BY ANNIE HOLLER
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
MCDOWELL — A missing person report was filed with the Floyd County Sheriff’s Department on June 6 by the family of a Floyd County female who has not been seen since May 4, when she was allegedly walking by the old McDowell School.
Brandi Moore, 41, of McDowell, is 5’8” and weighs around 160 pounds. She has green eyes, dark-blonde shoulder-length hair and one tattoo on her lower back, above her waistline.
Moore was last seen by her family May 3 wearing an oversized dark-blue hoodie that reached her knees.
According to her sister-in-law, Julia Moore, Brandi is known to be a “roamer” and would sometimes disappear for a week or so in the past, but has never been away for this length of time without communicating with family members in some fashion.
“When she stopped by our house, she got something to eat, a clean change of clothes and a cold drink and left again on foot,” said Moore. “Never would we have thought it might be the last time we would see her. Brandi, also known as ‘Bam Bam’ by family and friends, has for years roamed the streets, often walking around town and frequenting the same areas. It used to be a normal occurrence for us not to see her but once a week or so, but for us or no one else in our community to not see or hear from her for an extended period of time sends up a red flag that something is definitely wrong.”
The concerned sister-in-law went on to say that the family wants to know only that Brandi is okay and safe.
“It seems that more and more women in our area are going missing,” Moore said. “I’ve read of several that have never been found, or found too late, but you never think it will happen to someone you care about. We just ask that anyone with information please come forward and say something. You can remain anonymous; we don’t care about your identity. And even if you just think you may have seen her during the last few weeks, please report it because every piece of this puzzle matters, no matter how irrelevant it may seem.”
Sgt. Kevin Thacker of the Floyd County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the case. He said if someone comes into contact with Brandi, she is safe to approach and ask whether she is okay. He said they should then immediately report the sighting to law enforcement by calling 606-886-6711.
“The cliché you always hear in these cases is “someone out there knows something,” Moore said. “And that’s the truth. If you know anything about Brandi’s whereabouts or the circumstances that led to her disappearance, be a decent human being and do the right thing and report it. Her family deserves to know the truth. Help bring her home.”