Missing person, stolen vehicle found in Greene County
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, August 16, 2005
GREENE COUNTY-The family of Oral Abernathy got quite a scare Friday, but in the end the 73 year old, who had gone missing during an afternoon fishing trip, was found alive and well.
Greene County Sheriff Johnny Isaac said Abernathy, who had come to Greene County from Nashville to visit relatives, headed off for an afternoon fishing trip around 2 p.m. and was not heard from the rest of the night. Isaac said the family became concerned when they realized by calling each other no one had heard from her at 9 p.m.
Once the family realized she was still in the woods they notified Greene County authorities and began to search. Isaac said they soon found clues, which gave them an idea of which direction to search. Isaac said they were eventually able to find Abernathy sometime around 2 a.m.
“They began searching the woods and found her fishing equipment sometime around 11 p.m. or midnight,” Isaac said. “They started walking in the woods and calling out to her. Someone eventually started to answer them and they called and listened for an answer until they got closer and closer. They were finally able to locate her and bring her back home.”
Isaac said there were anywhere from 10 to 15 people in the search party.
Days earlier the department was also able to recover a stolen vehicle. Isaac said Tuesday Greene County deputies recovered a 1994 Chevrolet Caprice off County Road 208 that had been reported stolen. Isaac said the department had received a different call when they happened upon the stolen car.
“They went out to the Cedrum Hunting Club on a call about a suspicious vehicle,” Isaac said. “When they went out to investigate the call that is when they found the stolen vehicle.”
The vehicle was found to belong to Chassity Maye of Livingston. The car had been stolen earlier in the day. Isaac said there were two suspects in the case.