Tampa Police have issued a Purple Alert for Samantha Jackson, a 40-year-old woman last seen Saturday evening in the area of the 8400 block of Rio Bravo Court. Jackson's family has expressed concern for her safety after she left her Tampa home that day and made statements to loved ones that raised alarm about her well-being, according to police.
Jackson is described as 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing approximately 230 pounds, as reported by Tampa Bay 28. She left the area driving a white Hyundai Sonata bearing Florida tag SKAJ31. State missing person flyers released by FDLE add that Jackson was last seen wearing a gray sweater, pink t-shirt, and blue jeans, and that she has distinctive tattoos, including a lion on her right forearm, a black cat with the word “Pretty” on her lower back, and praying hands on her right thigh, according to FDLE.
Those same state flyers indicate Jackson's 2023 Hyundai Sonata may be heading westbound through the Hillsborough County area. Her potential destination beyond that stretch remains an open question for investigators, as does whether toll or traffic cameras have captured the vehicle along the way. Police have not disclosed the specific statements Jackson made to family members that led them to conclude she faces immediate safety risks.
Why a Purple Alert Was Triggered
Under Florida Statute § 937.0205, a Purple Alert signifies that law enforcement has determined a missing adult suffers from a qualifying non-dementia cognitive, mental, or developmental disability and that the person's disappearance poses a credible threat of immediate danger. The alert program, created by the Florida Legislature to protect vulnerable adults, has been in effect since July 1, 2022, according to the Florida Senate.
Because Jackson is believed to be traveling in a vehicle with a verified tag, her case qualifies as a state-level Purple Alert rather than a local one. A 2024 legislative amendment under Florida House Bill 937 created a two-tier framework separating Local Purple Alerts, for people on foot, from State Purple Alerts, for those believed to be in a vehicle, per the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's updated activation guidelines. When a vehicle tag is confirmed, state protocol triggers dynamic message sign displays on highways managed by the Florida Department of Transportation and broadcasts across state lottery terminals, according to the Florida Senate.
A Block With a Troubled Past
The 8400 block of Rio Bravo Court, where Jackson was last seen, was the site of a fatal shooting investigation conducted by Tampa Police in March 2022, according to the City of Tampa. That earlier homicide investigation at an apartment complex on the same block offers local geographic context but is not connected to Jackson's disappearance in any way described by investigators.
Florida law leaves little room for delay when an adult goes missing. Under Florida Statute § 937.021, police departments are barred from imposing any mandatory waiting period before accepting a missing person report, and they must enter the details into state and national databases within two hours of receiving them, the Florida Senate notes.
A Program With a Track Record
Florida's Purple Alert system has helped locate 453 missing individuals statewide between its July 2022 launch and July 2025, according to FDLE data cited in Hoodline's prior reporting on a Westshore-area search. Florida is one of only five states, alongside Maryland, Mississippi, Kansas, and Connecticut, that operate a dedicated statewide alert system for missing adults with non-dementia cognitive or developmental disabilities, making the program a relatively rare tool nationally.
Tampa has issued multiple Purple Alerts in recent months, including one in September for a 28-year-old man missing near the airport and another in August for a 35-year-old man last seen near Westshore. State lawmakers have continued expanding the broader alert network as well; in June 2025, Florida passed HB 711 to establish the Spectrum Alert for missing children with autism spectrum disorder, with full statewide implementation required by July 1, 2026, according to FOX 13 Tampa Bay.
Tampa Police are asking anyone who sees Samantha Jackson or knows where she may be to contact them immediately at 813-231-6130.
