The following is the second installment of a new posting series: Southeast Mysteries. This list contains an unsolved murder or disappearance from the remaining six states in the Southeast region of the United States: Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Links to more detailed write-ups and tip submissions for each case are provided.
SOUTHEAST MYSTERIES: VOLUME TWO.
GEORGIA:
Name: Blake Chappell
Case type: Disappearance and murder.
Age: 17
Dates: Vanished on October 16th, 2011, remains found in December 2011.
Blake Chappell was only 17 years-old when he vanished during the early morning hours of October 16th, 2011. He was last seen alive in Newnan, Georgia. Blake was at his friend Austin's house on the evening of October 15th, where he planned to spend the night. However, at some point between 2:00 AM and 3:00 AM, he snuck out of Austin's house and walked approximately three miles to his girlfriend's house.
Blake reportedly snuck in through his girlfriend's bedroom window around 4:30 AM. About half an hour later, one of his girlfriend's relatives caught Blake in the bedroom. Knowing he was not supposed to be there, Blake quickly left the residence and began walking back toward Austin's house.
During his walk, Blake texted with his girlfriend several times. Around 5:30 AM, he sent her a message saying he was stopped by a police officer who asked where he was going. He sent one final text a few minutes later before ceasing all communication. Blake never arrived back at Austin's house and was never heard from again. His mother reported him missing by 11:00 AM that morning.
Extensive searches for Blake came up empty. Then, over two months later, passersby in Summer Grove spotted human remains in a local creek near East Newnan. Police were called, and the human remains were later identified as that of Blake Chappell. An autopsy revealed that he died of a gunshot wound to the head.
Several years have passed since Blake was found murdered, and the case still remains unsolved. There has been speculation about various potential persons of interest, but at this time, no one has been publicly named as a suspect. In 2024, new search warrants were executed in the case. Said evidence is currently still being analyzed.
If you have any information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of Blake's killer(s), please contact investigators at unsolvedhomicide@cityofnewnan.org.
Read more about Blake's case.
FLORIDA:
Name: Tyvon Whitford
Age: 25
Case type: Murder
Date: June 9th, 2007
Tyvon Whitford was shot to death inside her Hawthorn, Florida home on June 9th, 2007. The 25-year-old woman had moved into the Hawthorn residence just about a month before her life was tragically taken. She was raising a 5-year-old son and was also approximately 6 months pregnant at the time of her death.
On the evening of the murder, Tyvon called 9-1-1 just minutes before she was killed. Unfortunately, the dispatcher was unable to gather any pertinent information before the call was disconnected. A few minutes later, another 9-1-1 call came through - this time from Tyvon's boyfriend. He told dispatchers that he found Tyvon covered in blood. First responders rushed to the scene and found Tyvon suffering from gunshot wounds. Both her and her unborn child would eventually succumb to their injuries.
Tyvon's boyfriend told police that he went to her residence that evening to bring her Tylenol. He has inevitably been looked into as a suspect, but at this time, he has never been called a suspect. In fact, investigators specifically stated that they were unable to put Tyvon's boyfriend "unable to put him or anybody else at the house at the time of the shooting." The only other person at the residence was Tyvon's 5-year-old son, who was asleep when the shooting occurred.
Tyvon's case is considered to be a cold case. Her family is still fighting for answers.
If you have any information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of Tyvon's killer(s), please contact the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office at 386-329-0801.
Read more about Tyvon's case.
MISSISSIPPI:
Name: Sarah Rozniewski (Cooper)
Case type: Missing person
Age at disappearance: 31
Dates: Last seen May 31st, 2021; reported missing March 21st, 2022.
Sarah Rozniewski has been missing since May of 2021. The then-31-year-old was living in St. Martin, Mississippi at the time of her disappearance. Sarah was not reported missing until March 21st, 2022 - after a friend reported to Biloxi Police that she had not seen or heard from Sarah in several months. In fact, none of Sarah's loved ones had heard from her since the previous spring. Family members had already attempted to report her missing months earlier; police reportedly brushed off their concerns, citing that Sarah is an adult and is free to come and go.
Once investigators finally did begin to investigate Sarah's disappearance, it was determined that her last bank activity occurred on May 10th, 2021 - nearly ten months before she was reported missing. According to MissingSippi.org, the last known sighting of Sarah occurred weeks later, on May 31st, 2021, at her apartment in St. Martin. Details about that last sighting have not been disclosed. Sarah has never been seen or heard from again.
Years have passed since Sarah's disappearance, and no trace of her has been found. It's unclear if police have any suspects or persons of interest. Details about the investigation have been kept under wraps, but the case remains open.
If you have any information that could lead to the whereabouts of Sarah Rozniewski, please contact the Jackson County Sheriff's Police Department at (228)769-3024 or submit a tip online.
Read more about Sarah's case.
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ALABAMA:
Name: Sherri Smith
Case type: Murder
Age: 32
Date: November 21st, 2011
During the early morning hours of November 21st, 2011, police in Fairfield, Alabama responded to a local residence after a burglar alarm was triggered. When police arrived on the scene, they found a young woman - eventually identified as Sherri Terese Smith - deceased in the master bedroom. She had been shot and stabbed to death. Her death was immediately classified as a murder.
Although officers responded to Sherri's home after a burglar alarm went off, police were otherwise unable to find any signs of forced entry. Additionally, no other items were missing from the home. As such, investigators ruled out a robbery as a motive.
In fact, police believe that Sherri's murder was personal, and that she knew her killer(s). Investigators reportedly have found DNA on the scene that could lead to the case being solved. However, years have passed, and no persons of interest or suspects have ever been publicly announced.
If you have any information that could lead to the arrest/conviction of Sherri's killer(s), please call the Alabama Attorney General’s Office Cold Case Tip Line at (866) 419-1236, or email coldcasetips@ago.state.al.us.
Read more about Sherri's case.
LOUISIANA:
Case type: Kidnapping and murder
Age: 17
Dates: Kidnapped on July 6th, 2021, remains found July 12th, 2021.
Shamia Little was only 17 years-old when her life was tragically taken in July 2021. She was, reportedly kidnapped from Douglas William Park in Shreveport, Louisiana on July 6th. Shamia went to the park that evening with a male friend.
According to said friend, an unknown man approached him and Shamia around 11:00 PM. The man reportedly pointed a gun at them, took their cell phones, and then led them into a nearby wooded area. At some point, Shamia's friend was able to run away. He then flagged down a police officer parked nearby on Greenwood Road. By this point, Shamia and the gunman were nowhere to be found.
Six days later, Shamia's body was found behind a business in the 4100 block of Curtis Lane. She had been shot to death. Investigators are still searching for Shamia's killer, and the FBI is involved in the case. The friend who was with Shamia the night she was reportedly abducted was questioned at length and has not been identified as a suspect.
Shortly after the news about Shamia's murder broke, investigators announced that they had a suspect. Still, years have passed, and an arrest has yet to be made. The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for anyone with information that could lead to Shamia's killer(s).
If you have any information that could help solve the murder of Shamia Little, please submit a tip.
ARKANSAS:
Case type: Disappearance and murder
Age: 19
Dates: Missing on November 15th, 2006, remains found November 26th.
Tracy Jones disappeared in Little Rock, Arkansas on November 15th, 2006. The 19-year-old woman went missing after being dropped off at a local truck stop where she intended to sell magazine subscriptions to truckers. Tracy was seen talking to several different people at the truck stop throughout the day, but at one point, she seemingly vanished without a trace.
Tracy was reported missing on November 17th, 2006, by Robert Blair, her employer and boyfriend. Days later, on November 26th, Tracy's body was found lying in a ditch in a semi-wooded area off of Highway 61 in Memphis, Tennessee. Her body was partially nude and had been bound with duct tape. An autopsy confirmed Tracy had been sexually assaulted, stabbed, and beaten. She ultimately died from blunt force trauma to the head.
Investigators later revealed that they do not believe Tracy was killed in the location she was found. However, the coroner was unable to determine a time of death. In fact, certain reports state that Tracy was likely killed closer to November 26th than November 15th. This means Tracy was possibly held against her will for days before she was murdered.
The FBI has been involved in the investigation for several years, but Tracy's murder remains unsolved. DNA evidence has been collected, but unfortunately, her killer's identity is still unknown. There is a monetary reward available for information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of Tracy's killer(s).
If you have any information that could help solve Tracy's case, please submit a tip.
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Other installments of this list:
Other area-based mysteries:
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