The disappearance of John and Gianinna Colonna Aponte

In 1974, siblings John and Giannina Colonna Aponte vanished on their way to the beach and were never seen again. Nearly five decades later, their disappearance remains one of the most haunting unsolved mysteries from Puerto Rico. 

In this episode we explore the story behind the headlines, the devastated family left behind, and the chilling theories that continue to surround their fate. 

If you have any information that could help solve this case, check the links below: 

https://charleyproject.org/case/giannina-maria-colonna-aponte 

https://charleyproject.org/case/john-colonna-aponte

Transcript

Host: 0:00

In today's episode of Dusty Trails, we are going over the case of John and Giannina Colonna Aponte, brother and sister, gone without a trace. Disappearance always leaves a void. an unanswered question that lingers in the air like a whisper in the dark. But when siblings vanish together, the mystery deepens, leaving behind a trail of shattered lives and haunting possibilities. Let's begin.

Host: 0:48

John Colonna Sr. and Noemie Ponte met in the 60s. Jean, a French-American, was in his 50s when he met Noemi, who was 19 at the time they got married. They had two beautiful children together. Jean-Janot Colonna-Aponte was born on 19 February 1962, and Giannina Maria Colonna-Aponte was born on 19 April 1963. There is very little known about the family life, but considering their relentless pursuit in finding them, It's safe to say they were a happy family and the children were cared for.

Host: 1:28

John and Janina, being so close in age, a year apart, were very close. They loved spending time together and shared mutual friendship groups. They were incredibly curious and smart, pursuing and learning multiple languages. They were fluent in English, Spanish, French and Italian. which is incredibly impressive.

Host: 1:54

The nightmare that will linger for over 50 years now started in 1974 on 5th of May. John and Janina left their home in Luquillo and were extremely excited to meet a family friend and their three children for a beach outing. Luquillo Beach in Puerto Rico, more than a mile long, is shaded with coconut trees. is a beautiful place to sunbathe and enjoy the ocean. No wonder the children were so keen to spend time there. But what was going to be a relaxing day at the beach, maybe just another ordinary day, it turned into a nightmare when Noemi went to the beach to pick them up and the friend informs her the children never arrived. The ground must have been spinning. Can I imagine the panic Noemi must have felt? They left hours ago.

Host: 2:55

Police was promptly informed and a full investigation and search started. But to this day, the children were never found. There are very few details on this case. Could be because not a lot of details about the investigation were released to the public. We only have few theories of what might have happened. I believe it's extremely important we don't forget them. Yes, it has been many years without any sighting of the children, but maybe in this day and age and how quick information travel now, maybe someone knows something.

Host: 3:35

So let's go over some theories going around the internet of what might have happened. The first theory is that the children were kidnapped by their neighbor to request a ransom of $72,000 and in the process, Something went wrong and the ransom was never collected and the children were never seen. Eight months after the children disappeared, this said neighbor, Thomas Rodriguez, committed suicide in Florida. According to the investigators, he left a note explaining what happened and that the children were kidnapped for ransom with the help of a businessman. But no arrests were ever made. Also, Interpol never released this note, so we don't know exactly who this businessman was, or even if they think this letter is legit. There is some conspiracy regarding this man's suicide as well. We cannot confirm this, so take it with a pinch of salt. But there is doubt regarding his suicide. Apparently, there were no fingerprints on the gun, so people believe there is more to this story. Another theory going around the internet is that the father was previously part of a cartel and the children were killed to teach him her lesson for past dealings. This theory also remained unconfirmed.

Host: 4:55

Basically, it's just speculation. Lastly, in early 2000s, the authorities reached out to Noemi as there was a girl looking for her mother and the girl could have matched the description of Janina. With now new hope, Noemi agreed to provide any support needed. He took samples from her and even exhumed John to test for DNA. John died of cancer in 1982, never finding out what happened with his children. Noemi shared the children milk teeth as well in order for them to be tested. The girl wasn't Giannina, unfortunately. For her, The search for finding her family continues, but something came out of these genetic tests.

Host: 5:50

I don't believe it's that relevant and also cannot understand why the investigators focused on this point so much in the years to come. But, after the genetic tests, the results indicated that John is not the children's father. Their theory was that maybe the children now disappeared at the hands of one of the parents, which, considering both never stopped looking for their children until their dying bed, I would say is less likely. Noemi was subjected to polygraphs and lengthy questioning, but nothing came out of it. She has always been adamant the children were John's, and they don't know what happened to them that day. It looks more like the Interpol are looking for any theory that can help them close the case, instead of doing everything they can to find the children.

Host: 6:45

Noemi also suffered from cancer and in 2012, after the investigators consistently focusing only on the children's paternity more than anything else, she knew there is little chance of them solving this. Noemi passed away in April 2023, after a long battle with the disease. She kept their bedrooms exactly as they were the day they disappeared, in hopes they would return home one day. She never had a chance to hug them once more.

Host: 7:18

This is the incredibly sad case of John and Janina Colonna Aponte, two angels who just vanished. If you have any information about the disappearance of John and Janina, no matter how small, please come forward. Even the smallest detail can bring answers to a case that remained unsolved for decades. You can find the links in the show notes where you can report any tips or learn more about the case. Thank you for listening and as always stay curious, stay vigilant and take care. Thank you.