Episode 192: Allahnia Lenoir – Bite-Sized Crime

When a young woman disappears in Atlanta, her family embarks on a long journey towards justice. What happened to Allahnia Lenoir?

Episode Media

Steven Oboite / Diante Reynolds / Nicholas Hendrickson *(Atlanta Police Department)*

Episode Sources

Episode Transcript

Welcome back to Bite-Sized Crime. This week I’m bringing you a case that is still waiting for closure, but justice could be right around the corner. This episode discusses sensitive topics, so listener discretion is advised.

Allahnia Mone’t Lenoir grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. Born in Chicago, Allahnia was just ten when her family moved south. Her mother, Jannette, told Dateline that she wanted her daughter to have a different childhood than she’d had. “I lived in the inner city of Chicago… I was trying to avoid her growing up there.”

When Allahnia was 17, her little brother King was born. Allahnia loved him like he was her own, and even with the large age-gap, the siblings were especially close. Jannette said, “It’s like I gave birth to the same person… they were always together.”

Jannette, Allahnia, and King eventually settled in Douglasville, Georgia, a small community about 20 miles outside of Atlanta. The family spent a lot of time together outdoors, taking advantage of the town’s many parks and trails. They also loved to cook together and try new foods, sometimes traveling into the city for food festivals or special restaurants.

Allahnia was in constant contact with her family, so when she suddenly went silent, they knew something was wrong.

Saturday, July 30, 2022, started out like any other day. Allahnia and Jannette sent each other TikTok videos and new recipes to try, and they had a long conversation over the phone. Allahnia, now 24 years old, told her mom that she was planning to visit a friend in the city later that evening. Jannette told her to have fun and be careful on the drive home.

The next morning, Jannette got a phone call. It was Allahnia’s friend checking to make sure she’d made it home safe. Jannette was surprised – Allahnia hadn’t come home, and Jannette had figured she’d spent the night with her friend. Now, the friend was telling her that she and Allahnia had gone to hang out with some guys they knew on Saturday night. As the hour got late, the friend wanted to leave, but Allahnia wanted to stay, so the friend had left her at the men’s apartment, assuming she would be okay on her own. Allahnia had promised to let her know when she got back to Douglasville, but there hadn’t been any calls or messages so far.

At first, Jannette wasn’t overly concerned. They had relatives in the city – perhaps Allahnia had gone to see one of them. She also might have met up with her boyfriend and stayed at his place. It was still early, Allahnia was probably still asleep. It was only a 30 mile drive between Atlanta and Douglasville; Allahnia would be home soon.

But as the day went on, Jannette started getting more calls and texts from Allahnia’s friends. Allahnia had made plans to get together with several of them, but she hadn’t shown up. This was extremely out of character for her. Jannette told Dateline, “She’s not a person that tells you she’s coming and she’s not gonna come.”

Jannette texted her daughter and asked her to check in; she was starting to get worried. But the messages she was sending to Allahnia’s iPhone had turned green, a sign that the phone might not be connected to the network.

When Jannette checked her daughter’s location, she saw that the last place Allanhia had been was a luxury apartment complex in Midtown Atlanta. Jannette assumed this was the same apartment complex Allahnia’s friend said they had visited. Was Allahnia still there? When had her phone disconnected from the network, and why?

First thing Monday morning, when Allahnia still hadn’t called, Jannette contacted the Atlanta Police Department and reported her daughter missing. They issued a missing person advisory, asking the public to call in with any information about Allahnia’s whereabouts.

While police began their investigation, Allahnia’s family was canvassing Midtown, talking to residents and hanging flyers. Allahnia’s father Abraham flew to Georgia from his home in Baltimore to help with the search, and he and Jannette talked to the media, trying to raise awareness about their daughter’s disappearance.

On August 6th, the family held a prayer vigil in front of the apartment complex where Allahnia was last seen the week before. Family and friends stood before members of the press, holding posters and wearing shirts with Allahnia’s picture. Jannette asked the crowd to keep saying her daughter’s name, to not give up on finding her. “I cannot accept that as a mother, and I won’t. I will keep knocking on doors, and I will keep asking.”

Abraham made an emotional plea to the people who had Allahnia. “Please allow us to see our daughter again. Allow us to know the outcome of her well-being.” He also spoke directly to his daughter. “We love you very much. And we will not stop until you are found.”

The Atlanta Police Department considered Allahnia’s disappearance to be suspicious; it was not the case of a woman who decided to leave her life behind. Investigators had surveillance video of Allahnia entering the apartment complex, but there was no video showing her leaving. Allahnia’s family wondered if she had been abducted.

Jannette told WSBTV that she was bracing herself for the worst. “I can’t really say that all of the worst things that you could think of have not gone through my mind and my spirit and my heart… Every day is getting harder obviously because the reality of time not being on my side or my daughter’s side is hurting — is painful.”

Atlanta Police conducted several ground searches in the area. But weeks passed, and there was still no sign of Allahnia. In mid-August, renowned private investigator TJ Ward joined the search, telling WXIA that he would use his resources to support the police investigation. “Anything that we find, we’re not going to act on it; anything that we find, we will turn it over to the detectives with the city of Atlanta.”

On September 20th, nearly two months after Allanhia disappeared, Atlanta Police held a press conference, revealing new details in the investigation. Using surveillance videos and cell phone data, they had determined that Allahnia was last seen in the early morning hours of July 31, 2022, at the apartment complex at 1660 Peachtree Street. Allahnia’s friend had left the apartment, but Allahnia had not – at least, not of her own accord.

Based on the evidence they had collected throughout the investigation, detectives believed that Allahnia had been killed in the apartment and her body disposed of. However, they did not yet know the reason or motive for Allahnia’s death. The two men who had been at the apartment were not strangers to Allahnia, but didn’t appear to have known her for very long. The next part of the investigation would be to figure out exactly what happened inside that apartment and why.

At the press conference, police identified the men as 29-year-old Diante Reynolds and 29-year-old Steven Oboite. Both were suspected of felony murder and concealing the death of another. Diante Reynolds was being held in the Fulton County Jail on unrelated charges, but police had not yet located Steven Oboite. Atlanta Police Major Peter Malecki told the press that they believed Oboite was still in the metro Atlanta area. “Anytime we advertise an individual’s face and let them know they’re wanted, we know that it increases the likelihood of that person trying to flee. We also know we are stronger when we work together with the community.”

Most importantly, investigators were focused on finding Allahnia. Based on cell phone data, they had searched multiple locations in the area where they believed her body could be found. They had utilized cadaver dogs and specialized search teams, and they had even used entire classes of police recruits to increase their manpower. So far, all searches had turned up empty. Malecki told the press that they were not giving up. “Our ultimate goal is to locate the body of Allahnia and be able to provide closure for this grieving family.”

After the press conference, Allahnia’s mother Jannette released a statement. “We knew that this was going to be a race against time, but until her body is recovered – we remain hopeful. We know that the tips from the public and all of the media attention has helped to get us this far in finding my daughter. We are asking for you to please contact APD or Crime Stoppers if you have any information.”

Jannette also spoke with several reporters, expressing her grief and her hope that more answers would come. She told WSBTV, “I just want my daughter back, whether she’s here or she’s up there… You got to hold out hope.”

In December of 2022, a grand jury officially indicted Diante Reynolds and Steven Oboite, charging them with felony murder, distribution of a controlled substance, hindering the apprehension or punishment of a criminal, tampering with evidence, and concealing the death of another. Reynolds was also charged with identity fraud and forgery for using someone else’s identity to rent the apartment.

The grand jury also indicted a third man, 29-year-old Nicholas Hendrickson, for his role in the crime. Hendrickson was charged with hindering the apprehension or punishment of a criminal, tampering with evidence, concealing the death of another, and making false statements to law enforcement.

According to the indictment, investigators believed that at some point in the early morning hours of July 31, 2022, Allahnia had been given drugs – possibly opiates – and had experienced a medical emergency. Fearing that they would be arrested for possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, Reynolds and Oboite had not called 911. If they had, Allahnia could have been given life-saving medical care. Investigators believed that with the help of Hendrickson, the men had removed Allahnia’s body from the apartment complex and disposed of it in an unknown location, possibly somewhere between Georgia and Alabama. Hendrickson had lied to police, telling them he had not traveled to Alabama on July 31st, when his cell phone data proved otherwise.

Diante Reynolds and Nicholas Hendrickson were arrested and booked into the Fulton County Jail, but Steven Oboite was still on the run. In the years that followed, Allahnia’s family would be in and out of court, showing up for every hearing, determined to get justice. Allahnia’s friend Courtney told FOX5 Atlanta, “We’re coming in masses, we’re coming every time. Every time is important. Every decision that’s made is important to us.”

In July of 2023, on the one year anniversary of Allahnia’s disappearance, Jannette spoke with FOX5 about the long wait for justice. She said she would never stop looking for her daughter. “We love her, and we miss her. There’s nothing that we wouldn’t do to change this circumstance.”

A year later, in June of 2024, Steven Oboite was finally arrested in Bartow County, Georgia, approximately 40 miles north of Atlanta. Game wardens on Lake Allatoona had stopped Oboite for a jet ski violation, suspecting that he was under the influence. Oboite refused to provide identification and sped off on the jet ski, making it to shore and fleeing on foot. When he was eventually captured, he was booked into the Bartow County Jail and charged with boating under the influence, willful obstruction of a law enforcement officer, and providing a false name. Once in custody, it was discovered that Oboite had several active felony warrants. He was extradited to Fulton County.

At a press conference announcing Oboite’s arrest, Major Malecki reiterated that their goal was to find Allahnia and bring her home. “From day one, our objective has been to locate and return Allahnia. And that is more true today than ever before. That is our goal. It is our belief that somebody out there knows where she is and we would plead with that individual to come forward, not for this police department, not for any agency, but for… her family. That is the only way that they can get even a sliver of closure in this case.”

Jannette spoke to WSBTV, saying, “There are absolutely no words that I could describe the agony that I feel daily. The fact that he was found on jet skis, having a jolly good time, is probably the most hurtful part of all of this. If you could find anything, anything in your heart for me and my family, just tell us where our baby is.”

Allahnia’s family continued to show up at the courthouse for every hearing, making sure the judge knew that Allahnia was still missing, that she deserved justice. Jannette told WXIA, “It’s hard. It doesn’t get easier with time. I’m concerned about how long this process is taking, but I’m prepared to see it through.”

In May of 2025, the federal government indicted Steven Oboite with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine on the darknet. He and six other individuals were accused of trafficking drugs – including counterfeit pills with potentially lethal amounts of fentanyl – across the United States from 2021 to 2025. Allahnia disappeared during that window of time, lending credence to investigators’ theory that she died after taking drugs provided by Oboite.

In July of 2025, Nicholas Hendrickson was released on bond to attend his father’s funeral. Allahnia’s family was devastated by the news that he was out on the streets, having fought for years to keep him behind bars. Jannette told FOX5 that it felt like a slap in the face. “I was devastated, and I felt betrayed because they told me this would not happen.”

Two months later, despite being under electronic monitoring, Hendrickson missed a scheduled court hearing. A bench warrant was issued for his arrest, and the upcoming trial for all three suspects was delayed. Jannette was understandably frustrated by yet another obstacle on the road to justice. She told WXIA, “When can my daughter’s soul rest? When can my family grieve? We can’t. There is no resolution.”

In December of 2025, Hendrickson reappeared, claiming that he hadn’t known about the September hearing because the notice was sent to his old address. His bond was reinstated.

As of this recording, the trial has not yet been rescheduled. On August 11, 2026, Jannette posted a video on her Instagram account in which she spoke about attending a status hearing the day before. According to Jannette, the judge ruled that instead of a joint trial, Reynolds, Oboite, and Hendrickson would have separate trials. Naturally, Jannette is frustrated by the prospect of having to live through the trauma of three trials, having to listen to the details of her daughter’s death over and over again. It appears as though the trials will not take place until sometime in 2027.

Adding to the family’s trauma is the fact that Allahnia’s remains have still not been found. The Atlanta Police Department is still actively searching, and the family hopes that one of the men charged in her death will come forward with the truth.

Allahnia Mone’t Lenoir was a bright, beautiful young woman with her whole life ahead of her. Her family deserves answers, and she deserves justice.

If you have any information about Allahnia’s case, please contact Atlanta Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477 or submit an anonymous tip online at p3tips.com.