‘Suspicious disappearance’ of NC woman sends investigators searching for clues, cops say
A 42-year-old woman vanished — and foul play is suspected, North Carolina officials said.
Now, a search is underway in the case of Jessica Lawrence, who was last seen at her home on Sept. 26, the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office said Monday.
Officials said they have been investigating the “suspicious disappearance” after a relative reported Lawrence missing last week.
“We have reason to believe foul play is involved,” Sheriff Burnis Wilkins said Friday in a news release. “Obviously, we can’t discuss details of where the investigation is at this point.”
Around the same time she disappeared, authorities said a man from Rowland was seen driving her Jeep Grand Cherokee. Anyone who may have spotted a man in the SUV or seen a man and Lawrence together on Sept. 26 or Sept. 27 is asked to contact deputies.
Though it was originally believed that Lawrence hadn’t been seen since leaving work in Fayetteville, officials said her last known location was roughly 20 miles south, at her home in the town of St. Pauls.
Officials have since released a photo of the missing 42-year-old, who is white with brown hair and blue eyes. She is described as being 150 pounds and 5 feet 5 inches tall.
“Since the initial report of Lawrence’s disappearance, investigators have executed multiple search warrants and utilized air support and ground personnel for searching areas of concern,” Robeson County deputies said. “Investigators have also conducted interviews throughout the county and neighboring counties.”
As of Monday morning, officials said they were searching an area near Rowland in connection with the case. Deputies have been working with federal and state agencies on the investigation and ask anyone with information to call them at 910-671-3170.
Robeson County is home to the seat of the Lumbee tribe of North Carolina, the largest tribe on this side of the Mississippi River. It’s not the first time a woman has been reported missing in the county.
Multiple people — including many Lumbee women — vanished from or were killed in the area in 2017, a situation that raised speculation of a serial killer. Several other disappearances have been reported since 1998, The News & Observer reported.
A representative from the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office didn’t immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for additional information about Lawrence’s disappearance on Monday.
This story was originally published October 18, 2021 at 2:36 PM with the headline "‘Suspicious disappearance’ of NC woman sends investigators searching for clues, cops say."
