UPDATE-
The remains of a Texas woman who vanished more than three years ago after calling 911 to say that she was being followed were found in a wooded area, the Panola County Sheriff’s Office said.
Lauren Thompson, a mother of three, went missing on Jan. 10, 2019. In July of this year, skeletal remains were located, Sheriff Cutter Clinton said at a news briefing on Tuesday.
Dental records were used to identify the remains as Thompson.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/remains-texas-mother-told-911-operator-was-chased-woods-found-3-years-rcna62143
NEWS BRIEFING-
Original blog-
Anyone who follows missing persons cases knows East Texas is well known for mysterious disappearances. East Texas is large and desolate with miles and miles of highway to vanish from. Leaving behind no body, no witness, no suspect and little evidence to go on. Lauren Elizabeth Thompson, 32 (one of the more recent disappearances) went missing on January 10, 2019 from Panola County Texas.
January 10, 2019 2:04pm – Lauren makes a frantic call to her mom, Torie Colvin. She requests to speak with her kids and asks her mom to tell her kids and her father she loves them and she’s sorry.
2:24pm – Panola County sheriff’s received a 911 call from Lauren saying she was in a wooded area and thought someone was chasing her. The call lasts 20 minutes and has not been released to the public. However, Lauren’s parents have listened to the call, Lauren said she being shot at and is running fast. She then seems startled, gasps and the call ends.
During the 22 minute 911 call officers were able to obtain her location and upon arrival to the scene they found Laurens car stuck in a ditch. They immediately began to search for her and found one of her shoes.
Many searches have been conducted since Lauren went missing. The initial search was of course on foot and using off-road vehicles. Law enforcement remained on site overnight, along with two canine teams and a drone were brought in. Day two began with a grid search. Texas Parks and Wildlife and DPS, who provided a heat seeking helicopter, joined in on the search. In the following weeks, more canines were brought in and grid searches spanning out from her vehicles location continued. In the weeks and months following her disappearance, multiple law enforcement agencies helped search. However, members of the community were not allowed to participate in searches. This was because the land Laurens car was found on as well as the her 911 pings were on private property. Landowners requested only law enforcement search their land.
Every few months or so a little bit of new information gets released in this case. Investigators now believe Lauren was run off the road. This is confirmed by the sheriff, he states there is paint transfer on two vehicles, one being Laurens. Many locals believe Laurens disappearance is being handled poorly and that the Panola County Sheriff’s Department is hiding evidence. There are no suspects but there are several persons of interest/witnesses. (These details vary depending on which news article you read) Three people were supposedly with Lauren the day she disappeared. One of the three is a man, who was in Laurens car when she drove off the road. Another witness/POI is related to Law enforcement. At least one person has been questioned, and a polygraph has been done, however, results have not been made public. One of these witnesses is now dead.
Where is Lauren? Officers arrived on scene within 5 minutes of her phone dying, they immediately began searching. What could have happened to her in 5 minutes? The Texas Rangers, FBI and other agencies are still actively investigating laurens case.
If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the Panola County Sheriff’s Office at 903-693-0333.
Links :
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TrueCrimeSociety/
Her skeletal remains were found July 2022