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The skeletal remains of Lauren Thompson, who went missing in January 2019 in a wooden area, were finally found back in July earlier this year. On Wednesday, December 13, the Panola County Sheriff confirmed the same in a news brief.
According to Sheriff Cutter Clinton, dental records were used to confirm that the remains belonged to the missing woman, who was a mother of three.
“We have determined through multiple dental comparisons that the remains are those of Lauren Elizabeth Thompson.”
Authorities have reportedly notified her family. No possible cause of death has been revealed yet. When Lauren Thompson went missing on January 10, 2019, police traced the location of her cell phone and found her car in a ditch. However, she herself was nowhere to be found.
Lauren Thompson made a distressing call to 911 before going missing in 2019
The case of Lauren Thompson can be traced back to January 2019, when she went missing in the Rock Hill area of Panola County. The area is about 130 miles southeast of Dallas and less than 100 miles from Shreveport.
The victim reportedly called 911 from a wooded area and mentioned that she was probably being chased by someone. Police tracked Thompson’s cell phone and discovered her SUV, but could not find her.
Several search teams were deployed to look for Lauren Thompson, including the Texas Rangers, some members of the DPS, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Texas Forest Service, and the Panola County Sheriff's Office. Despite so many efforts, none of them were able to locate the then 32-year-old mother.
On July 27 this year, a work crew discovered skeletal remains in East Texas. With the help of dental records, it was later deduced that the remains belonged to Lauren Thompson. Police received assistance with identification from the Texas Rangers Division and forensic anthropologists from the Center for Human Identification at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth.
Officials updated that Lauren was extremely distressed when she dialed the emergency call back in January 2019. She kept repeating that she was in the woods and was being followed. Her cell phone died somewhere in the middle of the call.
At the press briefing, Sheriff Clinton stated:
“Our office will be diligent in pursuing all relevant investigative leads.”
Greg Colvin, Lauren’s father remembered his daughter and said:
“I’ve gained a lot of strength from Lauren as far as worry. She told me one time, ‘Dad, you know, don’t worry about me because I’m okay’.”
An anxious call was reportedly made by Lauren to her mother before calling 911
According to a missing person poster for Lauren, she made an “anxious but coherent call” to her mother at about 1.53 pm local time. Soon after that, at 2.08 pm, she called 911, and the call lasted for about 21 minutes. The poster also mentioned a reward of $10,000 for anybody coming up with information that would lead to then missing 32-year-old.
While searching for Thompson, the police had no idea if she stayed in the forest or had left the area after the 911 call. The then-Sheriff Kevin Lake mentioned that they did not have enough evidence to conclude that there was foul play. However, it was not ruled out entirely.
According to KLTV, authorities searched almost 2000 acres by foot, as well as 8000 acres by air, but Lauren Thompson was nowhere to be found.
The late victim's parents, Greg and Torie, believe that there are many unanswered questions regarding their daughter’s death. The former stated:
“The next phase of forensics would be to determine if there was a cause of death that was other than natural or normal. And according to the authorities, they have to go through that process to confirm one way or another.”
He further added:
“The difficult part is how we are going to approach the children to disclose this information to them. And for me, and I’m sure for Torie, too, looking into the eyes of a child is very emotional.”
A Facebook page called “Bring Lauren Thompson Home” was dedicated to Lauren Thompson and all the updates regarding the investigation. After authorities confirmed the recent unfortunate news, people flooded the page with wishes and condolences for the family. A user named Shirley Brandon wrote:
“Praying for this sweet family still. They have already been thru a lot.”
Another netizen, Melody McVay Dillard, wrote:
“Praying for your family. Now we stand with you, as you fight for answers delayed for these past years.”
Panola County Sheriff Cutter Clinton said that there will now be a turn in the course of the investigation. It will change from a missing person case to a death investigation. He continued:
“Please keep the family of Lauren in your prayers.”
The tragic case of Lauren Thompson is currently under investigation.
