NC NC - Miles McCarthy, 34, Winston Salem, last seen near Belews Lake, 27 Feb 2025

[Curious_in_NC]

The search continues for a 34-year-old woman who was last heard from on Thursday afternoon, according to the Winston-Salem Police Department. McCarthy is approximately 5'8" tall and 160 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Police said McCarthy's car was confirmed to be found at Belews Lake, which is believed to be the last place she was seen.

MSN

 

[Sweet Liberty My Arm!]

The mere location of where the car was found is unsettling

 

[swanniee11]

reading around with comments from loved ones Miles also goes by Mia and the dog is safe. All IMO
bringing MSM for pictures etc

https://myfox8.com/news/north-carolina/piedmont-triad/public-asked-to-help-find-missing-woman-at-belews-lake-by-forsyth-county-officials/?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&fbclid=IwY2xjawI16E5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHfkzOo258Mvg6iQTbP5vC0Mi-mmeWsGnweXploGRgC6_TRozSaeh3oUQCg_aem_KdyeWLVt5cLtCU-6PNb9HQ

Triad officials searching for 34-year-old Winston-Salem woman

Officers, along with the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office, said Miles McCarthy was last seen leaving the 400 block of South Sunset Drive on Thursday.

www.wxii12.com

some video of the search

 

[Vern_S]

The Winston-Salem Police Department (WSPD) and the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) continue to ask for the public’s help in locating Miles Austin McCarthy. Ms. McCarthy is a 34-year-old white female, approximately 5’8” tall and 160 lbs, with brown hair and brown eyes. She was last heard from Thursday afternoon. Ms. McCarthy’s car was confirmed to be found at Belews Lake which we believe is the last place she was seen.

Since Ms. McCarthy was reported missing, police have employed extensive search methods, including drones, K9 units, foot patrols, site checks, water searches, and media notifications, with help from family and community members. This is a collaborative effort across many jurisdictions due to the size of Belews Lake. We appreciate the continued efforts of our partners including local law enforcement and fire departments in neighboring counties.

Winston-Salem Police Department

🚨 MISSING PERSON ALERT 🚨 The Winston-Salem Police Department (WSPD) and the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) continue to ask for the public’s help in locating Miles Austin McCarthy. Ms....

www.facebook.com

 

[dalsglen]

That comment by CW is interesting.

 

[GraceG]

In 2018 Miles legally changed their name from Mia Caroline McCarthy to Miles Austin McCarthy From NC Judicial Records. Smart Search - eCourts Portal

Case No. 18SP001052-400
IN THE MATTER OF MIA CAROLINE MCCARTHY
Guilford Clerk of Superior Court
Filed on: 05/25/2018
Case Type: Name Change
06/01/2018 Disposed - Clerk of Superior Court
File Date 05/25/2018
Petitioner
MCCARTHY, MIA CAROLINE
Alias MCCARTHY, MILES AUSTIN
Cause of Action SP - Name Change (Action - 2018-05-25)
Filed By MCCARTHY, MIA CAROLINE
Dispositions 06/01/2018
Granted in Whole or Part SP - Name Change : Action - 2018-05-25

Miles has an open (upcoming hearing) case - criminal traffic for doing 86 mph in a 60 zone with no operator's license. Hearing is upcoming in April.

Case No. 25CR005644-400
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA VS MILES AUSTIN MCCARTHY
Location: Guilford District Court
Filed on: 02/27/2025
Appear by: 04/28/2025
Case InformationCase Type: Criminal
Case Status: 02/27/2025 Pending
Offense Citation Statute Degree Offense Date Filed Date
1. NO OPERATORS LICENSE 82J7302 G.S. 20-7(A) M3 02/27/2025 02/27/2025
Agency: Greensboro Police Department Greensboro, NC, 27402
2. SPEEDING 82J7302 G.S. 20-141(J1) M3 02/27/2025 02/27/2025
Agency: Greensboro Police Department
Actual Speed: 86 Speed Limit: 60 School Zone: No Construction Zone: No
Defendant
MCCARTHY, MILES AUSTIN
1202 MILLER ST
WINSTON SALEM, NC 27103
White Female Height: 5′ 8″
State STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
Hearings 04/28/2025 Disposition Hearing (eCitation) (8:15 AM) Location 400-GB1B Guilford Co. Courthouse Greensboro, Courtroom GB1B

 

[Vern_S]

In 2018 Miles legally changed their name from Mia Caroline McCarthy to Miles Austin McCarthy From NC Judicial Records. Smart Search - eCourts Portal

Case No. 18SP001052-400
IN THE MATTER OF MIA CAROLINE MCCARTHY
Guilford Clerk of Superior Court
Filed on: 05/25/2018
Case Type: Name Change
06/01/2018 Disposed - Clerk of Superior Court
File Date 05/25/2018
Petitioner
MCCARTHY, MIA CAROLINE
Alias MCCARTHY, MILES AUSTIN
Cause of Action SP - Name Change (Action - 2018-05-25)
Filed By MCCARTHY, MIA CAROLINE
Dispositions 06/01/2018
Granted in Whole or Part SP - Name Change : Action - 2018-05-25

Miles has an open (upcoming hearing) case - criminal traffic for doing 86 mph in a 60 zone with no operator's license. Hearing is upcoming in April.

Case No. 25CR005644-400
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA VS MILES AUSTIN MCCARTHY
Location: Guilford District Court
Filed on: 02/27/2025
Appear by: 04/28/2025
Case InformationCase Type: Criminal
Case Status: 02/27/2025 Pending
Offense Citation Statute Degree Offense Date Filed Date
1. NO OPERATORS LICENSE 82J7302 G.S. 20-7(A) M3 02/27/2025 02/27/2025
Agency: Greensboro Police Department Greensboro, NC, 27402
2. SPEEDING 82J7302 G.S. 20-141(J1) M3 02/27/2025 02/27/2025
Agency: Greensboro Police Department
Actual Speed: 86 Speed Limit: 60 School Zone: No Construction Zone: No
Defendant
MCCARTHY, MILES AUSTIN
1202 MILLER ST
WINSTON SALEM, NC 27103
White Female Height: 5′ 8″
State STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
Hearings 04/28/2025 Disposition Hearing (eCitation) (8:15 AM) Location 400-GB1B Guilford Co. Courthouse Greensboro, Courtroom GB1B

Very interesting information. So the day Miles went missing was the same day that the offense in Greensboro happened. From what I can determine from news reports, nothing has been found on Belews Lake. No paddleboard or any sign that Miles was actually on the water. Just the car parked at the boat ramp and a pair of shoes.

 

[Angelcat13]

In 2018 Miles legally changed their name from Mia Caroline McCarthy to Miles Austin McCarthy From NC Judicial Records. Smart Search - eCourts Portal

Case No. 18SP001052-400
IN THE MATTER OF MIA CAROLINE MCCARTHY
Guilford Clerk of Superior Court
Filed on: 05/25/2018
Case Type: Name Change
06/01/2018 Disposed - Clerk of Superior Court
File Date 05/25/2018
Petitioner
MCCARTHY, MIA CAROLINE
Alias MCCARTHY, MILES AUSTIN
Cause of Action SP - Name Change (Action - 2018-05-25)
Filed By MCCARTHY, MIA CAROLINE
Dispositions 06/01/2018
Granted in Whole or Part SP - Name Change : Action - 2018-05-25

Miles has an open (upcoming hearing) case - criminal traffic for doing 86 mph in a 60 zone with no operator's license. Hearing is upcoming in April.

Case No. 25CR005644-400
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA VS MILES AUSTIN MCCARTHY
Location: Guilford District Court
Filed on: 02/27/2025
Appear by: 04/28/2025
Case InformationCase Type: Criminal
Case Status: 02/27/2025 Pending
Offense Citation Statute Degree Offense Date Filed Date
1. NO OPERATORS LICENSE 82J7302 G.S. 20-7(A) M3 02/27/2025 02/27/2025
Agency: Greensboro Police Department Greensboro, NC, 27402
2. SPEEDING 82J7302 G.S. 20-141(J1) M3 02/27/2025 02/27/2025
Agency: Greensboro Police Department
Actual Speed: 86 Speed Limit: 60 School Zone: No Construction Zone: No
Defendant
MCCARTHY, MILES AUSTIN
1202 MILLER ST
WINSTON SALEM, NC 27103
White Female Height: 5′ 8″
State STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
Hearings 04/28/2025 Disposition Hearing (eCitation) (8:15 AM) Location 400-GB1B Guilford Co. Courthouse Greensboro, Courtroom GB1B

I know laws in each State vary, but in my State if a person is pulled over and found to be operating a motor vehicle without a license the vehicle is impounded/towed. The vehicle cannot be released until the owner receives a Release from the police, which is only issued when the owner provides police with proof of registration and insurance AND there is in authorized, licensed driver who will drive the vehicle. This may be waived if the vehicle is registered and insured and there is another licensed driver in the vehicle (or immediately available) who is authorized to drive the vehicle.

This makes me wonder what the law is in NC because it sounds like she was allowed to remain in possession of the vehicle. Does she actually HAVE a license and just wasn’t in possession of it at the time of the stop or was there someone else with her (or that responded to the scene) and this is why the vehicle wasn’t impounded? If there was another person, who was it and what is their story - specific to this incident and in general.

Also, does she have any history of vehicular offenses? I’m not asking this to be judgmental, rather I’m wondering if she doesn’t typically “get in trouble” could this have upset her to the point where she may have wanted to disappear for awhile (but how did she do this if she left her without her vehicle?) or (hopefully not) harmed herself?

 

[Vern_S]

If you give the police your identifying information and they can verify you have a valid license, they won't arrest you or impound the vehicle. Many people are pulled over and realize they forgot their wallet or purse at home. Your identification will come up for verification when the officer puts the information in the system on their laptop. If all checks out, you are given a ticket for not having it on you. When in court, you show your license to the judge and this charge gets dropped. This is in all states. When you do not have a valid operator license, or it's suspended, or you refuse to truthfully identify yourself, that is when your arrested and the vehicle impounded.

 

[Angelcat13]

If you give the police your identifying information and they can verify you have a valid license, they won't arrest you or impound the vehicle. Many people are pulled over and realize they forgot their wallet or purse at home. Your identification will come up for verification when the officer puts the information in the system on their laptop. If all checks out, you are given a ticket for not having it on you. When in court, you show your license to the judge and this charge gets dropped. This is in all states. When you do not have a valid operator license, or it's suspended, or you refuse to truthfully identify yourself, that is when your arrested and the vehicle impounded.

100% Agree! That’s what I mentioned in the 2nd paragraph of my post. My husband tows for our State Police & the Prosecutor’s Office so I’m very used to these types of stops.

 

[mlhenn]

Search continues for missing Winston-Salem woman; car found at Belews lake

The search for 34-year-old Miles Austin McCarthy continues as law enforcement agencies intensify efforts around Belews Lake, where her car was found on Friday.M

abc45.com

Missing People In America

She was last heard from Thursday afternoon. Ms. McCarthy’s car was confirmed to be found at Belews Lake which we believe is the last place she was seen. MISSING Miles McCarthy 📍 Location:...

www.facebook.com

 

[GraceG]

That comment by CW is interesting.

I wouldn't read too much into that. Yes, dogs can detect a body in water, even dogs that aren't trained as cadaver dogs, The scent early on would be gases from decomp in bubbles (or dissolved in the water) droplets of liquid dissolved in the water, and solids consisting of buoyant particulates with various bodily secretions and bacteria. Wind, splashing or any wave action on the water can increase that. However, given the day of the disappearance, and the time the woman said her dog acted strangely around the water, I don't think enough time had elapsed in the stages of decomp assuming death occurred on the initial day, for a non cadaver dog to detetct anything. Just my opinion though - I've seen some SAR dogs in the field do some pretty amazing things.

 

[Vern_S]

Here is what we know.

• Miles was last seen Thursday morning leaving the 400 block of South Sunset Drive in Winston-Salem, heading towards Belews Lake.
• Miles was last heard from on Thursday of last week around 3:15 p.m. from a family member.
• Miles was ticketed in Greensboro for doing 86 mph in a 60 zone with no operator's license.

According to a popular people search website that I have found to be very accurate, Miles lives in Garner NC which is just south of Raleigh. Her mother lives at the Miller Street address in Winston-Salem which is in the citation listed in a prior post. She used to live there.

Lets piece together a possible timeline.

• Miles leaves her home in Garner, NC heading to her mothers home on Miller St in Winston-Salem.
• While passing through Greensboro on I-40, she is pulled over at 10:17am and ticked per the citation listed in a prior post.
• Miles arrives at her mothers house sometime in the late morning. Possibly to drop of her dog.
• Miles heads out of her mothers neighborhood taking a route up S Sunset Dr. to Queen Street, then to Lockland Ave to get on 421 towards Belews Lake. Maybe there was traffic on Peters Creek Pkwy and she took this backway onto 421.
• Miles arrives at Belews Lake sometime late morning, early afternoon.
• At 3:15pm, Miles contacts a family member.

 

[GraceG]

(redacted for brevity)

Also, does she have any history of vehicular offenses? I’m not asking this to be judgmental, rather I’m wondering if she doesn’t typically “get in trouble” could this have upset her to the point where she may have wanted to disappear for awhile (but how did she do this if she left her without her vehicle?) or (hopefully not) harmed herself?

Angelcat13: Miles does have one other vehicular charge which I didn't list as I didn't think it pertinent. A speeding ticket from 2017 for which she paid a small fine (9 mph over the speed limit). That doesn't mean there aren't charges in other states, as I only checked North Carolina.

For ref - that one is Case No. 17IF712015-400 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA VS MIA CAROLINE MCCARTHY (use the link below then search with the name "Mia")

The No Operators License charge from the day they went missing was NOT for not having the license in their possession but not holding a license. The citation (which I have attached) from the court record previously linked (click on the the little pdf symbol in the case notes), states "operate a motor vehicle on a street or highway without being licensed by the Division of Motor Vehicles of the State of North Carolina".

Link is: Smart Search - eCourts Portal

 

[Vern_S]

Angelcat13: Miles does have one other vehicuylar charge which I didn't list as I didn't think it pertinent. A speeding ticket from 2017 for which she paid a small fine (9 mph over the speed limit). That doesn't mean there aren't charges in other states, as I only checked North Carolina.

For ref - that one is Case No. 17IF712015-400 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA VS MIA CAROLINE MCCARTHY

The No Operators License charge from the day they went missing was NOT for not having the license in their possession but not holding a license. The citation (which I will try and attach) from the court record previously linked (the little pdf symbol in the case notes), states "operate a motor vehicle on a street or highway without being licensed by the Division of Motor Vehicles of the State of North Carolina".

Thank you for the report. I can now add a time of the citation to my timeline above.

 

[Curious_in_NC]

Thanks everyone for finding all the info. I travel that route a lot. For perspective, the Guilford College exit where she was ticketed is just before where westbound "old" I-40 through Greensboro intersects with 421 and 840 and expands to 4 or 5 lanes wide with a higher speed limit. It's not unusual for GPD to be checking speeds there as I-40 is typically the quickest route through Greensboro during the day despite its lower speed limits.

Also fwiw, after several earlier winter storms in central NC, that day was a fairly pleasant partly cloudy day with a high in the 60s, so not an unusual day to go to a lake.

 

[Angelcat13]

Very interesting information. So the day Miles went missing was the same day that the offense in Greensboro happened. From what I can determine from news reports, nothing has been found on Belews Lake. No paddleboard or any sign that Miles was actually on the water. Just the car parked at the boat ramp and a pair of shoes.

View attachment 568693
View attachment 568697

IMO the placement of the shoes seems odd. Did she place them like that? Did someone find them near the car and place them there hoping the person to whom they belonged would see them before driving off? Did the photographer place them there so they would be included with the picture of the car?

 

[Angelcat13]

Here is what we know.

• Miles was last seen Thursday morning leaving the 400 block of South Sunset Drive in Winston-Salem, heading towards Belews Lake.
• Miles was last heard from on Thursday of last week around 3:15 p.m. from a family member.
• Miles was ticketed in Greensboro for doing 86 mph in a 60 zone with no operator's license.

According to a popular people search website that I have found to be very accurate, Miles lives in Garner NC which is just south of Raleigh. Her mother lives at the Miller Street address in Winston-Salem which is in the citation listed in a prior post. She used to live there.

Lets piece together a possible timeline.

• Miles leaves her home in Garner, NC heading to her mothers home on Miller St in Winston-Salem.
• While passing through Greensboro on I-40, she is pulled over at 10:17am and ticked per the citation listed in a prior post.
• Miles arrives at her mothers house sometime in the late morning. Possibly to drop of her dog.
• Miles heads out of her mothers neighborhood taking a route up S Sunset Dr. to Queen Street, then to Lockland Ave to get on 421 towards Belews Lake. Maybe there was traffic on Peters Creek Pkwy and she took this backway onto 421.
• Miles arrives at Belews Lake sometime late morning, early afternoon.
• At 3:15pm, Miles contacts a family member.

View attachment 568814

View attachment 568815

I wonder what the nature of the 3:15 PM “contact” with the family member was - call/text, content?

 

[Angelcat13]

Angelcat13: Miles does have one other vehicular charge which I didn't list as I didn't think it pertinent. A speeding ticket from 2017 for which she paid a small fine (9 mph over the speed limit). That doesn't mean there aren't charges in other states, as I only checked North Carolina.

For ref - that one is Case No. 17IF712015-400 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA VS MIA CAROLINE MCCARTHY (use the link below then search with the name "Mia")

The No Operators License charge from the day they went missing was NOT for not having the license in their possession but not holding a license. The citation (which I have attached) from the court record previously linked (click on the the little pdf symbol in the case notes), states "operate a motor vehicle on a street or highway without being licensed by the Division of Motor Vehicles of the State of North Carolina".

Link is: Smart Search - eCourts Portal

Thanks for the clarification. You’ve done a great job at researching this! I wonder why she was allowed to continue to remain in possession of/operate the vehicle as opposed to the vehicle being impounded? Is there anyone on here that is local that may be able to add some insight into this?

 

[Vern_S]

When I conduct an investigation, I theorize each of the 4 possible outcomes. Accident, Self-Harm, Cognitive Impairment (Dementia/Alzheimer's), and Foul-Play. Each one of these affect how a search is conducted. In this case, we can skip Cognitive Impairment.

Belews Lake.
This lake can get quite deep. According to my Garmin Lake Maps, just off of Piney Bluff Boat Launch the depth is 45ft. Going north of the Belews Creek bridge the depth steadily increases to 65ft at the first bend, 85ft at the second bend, 105ft at the third bend, and 145ft where the lake intersects another branch. This is the deepest of the entire lake. It's like a deep hole at the 145ft area. The lake south of the boat launch gets very shallow in a short distance. About 5ft.

This will be a difficult lake to search even with sonar.

Accident.
Looking at the photo released with Miles on an inflatable paddleboard, safety appears to be a priority. A Personal Floatation Device (PFD) is being worn and the dog appears to have a PFD as well. You normally paddleboard close to shore. If Miles fell off the paddleboard and slipped out of the PFD, or was not wearing it, the paddleboard would still be left on the surface. From what I can determine, no sign of her on the water has been found. I think an accident is unlikely.

Self-Harm. (Please Be Respectful. This may be an emotional point of discussion for some. Let's leave politics out.)
There are a number of things that indicate to me that self-harm is a strong possibility. From the name change information previously posted, it would appear that Miles is Transgender. Given the current political environment, it is an emotionally difficult time for transgender people. Transgender people are also a high risk category for self-harm.

More than 40% of transgender adults in the US have attempted suicide

Miles NC drivers license is probably under the prior name of "Mia Caroline McCarthy". When pulled over, Miles appears to have given the changed name, "Miles Austin McCarthy", which is probably not in the NC drivers database. Thus, the citation for "No Operators License". It may be that Miles never changed the license information since, I believe, NC will only recognize birth certificate gender.

Miles did not have the dog at the time. As I have mentioned in my timeline post, the dog was probably left at the mothers house prior to going to Belews Lake.

The way the shoes were left leaned up against the driver side front tire may be a farewell statement.

One could paddle to a deep section of lake and let the air out of the inflatable paddleboard.

Foul-Play.
At this time, given what is publicly known, I do not think there is an element of foul-play.

I am making preparations to go to Belews Lake tomorrow. With as deep as the water gets, Sidescan sonar may be difficult to see objects at these depths. I have the latest Garmin Livescope multi-scan sonar that would be more beneficial. My ROV's can go to a depth of over 300ft.