Jason Futch: reporter2.riverbendnews@gmail.com
The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office recently experienced situations in which missing persons reports were filed with the agency. The sheriff is now asking the public to act quickly when it is suspected that someone is missing.
Sheriff Brian Creech said it is essential to quickly report someone is missing if something is not right and contact with the missing person has not occurred in some time, especially when it comes to children. “When a person goes missing, every minute counts,” Sheriff Creech said. “Immediate reporting increases the likelihood of a successful recovery.”
Sheriff Creech also said no one should delay a missing persons report, regardless of the individual's age. “If you suspect someone is missing, contact law enforcement right away,” he urged. “Time is critical. The sooner we know someone is missing, the better the chances. We must bring them home safely. Don’t wait–report immediately.”
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a majority of cases involving missing juveniles are runaway cases who are particularly vulnerable to risks such as physical and sexual violence, homelessness, substance abuse, and child sex trafficking. These are the reasons as to why law enforcement agencies such as the HCSO place an emphasis on missing persons cases.
In the past, law enforcement agencies in the nation suggested that reporting a missing person should take place 24 hours after the individual goes missing; however, this has been heavily scrutinized and most agencies now ask those who suspect someone missing to report immediately.
In Hamilton County, the HCSO asked the public for help on social media in a few runaway cases involving juveniles, all of which were resolved quickly. However, missing persons cases are not relative to just juveniles. Adults have also gone missing, with a few cases in the tri-county region still open. Carrie April Combs was reported missing in March of 2019, after being released from the Hamilton County Jail. She remains missing, her case being considered a cold case. She was last seen wearing a blue jacket, white t-shirt and gray pants. Combs has a flower tattoo on her right shoulder and a scorpion tattoo on her left ankle.
In Suwannee County, Debora Howard, who went missing in 1976, and Kamrie Mitchell, who went missing in 2012, also remain open cases. Both Howard and Mitchell are believed to have been met with foul play. Kelley Brannon went missing from the Sunshine Inn in Live Oak after an argument with her boyfriend. The case is being handled by the Live Oak Police Department, which continues to follow leads into her whereabouts.
To report someone missing in Hamilton County or provide information on Combs’s whereabouts, contact the HCSO at (386) 792-1001.
To report someone missing in Suwannee County or provide information on Howard or Mitchell’s case, contact the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office at (386) 362-2222. For information on the Brannon case, contact the LOPD at (386) 362-7463.
To learn more about keeping children safe and what to do when someone goes missing, visit NCMEC’s website at www.missingkids.com.