Christian Peterson
Reporter@riverbendnews.org
Kelley Brannon is a well known name throughout the Suwannee County area. Two years after they were put up, the missing person posters are now faded and hard to read. However, Brannon is still missing. Someone out there knows something; the search continues. With the release of the new documentary, “Never Seen Again,” on Paramount+ and the two year anniversary of her missing date fast approaching, it’s time to go through the facts and theories once more in hopes that someone with more information will step forward.
On July 9, 2020, Brannon and Eddie Emerson, her boyfriend, were taking a trip to purchase a house in Detroit, Mich. Along the way to their destination, Emerson’s vehicle broke down on I-75 outside of Live Oak. The couple had the car towed to Reese’s Motor and began to have the car worked on. They were told it was going to take several days, so the pair began to explore the town and settle down while the repairs were being made. After several days, the couple rented a room at the Sunshine Inn on July 14, 2020. During the check in process, the couple began having an argument over the chickens they had with them. Brannon wanted to bring the chickens inside the room, while Emerson did not, due to not wanting to be kicked out of the room. The argument continued throughout the afternoon and evening, ending with Emerson inside the hotel and Brannon outside, refusing to go inside. Emerson finally went to bed and fell asleep. The next morning, Emerson woke up to a haunting message from Brannon. The long voicemail ended with Brannon mysteriously saying, “Oh, I’m getting in a car now, bye.” The last of Brannon’s whereabouts shows her Gmail account syncing about a mile and a half downtown from the Sunshine Inn. After contacting friends and family and searching around town himself, Emerson contacted the Live Oak Police Department (LOPD) and Brannon became a missing persons case.
To this day, the police and private investigators have many theories and questions about the things that happened during the couple’s stay in Live Oak, as well as multiple persons of interest. The first theory alleges something happened with Armando’s Mexican Bar and Grill. The couple had visited the restaurant multiple times before heading to the inn. During this time, the owner of Armando’s overheard the couple and their concern for the chickens. Emerson alleges that, while he felt as though they were being watched, the owner approached the couple and offered to let them store their chickens at his farm. The couple agreed and went approximately 20 minutes south on US 129, where they camped outside of the chicken coop. Eventually, the couple felt they had overstayed their welcome packed up and moved on. After Brannon’s disappearance, private investigators Mike Thompson and Mike Pitts visited the restaurant to find out more information. When they asked the owner of Armando’s about the couple, he claimed they had never stayed on his farm. The investigators also asked a group of guys who were in the restaurant if they had heard or seen anything; however, the group immediately stood up and left. The owner of Armando’s was the only person who declined to provide a comment to the documentary crew with Paramount+.
The second theory rotates around career criminal John Rodger Bonnell. He was staying in the Sunshine Inn at the same time as Emerson and Brannon and made contact with both on the night of Brannon’s disappearance. Around 10 p.m., Bonnell knocked on the door of the couple’s hotel room to tell Emerson that Brannon was at the bottom of the stairs drunk; he then told Emerson he should do something about the situation. Emerson claimed he heard Bonnell attempt to bring Brannon into his room, however, she refused to go inside. Emerson headed downstairs and took the keys to the car from Brannon, due to her being inebriated. Bonnell claims he went back to his room after talking to Emerson and went to sleep. When asked for comment, Bonnell said he had no idea what happened to Brannon.
The third theory falls on Emerson. On the Dec. 27, 2019, Emerson was arrested for assaulting Brannon. He also openly admitted to locking her out of the hotel room in frustration. However, Emerson was interviewed by law enforcement for almost four hours, passed a polygraph test, and has spearheaded the search for Brannon. The final theory is Brannon was taken by an unknown individual and has never been seen again. However, after years of searching, law enforcement and private investigators find themselves stuck. With multiple persons of interest and too many unknowns, the confusion has put everyone in a stupor.
Brannon’s last known location was at the Sunshine Inn. In her final message, she states she was getting into a car, and her Gmail synced a mile and a half in downtown Live Oak at around 2 a.m. on the night she disappeared. At her last known siting, Brannon was 5’5”, weighed 130 lbs., had blue eyes, black hair with grey streaks, and had a circle with a capital “A” tattooed on her right hand. If you know anything about the location of Brannon or about her disappearance, contact LOPD (386) 362-7463.