Chilling unsolved mystery of Scarface actor that quit the film and was never seen again shortly after
We're used to seeing mysteries unfold in movies, but it's not as often that those movies wind up involved in real-life mysteries.
However, this is exactly what happened during the making of the 1983 film Scarface, which had then-18-year-old Tammy Leppert among the cast.
Leppert, who was also known for being a beauty queen, began shooting the film in Miami, Florida in March 1983.
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But just a few weeks later, she disappeared without a trace.
Leppert's disappearance has formed the subject of an Unsolved Mysteries story, but forty years on, questions about what happened remain unanswered.
According to Leppert's family, the teen had begun acting strangely after attending a party, after which she came back a 'different person'.
When her mom confronted her, Tammy explained she had 'seen something awful, that [she] was not supposed to see'. She refused to elaborate, insisting 'they' would come after her if she did.
Tammy continued to become more reclusive, and things came to a head on the fourth day of filming Scarface, when family friend Wing Flannagan received a call to say Tammy had a breakdown on set.
"They said that it was a scene where someone was supposed to be shot and had artificial blood spurt out. And they said when Tami was watching the scene, she started crying hysterically and it got so bad that they had to take her to a trailer," Wing said, per Unsolved Mysteries.
Wing said Tammy had 'good days and bad days', but on 1 July, 1983 she began smashing windows in her home and attacking Wing.
Tammy checked into a mental health center following the attack and stayed there, under observation for 72 hours.
However, after being discharged, Tammy arranged to meet her best friend, Rick Adams, and later told him she loved him and that she may be away for a while.
The next day she met another friend, Keith Roberts, but the pair began to argue. Tammy then told Roberts to drop her off in downtown Cocoa Beach, about five miles from her house.
The actor was barefoot and had no purse at the time. That was the last time she was seen alive.
Police have not identified anyone to be responsible for her disappearance, though some true crime fans have speculated her disappearance could be connected to serial killer Christopher Wilder.
Tammy's sister, Suzanne, has continued to honor her sister over the years, previously saying she would 'never quit' looking for her as long as she lives.
Topics: True crime, Film and TV
Emily Brown