The Search for Kristi Cornwell

Kristi Cornwell disappeared three months ago while taking an evening walk on Jones Creek Road, a short distance from her parents house near the small North Georgia town of Blairsville. She was speaking to her boyfriend on her cell phone when she saw a white SUV following her. Her boyfriend heard her screaming when they grabbed her. He immediately called 911 but when police arrived there was no sign of the SUV. Her cell phone was found about three miles up the road, seemingly tossed out the vehicle window. Friends, neighbors, and local law enforcement covered the whole area with ground and air searches. But there were no signs of Kristi. After a week of intense searching, the case has followed the same pattern as all missing persons cases that are not solved quickly. Intense media coverage at first then nothing.

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However, Kristi’s family say they are picking up the search where law enforcement left off. Law enforcement searched about a five mile radias from where Kristi was abducted. The family and friends took over the search from there, working their way out from the abduction site and cell phone site, avoiding the area already searched. A helicopter piloted by ESPN NASCAR Andy Petree was the first to touch down at the helicopter landing site that was marked in a field belonging to the Cornwell family. He agreed to devote some of Thursday afternoon to one of the searches that have been held daily since Kristi disappearance.

Sex offenders in the area have been investigated along with Kristi’s boyfriend and her three ex husbands, and the criminals Kristi supervised when she was probation officer several years ago. All have been cleared.”This is a very difficult case,” said Mike Ayers, the agent in charge of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s office in nearby Cleveland. “It’s so complex. There is very little to go on. No one saw her being abducted. There is not a plethora of physical evidence. After a week of searching the ground crew gave it up. The GBI is still trying to develop leads, Mike said, “At this point we don’t know where Kristi is and we are still trying to find her.”

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The family is offering a $50,000 reward, and family members have appeared on television show,”Americas Most Wanted.” They set up a Kristi Cornwell Web site with a link to paypal for donations.”We believe we are going to bring her home alive.” Her brother, Richard Cornwell said.

The family has funded almost the entire operation. The family Web site also offers for sale buttons, coffee mugs and T-shirts imprinted with Kristi’s picture and the message, “until Kristi comes home” They bought and posted 60,000 post cards with information about Kristi’s abduction and the GBI’s tip line. There is a “pray for Kristi Cornwell” facebook site with 8,550 followers. The Cornwell family is hopeful. They believe Kristi is still alive and they want to find her as quickly as they can.

It is a financial drain on the families of missing persons and most run of money in the first few months. Sad to say most of these families do not find their loved ones alive but they are moved to do everything in their power and not give up. Even if it doesn’t come out with the answer they want.

If you have any knowledge of this abduction or Kristi Cornwell, please call any law officials.