Mother of Kristi Cornwell Plea to Letter Writer on You Tube

The six month anniversary of the disappearance of Kristi Cornwell is today, February 11.  Kristi was last heard from at approximately 9:00 pm on August 11 while walking on Jones Creek Road in Blairsville, Georgia.
 
In December, a sketch and vehicle description was released of a man involved in an incident in Ranger, North Carolina (Cherokee County) where a woman was attacked by a man driving a late model Nissan Xterra. Investigators believe that the Ranger incident and Kristi’s disappearance could be related.

In January, the Cherokee County, NC Sheriff’s Office and the Union County Sheriff’s Office received an anonymous letter from a woman who said the sketch of the Ranger suspect looked like her grandson and that the grandson drove a Nissan Xterra. The letter writer indicated her grandson was in that area of western North Carolina during the time of both incidents.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office, The Cherokee County, N. C. Sheriff’s Office and the GBI are pursuing the possible connection of these cases.  

A video of Jo Ann Cornwell, Mother of Kristi, pleading for the grandmother to come forward is attached.  The video will be posted on the web sites of the Cherokee, N. C. Sheriff’s Office, kristicornwell.com and the GBI’s web site under News and Events.  All agencies are hoping that the letter writer will come forward so investigators can move forward to either prove or disprove the connection of the grandson to Kristi’s disappearance and/or to the assault in Ranger.

The letter is considered evidence at this time and will not be released due to the investigative value.  

Anyone with any possible information on the letter writer or the grandson is asked to contact the GBI at 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), the Union County Sheriff’s Office at 706-439-6080 or the Cherokee County North Carolina Sheriff’s Office at 828-835-4152.
# # # # #

You Tube Link

Return to Homepage

Return to Homepage

A Plea from Kristi Cornwell’s Mother

 I am pleading with the writer of the anonymous letter, sent to the Cherokee County North Carolina and the Union County Georgia Sheriffs’ departments, concerning the abduction of Kristi Cornwell and her grandson’s possible connection, to please come forward. I know how hard it would be to implicate your own grandson in such a horrible crime. I am a grandmother too, and I can certainly understand your love for your grandson and wanting to protect him.

But, I am asking you to put yourself in my shoes, a mother, who gave birth to a precious baby girl 39 years ago. I know you must remember what it felt like to hold your baby in your arms for the first time. Remember the overwhelming love that you felt at that moment, and that a mother continues to feel no matter how old their child is. A mother loves their child so much that they would gladly give their life to protect her/him from all harm. But, I was not able to protect Kristi on August 11, 2009. She went for a short walk and never returned home.

My heart is breaking! It not only is breaking for myself, but for Kristi’s 15 year-old son. The last time he saw his mama was the morning she dropped him off at school on the day of her abduction. My heart breaks when I think about whether Kristi is cold, hungry or being abused.

 So, I beg you as the grandmother of Kristi’s possible abductor, to rid yourself of the guilt you must be feeling, knowing you may have the information that could lead us to Kristi. Please come forward and end the nightmare our family is going through!

 Jo Ann Cornwell – Kristi’s mother

Return to Homepage

Return to Homepage

DECATUR, GA – The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are asking the publics’ help in identifying the man in a sketch who attacked a woman whose vehicle broke down off Highway 441 North in Morgan County last June. The victim in this case feels the sketch of the Ranger, North Carolina suspect looks similar to her attacker. 
(see previous news release)
An investigator with the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office contacted the GBI’s Milledgeville Office this week after seeing news reports of the sketch of the Ranger suspect. 
According to Morgan County Sheriff’s investigators, the woman’s vehicle became disabled on Highway 441 approximately 10 miles north of I-20 at around 5:30pm on Friday, June 5. As she was repairing the vehicle by removing and replacing the battery cables, she was accosted from behind.  The victim fought off the attacker and fled the area in her car without seeing the suspect’s vehicle.  GBI Forensic Artist Marla Lawson completed a sketch of the suspect with the assistance of the victim.  A copy of the sketch is attached. The suspect is described as a white male; 5’ 6” to 5’ 7” tall; slim build; with short, light brown hair.  He has a strong jaw line and a dimple in his chin. He was wearing a white T-shirt and beige colored shorts that came down below his knees.  The only age estimate she could provide was that he was “young looking”.
During an interview with the victim yesterday by the GBI and Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, she indicated that the Ranger sketch looked similar to her attacker.
The GBI and Morgan County Sheriff’s Office are pursuing the possibility of a connection between this incident and the incident in Ranger and the disappearance of Kristi Cornwell. 
The GBI has issued a Criminal Intelligence Bulletin to law enforcement nation-wide on these 3 incidents.
Investigators are asking anyone with information on the possible identity of the man in the sketch to please call the GBI Tip Line at 1-800-597-TIPS (8477) or the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office at 706-342-1507.

Update on the Kristi Cornwell Missing Persons Investigation

Monday, December 7, 2009

Contact: John Bankhead – 404-270-8330

CLEVELAND, GA – As result of the ongoing investigation by the Union County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation into the disappearance of Kristi Cornwell, investigators are asking for the publics’ help in identifying the man in a sketch who was involved in an incident in Ranger, North Carolina in early August. Ranger is 25 miles from the site where Kristi disappeared. The timing and the vehicle description involved in this incident indicate a possible connection to Kristi’s disappearance. 

Kristi Cornwell was last heard from at approximately 9:00 pm on August 11 while walking on Jones Creek Road in Blairsville, Georgia. 

The incident in Ranger occurred around 9:00pm on August 2 while a woman was walking along a road toward the Ranger Community Center.  A vehicle pulled up behind her and knocked her to the ground. A man got out of the vehicle and as he approached the woman, another car drove up and the man left.  As the man drove by, the woman, who was not seriously injured, saw his profile since the driver’s side window was rolled down.  She also noticed that the vehicle is a silver, late model SUV. The North Carolina State Patrol was notified and interviewed the woman, but no report was filed.  

After media reports of Kristi’s disappearance included that a white or light colored SUV was seen in that area of Union County the evening of August 11, the woman called the tip line to report what had happened to her. 

With the assistance from the Cherokee County North Carolina Sheriff’s Offices and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, GBI agents have been pursuing this lead.  GBI Forensic Artist Marla Lawson completed a sketch of the Ranger suspect based on the woman’s description. She indicated that he is a white male in his mid-20’s with dark hair.

The woman also told agents that the vehicle was a silver, late model Nissan Xterra with tinted windows and with a brush guard on the front.

Using the sketch and vehicle description, authorities conducted numerous neighborhood canvasses in Cherokee County but were not successful in developing solid leads.  It was also determined that between 400 and 500 vehicles matching the suspect vehicle are registered in that area of North Carolina.

Investigators are now asking anyone with information on the possible identity of the man in the sketch or on the Nissan Xterra to please call the GBI Tip Line at 1-800-597-TIPS (8477).

To date, GBI agents have conducted 1,168 individual, documented investigative acts as part of this continuing investigation.  This does not include the 11 days of active searching for Kristi during August in Union County by numerous local, state and federal agencies.  Six hundred and sixty-four (664) tips were called in to the tip line and investigated.  The neighborhood canvassing involved conducting interviews at 450 houses in the area. The GBI case file is now 32 volumes and continues to expand as additional information is developed and thoroughly investigated.

The disappearance of Kristi Cornwell has been and will continue to be an investigative priority for the GBI and the Union County Sheriff’s Office.

December 7, 2009 Press Conference

Lynn Gooch assists with his Brantly

Lynn Gooch has volunteered his Brantly helicopter several times since August 11th.   Jo Ann Cornwell and Lynn’s wife, Sandra Gooch, worked together as teachers at Union County Elementary School.  This is an example of the ongoing and limitless support offered to the Cornwell family in this time of crisis.  Click here for video.

Return to Homepage