Leigh Occhi – Still Missing but Not Forgotten

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI)- 21 years ago today Tupelo police started working on the most baffling missing persons case in that city’s history. Today marks the anniversary of when then 13 year old Leigh Occhi disappeared from her Honey Locust Drive home in Tupelo. Detectives found blood and signs of a struggle inside the West Tupelo residence but never any signs of the teenager. The only other clue they ever received was when someone mailed her glasses to the family on the one month anniversary of the disappearance.

Using age progression software, this is what detectives think Occhi would look like today as a 34 year old woman. Even though two decades have passed, detectives say the case still generates a lot of attention.

Detective Brandon Garrett with the Tupelo P.D. told WCBI, “There’s a lot of tools out there that we’re just now discovering. DNA technology is really 100% different from what it was in the past…you used to have to have a large sample to do any type of testing. Now, it’s just the smallest little sample will go a long way. So, what I’ve been doing over the past few months is going back through the evidence that was collected in the case and sending it to labs to be retested.”

Tupelo police are still taking tips on the crime at 662-841-6546.