. Washington initially claimed he dropped her off for her shift at Sonic, but her coworkers stated she never arrived. This discrepancy was the first of many in a series of troubling events that would soon point to a grim conclusion. As the days turned into a week, concern for Faith's safety grew into a full-blown investigation. Her family began receiving text messages from her phone, but the tone and style were uncharacteristic, filled with spelling and grammatical errors they knew were not her own. The messages claimed she was with someone who wouldn't let her go home, adding a layer of fear and confusion to the situation. Investigators soon learned of Washington's controlling and physically abusive behavior towards Faith; he was on probation for assault and battery against her at the time she vanished. His story about her disappearance began to crumble under scrutiny. He admitted to lying about receiving a text that she had been shot and had even confessed to an ex-girlfriend that Faith was dead and it was his fault, with the ex-girlfriend noticing what appeared to be blood on his clothes and phone. The discovery of Faith's blood in two of Washington's vehicles, including a truck he sold shortly after she went missing, provided crucial evidence for law enforcement. The investigation, a collaborative effort between multiple agencies including the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the FBI, and the Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police Department, culminated in Washington's arrest for murder in December 2019. The legal proceedings took a significant turn due to the Supreme Court's McGirt v. Oklahoma ruling, which shifted the case from state to federal court because Faith was a tribal citizen and the crime occurred on tribal land. In August 2022, Tanner Washington pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, admitting he had unlawfully killed Faith Lindsey. Despite his confession, he has refused to reveal the location of her body, leaving her family without the closure of bringing her home. In May 2024, Washington was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The extensive search for Faith, which utilized advanced technology like drones and involved numerous law enforcement agencies, has continued, but she remains missing. The case is a tragic story of a young life cut short and a community's ongoing quest for answers and justice.
Oct 28, 2019
Del Mar
Oklahoma
Seminole County
No
66403
Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation - South Central Investigative Regional Office Headquarters
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma
Oklahoma County
73116
6600 North Harvey, Oklahoma
4058486724
State
Law Enforcement
OSBI2019-1329
2019-11-01
Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation - South Central Investigative Regional Office Headquarters
9026
Brown
Blue
Blue
06/24/2026
