‘This is not over’: Teekah Lewis’ mom vows to continue cold case as Tacoma lead comes up empty

Tacoma cold-case investigators and a forensics team concluded the search of the backyard of a Tacoma home late Wednesday morning. They now admit they were following a tip in the 1999 disappearance of then two-year-old Teekah Lewis, and that nothing was found.

“Nothing of evidentiary value, on any case,” Tacoma Police Department (TPD) spokesperson Shelbie Boyd said, “Not on any of the 147-cold-cases and 20 missing persons. That is the thing about these cases. They get tips. They get information. They run them down. Some end in a successful apprehension, and some end like today.”

It’s been 26 years since Lewis disappeared from a family outing at a local bowling alley in January 1999. Investigators said it was a tip that led them to the backyard, at the corner of South Gunnison Street and South Wright Avenue, and that they had been working the tip for about two months. However, they still won’t say where the tip came.

Crews with Tacoma Emergency Management were seen digging in the backyard of a home. (Photo: @PhotogSteve81)

Neighbors gathered daily at the site of the search. They know all too well the tragedy of Lewis’ disappearance, and they were hoping for the best possible outcome for her mom, Theresa Czapiewski.

“I feel bad for her mom,” neighbor Milo Moawad said Tuesday. “I couldn’t imagine. I have kids. Not knowing where your 2-year-old has been for 26 years…that’s heartbreaking.”

However, Czapiewski is not giving up.

“It’s a lot to deal with,” she said. “And not knowing is the biggest thing. Not knowing what happened to Teekah or where she is. I will be talking to the chief on what’s next because this is not over. I’m going to make sure we have answers, regardless if it’s good news or bad news.”

TPD said it will continue to work on other leads in Lewis’ case. It also hopes media coverage will lead to even more tips, which the department said it will aggressively pursue. Meanwhile, Czapiewski is holding out hope.

“Everyone knows my daughter comes first in this world,” she said. “I’m her voice right now, and I’m going to do everything I can to stay on top of her case.”

Officers follow lead in Teekah Lewis cold case

The Tacoma Police Department (TPD) dug for multiple days, starting Monday. However, neighbors told KIRO Newsradio they had seen teams, including the FBI, in the home’s backyard since the beginning of this month.

“Officers and detectives worked into the night,” Shelbie Boyd with TPD said Tuesday. “They went home, got some rest, came back this morning. So, yeah, it’s a tip in a cold case. Someone died.”

The scene as authorities investigate at a Tacoma home. (Photo: James Lynch, KIRO Newsradio)

Law enforcement was initially being very tight-lipped—including to Lewis’ mother, Theresa Cziapiewski.

“I knew when I talked to her last time, she said she was working on something, but she wouldn’t tell me,” Cziapiewski said.

Neighbor Milo Moawad was hopeful Cziapiewski would get the answers she needed.

“I just hope her mom can get closure,” Moawad said. “I heard she was out here all night.”

A mobile command center was set up just outside the home they were investigating.

“We have family members out there,” Boyd told KIRO Newsradio. “We have friends that want closure. And so of the 147-cold-cases in the city of Tacoma, this is one, and we’re going to investigate it like we investigate every lead.”

The scene as authorities investigate at a Tacoma home. (Photo: James Lynch, KIRO Newsradio)

The cold case of Teekah Lewis

Lewis’ case is one of the most notorious cold cases in Tacoma. It has been assumed she was abducted from the New Frontier Bowling Alley in Tacoma.

“It was sad at the time that nobody knew where she was, and now this, in our own neighborhood,” neighbor Stephanie said.

Ironically, the property where the search was ongoing was owned by a family with the surname Lewis.

“I guess I do hope that it is her, in a way, so we do have that closure as a community and for the family, but no matter who it is very sad,” neighbor Stephanie McCleary said.

This story was originally published on May 19, 2025. It has been updated and republished since then.

Contributing: KIRO 7; Julia Dallas and Frank Sumrall, MyNorthwest

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