Current:Home > InvestPolice say a Virginia mom, her 3 kids are missing. Her husband says he's not concerned. -EliteFunds
Police say a Virginia mom, her 3 kids are missing. Her husband says he's not concerned.
Ethermac View
Date:2025-04-09 08:10:32
Police are searching for a Virginia woman and her three children considered missing for about two weeks, though her husband has told a local TV station that his family is fine.
Lauren Elizabeth Cook, 30, was last seen with her three children at the the family's Ferrum home in southwest Virginia at the end of August, and she last spoke with her mother around Sept. 5, according to the Franklin County Sheriff's Office.
Her children are: 2-year-old Elijah, 5-year-old Hannah and 7-year-old Benjamin.
Here's what we know:
Police hunt for ex-NFL player:Ex-NFL player Sergio Brown missing after his mother killed near Chicago-area home
Unsuccessful communication
When Cook's mother last spoke with her daughter on the phone, she said that she and the children were in New York visiting family, sheriff's Sgt. Megan Huston told USA TODAY on Tuesday.
She said that Cook's bank account has had no recent activity and that her cellphone last pinged on Sept. 7 in Lexington, Virginia, about 90 miles northeast of the home she shares with her husband and children in Ferrum, a rural area in the Blue Ridge Mountains with about 2,100 residents.
"Communication efforts with Lauren have been unsuccessful," the sheriff's office posted on its Facebook page on Sept. 13, releasing photos of the family and asking the public for help to find them.
As of Tuesday all three children were listed on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's website.
They may be traveling in a 2013 blue Chrysler van with a Virginia license plate, the non-profit said.
Cops say man faked death to avoid court:'Missing' kayaker faked Louisiana drowning death to avoid child-sex charges
Father: 'I have no reason to be concerned'
Jordan Cook, Lauren Cook's husband and the father of their children, could not be reached by USA TODAY on Tuesday.
But he told WSET-TV that he has heard from his wife since she's been considering missing.
"Contrary to what has been reported, my wife and children are not 'missing,'" the husband said in a statement to the outlet. "I have no reason to be concerned about their safety or well-being. I have heard from my wife, and I'm sure she and my children are doing well. We ask that our family's privacy be respected at this time."
'Still entered as missing'
Despite Jordan Cook's comments, Huston said that the search for the mother and children continues.
"If the husband has had contact with Lauren since then, we aren’t aware of it," Huston said Tuesday. "Lauren Cook and the three children are still entered as missing. Law enforcement (wherever it may be) has to lay eyes on her and the children in order for them to be removed as missing from the system."
Anyone with information about the missing family is asked to contact the Franklin County Sheriff's Office or their local law enforcement agency.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior correspondent for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @nataliealund.
veryGood! (81841)
Related
- Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
- SpaceX prepares to launch its mammoth rocket 'Starship'
- Inside Clean Energy: Vote Solar’s Leader Is Stepping Down. Here’s What He and His Group Built
- Warming Trends: The Climate Atlas of Canada Maps ‘the Harshities of Life,’ Plus Christians Embracing Climate Change and a New Podcast Called ‘Hot Farm’
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- The Biden Administration Rethinks its Approach to Drilling on Public Lands in Alaska, Soliciting Further Review
- Kelsea Ballerini Struck in the Face By Object While Performing Onstage in Idaho
- Businesses face more and more pressure from investors to act on climate change
- Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
- 45 Lululemon Finds I Predict Will Sell Out 4th of July Weekend: Don’t Miss These Buys Starting at $9
Ranking
- Nearly 400 USAID contract employees laid off in wake of Trump's 'stop work' order
- Texas’ Wildfire Risks, Amplified by Climate Change, Are Second Only to California’s
- Warming Trends: British Morning Show Copies Fictional ‘Don’t Look Up’ Newscast, Pinterest Drops Climate Misinformation and Greta’s Latest Book Project
- Plan to Save North Dakota Coal Plant Faces Intense Backlash from Minnesotans Who Would Help Pay for It
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- Why Tia Mowry Says Her 2 Kids Were Part of Her Decision to Divorce Cory Hardrict
- Ocean Warming Doubles Odds for Extreme Atlantic Hurricane Seasons
- Possible Vanderpump Rules Spin-Off Show Is Coming
Recommendation
Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
Two mysterious bond market indicators
Activists Deplore the Human Toll and Environmental Devastation from Russia’s Unprovoked War of Aggression in Ukraine
Researchers Say Science Skewed by Racism is Increasing the Threat of Global Warming to People of Color
NFL Week 15 picks straight up and against spread: Bills, Lions put No. 1 seed hopes on line
Two Md. Lawmakers Demand Answers from Environmental Regulators. The Hogan Administration Says They’ll Have to Wait
Jada Pinkett Smith Teases Possible Return of Red Table Talk After Meta Cancelation
Melanie Lynskey Honors Former Costar Julian Sands After He's Confirmed Dead