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Police investigating mysterious disappearance of Winchester woman
WINCHESTER — Where is Nanci Britner?
www.winchesterstar.com
Police investigating mysterious disappearance of Winchester woman
WINCHESTER — Where is Nanci Britner?
www.winchesterstar.com
WINCHESTER — Where is Nanci Britner?
The 45-year-old Winchester woman hasn’t been seen or heard from in more than a week, which her family says is completely uncharacteristic for her.
According to Britner’s daughter, Kelsi Britner, and sister, Betsy Chavez, Nanci Britner is caring and compassionate, always looking out for her family and doting on her grandchildren. While she enjoyed partying in her younger days, she is now healthy, happy and sober.
“She’s a homebody,” Chavez said on Thursday. “She’s never done this; she wouldn’t do this,” Kelsi Britner added. “I believe with my whole heart that something happened to her.”
The Winchester Police Department is investigating Nanci Britner’s disappearance but, as of Thursday afternoon, Capt. Frank Myrtle said his office had no leads in the case. “She’s not in any trouble or wanted in connection with any crime,” Myrtle said. “We just want to check her welfare and check her safety.” Nanci Britner has not been seen since June 28. That morning, she picked up a box of food from Victory Church and delivered it to Chavez at her efficiency apartment in the Relax Inn at 2645 Valley Ave.
“Every morning at 6:45 a.m., she would call me and say, ‘Wake up. It’s a beautiful day, don’t waste it,’” said Chavez, who is currently undergoing treatments for cancer and noted that her sister helps to care for her. Chavez said Nanci Britner left the Relax Inn a few hours later to return to her apartment, which is located in the same building where Kelsi Britner and her children live. Kelsi Britner said her mom visited with her and her children until shortly after 6 p.m., then went back to the Relax Inn to see Chavez. Around 11 p.m., Chavez said, Nanci Britner started calling people and asking for a ride home. She was still doing that when Chavez fell asleep sometime around 11:30 p.m.
Chavez said she had told her sister that she was welcome to spend the night with her at the motel, but Nanci Britner was eager to get home because she was expecting a visit from her adult son the next day.
“My mom hadn’t seen him or his kids in almost a year,” Kelsi Britner said of her brother who lives in Morgantown, West Virginia. “She was so excited to see him.” When Chavez woke up the next morning, the door to her room was locked, leading her to believe Nanci Britner had locked it when she left. “The Relax Inn doesn’t have any camera footage from that night,” Kelsi Britner said. “I think whoever picked her up was somebody she knew,” Chavez speculated. “She would have shown up by now,” Kelsi Britner said. “My mom’s the only person who helps me with my kids. She’s always here for my kids.” Family members have tried multiple times to call Nanci Britner on one of her two cellphones but, so far, have had no luck. “I called one of them Thursday morning (June 29) — it went straight to voicemail,” Kelsi Britner said. “The other one I called and it went through, but after that, it was turned off or something.” Kelsi Britner added that investigators with the Winchester Police Department have not been able to ping either of Nanci Britner’s phones so they cannot trace the devices.
The daughter spent the past week putting up flyers with pictures of her mom in hopes that someone will recognize her and reach out to the family, but no one has called. Myrtle said the Winchester Police Department has also posted Nanci Britner’s photo on its Facebook page but has not yet heard from anyone who may have seen her since the night of June 28. “We’re still asking the public to push her picture out and share our post as well,” Myrtle said. “We need to know where she is and if she’s OK,” Chavez said. “We need closure.”
If you have any information that could help investigators locate Nanci Britner, call the Winchester Police Department at 540-662-4131 or the Winchester-Frederick-Clarke Crime Solvers at 540-665-TIPS (8477). Tips can also be submitted via Crime Solvers’ P3 app, which is available as a free download for Apple and Android smartphones.
— Contact Brian Brehm at bbrehm@winchesterstar.com