Current:Home > reviewsPolice say a Virginia mom, her 3 kids are missing. Her husband says he's not concerned. -FinanceMind
Police say a Virginia mom, her 3 kids are missing. Her husband says he's not concerned.
View
Date:2025-04-15 20:41:05
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! (545)
Related
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Key takeaways from Antony Blinken's visit to China
- As Western Wildfires Worsen, FEMA Is Denying Most People Who Ask For Help
- Mod Sun Shares What Saved His Life After Avril Lavigne Breakup
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- Contaminated cider kills at least 29 people, sickens dozens in Russia
- Rain, surge and wind: How to understand your hurricane risk
- The White House Is Seeking To Soothe Worries That It's Pushing Climate Plans Aside
- 'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
- Sephora 24-Hour Flash Sale: 50% Off Lancôme, StriVectin, Clinique, and More
Ranking
- Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
- Khloe Kardashian's Daughter True Thompson Celebrates 5th Birthday Early at Octonauts-Themed Party
- Why Josh Lucas Is Confident Yellowstone Can Survive Without Kevin Costner
- Lauren London Honors “Eternal Being” Nipsey Hussle on 4th Anniversary of His Death
- DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
- How Dwayne Johnson and Auli’i Cravalho Are Returning for Live-Action Moana Remake
- Blac Chyna Shares Her Kids King and Dream's Reactions to Her Breast and Butt Reduction Surgeries
- Pope Francis out of hospital 9 days after abdominal surgery: Better than before
Recommendation
Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
Police appeal for photos and video after American arrested in fatal attack near German castle
Eat Your Heart Out By Looking Back on the Most Iconic Celebrity Revenge Dresses of All-Time
Shakira Shares Why She’s Moving Away From Barcelona With Her and Gerard Piqué's 2 Kids
Israel lets Palestinians go back to northern Gaza for first time in over a year as cease
American Idol Sneak Peek: Luke Bryan Uses Phone to Film Katy Perry's Full Body Chills
What's The Best Way To Help The Climate And People, Too? Home Improvement
Silvio Berlusconi, former Italian prime minister, has died at the age of 86