BY SARAH STEPHENS
OWNER OF ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
I want to address some comments that have been made regarding the original missing person case involving Britta Anne Lashley.
She was last seen in February of 2021. We ran the first missing person report in June of this year. Most recently authorities have said she is no longer considered missing. There is a good possibility it was her body found in Autauga County this week, but it has not been released that it is confirmed.
Yes, she had been missing for a long time. The comments started about “Why didn’t the family report her missing earlier?”
I cannot speak directly on that. But I want to share some personal observations from my more than 30 years now as a reporter.
Back in the late 90s, I was the editor of the Winston County Journal in Louisville, MS.
I need you to remember, this was before social media, so maybe it will make more sense.
I had a phone call one day from a woman, who begged me to help get the word out about her missing brother and his girlfriend. She asked me to come to her home and she would share more information.
I arrived and found about a dozen family members around the kitchen table. The story they shared with me, and now knowing the outcome, still haunts me.
Her brother and his girlfriend had been missing for some time, which was not unusual. The family was very up front that the brother had many issues, and drug addiction was one of them. The sister had gone to the local sheriff’s office for help. But law enforcement was also very familiar with the missing man, and she said they were refusing to help.
The sister told me that she believed he was dead. She asked me a favor. “When he is finally found, all I want to know is if the dollar I gave him is with him.”
She explained that the family had dealt with many issues trying to get their brother help. He would often show up after long periods and ask for money. She had given him a dollar bill at some point and wrote, “I love you. As long as you have this dollar, you are never broken.”
I went to visit the local authorities. They laughed at me and told me I was just wasting time on “that loser” and that he would show up drunk or high eventually.
I pressed the issue, which they were not happy about at all. So, I wrote stories, asking for any information or help that anyone out there could offer. I would get a few tips, and I would pass them along to local law enforcement. Usually, I felt like I was being a nuisance. They were not interested in any information and promised me he “is like a bad penny” and will show up eventually.
He did show up, along with his girlfriend. The couple were murdered and their bodies thrown into a waterway in another county near Jackson, MS.
When I got the news, I went straight back to law enforcement and asked a question. “Did you find a dollar bill on him?”
The officer looked at me surprised. “Yea, we found a dollar bill with some writing on it. What is it to you?”
From there an investigation was started, and I wasn’t very popular with law enforcement in the area. I also reported that the family had no help from them, and they had refused to investigate.
To my knowledge, that case was never solved, but I have been out of Mississippi a very long time.
There have been other comments questioning other cases we have reported on where missing people were involved, and the length of time it took the family to report them missing.
So, let me explain to you from a personal level, that I know all too well how it happens.
There can be a lot of extenuating circumstances. Mental health issues, drug/alcohol addiction, domestic violence, and more can come into play.
Usually, a family member will report a person missing that is dealing with any of these issues. Law enforcement will put out information. The missing person shows back up eventually, and it is learned they willingly walked away, and have not been in touch with their families on purpose.
Then it happens again, and the family reports it, and so on and so on. Eventually law enforcement knows the person, and perhaps they are tired of dealing with it. Sometimes the family doesn’t feel comfortable reporting them missing when this is something that happens so often. It doesn’t mean they are not out looking for them, but they just don’t make a formal report.
It is expected that, eventually, they will show back up again, alive.
But sometimes they don’t.
So as much of a nuisance as it can be for families and law enforcement, every case must be handled on its own merit.
I understand the frustration on a personal level. I have dealt with this exact issue with people I love, many of which are still struggling. I have sat at their coffins in too many instances to share.
The mental health system in this country is broken. This is not a blame game or pointing fingers. It is simply a statement of my personal opinion, with years of trying to get help for people I love who have mental issues and usually drug or alcohol addiction issues.
Yes, there are lights of hope out there, with the possibility of new centers and services coming soon. But mental illness, drug addiction and so many other issues are not going away anytime soon.
So here is what I am asking of you. Before you read something, and you sit behind your phone or your keyboard, count to 10 before you post what you “think.”
I am a little envious of people who are so ignorant and have no idea what it is to deal with a family member or loved one with mental illness, domestic violence or drug/alcohol addiction or repeated threats to commit suicide. I wish I was that ignorant.
I am praying for the family of Britta Anne Lashley. We are awaiting word from law enforcement on whether or not the female body found in Autauga County last week is her.
I want the family to get answers, even if they are very difficult answers. As bad as it is, it will be better than sitting in your house on a rainy and cold night, wondering where they are, praying they are safe. It is better than driving around the sketchiest areas you can imagine, getting out of your car, and knocking on doors. I promise you.
Sarah Stephens is the owner and founder of the Elmore/Autauga News. www.Elmoreautauganews.com
