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Missing Linda Darlene Holder Watts 
Watts, approximately 2004 Date reported missing : 05/11/2004 Missing location (approx) : Sanford, North Carolina Missing classification : Endangered Missing Gender : Female Ethnicity : White DOB : 03/10/1961 (60) Age at the time of disappearance: 43 years old Height / Weight : 5'5, 160 pounds Description, clothing, jewerly and more : A short-sleeved blouse, blue jogging pants and white children's sneakers. Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos : Caucasian female. Red hair, brown eyes. Watts wears prescription eyeglasses with very thick lenses. Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Watts was last seen in Sanford, North Carolina on May 11, 2004. She stopped by her workplace in the mailroom of the Sanford Herald briefly at around midnight or 1:00 a.m., picked up a paper and left. She never arrived home and has never been heard from again. Watts enjoys walking and frequently walks to work. After her disappearance, authorities found some of her belongings, including a newspaper, clothing and food, near McIver and Jenkins Streets. A pool of blood, later determined to be hers, was nearby. A witness reported seeing two men force someone into a vehicle, but he didn't know whether the person was Watts. In February 2006, authorities arrested Phillip Jason Bunnell, Gilbert Delano Stone Jr., Frederick Avon Spinks and Eric Cornelius Quick and charged them in connection with Watts's case. Quick and Spinks were charged with kidnapping, rape and murder, and Bunnell and Stone were charged with aiding and abetting the other men. However, charges against Quick were dismissed for lack of evidence at his December 2008 trial. There was no physical evidence linking him to a crime, and one of the state's witnesses failed to appear at trial to testify. The judge stated he believed Watts had been murdered, but the prosecution was unable to prove Quick was involved. The charges against the other men were dropped in the days following. Quick cannot be re-tried a second time due to double jeopardy laws, but if more evidence resurfaces the other three suspects can face charges again. Watts left behind a husband and two young children. Her disappearance remains unsolved and foul play is suspected. Other information and links : ncy Sanford Police Department 919-775-8268 September 2021 updates and sources A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are not known. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, death in a location where they cannot be found (such as at sea), or many other reasons. In most parts of the world, a missing person will usually be found quickly. While criminal abductions are some of the most widely reported missing person cases, these account for only 2�5% of missing children in Europe. By contrast, some missing person cases remain unresolved for many years. Laws related to these cases are often complex since, in many jurisdictions, relatives and third parties may not deal with a person's assets until their death is considered proven by law and a formal death certificate issued. The situation, uncertainties, and lack of closure or a funeral resulting when a person goes missing may be extremely painful with long-lasting effects on family and friends. Several organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and imAge at the time of disappearance: s of missing children to improve the effectiveness of missing children investigations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), as well as national organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the US, Missing People in the UK, Child Focus in Belgium, and The Smile of the Child in Greece. WRAL 5 The Sanford Herald October 12, 2004. January 23, 2010; . |