Current:Home > FinancePolice say a Virginia mom, her 3 kids are missing. Her husband says he's not concerned. -Wealth Harmony Labs
Police say a Virginia mom, her 3 kids are missing. Her husband says he's not concerned.
View
Date:2025-04-24 22:24:13
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 nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @nataliealund.
veryGood! (8798)
Related
- Tropical weather brings record rainfall. Experts share how to stay safe in floods.
- Jessica Springsteen, Bruce Springsteen's daughter, fails to make 2024 equestrian Olympics team after winning silver in 2020
- Back to Black Star Marisa Abela Engaged to Jamie Bogyo
- Halle Berry and Glenn Close Will Star With Kim Kardashian in New TV Show
- Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
- Rhode Island man killed in police chase after being accused of killing his wife
- NASCAR recap, highlights: Alex Bowman wins Chicago street race for first win of 2024
- Angel Reese makes WNBA history with 13th-straight double-double for Chicago Sky
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- How early should you start saving for retirement? Here's how the math checks out
Ranking
- Matt Damon remembers pal Robin Williams: 'He was a very deep, deep river'
- MLB power rankings: How low can New York Yankees go after ugly series vs. Red Sox?
- The US housing slump deepened this spring. Where does that leave home shoppers and sellers?
- Get an Extra 50% Off Good American Sale Styles, 70% Off Gap, Extra 70% Off J.Crew Sale Section & More
- Messi injury update: Ankle 'better every day' but Inter Miami star yet to play Leagues Cup
- Temporary worker drop may be signaling slowing economy
- South Dakota Gov. Noem’s official social media accounts seem to disappear without explanation
- Were the murders of California teens the work of a serial killer?
Recommendation
Illinois Gov. Pritzker calls for sheriff to resign after Sonya Massey shooting
Get an Extra 50% Off Good American Sale Styles, 70% Off Gap, Extra 70% Off J.Crew Sale Section & More
How bad is inflation, really? A fresh look at the economy and CPI this week
Tristan Thompson Shares Rare Photos of 7-Year-Old Son Prince
What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
American citizen working for drone company injured in Israel
American man detained in France after So I raped you Facebook message can be extradited, court rules
New Sentinel nuclear warhead program is 81% over budget. But Pentagon says it must go forward