Four years ago, Brooke graduated from high school and was starting her summer vacation. She was a beautiful, blonde, teenager with her whole life ahead of her. She liked country music, wearing little dresses with her cowboy boots, hanging out with her friends, and riding horses. Like many others in our area, she went to a party out in a field with people she'd known all her life. There is only one public high school in our town. Her friends were people she'd grown up with. Later that night, she caught a ride home with someone and, after getting creeped out by something that was going on, pleaded with other friends to come and get her. By 7am, she was gone. She has not been seen or heard from since. By now, she might be graduating from college. She could have a husband or children.
We are a small town. It is an artsy community where we still have folk dances on Saturday nights and traditional Applalachian crafts are made right on Main Street. Very little crime, although drug abuse is rampant, as it is is many rural places these days. The Appalachian Mountains encircle the county, providing foilage and cliffs. Once a year, school is let out for "Mountain Day" so that the students can go hiking. Everyone knows each other. We don't have big chain stores-just a Walmart-and everything still closes down on Sunday.
Brooke's disappearance is something that many of us cannot wrap our heads around.
This case is totally solvable. However, given our terrain and geographical limits, I do not believe her body will be found by accident. Not only do we have thousands of acres of forest, but we have hundreds of creeks, lakes, and ponds here. And a massive cave system-not to mention countless old wells and cisterns. From the last point she was seen on Dillon Court, within 20 minutes someone could have been in the forest, at a lake, to the river, in a cave, etc. There have been many searches on 4-wheelers, foot, and horseback but so far no clues have been uncovered.
I continue to hope that someone cracks and talks. I have a strong feeling that more than one person was involved in what happened. Whether it was an accidental death that was covered up out of fear or a more insidious attack, I hope that one day the heavy burden of guilt will weigh someone down and that they'll speak up. Brooke deserves to be found.