Navigating the System for the Silenced
Deb Brown works with Voices for the Silenced, which is a nonprofit dedicated to finding missing people in West Virginia. She highlights a major issue where the numbers of missing individuals simply do not add up because different agencies do not always share the same data. While some official lists might show around 136 people missing, the reality is likely closer to 400 across the state. This gap happens because of inconsistent training and a lack of standardized protocols for adult missing person cases.
“I think it’s closer to the 300 range than it is the 136 range.”
The Disappearance of Linda Emerson Whisenant
Linda went missing in April 2021 from a remote area in Morgan County known as Great Cacapon. She was living off the grid with a man who was reportedly abusive. The case is complicated by the fact that the property she lived on has a dark history involving previous murders unrelated to her case. Today, searchers are struggling to get permission from new owners to bring in cadaver dogs to search the land thoroughly, as the current owner has not responded to requests.
“The last message was ‘he’s here i’ve got to go.’ and that was the last time anybody ever heard from her.”
A Sister’s Quest for Eric Stewart
Charles Eric Stewart, who his family calls Eric, was a member of the White Mountain Apache Tribe and had lived a life of resilience despite facing fetal alcohol syndrome. He vanished in early 2023 from Beverly, West Virginia, just two months after his mother passed away. His sister, Val, has become a warrior in the search, pushing back against what she feels was shoddy police work from a now disbanded local department. There are many frightening rumors in the community about what happened, ranging from a deep cave to local drug spots, but Val is not giving up until she finds her brother.
“I knew when he disappeared that something bad had happened.”
Want to hear the full, unedited stories and the chilling details about the “meth hub” trailer and the 300 foot deep cave? You need to check out the original video to see the evidence for yourself.
