It was the 15th November 2010, when an unidentified driver discovered a body in the middle of a residential street in the Boston suburb Milton. The body was that of a mutilated Black youth. He wore no shoes, socks or shirt.
Investigations in the area discovered multiple cars with blood splatter on them. Investigators quickly ruled out a hit-and-run. The body had no ID on it, except for a plastic card found near the body.
Trauma to the victim’s head was extensive. His mutilated torso was covered in what looked like road rash, which suggested the victim had been dragged along the street. Witnesses who lived near the scene recalled hearing a very loud bang before the body was found.
It was then that Milton police started to suspect the body had been killed elsewhere and dumped. Not even they could have guessed that the young man had lived 900 miles away.
Delvonte Safon Tisdale
Delvonte was a 16-year-old student who lived in Greensboro, North Carolina, He grew up in a loving family with his mother, father and siblings. Described as a bright and athletic young man, Delvonte had dreams of joining the military and was a member of the Air Force JROTC program at North Mecklenburg High School.
He had recently faced challenges in his personal life, including his parents’ divorce. However, Delvonte was known for his positive attitude and friendly demeanour. His mother, Jonet Washington, and father, Anthony Tisdale, were both active and supportive figures in his life, and Delvonte enjoyed spending time with his siblings and friends.
Just before he died, he moved to Charlotte to live with his father. Attending a new school, he began to build a circle of friends. Despite this, he appeared to be happy. So, what caused him to make such a stupid decision that would end his life?
Charlotte Douglas International Airport
On the evening of 14th November 2010, Delvonte sneaked onto the grounds of Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Out of the twenty major airports, it was the least secure. He entered through a hole in the perimeter of the fence and entered the tarmac undetected.
He approached a US Airways jet that had been idling for thirty-seven minutes and climbed into the wheel well of the aircraft. His handprint was discovered inside. He had no motive for attempting such a perilous journey and the reason for his decision remains unclear.
The plane took off going from Charlotte to Boston. The odds for survival were very small as temperatures plummeted and oxygen levels decreased. Tragically, as the plane began to descend into Boston and the landing gear lowered, Delvonte fell from the aircraft into the residential street in Milton.
Solving the Case
This conclusion did not happen instantly, and the story above took much investigation to piece together. A card was found deep in Delvonte’s pocket with his name on it, and missing persons reports had been filed.
On 23rd November, investigators received a tip from North Carolina from a witness who remembered seeing someone who matched Delvonte’s description walking on Route 85.
So, how could he have travelled the 900 miles to Milton in that timeline? The logical conclusion was that he must have flown.
Then, one investigator made the flippant remark, “He didn’t just fall out of the sky.”
A fall from the sky would certainly explain the wounds he had suffered and the loud bang the witness had heard previous to his body being discovered.
Based on departure times, flight paths, and travel time, investigators focused on US Airways Flight 1176, bound for Boston. It was the only possible flight Delvonte could have stowed away on. The reassembled plastic card found near his body was from a hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina, that had a shuttle to the airport.
As investigators worked the case, they walked the path the plane would have taken as it approached Logan Airport in Boston. The search took teams into densely wooded areas, where Delvonte’s shirt and sneakers were found.
Grease on the recovered shirt, along with a handprint and fingerprints inside the US Airways plane’s wheel well, supported the stowaway theory.
Investigations
In the aftermath of his death, multiple agencies launched investigations into how he managed to access the plane and why he took such drastic action. A security breach was discovered at Charlotte Douglas Airport, revealing a hole in the fence. It was assumed that he entered through this gap.
They also discovered the airport’s security force numbered just 42 police officers, the smallest among the nation’s top 20 airports. The lack of surveillance footage capturing Delvonte’s entry onto the tarmac and his boarding of the aircraft raised further questions about the airport’s security measures.
Delvonte’s family, too, struggled to find answers. They sought to understand why their son had made the dangerous decision to stow away on a flight and what factors may have contributed to his actions.
Gaining access to Delvonte’s friends and school records proved difficult, as Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools refused to cooperate with the family’s requests. In an attempt to hold those responsible for their son’s death accountable, the Tisdale family filed a lawsuit against the city of Charlotte. It was quickly dismissed, leaving the family with little to no information.
Despite the efforts of the family in several appeals, they never got the answers as to why their son sneaked into the wheel well of US Airways Flight 1176. Whether he was running away or it was a dare gone wrong may never be known.
Be sure to check out our deep dive article on Monday where we look at the true-life Gone Girl case—that of Aaron and Denise Quinn.