Missing persons cases are some of the most frustrating, not knowing where the people are and what happened to them. There are many cities that have unsolved missing persons cases, and Augusta is one of those cities.
According to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), in Georgia, there are 425 missing persons cases that are still open. And there are as many as 600,000 people reported missing annually in the United States.
Those are scary numbers. Some of the missing persons cases are resolved and people are found alive and well. In other cases, the ending isn’t always a good one. There are some that end with remains being found, and yet, there are others that become long-term, or cold, cases.
Missing Persons Cases
As someone who watches, listens to, and reads about a lot of true crime, the stories that stick with me are the missing persons cases. It’s mind-blowing to think that a person can just vanish without a trace. I can’t imagine what the families of these people have to deal with.
When a loved one goes missing, you want to do whatever you can to find them. There are cases where law enforcement tells the family they have to wait a certain period of time before they can report a missing person. This is especially true when it comes to adults who go missing. It’s often thought that those people left on their own and will soon return.
Those stories bother me because the family feels they know the person well enough to know they wouldn’t leave like that. And by the time the search starts, it often feels too late. Then days, weeks, months, and years pass with no answers.
There are families who never get the closure they seek. It’s a heartbreaking reality. Currently, NamUs has over 24,000 open missing persons cases. While Georgia has 425 open cases, there are 701 resolved cases.
Upon searching just the Augusta area, there are currently 18 missing persons cases on the NamUs website. Let’s take a look at the 5 oldest cases for the area.
Oldest Missing Persons Cases In Augusta
Mary Kay Radford
The oldest missing persons case in Augusta on the NamUs website is for Mary Kay Radford. She was last seen on March 28, 1974. At the time of her disappearance, Radford was 23 years old. Today, she would be 73 years old.
Mary Kay Radford is a white female with blonde/strawberry hair. Her hair was light blonde and shoulder length when she disappeared. She was between 5’0″ and 5’5″ tall and weighed between 95 and 105 pounds. She had a scar on the back of her right arm and a scar on her right shoulder blade.
Radford was known to wear wigs and was thought to be wearing white pants without pockets and a green body suit.
Her live-in boyfriend reportedly dropped her off at their shared residence. When he returned later, she was not there and hasn’t been seen since.
Other names/aliases: Kay Medlin and Kay Tudor.
Photo: NamUs Database
Becky Annette (Edmondson) Minish
Becky Annette Edmondson was last seen on March 17, 1987. She was 19 at the time of her disappearance. And she would be 56 years old today. Becky is a white female with blonde, shoulder-length hair and blue eyes. She was between 5’9″ and 5’11” and weighed between 145 and 155 pounds. Becky was carrying a blue denim purse and wearing a white shirt, black slacks, and white tennis shoes. Becky was last seen leaving her job at a fast-food restaurant on Wrightsboro Road. A few days later, her car was found at the Wrightsboro Road exit on Bobby Jones Expressway. The car was found with one flat tire. The door of the vehicle had been pried open and the steering column was smashed.
Photo: NamUs Database
Jeannette and Dannette Millbrook
Of all missing persons cases in Augusta, this was the most well-known case I found. I had heard about these twins missing from a podcast.
Dannette Latonia Millbrook and Jeannette Latrice Millbrook were last seen on March 18, 1990. The paternal twins were 15 years old when they went missing, and would be 50 years old today.
The girls walked into a Pump-N-Shop gas station at the corner of 12th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Augusta. They bought chips and a drink and were never seen again.
Dannette is described as 5’5″ to 5’7″ tall, weighing between 120 to 140 pounds. She has brown eyes and jeri curls to her shoulders. She was believed to be wearing a white Mickey Mouse t-shirt and white jean pants with black shoes.
Dannette Millbrook – photo taken around the age of 15.
Dannette Millbrook – age progression photo of Dannette at age 39. Photo from 2013.
Jeannette is described as 5’3″ to 5’5″ tall, weighing between 115 and 135 pounds. Like her sister, Jeannette also has brown eyes and jeri curls to her shoulders. She was believed to be wearing a white turtleneck with a blue pullover shirt, a beige skirt, white stockings, and white tennis shoes.
Jeannette Millbrook – photo taken between 1988 and 1990.
Age progression photo. Jeannette around age 39 (photo from 2013).
Daniel Alan Birchfield
Daniel Alan Birchfield was last seen on September 20, 1991. He was 30 years old at the time of his disappearance, which means he’d be 63 today.
He often went by Danny, and is described as being between 5’0″ and 6’0″ tall, weight between 100 and 190 pounds. He had blonde hair and a mustache.
Danny was last seen leaving his home on Stoneybrook Drive in Richmond County. He was accompanied by 2 unidentified men, and left his wallet behind. His family said it was uncharacteristic of Danny to not contact his loved ones. According to NamUs, a relative didn’t report him missing until 1993 – 2 years after he was last seen.
Photo: NamUs Database
Sadie Ruth Edney
Sadie Ruth Edney was last seen on May 11, 1992. She was 75 years old at the time of her disappearance.
Sadie was 5’3″ tall and weighed 135 pounds. She had brown eyes and her hair was partially gray and black.
Saide was last seen leaving her residence at Clanton Personal Care Home on Clanton Road in Augusta around noon on May 11th. A witness reported seeing her walking on Highway 56 shortly after her disappearance, but that was never confirmed. No other leads throughout the years have led to her being found.
Photo: NamUs Database
