Jasmine Calloway Host
Missing – September 15, 2017 – Gadsden, AL
Ep 12: Jasmine Calloway Host – Unforgotten
Etowah County
Nestled amidst the picturesque scenery and lively community of Gadsden, Alabama, a family has been searching for their daughter for over six years. Born on August 30, 1988, Jasmine was the oldest of two children born to Rena and Billy Calloway. In this close-knit family, Jasmine shared a unique bond with her younger brother, Josh, and her dreams were as vibrant as the world around her.
A shy child with big dreams
Jasmine was a reserved and shy child growing up, though she radiated warmth and friendliness to everyone she met. She had a passion for softball and was a dedicated member of the band at North Jackson High School. Rena fondly recalls Jasmine’s aspirations of becoming a model, her love for posing for photos, and her fascination with the internet, which led her to explore chat rooms – a common pastime for teenagers and young adults in the late ’90s.
Unexpected connections
Through these chat rooms and online profiles, Jasmine formed a deep friendship with a woman from Michigan named Laura. Their connection was strong, and they chatted regularly. In 2009, Jasmine received a distressing message from Laura’s brother, Mark, who claimed Laura had become gravely ill and was hospitalized. Concerned for her friend, Jasmine made a life-changing decision to travel to Michigan to be by Laura’s side.
Love amidst tragedy
Tragically, when Jasmine arrived in Michigan, Mark told her Laura had already passed. Yet, amidst the sorry, Jasmine and Mark found unexpected solace in each other’s company. They formed a connection that brough them together, and Jasmine made the choice to leave her old life in Alabama behind, starting anew with Mark and his three children. However, what seemed like a fresh start held deeper secrets than anyone could have imagined.
Despite the shadows of deceit, Jasmine and Mark’s relationship continued to blossom. On August 30, 2011, the couple exchanged vows in a courthouse ceremony in Michigan, marking the beginning of their life together. Their love was evident in the growing family they built, starting with the arrival of their first daughter in 2012. They moved several times before finally settling in a mobile home park in the Houghton Lake area.
Enter: Rachel Sears
During this period, another character entered the Host family’s life – Rachel Sears. Rachel, who also resided in the same mobile home park, began spending a considerable amount of time with the Host family and eventually moved in with them shortly after the birth of their first daughter.
The plot thickened when both Jasmine and Rachel discovered they were pregnant with Mark’s children. Just two months after Jasmine gave birth to their second daughter in September, Rachel gave birth to her child. The constantly shifting circumstances, mysterious fights with neighbors, and an ever-changing cast of characters in their home made Jasmine’s parents increasingly uneasy about Jasmine’s situation.
The downward spiral
Their concerns escalated when they learned about Mark’s arrest for possession of a firearm by a felon. Since Jasmine was also considered a suspect in the circumstances surrounding the charges, she was prohibited from leaving Michigan. The Calloways’ worries deepened as Jasmine withdrew from her family and communication began to dwindle.
Not long after these charges, the Host family, with Rachel in tow, moved to Gadsden and Jasmine gave birth to their third daughter. Within months of giving birth to their daughter, Jasmine reached out to her parents for help. She was found at Noccalula State Park, bearing the physical scars of her ordeal. It was clear she’d suffered greatly in the household and her call for help was an attempt to escape the abusive situation she’d endured.
A painful farewell and heart-wrenching silence
Despite the Calloways’ insistence on taking Jasmine’s children with them, she begged them not to return to the home and assured them the children were okay. Jasmine briefly stayed at her parents’ home but left a few months later, claiming she needed a ride to the bus station to visit a friend in Texas, leaving her young children behind – a decision that baffled her family.
Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, with no word from Jasmine. Even Josh, who had always been able to communicate with his sister, found his messages unanswered. When he did receive responses, he noted a disturbing change in the tone and style of her texts, as if they were coming from a completely different person.
Desperate search for answers
Growing increasingly concerned and meeting only silence in their attempts to reach Jasmine, the Calloways turned to Mark. However, his responses were frustratingly vague, offering little more than assurances that Jasmine was safe with a friend in Texas. As time passed with no sign or word from Jasmine, the Calloways filed a missing person report.
Multiple visits to the Host’s home yielded ambiguous results, with law enforcement stating Jasmine wanted to stay or claiming she was absent at the moment. In September of 2017, the Calloways demanded to go with law enforcement to see their daughter in person for themselves. Their determination provided a small sense of relief as they glimpsed Jasmine, albeit escorted by Rachel. Sadly, this would be the last time they would see her.
Deception unveiled
Years later, the Calloways learned that the friendship between Jasmine and Laura had been nothing more than an elaborate ruse. Mark had been the one behind the screen, deceiving Jasmine all along, and his past was littered with criminal charges both before and after Jasmine’s arrival. They also learned that Jasmine never went to Texas. Instead, she’d taken a bus to the next bus stop and then immediately boarded a bus to return to Alabama.
A series of moves
Mark seemed to constantly evade the consequences of his actions, relocating from one town to another to escape the repercussions. He left Rachel and the children in Alabama to find a home in Kentucky. Rachel and the children remained in Alabama for nearly a year before eventually joining Mark in Dawson Springs, KY.
According to Rachel, Jasmine vanished at some point during the night/morning before their planned move, but the Calloways were told that the two women were heard arguing before Jasmine disappeared.
Tangled webs
In 2021, a shocking turn of events cast an even darker shadow over Jasmine’s disappearance. Mark and Rachel, the last known individuals to have seen her, were apprehended in Dawson Springs as fugitives from Alabama. They were brought back to Alabama where they were booked into Etowah County jail on charges of rape and sexual abuse.
Amidst the tangled web of mysteries, one particularly intriguing detail emerged. Public court records contain a handwritten letter from Rachel Sears to the Etowah County Clerk of Court, dated August 12, 2022. In this letter, Rachel requested a copy of her case action summary and information on how to marry Mark Host while in jail.
Jasmine’s story is one of heartbreak, deception, and unanswered questions. As the Calloways continue to search for their daughter, they are met with a baffling puzzle that seems to grow more complex with each passing day. The truth behind Jasmine’s disappearance remains elusive, and the family remains determined to uncover the reality of their daughter’s fate.
You can hear more about Jasmine’s case, including interviews with Jasmine’s parents and Jasmine’s stepdaughter Brianna, on Unforgotten Episode 12.
If you have any information related to the disappearance of Jasmine Calloway Host, please contact Gadsden Police Department at 256-549-4500, their anonymous tip line at 256-543-2444, or submit an anonymous tip using the link below.
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We Pray for all of our lost / missing loved ones to be found so we can get closure in these mysterious circumstances
God Bless All of our lost and missing loved ones. We want you all to come home to your families who love you.