May 13, 2009

It has been one year and six months to the day since I have posted anything on this account. The trial is in the upcoming weeks and I have decided to update this as much as possible, including my thoughts from blogs on myspace, news articles, and other events that I think are of importance. I will eventually make this into a blog book, thanks to a friend of mine for showing me how, and will later hand it down to her daughters when they are grown women. Here is the rest of the story...

Nov 13, 2007

'Kiln Woman's Body Found in Shallow Grave' 11.13.07

Kiln Woman's Body Found In Shallow Grave
WDSU
POSTED: November 13, 2007

KILN, Miss. -- After a three-month search, police believe they've found the body of a 29-year-old woman in a shallow grave less than a mile from her home.
Brandie Laurent's husband is considered a person of interest in her death. The couple lived in Kiln, Miss.
Leo Laurent told investigators he and his wife argued before she left their home on foot. He said she left with only the clothes she was wearing.
The body was located Saturday morning by a small party of searchers riding on horseback. Sources told The Sun Herald newspaper that the body was tentatively identified by tattoos. Laurent had tattoos on her back and on both legs.
A MySpace page contains a message claiming to be from Laurent, saying she's "run off to Missouri with another man."
"Don’t look for me," the message said.
But friends told WDSU NewsChannel 6 they don't believe Laurent wrote the message.
"We know she just didn't get up and walk away from home and children," one friend said.
Officers said Laurent's husband is cooperating with the investigation and denies any involvement. She leaves behind two daughters.
Copyright 2007 by WDSU.com.

http://www.wdsu.com/news/14582645/detail.html
***VIDEO INCLUDED (Right side of article)

'Body unofficially identified as that of missing woman' 11.13.07

Body unofficially identified as that of missing woman
By Jeremy Pittari Item Staff Writer

Hancock County, Miss. — Investigators with the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department say that tattoos on the body found Saturday allude to an unofficial identification as that of a woman missing since early August.Hancock County Sheriff Investigator Kenny Hurt said that the body found Saturday on a power line right of way off of Fenton Dedeaux Road had tattoos that correspond with tattoos described on 29 year-old Brandi Laurent who has been missing for about four months. However the department does not want to officially say the body is that of Laurent without further testing.“We still got to go through dental records and everything else to be sure it’s her,” Hurt said.The body was found by the Texas Equusearch within “walking distance from her home” in a shallow grave, Hurt said.Hurt said the body was found in an area he and other officers of the department had searched numerous times; the officers even found a stolen car during one of those searches.Laurent reportedly disappeared at about midnight on Aug. 3 after a marital spat with her husband. She reportedly left home with little more than the shirt on her back, leaving behind her keys, her cell phone and her children, according to statements at the time by her husband.After the body had been found during the search Saturday, several of Laurent’s friends told the Picayune Item that the couple was having difficulties.In an e-mail to the Picayune Item, Laurent’s husband, Leo Laurent, said the couple’s marital problems were “normal.”“We did not have any marital problems out of the normal ones. Some days worse than others, but show me a perfect marriage with no disagreements,” Leo Laurent wrote.A cause of death is expected by Wednesday and the incident is still under investigation, Hurt said.

http://www.picayuneitem.com/local/local_story_317141932.html

'Hancock County Husband Questioned in Wife's Death' 11.13.07

Hancock County Husband Questioned In Wife's Death
WLOX
Posted: Nov 13, 2007 04:49 PM CST

Hancock County investigators are busy tracking down leads and asking questions about the murder of Brandi Laurent.
She's the 29-year-old mother of two, whose body was found over the weekend after she'd been missing for more than three months.
The official cause of death hasn't been released yet. But sources tell WLOX News that Brandi Laurent was strangled to death.
Investigators have questioned several people about the killing, including the victim's husband, Leo Laurent.
Brandi Laurent's body was discovered Saturday, in a shallow grave about a mile away from her trailer home. The grave was located along some woods, just a short distance from Road 528 in the Fenton community.
In late August, her husband Leo Laurent told WLOX News his wife disappeared the late night hours of August third. He blamed her disappearance on drug use.
Friends of the murdered woman disputed that explanation, saying Brandi would never abandon her two children.
The friends, who call themselves "Brandi's Army," kept her missing person case high profile on the Internet, and worked tirelessly to find their good friend.
We talked with Sheriff Steve Garber late Tuesday afternoon about the ongoing investigation.
"It is definitely a murder. We're treating it as a murder. And that's why we're not giving out much information. It's a very hot, ongoing investigation," said Sheriff Garber, "We're working with the Mississippi Highway Patrol, the Mississippi Crime Lab, Dr. McGeary, the Hancock County coroner. We're all working around the clock actually on this case right now and our number one goal is to bring someone to justice."
The sheriff confirmed that the victim's husband is a person of interest in the investigation.
"Well, in the investigation he is a person of interest. I will say he's a person of interest. You know, we're not just looking in one area, we're looking around and it's an open investigation and we're checking every lead that we have right now. And we're doing a lot of things and a lot of investigation is going on with this around the clock," said Sheriff Garber.
Brandi's husband, Leo Laurent, sent WLOX News an e-mail after our story Monday night, saying he wanted to make a statement. We tried to contact him Tuesday, but he has not yet returned our phone messages or e-mail.
By Steve Phillips

http://www.wlox.com/global/story.asp?s=7355278
***VIDEO INCLUDED (Upper left hand corner of article)

'Husband declares he is innocent' 11.13.07

HUSBAND DECLARES HE IS INNOCENT
By J.R. WELSH

November 13, 2007
jrwelsh@sunherald.com

BAY ST. LOUIS -- The husband of a Kiln woman found Saturday during a volunteer search in Hancock County told the Sun Herald he is innocent of wrongdoing in the death of his wife, Brandi Hawkins Laurent.
Laurent, a mother of two, was reported missing Aug. 3 from their home off Road 528 near Kiln by her husband, Leo Laurent. He told deputies she had been using drugs for several days and left their FEMA trailer on foot at midnight after the couple had argued.
Authorities have considered Leo Laurent a person of interest in the case for weeks. He has been questioned on a number of occasions by Sheriff's Investigator Rita Blaize-Watson and others, and has taken at least two polygraph exams.
Leo Laurent has posted on Internet sites that he passed both tests, which normally are not admissible as court evidence, "100 percent."
Off the record, Sheriff's Department sources have said he failed both tests.
Leo Laurent acknowledged to the Sun Herald on Monday that he has been closely questioned by authorities. But he maintained his innocence.
"I had nothing to do with this," he said. "I don't want to be in the public's eye as being hated. This has been the hardest experience I've ever had to deal with."
He also said he has received death threats since the case began, adding, "I'm in a protective housing type of situation now." He declined to say who is protecting him from whom, or where.
Officials maintained Monday that autopsy results were still out on the case, and said crime scene examination results and dental record comparisons are not yet complete. However, sources close to the case said an initial examination showed Laurent may have been strangled.
Hancock County Coroner Norma Stiglet would neither confirm nor deny that strangulation may have caused Laurent's death. "I don't even have a death certificate yet," she said.
The death is now being considered a homicide.
Hancock County Sheriff Steve Garber declined to release further information and refused to say whether he has a suspect. Garber also said he had no knowledge of any autopsy results, and that his department has been instructed by District Attorney Cono Caranna's office to maintain silence on the case.
"The district attorney is telling us not to say anything," he said.
Caranna could not be reached by the Sun Herald on Monday and his office was closed for the Veterans Day holiday.
On Saturday, Laurent's body was found off a power company line clearing about a mile from the trailer. Local horseback riders participating in a search led by Texas Equusearch made the discovery. The body apparently had been originally buried in a shallow grave, then was possibly unearthed by animals before being found.
Garber said two of his deputies had searched the area where Laurent was found about two weeks after she was reported missing. Chief Investigator Kenny Hurt said he and another deputy combed the area on four-wheel vehicles.
"We rode that thing from one end to the other," Hurt said.
In addition, seven of Laurent's friends also had searched the same area a month after her disappearance. "We rode through there, but we missed it," said Andrea Dominach, who grew up with Laurent.
In both cases, if the body had not yet been unearthed, a shallow grave would not have been difficult to overlook. The remote area has stands of tall grass six to eight feet high.
Laurent's mother, Alabama resident Anita Moody, said she was still awaiting more word from authorities on her daughter's death. Moody said closure over the fate of her daughter gave her no comfort. "I didn't want this. I'd rather go 20 years not knowing she was dead," she said.
Family members and friends are hoping to see an arrest soon. And questions from the public began surfacing Monday over how a recovery team was able to find Laurent's body after looking for only 10 minutes, when she had apparently been lying in the elements since disappearing the night of Aug. 3.
"She didn't bury herself, that's for sure," said Cindy Wisdom, who commanded Saturday's search for Texas Equusearch.
Deputies said they are hoping crime lab results will give them more to work with.
"We're hoping to get something back by the end of the week," Hurt said.
Leo Laurent, husband of Brandi Hawkins Laurent
Cindy Wisdom, Texas Equusearch team member

http://www.sunherald.com/278/v-print/story/186923.html

'Missing Person Case Now Active Murder Investigation' 11.12.07

Missing Person Case Now Active Murder Investigation
WLOX
Posted: Nov 12, 2007 03:22 PM CST

The case of a Hancock County mother, missing for more than three months, is now a murder investigation.
Brandi Laurent's body was found just over a mile from her home. Forty yards off a dirt road that cuts through a power company easement, fresh flowers decorate a shallow grave where the victim was discovered.
Sheriff's investigator Kenny Hurd told WLOX News he and others had searched the same easement area earlier, with no success.
The person who organized the search for Texas Equu Search says it was by "the grace of God" that Brandi Laurent's body was discovered so quickly Saturday morning, shortly after the search began.
Cindy Wisdom also told WLOX News it's not that unusual for victims to go missing for months at a time, until an organized search effort takes place, like the one that happened over the weekend.
The 29-year-old mother of two disappeared from her trailer park home the late night hours of August third.
Her husband apparently no longer lives there. During an August 31st interview inside their mobile home, Leo Laurent told WLOX News he blamed drugs for his wife's disappearance.
"She was determined to go out that night. And she had already been up for four days straight. She had gotten mixed up with some meth," he said at that time.
That description is one her close friends strongly dispute. For three months, they kept her missing person case "high profile" on the Internet. The Brandi they knew would never abandon her children.
Andrea Dominach remained hopeful last Friday, the day before the search for her missing friend began.
"She's beautiful. She's wonderful. She's caring and nurturing and funny. And a great mother, oh my goodness, a great mother. And the best friend a girl could have," she said Friday.
The discovery of the body brings painful closure to the question of her missing. Her friends won't rest until the person responsible for her death is brought to justice.
Sheriff's investigators are tight lipped about any possible leads or suspects in the case. They are awaiting lab and autopsy results.
Tattoos helped with a positive identification of the victim's body.
Anyone with any information about Brandi's murder should contact the Hancock County Sheriff's Department at (228) 466-6900.
By Steve Phillips

http://wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=7348733&nav=menu40_7_3
***VIDEO INCLUDED (Upper left hand corner of article)

'Body found may be missing woman' 11.13.07

Body found may be missing woman
The Associated Press

BAY ST. LOUIS — Authorities believe a body found Saturday in tall grass near a power line clearing is that of a woman who has been missing since Aug. 3.
Dozens for volunteers joined the search Saturday for Brandi Hawkins Laurent, a 29-year-old mother of two who was reported missing by her husband.
The Sun Herald newspaper reported Saturday a positive identification has not been made. However, sources told the paper the body was tentatively identified from tattoos. Laurent had tattoos on her back and on both legs.
Experts from the state crime lab headed to the scene in Hancock County. Dental records and DNA identifications will be used to make a positive identification and an autopsy will be performed.
"We won't know much more until we get an autopsy," said Investigator Rita Blaize-Watson of the Hancock County Sheriff's Department.
Laurent's husband, Leo Laurent, told investigators he and his wife had argued before she left their home on foot in a remote area. He said she left with only the clothes she was wearing.
The body was found Saturday by a small party of searchers on horseback about 10 a.m., off Road 528 in the Fenton-Dedeaux Road area.
The riders were part of a search organized by Texasequusearch, an organization from Texas know for it's ability to find missing people.
The body was found about a mile from where Laurent lived.
"We found her about where we thought we would," said Cindy Wisdom, the search commander for Texasequusearch.
The disappearance of Brandi Laurent had changed before noon from an official missing person case to a possible murder.

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071111/NEWS/711110384/1001/news

'BODY FOUND: Missing Mother is possible muder victim' 11.11.07

BODY FOUND: Missing mother is possible murder victim
By J.R. WELSH

November 11, 2007
jrwelsh@sunherald.com

KILN -- Three months of uncertainty ended Saturday when the body of a young mother missing since August was located alongside a power line cut-through in a wooded rural area of Hancock County.
Authorities tentatively identified the remains as those of 29-year-old Brandi Hawkins Laurent during a search organized by Texasequusearch and involving about 150 local volunteers. A group of civilians and Harrison County deputies on horseback found the body in tall grass about 100 yards from County Road 528 in a remote section of the county.
"We found her about where we thought we would," said Cindy Wisdom, the search commander for Texasequusearch. "But we found her a lot faster than we had expected."
The body was discovered roughly a mile from the trailer park where her husband, Leo Laurent, said he had last seen her at midnight on Aug. 3. The following day, Leo Laurent said in a sheriff's report that his wife left home on foot after they argued.
Leo Laurent said she had been using drugs for several days and disappeared wearing only a shirt, shorts and flip-flops. He moved from their trailer shortly after his wife vanished.
Brandi Laurent had two daughters, ages 2 and 12. The youngest still lives with Leo Laurent, her father. The oldest, Brandi Laurent's daughter by a previous marriage, has been living elsewhere since her mother disappeared.
The search began early Saturday at a command post at the Hancock County Fairgrounds. Volunteers fanned into the woods near Laurent's home, on foot, driving four-wheelers and on horseback. It took the horseback searchers only about 10 minutes to locate the body after they rode into a wide power line field off County Road 528 at 10 a.m.
Within minutes after the searchers headed back to the road, radios began to crackle. Hancock County deputies Sgt. Eddie Smith and Lt. Matt Barnett arrived and began stringing yellow crime scene tape in the field.
Brandi Laurent's status quickly changed from missing person to possible murder victim.
Rita Blaize-Watson, lead sheriff's investigator on the case, said she hopes an autopsy will yield more information on how Laurent died. Dental records and DNA testing are being used for an official identification.
Leo Laurent was not present at the search for his wife, which had been well publicized in advance. He had previously announced on an Internet site that instead, he would be attending a soccer tournament in Jackson this weekend, after his birthday on Friday.
Saturday's search followed weeks of building speculation that Brandi Laurent had been killed and her body disposed of in the rugged, rural countryside. But her mother, Anita Moody, had arrived at the search command post in a hopeful frame of mind at 7 a.m. Saturday, three hours before the body was found.
"Brandi needs me to be as strong as I can be," she said then. "I won't believe that she's out there dead until I see it."

http://www.sunherald.com/278/v-print/story/185403.html

'Body Found in the Search for a Missing Hancock County Woman'

Body Found In The Search For A Missing Hancock County Woman
WLOX
Posted: Nov 10, 2007 08:41 PM CST

Less than a hour after it started, the all out search by more than a hundred volunteers on horseback, 4 wheelers and on foot, was over.
"Oh my gosh. I think I can put this one down in the record books,"says Cindy Wisdom with Texas EquuSearch.
Wisdom's organization lead the effort, and it was up to her to tell Brandi Laurent's family that her body had been found.
"It's gratifying knowing that we came here for a purpose and accomplished our goal, and we can help another family now," says Wisdom. "But it's gut wrenching. It truly is gut wrenching."
The body was discovered just a few hundred yards off County Road 528, the same road Laurent was last seen walking on, in the late night hours of August 3rd.
"We've had this missing girl for about 3 months," Hancock County Sheriff Steve Garber. "We can't confirm who we have out here right now. All we know is we found a body here off of Road 528 in the Fenton community."
But if it is in fact Laurent's body, Hancock County Sheriff Steve Garber has plenty of help to find out how the mother of 2 died just a few miles from her home.
"We have the state crime lab coming," says Garber. "We have the Mississippi Highway Patrol investigators, we have our investigators, the district attorney's office and the coroners office here in the county all working on this."
And Garber says these questions are now one step closer to being answered, thanks to the volunteers who turned out in mass, determined to find 29 year old Brandi Laurent.
"It's been amazing, and you're truly blessed to have all these resources in you community," says Wisdom.
Investigators have brought in temporary lights and plan to work the crime scene throughout the night. The Red Cross and several local restaurants provided food and drinks to the volunteers.
by Don Culpepper

http://wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=7342692&nav=menu40_7_3
***VIDEO INCLUDED (Upper left hand corner of article)

'Texas group to join search for missing woman' 10.24.07

Texas group to join search for missing woman
By Dwayne Bremer
Oct 24, 2007, 09:18
Email this article

World renowned search group Texas Equusearch is coming to Hancock County in three weeks to assist in the search for missing mother Brandi Hawkins Laurent.It has been nearly three months now since Laurent--a 29-year-old mother of two-- went missing from her Kiln home.Since then a massive effort by friends and family to find her has captured the hearts of many, but unfortunately Brandi has not been found and not one solid lead has materialized.Texas Equusearch, a non-profit organization based in Dickinson Tx., has now been called in to help.Over the past eight years Texas Equusearch has conducted hundreds of searches both in the United States and internationally.The group was also a major contributer in the infamous case of Natalee Holloway, an Alabama teen, who went missing during a vacation trip to Aruba in May 2005.Equusearch began in 2000, with the purpose of providing search and recovery teams for finding missing persons.The group was dedicated to the memory of Laura MIller, a young woman who was abducted and murdered in 1984. She was the daughter of director Tim Miller.Teams are comprised of volunteers of various experience, but the groups specialty is searches in wooded or hard to reach areas by means of horse back or walking.Cindy Wisdom, a case manager said the group will be conducting two searches on November 10 and 11. A command center will be set up, but Wisdom said that location is still undetermined."We will be starting in the area where she went missing and then follow on a few leads," Wisdom said Monday.Sheriff's investigator Rita Blaize Watson--who is the lead investigator in Laurent's disappearance--said Tuesday, the sheriff's department welcomes the help from Equusearch."This group has a good reputation and they rely on a lot of volunteers," she said.Watson said the case has been tedious so far, and the sheriff's department is still getting a lot of leads.Two chilling leads discovered last week have garnered a lot attention by investigators and Brandi's loved ones alike.The first is a message left on an internet website where friends were symbolically lighting candles for Brandi. The message was posted by someone calling them-self "A messenger of God from Mississippi."The message quotes a passage from the bible and a text written in a foreign language which translated may say "Brandi is located in the woods of Lakeshore."Some have dismissed the message as a cruel hoax, but Watson said nothing can be ruled out at this time."We don't know if it is real or not," she said. "A lot of the leads we are getting now have to do with where we may find Brandi's body."Watson said despite some morbid leads, the case is still being treated as a missing persons case.Another clue can be found on www.zerogossip.com.In a blog, Brandi's husband Leo is quoted as saying Brandi's friend Pomeca Vaughn may know where Brandi is."If I knew any way to get in touch with Pomeca at this point, I would go get her myself as I believe she has the answers that everyone is looking for," Leo said. "I wish I could give more , but like I said I can not paint a pretty picture out of the truth."Vaughn gave a statement to police the day after Brandi went missing. In her statement, Vaughn claims to have seen Brandi "sick in bed" the evening before she went missing.The next day, Leo first reported her missing.Watson said Leo Laurent told officers he and Brandi had had a disagreement about midnight the previous evening, and a short time later, Brandi left the couple's home at the Pecan Park trailer park.Leo told officers he drove around the trailer park and surrounding area, but Brandi was not to be found, Watson said.Brandi was last seen wearing a tank-top, tan pants or shorts, and a pair of flip-flops, Watson said. The Equusearch team was alerted to the case by Brandi's mother Anita Moody and Brandi's friend Andrea Dominach.Wisdom said Equusearch will be bringing about 10 team leaders and they will rely on volunteer help to conduct the search."It comes down to getting boots on the ground," she said. "We have been successful because we don't close our door to the public."She said having support from the local law enforcement agencies is a huge plus."You guys have a great sheriff's department," she said. "I know because I've worked with a lot of them."Equusearch has produced tremendous results in their eight years of service.Wisdom said the group has been involved in about 800 cases. Of the 800 cases, 300 people have been returned safely, including three Amber Alerts.The group has also found about 75 bodies of missing people, most recently the group found the remains of a missing woman in Illinois last month.Wisdom said anyone wishing to volunteer for the search can call 1-281-309-9500 or visit www.tesasequusearch.com.Volunteers must be 18-years of age and capable of walking for extended periods, she said.
© Copyright 2007 Bay St. Louis Newspapers, Inc.

http://208.62.60.4/40/article_1622.shtml

'Texas Group Searches for Missing Hancock County Mother' 11.09.07

Texas Group Searches For Missing Hancock County Mother
WLOX
Posted: Nov 9, 2007 03:25 PM CST

A Texas group that specializes in finding missing persons will focus on Hancock County this weekend.
Searchers are looking for Brandi Laurent. She's a 29-year-old mother of two, who's been missing for more than three months.
Family and friends cling to the hope their loved one is still alive. She went missing late one night, nearly 100 days ago. No one has heard from her since.
They'll scour the woods on horses and ATVs Saturday and Sunday. Dozens more volunteers will fan out on foot.
Texas Equu Search bases its 75 percent success rate in putting "boots on the ground."
"We're one of the only search and recovery organizations that utilizes volunteers from the community. We believe the more people out there looking in an organized fashion, the better chance you're going to have of finding what you're looking for. And that's held true," said Cindy Wisdom, one of the group's two fulltime employees.
A group of Brandi's friends has posted fliers and kept her case high profile on the Internet.
"We just all kind of came together and started trying to do the best we could," said Brandi's friend, Breezy Bice.
"She's beautiful. She's wonderful. She's caring and nurturing and funny. And a great mother. Oh, my goodness, a great mother. And the best friend a girl could have," said an emotional Andrea Dominach.
Dominach led the efforts to keep Brandi's case in the public spotlight.
"I just felt compelled to do something for Brandi," she said, "Because Brandi would do it for all of us. I know she would. And so we started up a MySpace page and anything we could do to get the word out for her."
As time passes, hope becomes more fragile. Leaders of the Texas group understand the reality of such cases.
"When a grown person who has children goes missing and doesn't come home within two or three days, there's reason to be concerned," said Wisdom.
Adult volunteers are welcome to join the weekend search for Brandi. Texas Equu Search will set up its command post at the Hancock County Fairgrounds on Kiln-Delisle Road.
The search will begin at 8:30AM Saturday and Sunday.
While searchers comb the Hancock County terrain, a desperate mother draws strength from her missing daughter's friends.
Brandi's mom, Anita Moody, is still clinging to hope.
"Oh, yes I am. I'm just not giving up hope. Never."
By Steve Phillips

http://wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=7338165&nav=menu40_7_3
***VIDEO INCLUDED (Upper left hand corner of article)

'Horseback Searchers Coming' 10.23.07



Oct 20, 2007

'Group joins search for mom' 10.20.07

Group joins search for mom
By J.R. WELSH
jrwelsh@sunherald.com

KILN -- Search continues
Recent events in the case of Brandi Hawkins Laurent, missing since Aug. 3:
• Texas EquuSearch Mounted Search and Recovery Team agrees to come to Hancock County.
• Friends offer $1,000 reward. Contributions may be made to Brandi Laurent Reward Fund at any Hancock Bank.
• Lamar Outdoor Advertising donates 10 electronic billboards displaying Laurent's picture in Harrison County.
• Canvassing continues with hundreds of fliers distributed along the Coast. Fliers to be distributed this weekend in lower Harrison County.
• Sheriff's Department continues to investigate; reported sightings ruled out.
A nationally acclaimed group that searches for missing people will be coming to Mississippi to aid in the search for a mother of two who has not been seen since vanishing from her home near Kiln on Aug. 3.
A spokeswoman for the Texas EquuSearch Mounted Search and Recovery Team has confirmed the group will send representatives from its headquarters at Dickinson, Texas, to Hancock County. Although no date has been announced, Case Manager Cindy Wisdom said Friday the group will be arriving on the Coast "soon."
Brandi Laurent, 29, was reported missing by her husband, Leo Laurent, in early August. He told the Hancock County Sheriff's Department she had left their home in the Fenton-Dedeaux community at midnight on Aug. 3 after the two argued. Laurent reported his wife's absence at 11 a.m. the next day, saying he had unsuccessfully searched for her.
Since then, sheriff's investigators have run down dozens of leads and conducted numerous interviews. There have also been numerous reports that Laurent had been spotted, but none proved correct.
Speculation grows that she may have been killed and her body disposed of somewhere in the remote, wooded Hancock County countryside that covers thousands of acres.
"I don't think that Brandi walked away from her home," said Wisdom, who has already studied the case and reviewed satellite images of the county's landscape. "I don't believe anybody thinks that. And generally, in these cases, they're not very far away."
Texas EquuSearch has a 75-percent success rate. It has conducted hundreds of missing person searches and has found more than 300 people who were alive and reunited with their families.
The group has also recovered more than 20 bodies. Late last month, it successfully found the body of Naomi Arnette, 36, a mother of seven in Champaign County, Ill. She had been missing since May 21. Her estranged husband was charged in her death.
"The bad thing is, it's real life, and sometimes missing people are never found," Rita Blaize-Watson, lead sheriff's investigator on the case, said Friday. However, she and many others are clinging to the rapidly diminishing chance that Laurent could still be alive.
"Until we know otherwise, we hold out that hope," Watson said.
Laurent is the mother of two girls, ages 12 and 2. She reportedly left their home on foot with no car, identification, keys, cell phone or cash, according to sheriff's reports. She is 5 feet, 4 inches tall, white, of medium build, with reddish blonde hair and green eyes. She has tattoos on both legs and on the top and bottom areas of her back.
In a bizarre turn this week, a posting appeared on an Internet site where viewers could click their keyboard mouses and light candles for Laurent. One candle bore the numbers 3:14 and carried a message that was signed, "a messenger of God from MS, United States." Once unscrambled from its form of transposed letters, it appeared to say, "She is located in the woods of Lakeshore," with the word "located" misspelled.
Situated in South Hancock County, Lakeshore is a marshy, heavily wooded area. The Internet candle automatically extinguished 48 hours after being lit. While they have not disregarded it, investigators remain somewhat skeptical.
"If they were nice enough to put a candle on there, maybe they'll be good enough to give us an anonymous phone call," Watson said.
Also recently, tips have come in that Laurent was seen at truck stops in Alabama and Texas, riding with a man in an 18-wheeler. Those reports were investigated and dismissed, Watson said. "There were different things that made me rule that out."
Meanwhile, close friends who attended Hancock High School with Laurent in the 1990s continue to interrupt their own lives each weekend, doing their own searching, and distributing fliers bearing her picture. Since August, some have driven many times to Hancock County from out of town.
Among them is Rachael Schustz-Steere, a New Orleans businesswoman. "It's really an emotional roller coaster," she said. "But I'm definitely committed to continue with it. We won't stop until we find her."
When Texas EquuSearch comes to town, volunteer searchers will be recruited to work under as many as 15 experts. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and present a picture ID. No children are allowed.
"The more boots on the ground, the more ground you cover," Wisdom said.

http://www.sunherald.com/278/story/168532.html

Oct 15, 2007

Online journalist covering Brandi's story since 09.21.07

http://zerogossip.com/

Lots to read here!
Some nice, some not so nice, but all interesting to say the least.


http://zerogossip.com/2007/09/21/where-is-brandi-laurent.aspx

http://zerogossip.com/2007/09/25/brandi-laurents-husband-speaks-outtonight.aspx

http://zerogossip.com/2007/09/26/brandi-laurent-updates.aspx

http://zerogossip.com/2007/10/02/8507-leo-laurent-statement-to-hancock-county-sheriffs-department.aspx

http://zerogossip.com/2007/10/02/8507-pomeca-vaughn-statement-to-hancock-county-sheriffs-department.aspx

http://zerogossip.com/2007/10/03/searching-for-brandi.aspx

http://zerogossip.com/2007/10/03/leo-laurent-i-believe-brandi-wrote-the-blog.aspx

http://zerogossip.com/2007/10/06/i-bought-onethink-about-one-for-yourself.aspx

http://zerogossip.com/2007/10/08/equusearch-to-look-for-brandi.aspx

http://zerogossip.com/2007/10/10/brandis-billboard.aspx

http://zerogossip.com/2007/10/16/a-clue-or-a-prank-in-the-brandi-laurent-case.aspx

http://zerogossip.com/2007/10/18/leo-laurent--pomeca-has-the-answers.aspx

http://zerogossip.com/2007/10/22/texas-equusearch-to-begin-search-for-brandi-nov-10.aspx

http://zerogossip.com/2007/10/22/brandi-laurents-mother-posts-page-for-missing-daughter.aspx

http://zerogossip.com/2007/10/25/brandi-laurents-husband-speaks-out-i-have-my-beliefs-she-is-alive.aspx

http://zerogossip.com/2007/11/05/famed-search-team-heading-to-mississippi.aspx

http://zerogossip.com/2007/11/08/search-for-brandi-laurent-kicks-up-a-notch-saturday.aspx

http://zerogossip.com/2007/11/08/training-for-the-search-brandi-laurent.aspx

http://zerogossip.com/2007/11/08/weekend-search-updates-for-brandi-laurent.aspx

http://zerogossip.com/2007/11/09/brandi-laurent-search-november-1011.aspx

'Friends of missing mother offer reward' 10.03.07

Friends of missing mother offer reward
By Dwayne Bremer
Oct 3, 2007, 09:06

Brandi LaurentFriends and family members of missing mother Brandi Hawkins Laurent are not giving up their efforts to bring Brandi home and are now offering a cash reward for any information leading to her safe return or recovery.Laurent, a mother of two girls, has not been seen since she apparently vanished without a trace from her Kiln home on Aug. 3. She allegedly left on foot, taking none of her personal items with her."We are doing everything possible to try to find out what happened to Brandi," friend Andrea Dominach said Friday.Brandi's friends and family have worked non-stop in their search efforts.The group has conducted numerous searches, passed out flyers, contacted media, printed t-shirts, held a vigil prayer service and even enlisted the help of a psychic.She said the group is now taking donations for a reward account."We are hoping this will lead to any information," she said.Brandi has been missing for nearly two months now. Recently there have been reported sightings of a woman fitting Brandi's description at two truck stops in Alabama and Texas, but investigators say they still do not have any concrete leads on the disappearance.Investigator Rita Blaize-Watson said Monday that her department has received dozens of tips so far that have not panned out. She said the case has become very time consuming, but the sheriff's department is still investigating every lead.Watson said foul play has not been ruled out.Several clues to the case have been provided by web postings and logs on myspace.com. Investigators have seized several computers from the Laurents' home.Dominach said friends and supports are holding out hope that Brandi will be found alive."Each day gets harder and more gloomy," she said. "You want answers and to not have any its tough," she said.Brandi's husband Leo said last week he is thankful for all of the support and, hard work from friends of the family."I'm amazed that Brandi's friends are coming through for us," he said. "We are thankful for all the prayers and support."Dominach said the group has accumulated more than $600 so far and more people have pledged money towards the reward.She said anyone who wishes to donate or just find out more information on Brandi can go to www.myspace.com/missingbrandi.

© Copyright 2007 Bay St. Louis Newspapers, Inc.

Sep 20, 2007

'Mother's search continues' 09.20.07

Mother's search continues
By Andy Powell, Times Staff Writer

Published September 20, 2007

Daughter, 26, last seen leaving Mississippi home
A Gadsden woman whose 26-year-old daughter has been missing from her south Mississippi home is holding out hope she will be found.Brandi Rene Hawkins Laurent, 29, has been missing since Aug. 3, when she left her Kiln, Miss., home about midnight after an argument with her husband, according to a report filed Aug. 4 with the Hancock County (Miss.) Sheriff's Department. She was last seen in the Fenton-Dedeaux community of Hancock County.Laurent's mother, Anita Moody of Gadsden, said her daughter left the home, walking, without her cell phone and left her two daughters, 12 and 2.Moody said while her daughter's husband said his wife of almost 10 years had left like that in the past, Moody is certain she would have at least called her children."It's just not like my daughter to do this, something that's very, very wrong," Moody said.There have been reports of Laurent being seen in Texas, but they have been discounted.Moody said there is a chance Laurent might be coming this way to see family members. Laurent is the granddaughter of the late Howard E. Moody.Moody said Laurent lived in Gadsden for a time as a child and has relatives in the area.Laurent and her husband lost everything because of Hurricane Katrina and were living in a FEMA trailer.A spokeswoman for the Hancock County Sheriff's Department said Wednesday there are no new leads concerning her disappearance.There have been a number of news articles about Laurent's disappearance, and Moody said she went to Mississippi for a month handling out fliers and talking to anyone who might know anything about her daughter's disappearance.A billfold Laurent's husband said she had taken with her was found in the house of a friend suspected of drug activity.According to the police report, Laurent's husband, Leo, said she had been doing drugs for several days, but Moody said Laurent had called a friend earlier in the day and told her she was sick and came home from work.A candlelight vigil was Sunday night at the high school in Mississippi that Laurent attended.Moody has established a Web site, www.myspace.com/missingbrandi, that has pictures of her daughter and information about her.She also has distributed fliers in this area.Laurent is described as being about 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighing 150 pounds, with reddish hair, green eyes and fair skin.She has a large red rose tattoo on her right calf and a small black dragon tattoo on her left calf.She has the word "Bailee" tattooed on her back just below her neck and a fairy tattooed on her lower back. She has a small mole on her left cheek below her eye.There was a posting to Laurent's MySpace Web page after she disappeared, but Moody said she did not believe her daughter posted it.People with information should call the Hancock County Sheriff's Department at 228-255-9191 or Moody at 547-8503.

http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20070920/NEWS/709200307

'Search ongoing for missing Hancock County woman' 09.16.07

The Clarion-Ledger
Search ongoing for missing Hancock County woman
The Associated Press

KILN, Miss. — An investigation into the disappearance of a missing Hancock County woman has turned up few solid leads, authorities say.Brandi Hawkins Laurent, a 29-year-old mother of two, vanished in the middle of the night from her home on Aug. 3.Hancock County Sheriff’s Department investigators Kenny Hurt and Rita Blaize-Watson said as many as 100 leads have poured in from people calling, sending e-mail or stopping by the Sheriff’s Department.“We’ve had lots of people swear they’ve seen her,” said Hurt, the chief investigator.So far, however, those sightings apparently have been cases of mistaken identity.Laurent reportedly left on foot, without her car, identification, keys, cell phone or cash. Her husband, Leo Laurent, reported his wife missing at 11 a.m. Aug. 4, saying he had been unsuccessfully searching for her.Family and friends describe Laurent as a devoted mother to her daughters, ages 2 and 12. They maintain she would never leave without at least calling home later to check on them.Andrea Dominach, who has known Laurent since grammar school, doesn’t believe her longtime friend would leave her children willingly.“I don’t think she’s anywhere by choice,” Dominach said.As the Sheriff’s Department investigates, friends and family have conducted their own campaign to find Laurent, knocking on doors, keeping up a flurry of Internet postings and handing out fliers.Last week investigators received a tip Laurent was alive and planning to attend services at a church in Harrison County. That fell through.In another lead, a jail inmate claimed to have seen Laurent in Beaumont, Texas. His information was rejected as unreliable.Hancock County Sheriff Steve Garber said such dead ends are typical in cases like this.“It’s hard to decide, what do you put in the left stack and what do you put in the right stack?” he said.

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770916002

'God, please bring Brandi back home' 09.19.07


‘God, please bring Brandi back home'

By Dwayne Bremer

Sep 18, 2007, 16:08
Email this article


Brandi LaurentThere was hardly a dry eye Sunday evening when friends, family, and loved-ones of missing mother Brandi Hawkins Laurent prayed for her well-being during a candle-light vigil at Hancock High School.About 50 people attended the event that was complete with prayers, songs, and testimonies from friends and family."A lot of people are just not aware," Brandi's friend Andrea Dominach said. "We want to let people know there is a mother out there that is missing."Laurent, a mother of two girls has not been seen since she apparently vanished without a trace from her Kiln home on Aug. 3. She allegedly left on foot taking none of her personal items with her.Soon after Brandi disappeared, Dominach set up a web page on myspace.com dedicated to her life-long friend. Dominach and a group of Brandi's friends have spent the last six weeks, passing out flyers, contacting media, and spreading the word in hopes of finding their friend."We will continue to search for her until we have solid proof of what happened to her," friend Krasinda Green said.Authorities said there have been several reported sightings of Brandi, but unfortunately they have no concrete evidence that the reports are true, because there appears to be another female who looks like Brandi in the county. Because of the lack of evidence, sheriff's investigators have not ruled out anything, including foul play. "We are going to put this in God's hands," Troy Collins said. "We hope wherever she is that he (God) will bring her back safely."
Leo Laurent, Brandi's husband holds the couple's daughter Payton, 2, and Brandi's daughter Bailee, 12.Brandi's mother, Anita Moody, and her brother and sister, all live out of state and were unable to attend the vigil.All three sent messages to be read."I want everyone to know how grateful I am for everyone's concern," Moody said.Brandi's husband, Leo Laurent was present, along with Brandi's two girls, Payton ,2, and Bailee, 12.Leo Laurent did not speak at the services.Others praised search efforts and voiced concerns about Brandi."Although Brandi is missing, she has brought so many lives together and that is a blessing," Green said.The service was concluded when all of the people attending formed a circle and joined in prayer."God, please bring her home," Dominach said.Anyone with any information on the disappearance of Brandi Hawkins Laurent is urged to call the Hancock County Sheriff's Department at 228-466-6900 or 228-467-5101.
© Copyright 2007 Bay St. Louis Newspapers, Inc.


'The Web watches case of missing mother' 09.16.07

The Web watches case of missing mother
By J.R. WELSH

baybureau@aol.com

KILN -- Six weeks ago, Brandi Hawkins Laurent was scarcely known to the world outside this small community, where she worked at the dollar store on Mississippi 603. Now she is all over the Internet.
People across the country are viewing photographs of Laurent, reading her story and offering message-board comments on the 29-year-old mother of two, who vanished in the middle of the night from her home in the Mississippi countryside. That was at midnight Aug. 3. She hasn't been heard from since.
"We've had lots of people swear they've seen her," said Kenny Hurt, chief investigator at the Hancock County Sheriff's Department. So far, however, those sightings apparently have been cases of mistaken identity. Laurent remains missing from the home she reportedly left on foot, without the things many people would never leave behind: car, identification, keys, cell phone or cash.
Family and friends describe Laurent as a devoted mother to her daughters, ages 2 and 12.
They maintain she would never leave without at least calling home later to check on them.
Her husband, Leo Laurent, reported his wife missing at 11 a.m. Aug. 4, saying he had been unsuccessfully searching for her. He told police when Brandi disappeared into the night, she was wearing only tan shorts, a green tank top and flip-flops.
In another twist, a posting appeared on Brandi Laurent's own myspace.com page Aug. 5. Allegedly written by her, it said she had left for Missouri with an unnamed man. The legitimacy of that posting is in doubt, and authorities have since seized several computers from the Laurent home on Road 528 in the Fenton-Dedeaux community.
Meanwhile, Hurt and investigator Rita Blaize-Watson continue to unravel a mystery involving disappearance, strong fears of foul play and allegations of drug use. The investigators say they are not discounting any possibilities.
As the weeks have worn on, friends and family have come to fear the worst. Laurent's mother, Alabama resident Anita Moody, has started a myspace.com Web page on her daughter's case. She posts regularly to the page, called myspace.com/missingbrandi and to her own page, myspace.com/redirishdiamond.
"This behavior, I assure you, is not the character of my daughter, leading me to fear foul play," Moody wrote in a recent post.
Andrea Dominach, who has known Laurent since grammar school, doesn't believe her longtime friend would leave her children willingly. "I don't think she's anywhere by choice," Dominach said.
Several other Myspace pages are devoted to the case, and a long string of messages on the Laurent case has been posted at the "Amber Alerts and Missing People" blog at courttv.com.
As the Sheriff's Department investigates, friends and family have conducted their own campaign to find Laurent, knocking on doors, keeping up a flurry of Internet postings and handing out fliers.
Hurt and Watson said as many as 100 leads have poured in from people calling, sending e-mail or stopping by the Sheriff's Department. The investigators say they dare not overlook a one.
Watson said one problem is Laurent's physical appearance is strikingly similar to a number of other women in the region. She is about 5 feet, 4 inches tall with long, reddish-blonde hair and green eyes - "a common description," Watson said.
There have been reports a woman matching the description has been seen in Pearlington, and investigators say another woman living in the county apparently looks almost identical to Laurent.
Watson said Anita Moody recently spotted that woman, and briefly believed it might be Laurent. "Even her mother thought it was her," the investigator said.
However, even in a county where many young women may closely resemble her, Laurent's most distinguishing physical characteristics are at least four tattoos - one below the back of her neck, another at the base of her back and one on each leg.
Circumstances leading to Laurent's disappearance go hand-in-hand with allegations of drug use and apparent marital problems. Deputies say when he first reported that his wife of nearly 10 years was missing, Leo Laurent told them she had been using drugs heavily for several days, then left their home that night after they had argued.
In Web postings, both members of the couple have candidly written about marital and other family problems.
Laurent's mother has also publicly expressed deep concern about her daughter's personal problems and presumed drug use, although she says even that would not prompt her to leave her children. Investigators at one point looked closely at an acquaintance of the Laurents who is a reputed drug dealer.
Leo Laurent initially agreed to meet in person with a Sun Herald reporter and grant an interview for this story, but that never materialized.
Watson said various interviews with people who know Laurent involved reports she occasionally experienced binges of extended methaphetamine and crack cocaine use. "But that doesn't make her somebody we want to help any less," she said. "We want to make sure she's all right."
So the case continues, hitting one brick wall after another. Last weekend investigators received a tip Laurent was alive and planning to attend services at a church in Harrison County. That fell through.
In another lead, a jail inmate claimed to have seen Laurent in Beaumont, Texas. His information was rejected as unreliable.
Hancock County Sheriff Steve Garber said such dead ends are typical in cases like this. "It's hard to decide, what do you put in the left stack and what do you put in the right stack?" he said.
"We'll think we're on the right track, and then... no," Watson said.
Dominach, Laurent's friend from childhood, now lives in Louisiana but has spent time and money helping in the Mississippi search. She and others are staging a Sunday-night candlelight vigil for the missing woman.
Dominach said she has worked over many possible scenarios in her mind about the fate of her friend. "I keep thinking, what could possibly be wrong? But something is wrong."
Have you seen her?
Brandi Rene Hawkins Laurent
Age: 29. Born June 23, 1978.
Description: 5 feet, 4 or 5 inches tall. Medium build, white, with reddish blonde hair and green eyes. Small mole on left cheek below eye. Scar above right eyebrow.
Tattoos: Large red rose on her right leg. Black dragon on her left leg. The word "Bailee" inscribed on her back just below the neck. A fairy on her lower back.
Last seen: Midnight, Aug. 3, 2007 in the Fenton-Dedeaux community of Hancock County.
Vigil: Friends will begin staging a candlelight vigil for Brandi Laurent at 7 p.m. Sunday at Hancock County High School, 7084 Stennis Airport Drive in Kiln, just north of Interstate 10.

http://www.sunherald.com/278/v-print/story/143266.html

'Vanished without a trace' 09.08.07

‘Vanished without a trace’
By Dwayne Bremer

Sep 10, 2007, 11:10
Email this article

Brandi LaurentWhy would a mother of two suddenly leave her home and her two young children in the middle of the night and not return or make contact with anyone for more than a month? That is the question sheriff's investigators and family members of 29-year-old Kiln resident Brandi Hawkins Laurent have been asking over the past five weeks, since she apparently vanished without a trace on Aug. 4.As more and more time goes by without any contact, friends and family members said this week their concerns are growing."This has just about got the best of me," Laurent's mother Anita Moody said Thursday. "I can't find my daughter, this is not like her. Something is definitely wrong here.""I know she would have called someone by now," life-long friend Andrea Dominach said Friday. "Its very alarming, we are all very concerned."Sheriff's investigator Rita Blaize-Watson said Brandi left her job at the Kiln Dollar Store on Friday Aug. 3, claiming she was sick.The next morning, Brandi's husband Leo first reported her missing to authorities at about 11 a.m., Watson said.Watson said Leo Laurent told officers he and Brandi had had a disagreement about midnight the previous evening, and a short time later, Brandi left the couple's home at the Pecan Park trailer park in Kiln.Leo Laurent told officers he drove around the trailer park and surrounding area, but Brandi was not to be found, Watson said.Brandi was last seen wearing a tank-top, tan pants or shorts, and a pair of flip-flops, Watson said. Watson said she apparently left on foot, leaving her vehicle, purse, cell phone, and clothes inside the trailer. Moody, who was living in Gadsden, Al., said she did not find out her daughter was missing until the next evening.Moody said she cannot believe her daughter would just up and leave her family and children."It is just not in her character to leave her children," Moody said. "Brandi is a very devoted mother to her children. She is always there for her kids no matter what."Watson said the disappearance is still being considered a missing persons case, and investigations are still on-going."We are not ruling anything out at this time, including foul play," Chief Investigator Kenny Hurt said Thursday. "We are following every angle of the case. Every time we get a tip, we investigate it."Hurt said several tips so far have led to dead ends.Dominach described Brandi as funny, smart, caring, nurturing, and an excellent mother."Brandi was someone that I admired as a mother," Dominach said. "She had children at a young age. Every choice and decision she made, she made in the best interest of her children.Watson said several people have said that Brandi had a substance abuse problem and that she was allegedly on a "binge" when she disappeared.Moody and Dominich said they were not aware of any major drug problem."If she had a drug problem, it must have been a new thing," Moody said. "I know she had some problems, but nothing serious."One of the biggest questions surrounding the disappearance centers around blog postings made on the internet.On Brandi's home page at myspace.com, Brandi apparently gives an extraordinary insight into her life on a blog entitled "An epiphany, if you please."The blog was posted on Aug. 3, the day before she went missing.In the blog, Brandi discusses problems in her life and comes to an apparent triumphant conclusion concerning her children."I am still here, just a little stronger," Brandi said in her blog. "I have my girls, my beautiful girls, who are going to be women and mothers one day, just like me and better, and I don't think that is a bad thing anymore."A second blog written on Aug. 5--the day after she went missing--may be the biggest clue in the disappearance.In that blog, Brandi claims she has run-off to Missouri with a "guy-friend.""I regret the decision I have made for my girls, but I have not been without kids my whole life and I believe it is my turn," Brandi said in the blog. "I want to apologize to my family for not contacting them sooner."Moody and Brandi's sister believe that Brandi did not write the second blog.Moody said that several misspelled words and grammatical mistakes in the blog are something Brandi would never do. Brandi's sister agreed in a blog posted on Aug. 6."You know, now that I start re-reading, it does not sound like my sister at all," she said. "I don't think she would have been so careless about that stuff (grammar). Why would she leave without her car? That does not make any sense. Something is not adding up."Watson said investigators are aware of the myspace postings and all of them are being looked at.Friends and love ones of Brandi have also set up separate myspace pages dedicated to finding Brandi."We are just trying to spread the word and get information," Dominach said.Brandi's husband Leo has also posted on the blogs, urging Brandi to contact her family."I am so worried and dying inside to have a chance to talk to you," Leo said. "Words cannot express the pain everyone is going through. I can't eat, I can't sleep, and the phone is constantly ringing. All I can tell them is I don't know."Watson urges anyone in the public with any information of Brandi Hawkins Laurent to call 228-466-6921.
© Copyright 2007 Bay St. Louis Newspapers, Inc.

http://208.62.60.4/40/article_1501.shtml

________________________________________________________________


'Candle-light vigil scheduled for missing mother'
By Dwayne Bremer
Sep 12, 2007, 09:13
Email this article

Brandi LaurentFriends and family members of missing Kiln woman Brandi Hawkins Laurent will be keeping the home fires burning this Sunday as they plan to host a sunset candlelight vigil to raise awareness and offer prayers for their missing friend and loved one. Laurent, 29, was last seen on Aug. 3. She has been missing for nearly six weeks. As more and more time goes by, her friends and family the disappearance has been hard on them and they have become increasingly concerned about her safety."The first three weeks were nearly impossible," Brandi's husband Leo said Tuesday. Leo said he is hopeful the vigil will open more people's eyes and bring more attention to the situation.Brandi's friends agreed."We want to all pray together for Brandi," Andrea Dominach said Tuesday. "This vigil is to raise awareness about Brandi, and we hope something positive can come out of it."The ceremony will be held at the front parking lot of Hancock High School at 7 p.m. Sunday. The prayer and candlelight service will begin a short time later to coincide with the sunset."We are asking for continued prayers and efforts so we can come together as a community, and give us a better chance to find Brandi," Leo said.Brandi Laurent was a student at Hancock High School from 1992 to 1995.Her and Leo have been married for nearly 10 years, and she has two children, ages two and 12. Leo said the hardest part of the past five weeks has been getting the children through the ordeal.Dominach described Brandi as funny, smart, caring, nurturing, and a "devoted mother.""Brandi was someone that I admired as a mother," Dominach said. "She had children at a young age. Every choice and decision she made, she made in the best interest of her children.Brandi was last seen wearing a tank-top, tan pants or shorts, and a pair of flip-flops, police said. Investigators said there have been alleged sightings of Brandi in several parts of the county; however, as of Tuesday there had been no concrete evidence as to her whereabouts.Dominach, a life-long friend, has set up a web-site on myspace.com dedicated to Brandi. The site currently has more than 300 members.Dominach said her group will provide candles, but people who plan to attend may bring their own. Leo praised all of the work and efforts people have put into finding Brandi."A lot of friends and family have stepped up and helped me," he said.
© Copyright 2007 Bay St. Louis Newspapers, Inc.

http://208.62.60.4/40/article_1510.shtml

Aug 30, 2007

August 30, 2007-logging in to Brandi's original myspace page

I contacted the myspace department and asked them to help in the investigation by giving her password to her mother or investigators. Their reply is below:
Please have the police contact us so we can assist them with aninvestigation. Please ensure they have the URL to the profile(s) inquestion.
www.myspace.com/BrandiSmack
Thank you,MySpace.com

Aug 27, 2007

August 27, 2007-Texas Equusearch was mentioned

From my BFF Amy's Aunt Lela on myspace:
I thought I had sent a message to Andrea, but since I don't know if she received it, I will give you this information again. There is an organization in Texas call Texas EquuSearch, they help people when their family member is missing. The website is Texas EquuSearch and, when you go to the site, you can enter all the information on Brandi and her dissapearance, and send them a picture of her. After you send everything to them by e-mail there is a number on the website to call to let them know it has been sent. Any help they provide is free, and if they are unable to come and help, I'm sure they can help you in many other ways. The man that started EquuSearch lost his own daughter many years ago, so this is something that is very close to his heart. I hope you will at least look at the website, (Nothing gained is Nothing lost). Also, try and contact Nancy Grace at CNN, her nightly program is always featuring peope who are missing. Well, I hope this has helped, and I will continue to search for other resources to help in your effort to find Brandi. Love and Peace, Sheila Woods

Aug 18, 2007

August 18, 2007-Myspace account was created

A myspace page was created to make people aware of Brandi's disappearance. It was mainly to bring attention to Kiln, MS and to all of her fellow friends and classmates.

Three days later, I posted a blog because their were questions on rather this was a real case or not.
I just want to take a second and address an issue that is out of my control but expected at the same time.A lot of people are going to have questions about this 'missing persons' situation, but I would prefer the questions be directed to me instead of the whole myspace world. A lot of the circumstances do not add up but that doesn't mean they aren't FACTS. I can not wrap my head around all that is going on with my dear friend. But I do have answers to a lot of questions that are simple, like why is the name Brandi/Brandy spelled differently on her husband's myspace page. I am a stay at home mother of three and do not have lots of "spare time" on my hands. I will, however, stay on this computer and check emails, comments, bulletins, as much as possible to see if there are any new leads on Brandi and will continue to do ALL I can on her "missingbrandi" page for her family. Her mother is out there everyday doing all she can. Imagine if it were your child. Imagine if it were YOU missing. No one knows where she is and what situation she is in. I would want all the help and support I could get. Thank you to EVERYONE who continues to keep us in your thoughts and prayers! Please do not let Brandi's situation become a past memory. Brandi needs all the help she can get at this point.Thanks for taking a second to read this.Sincerely,Andrea Jordon Dominachwww.myspace.com/dominachPS-Let's not make this about "us", and let's keep it about "Brandi".

Aug 15, 2007

The Sea Coast Echo 08.15.07--First article

Fenton woman missing

Brandi Laurent is missing from the Fenton Community in north Hancock County. According to her husband, she left on foot around midnight of Friday Aug 3rd. She has two children that she has not called to check on.She was last seen wearing tan pants, green tank top and flip flops. She has a dragon tattoo on her right calf and a tattoo of a fairy across her lower back.If anyone has information about her they should contact Hancock County Sheriff's Department at
228 255 9191.