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Divers planned to return to a Fayetteville, N.C., pond on Thursday in an attempt to find clues in the disappearance of a 23-year-old Army soldier.
Authorities say Pfc. Kelli Bordeaux -- from St. Cloud, Fla., but stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina -- was last seen leaving a bar with a tavern employee early Saturday. She was reported missing Monday when she did not report for duty.
On Wednesday, Fayetteville police and military authorities searched along Ramsey Street between Interstate 295 and the bar, Froggy Bottoms, which Bordeaux left around 1:20 a.m. Saturday.
A police helicopter crew circled above the area while about 50 officers and 65 soldiers searched thick woods, according to WESH-TV, an NBC News affiliate in Raleigh, N.C.
Detectives were able to track down the last few people known to have been with Bordeaux; one of them is a convicted sex offender, according to Fayetteville Police Chief Tom Bergamine. "Anybody that had last seen her on the early morning of Saturday is someone we want to talk to," Bergamine told CNN.
Bordeaux, assigned as a health service specialist with the 601st Area Support Medical Company, 261st Multifunctional Medical Battalion, 44th Medical Brigade, joined the military one year ago, WESH-TV reported.
'I just want my sister'
Family and friends made their way to North Carolina this week.
"I drove up here from Fort Stewart when I found out," Bordeaux's sister, Olivia Cox, told WESH-TV. "My best friend and I drove up here and went to the police station, and we've just been doing everything we can. I just want my sister, Kelli Bordeaux, brought back safe and sound. I just want my sister."
According to Bordeaux’s Facebook page, she has been married for two years to her husband, Michael Bordeaux, and she studied dental hygiene at Valencia Community College.
A friend told WESH-TV that Bordeaux's husband recently moved back to Florida from Fayetteville. A U.S. Army official said the couple had been separated. Officers said the husband was cooperating with investigators, according to WESH-TV.
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What is with Fort Bragg and murder? Ever since the 1970's there is at-least one major headlining murder per decade. Is there something in the water? I bet the "Fatal Vision" house is still boarded up. I used to bike by that house in the early 1980's and it was very creepy. For those that don't know: A doctor murdered his entire family in that Fort Bragg house in the late 1970's.
"one per decade" hardly makes me gasp or make any major association between a locale and a particular crime........ If you use that standard you could be making this sort of statement about a lot of places.
Jeff McDonald killed his family in 1970. He wasn't convicted until the late 1970s. Remember that it was like the Helter Skelter murders and a gang of hippies supposedly attacked the McDonalds at home? Mcdonald's version of events even had a hippy chick saying, "acid is groovy". I was getting off subject there, but Fayetteville, NC has always been a little "skeevy" on account of Ft. Bragg being there. We called it "Fayruit" (like "Beirut") or "Fayettenam" ("Vietnam"). Unfortunately, some pretty seedy people are attracted to military bases and GI's. A lot of this has to do with the bars, strip clubs, check cashing, pawn shops and even drug dealers that grew up around the base in the Vietnam era. I spent time at Bragg, but I had a lot more time down at Ft. Benning in Columbus, GA. It's the same situation there with many, many people preying upon young GIs. What's tragic is that the commumities around bases are trying to clean up their acts, and commanders are helping out by putting certain establishments "off limits". The businesses may be gone, but unfortunately, the type of people who prey on young Soldiers remains.
Investigators are honing in on this pond either due to the proximity to where she was last seen, or because they have gained some information during the interview of person(s) of interest. I believe that significant progress will be made in this case relatively quickly. I unfortunately do not believe that this matter will be one in which the missing soldier is found alive. There might very well be people who witnessed this soldier at the bar and contacts with others in that setting that could be vital toward a compilation of evidence in this case.
I wonder if the search efforts would be as dedicated if this woman was just a civilian.
Marshal_JeanBaptisteRochambeau - Yes, the search efforts would be as dedicated. It happens in law enforcement on a regular basis. They would even do it for someone as insensitive as yourself.
How did she get to the bar, by foot or by car? Has anyone given her a free ride? Interview her neighbors if there is any sound or any thng unusual on the night that she was missing?
Get a search warrant to the driver's car and home who gave her a free ride.
Gee, I bet they haven't thought of that...........
BOHICA Bay - LMAO LMAO You took the words right out of my mouth.....It is very sad though as she is probably in heaven now.... :(
I hope they find this beautiful young lady safe and sound. I hoping beyond hope, that she just went A.W.O.L. with someone she knows, and that wont hurt her?
Please find her, if not for Kelli, then for her family!
I just want her to know, we are pulling for you, Kelli!!!
So sad...I hope her bright future hasn't been stolen from her.