Revisiting the Day Patrice Endres Was Located

Tomorrow afternoon (Thursday, Dec. 7, 2006) will mark the one year anniversary that two men working behing a small church in rural Dawson County Georgia discovered Patrice Endres' body. They stumbled upon her by accident after being drawn to the location after seeing vultures flying near a deceased deer that had died just a few feet away from where Patrice's body had been disposed of nearly two years earlier by an unknown assailant.

For those of you who don't know, Patrice was the second missing person case I ever worked on. Carrie was obviously the first and the reason I began working with the missing. Patrice Endres vanished on April 15, 2004 just miles away from my home and my family sprung into action with the local police to help try to find her. Patrice was abducted from her private owned and operated hair salon in between her scheduled appointments. Her disappearance was mysterious and it almost seemed that someone had to know her schedule in order to pull off something like that. The abductor left behind nothing but Patrice's handbag turned over on the counter, a microwave cut off midway through heating up lunch, and a cash register open with no money left inside. Months would pass and no sign of Patrice could be found. We held fundraisers, to raise her reward in hopes that someone would come forward, but to no avail, Patrice was still missing.

As a year has passed with Patrice's case, I wanted to share with the viewers of this blog some of the personal aspects of my personal journey to find Patrice. You may find these interesting.

Six months into Patrice's disappearance, authorities claimed that a possible suspect by the name of Jeremy Jones claimed he abducted and killed Patrice. He told authorities he disposed of Patrice in a nearby river and massive searches turned up nothing. After Patrice's discovery, it appeared that Jones had lied about the whole thing, or did he? Will we ever know for sure?

Aside from the total shock of the two construction workers finding Patrice last year, my memory goes back to one of the nights that is now forever etched in my memory. That night was Sept. 18, 2004 to be exact. Just a few months after Patrice had been missing. Georgia was going through a massive blackout from winds and rain from a hurricane that was passing over land that had just hit Mobile, Alabama. It was rainy, hot and stuffy inside my apartment but I couldnt sleep. As the rain continued to fall at a steady pour outside, all I could think about was that odds were that Patrice was lieing somewhere in the woods needing to be found, because after a stranger abduction, chances are the abductor does not travel far with them. The longer the rain and wind continued, the more upset I became. Although I had no idea where Patrice was or no proof she was even deceased, my heart raced with anxiety.

As the night drug on, I began physically ill and had to go up the street to my relatives house to where there was power. The night passed and the rain finally went away. Patrice was still missing.

What I would come to learn later on was that the exact night I was having the panic attack, another woman, by the name of Lisa Nichols in Alabama had been raped and set on fire by Jeremy Jones inside her home. Lisa Nichols' case would later be the one case that sent Jeremy Jones to trial for a murder charge. Jeremy Jones would be sentenced to death nearly a year later for killing Lisa, and just seven days after that, Patrice's body would be found by accident by the hunters. As it turns out Patrice had been just where I suspected she was that very night -- all alone in the woods, needing to be found.

As authorities continue to work on Patrice's case, I have to wonder if Jeremy Jones was actually connected to Patrice because of the personal issues I felt but maybe it was just my mind playing tricks on me? I'll never forget the impact Patrice's case had on my life and the continued need to bring her killer to justice. I think about Patrice just about every time I see something purple because that was her color. I think about how her favorite perfume was White Diamonds and how much she loved Brighton just like me. She would've been a great friend had I known her through more than just a missing person report.

Through the loss of Patrice, I was able to get to know all of the alleged victims of Jeremy Brian Jones and their families. They were all wonderful people that woke up just having a normal day and it ended in a blink of an eye to unnecessary violence. Although he'll never be able to harm anyone again, I have to wonder if he'll just come clean and tell us if he did indeed murder Patrice that fateful day.

I'll pray that God reveals all those questions that we still have. At least Patrice is no longer out there waiting for us to locate her. She's finally home.

If you have ANY information regarding the unsolved murder of Patrice Tamber Endres, you are asked to contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation at their toll free tip line 1-800-597-TIPS. There is now a $30,000 REWARD in place. You may remain anonymous if needed.

Website for Patrice - Justice For Patrice

For Lisa Nichols - Victim of Jeremy Brian Jones