Suffolk cold case: Quantez Russell still missing nine years later

SUFFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Where is Quantez Russell? It's the answer detectives need in solving a case dating back to 2015.

Nine years later, there are still no leads to his sudden disappearance, but his mother is not giving up.

"I'm just praying that something will prick someone's heart to say something," Joan Turner said.

It was the evening of Nov. 11, 2015 when 30-year-old Quantez Russell went missing. Turner said she received an alarming phone call from his then-girlfriend saying he'd allegedly been shot in Newport News.

"I called the non-emergency number and dispatch came on the phone," she said. "I asked if they could get police to meet me over at 25th Street and Jefferson Avenue by the McDonald's there. They looked around behind houses, behind businesses, inside businesses that were open and they could not find him, nor the vehicle."

Suffolk Police was able to recover his vehicle a day later, but where was Russell? One year had passed, with Turner receiving another disturbing call from a anonymous woman on July 5, 2016, ironically, her son's birthday.

The woman told his mother that her son was shot in the back of the head twice, also saying they bound his hands and his feet and threw his body in James River over the bridge.

A three-day search was done in the James River before it was suspended. Turner believes whatever happened to Russell is a direct result of his dangerous lifestyle and the signs were there early on.

"One of the red flags was him changing his favorite color from blue to red," Turner said. "I did not have a clue when that started. When he got into high school, he started getting into more fights and disagreements with both the staff and kids. Later in life, he finally told me he was involved in a gang."

This week marked the anniversary of this disappearance and his family celebrated his life with a memorial service. Russell also has a scholarship and street adoption in his honor.

In 2022, Turner and his family filed for a death certificate for Russell. He was declared dead March 26, 2024.

Quantez Russell left behind a son and a family — still hopeful someone will come forward.