Missing Almond Gene Little from Houston last seen more than 20 years ago
FOX 26 is continuing to shine a light on the thousands of missing people from the Greater Houston area.
We bring you the story of a daughter who says her father hasn't been seen in more than 20 years and is desperately searching for closure.
"This has taken a toll on my life tremendously," said Lovetta Smith.
Smith says the last time she saw her father, 49-year-old Almond Gene Little, was April 1999. She was in her early 20's, and her father was homeless and battling drug addiction.
Around the time of his disappearance, Smith says their relationship was fractured because she blamed him for the murder of her brother in 1996.
"It was due to drug dealing, so my brother before he got murdered, he told me that dad stole drugs from him; he wasn't able to replace the money so the guys threatened him," Smith explained.
As weeks, months, and then years passed without anyone seeing or hearing from Little, Smith says she put her resentment to the side and started searching for her father.
"I started looking at the jails, calling around at the hospitals," said Smith.
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She also went to numerous locations he was known to frequent in the Acres Homes area of North Houston, but the last time anyone could remember seeing Almond Little was in October 1999. Smith filed an official missing person's report in July 2011, 12 years after her dad went missing.
"It is a long time because I had different feelings and emotions that I went through you know, it was like anger, fear, shame," Smith explained.
Twenty-two years have now passed, and Little's family still has no clue what became of him. If he is still living, he would be 72 years old, but Smith says she no longer believes he's alive.
Smith openly admits her father was far from perfect, he had a drug addiction and was missing during important milestones in her life, but she says they had good memories as well.
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Smith says not a day goes by where she doesn't wish she could speak with her father again.
"I would first let him know that I forgive him. I would let him know that I love him and that I miss him," she said..
Smith wrote and published a book called "Dear Dad" where she fills her father in on all he's missed over the last 20 years.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts or the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Almond Little, pick up the phone and call Houston police at (713) 884-3131
You can also call Crime Stoppers if you'd like to remain anonymous at (713) 222-TIPS.
Click here for a look at an official record of Longterm Missing persons throughout the state of Texas.