'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

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