A New Beginning
Najah Ferrell was the kind of person people leaned on. At 30 years old, she was raising two sons of her own and had opened her home to three foster children, telling loved ones she simply wanted to “give back” to kids who needed it. For years she’d been a stay-at-home mom, but in March 2019, she took a job at a Panera Bread in Indianapolis — a fresh start, a new routine, a small step forward.
She never got the chance to take it.
Najah was scheduled to begin orientation at 5 a.m. on Friday, March 15, 2019. She was last seen at her home near County Road 100 South and Dan Jones Road in Avon. By her own plan, she’d asked her fiancé to get the kids up and off to school that morning since her shift started so early. She left for work — and was never seen again.
The First 48 Hours
Najah didn’t show up to orientation. She didn’t show up to pick up her kids from school that afternoon, either — and for a woman her family describes as fiercely dependable, that was the moment everyone knew something was wrong.
Her mother, Paula Gholson, tried calling. No answer. She called the police.
“I knew something was wrong, because it was not Najah,” Gholson later told reporters.
But what should have been an urgent response hit an immediate snag. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department took the initial report, but once investigators realized Najah actually lived in Hendricks County, the case was transferred to the much smaller Avon Police Department — and it landed on their desk on a Friday evening. No detective was assigned until the following Monday morning.
Gholson has pointed to that lost weekend ever since. “That was my challenge and demise — that we didn’t have any information, nobody working on the case, nothing until Monday,” she said. As any homicide investigator will tell you, the first 48 hours of a case are often the most critical — and in Najah’s case, those hours passed with no one actively looking for her.
The Car, the Highway, and a Devastating Find
Once the investigation was underway, police and volunteers conducted extensive ground and aerial searches. For nearly two weeks, there was nothing.
Then, on March 26, 2019, Najah’s 2018 Nissan Altima was discovered abandoned in a shopping center parking lot on the north side of Indianapolis, near 86th Street and Michigan Road — not far from the Panera where she was supposed to start her new job. Around the same time, road crews working near I-465 and Lafayette Road found personal items belonging to Najah scattered along the highway. Her purse and cell phone were never recovered.
For a brief, painful window, there was still hope. But on April 7–8, 2019, that hope ended. A fisherman working a retention pond in Crown Point, Indiana — over 100 miles north of Avon — pulled up a severed human foot. A distinctive tattoo led investigators to believe it belonged to Najah, and DNA testing later confirmed it. Police said the foot had been severed after death, and the case officially shifted from a missing persons investigation to a death investigation — and ultimately, a homicide investigation.
No other remains have ever been found.
A Family Still Waiting
More than five years later, Najah’s case remains unsolved. The Avon Police Department, Indiana State Police, and FBI have all been involved at various points, working with electronic surveillance teams to try to piece together her final communications. Investigators have said publicly that they have not been able to identify — or rule out — any suspects.
Najah’s sister, Jaleesa Joseph, has spoken about the toll of not knowing. “I truly believe there’s someone that knows something, and I do believe eventually they will tell what they know,” she said in 2020.
Her mother has continued to mark each anniversary of Najah’s disappearance, holding prayer services and balloon releases in her memory. “It’s people that are really sick,” Gholson said in 2022. “I feel like they took her life because they were rejected. They couldn’t deal with rejection, or just sheer jealousy, because she was a person that loved life.”
The case has drawn outside attention over the years, including coverage on Crime Junkie’s podcast, a 2020 episode of the true crime podcast “10-41” (hosted by a retired Indiana State Police detective and titled “Justice for Najah”), and a 2021 feature on a Discovery+ series.
Despite all of it, Najah’s family is still waiting for the answer to one question: who did this to her, and why?
How You Can Help
Anyone with information about the disappearance and death of Najah Ferrell is asked to contact the Avon Police Department at 317-839-8700, or Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-TIPS (8477). Tips can be made anonymously.
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Resources:
News Articles
WGN-TV. (2019, April 10). Najah Ferrell case still considered “death investigation” after discovery of foot in Crown Point pond. Najah Ferrell case still considered ‘death investigation’ after discovery of foot in Crown Point pond | WGN-TV
Fox 59. (2020, July 4). Podcast brings attention to Najah Ferrell case. Podcast brings attention to Najah Ferrell case | Fox 59
WTHR. (2020, July 10). Najah Ferrell case featured on true crime podcast hosted by retired ISP detective. Najah Ferrell case featured on true crime podcast hosted by retired ISP detective
WTHR. (2021, January 19). Case of murdered Avon mother to be featured on Discovery Plus show. Case of murdered Avon mother to be featured on Discovery Plus show | wthr.com
WTHR. (2021, January 20). Story of Avon woman’s murder featured on Discovery Plus show [Video]. Story of Avon woman’s murder featured on Discovery Plus show | wthr.com
Fox 59. (2021, May 6). Family, investigators still searching for answers on missing Avon mother 26 months later. https://fox59.com/news/family-investigators-still-searching-for-answers-on-missing-avon-mother-26-months-later/
Lauth Investigations. (2021, October 11). Where is Najah Ferrell? Case of missing Indianapolis mother gets doc. The Disturbing Disappearance of Najah Ferrell: Missing Person Investigations Continue and a Documentary is Announced
WTHR. (2022, March 15). Family of Avon mother who disappeared 3 years ago still looking for answers, justice. Family of Avon mother who disappeared 3 years ago still looking for answers, justice
WRTV. (2022, March 15). What happened to Najah Ferrell? Avon police are still investigating three years later. What happened to Najah Ferrell? Avon police are still investigating three years later.
WRTV. (2023, March 16). Police are still investigating the disappearance of Avon woman 4 years later. Police are still investigating the disappearance of Avon woman 4 years later
WTHR. (2024, March 15). Family of Avon murder victim Najah Ferrell still looks for answers 5 years later. Family of Avon murder victim Najah Ferrell still looks for answers 5 years later
Podcasts
Crime Junkie Podcast. (n.d.). Murdered: Najah // Angie. MURDERED: Najah // Angie | Crime Junkie Podcast
Cold and Missing. (2024, April 11). Cold and Missing: Najah Ferrell [Audio podcast episode]. Cold and Missing: Najah Ferrell
Other Media/Blog
Barker, A. (2025, February 11). The strange case of Najah Ferrell. Medium. The Strange Case of Najah Ferrell | by Amanda Barker | Medium
Official Records
National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. (n.d.). Najah Alesa Ferrell — Case #MP56819. Missing Person / NamUs #MP56819