This Beauty Queen, Who Competed in over 300 Pageants, Mysteriously Disappeared at 18 – What Is Known About Her

Tammy Lynn Leppert was a rising star with a promising future in modeling and acting. But at just 18 years old, she vanished without a trace. Her sudden and baffling disappearance has haunted many for decades, leaving behind only speculation and unanswered questions.

Born on February 5, 1965, in Rockledge, Florida, Leppert was introduced to beauty pageants when she was four. Her mother, Linda Curtis, a theatrical and modeling agent, played a crucial role in shaping her career.

As a child, Leppert constantly competed, quickly becoming a dominant figure in pageantry. It was reported that she had competed in over 300 contests, winning most of them.

By her teenage years, she had transitioned into modeling, appearing in magazines such as Cover Girl. She also ventured into acting despite lacking formal training, and in 1980, she secured a minor role in the film "Little Darlings."

In 1983, she was featured as a female boxing participant in the comedy "Spring Break." However, her most notable appearance was in Al Pacino's "Scarface," where she played a bikini-clad woman in a brief but memorable scene.

With undeniable beauty and growing industry connections, the young actress had the potential to become a Hollywood star. But behind the scenes, her life was taking a darker turn.

In the months leading up to her disappearance, Leppert's friends and family noticed a drastic change in her behavior. Once full of confidence, she became increasingly paranoid, convinced that someone was out to harm her.

"Sometimes, I'd ask her what was on her mind — if anything was bothering her. And she'd usually change the subject, or she'd say, 'Oh, nothing,' you know, and then try to laugh it off," Wing Flannagan, a close friend of Leppert's, shared.

After shooting "Spring Break," Leppert had attended a cast party, where she reportedly witnessed something she was not supposed to see. She later told her mother that she had "seen something awful" at the party but refused to provide details.

After the party, her paranoia drastically increased. She was convinced that "they" were after her and that she was in grave danger. Though she never revealed exactly what she had seen, her behavior suggested it had deeply disturbed her.

Leppert confided in her mother, asking her, "Mom, what would you say if I told you somebody was trying to kill me?" Curtis pressed her for details, but she refused to elaborate, only confirming her fear.

"I just took a deep breath, and I said, 'Do you think somebody's trying to kill you, Tammy?' She said, 'Yes,''' Curtis revealed. Leppert's anxiety escalated while working on "Scarface." During a scene featuring gunfire and fake blood, she suffered a severe emotional breakdown, sobbing uncontrollably.

The casting director called a family friend, Walter Liebowitz, to inform him that the young actress was distressed and needed to be escorted home immediately.

After leaving the set, Leppert's paranoia worsened. She refused to eat or drink at times, fearing that she might be poisoned. Her mental state also continued to deteriorate.

According to reports, on July 1, 1983, she had a violent outburst, smashing the windows of her home with a baseball bat and attacking Flannagan. Deeply alarmed, her mother took her to a doctor for evaluation.

The beauty queen turned actress was held for three days, but medical tests found no drugs, alcohol, or physical ailments to explain her erratic behavior.

Then, on July 6, 1983, Leppert left home with a male friend. They reportedly argued, and he later claimed she asked him to drop her off near the Glass Bank building in Cocoa Beach, Florida, about five miles from her home.

Surveillance footage later captured her standing alone in a nearby parking lot. From there, she walked to a public phone, likely at a gas station, where she attempted to call her aunt and a friend, leaving urgent messages.

None of them answered. That was the last confirmed sighting of Leppert. Despite extensive searches and investigations, no trace of the young talent was ever found.

She was last seen wearing a blue denim skirt and a blue floral shirt, carrying a gray purse. Some accounts suggest she was barefoot just before she vanished.

Several theories have emerged over the years attempting to explain the young star's disappearance. Some believe she was harmed by the man who last saw her, but authorities never considered him a suspect.

One chilling possibility is that she fell victim to Christopher Wilder, the infamous "Beauty Queen Killer." Wilder preyed on young women, often luring them into his car under the guise of offering modeling opportunities.

Given Leppert's background in pageantry and modeling, it is possible that she was one of his targets. However, Wilder was killed in a police shootout in 1984, and no concrete evidence linked him to her case.

Another potential suspect was John Brennan Crutchley, known as the "Vampire Rapist," who was active in Florida during the same period. He was responsible for the abduction and assault of multiple women, but authorities found no direct connection to the actress.

Perhaps the most haunting theory comes from her cryptic remarks about "money laundering" and her claim that she had seen something she wasn't supposed to see at a party.

Decades have passed, yet the mystery of Leppert's disappearance remains unsolved. Her mother spent years searching for answers before passing away in 1995, never knowing what happened to her daughter.

"That's has [sic] been a long time. Hope the family will find the truth one day!!" one social media user commented. Another shared, "That's so sad! I had no idea," while a third added, "Such a mysterious disappearance. Hope she's found safe one day."

Another person remarked, "How come a gorgeous lady disappeared in thin air…Smells deep secret here [sic]," and another typed, "Oh no😢😭😭😭. This is heartbreaking." "I remember her very well 😲Been really surprised I've not been seeing her no more in movies [sic]," another person shared.

Leppert's disappearance is a story of beauty, talent, and tragedy. She had a promising future, yet something — whether an external threat, psychological turmoil, or a criminal act — cut her life short.

Her paranoia, cryptic warnings, and final days paint a picture of a young woman desperately trying to escape a threat that only she appeared to understand. Whether she was the victim of foul play, a tragic accident, or a cover-up, her case remains one of Florida's most haunting mysteries.