Paula Ann Wade and her 3-year-old son, Brandon Lee Wade, disappeared from Valdosta, Georgia in October of 2002. No one has heard from Paula Wade since days before she was reported missing and everyone close to her claims that is very concerning and out of character. “Even one week without contact is totally out of character,” according to Paula’s family. Their family has not given up hope in finding them, and even after decades, they continue to search for answers. 

The morning of Monday October 14th, 2002, Paula did not show up to work for her 7:00 a.m. shift at the Valdosta SAM’s Club. Missing work without notice was very unusual for Paula, her coworkers became worried about her and a team leader from SAM’s Club sent someone to check on Paula at her residence at the Commons Apartments. Co-workers checked the apartments twice that day. Paula and Brandon were nowhere to be found. Paula’s 1998 Chevy Blazer was still parked at the apartment building, Brandon’s car seat is the only item that has ever been reported to be missing. All of Paula and Brandon’s personal belongings and even person necessities were still at Paula’s residence. Police were notified and a missing persons report was filed on Monday, October 14, 2002 after police could find no sign of Paula or Brandon.

Every Sunday, at 6:30 p.m., Paula called her parents for a regular chat and just to check in. Paula did stay in regular communication with her family, this was different though. Paula has never missed a planned Sunday call with her parents prior to her disappearance, it was a standing day and time for them to catch up. On Sunday October 13th, 2002, Paula’s parents did not hear from her. Her parents initially passed it off as Paula just likely being busier than normal from packing up the apartment in preparation for her approved work transfer to Kissimmee, Florida the next week. While they were concerned about the missed call, they also wanted to give their adult daughter the space she might have needed to pack up the apartment considering that she would be moving that month. 

Paula’s husband, staff sergeant Lance Wade, was stationed at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, South Carolina, at the time of Paula and Brandon’s disappearance. Prior to being transferred to South Carolina, Lance, Paula, and Brandon lived together as a family in Valdosta, Georgia, where Lance was stationed at the Moody Air Force Base. They lived together in base housing until moving into their own apartment in Valdosta, the same apartment that Paula lived in at the time of her disappearance. After Lance was transferred to South Carolina, Paula and Brandon remained at the apartment in Valdosta. Marcus Burroughs eventually moved in to the apartment as a roommate until Paula and Brandon moved to Florida to be closer to family. 

Marcus Randolph Burroughs was 19-years-old at the time of Paula and Brandon’s disappearance and was initially unable to be found by police for questioning, but was later located after being arrested for theft and providing a false name just weeks after Paula and Brandon were reported missing. An acquaintance of Marcus later told police of a location where he thought remains might be located, law enforcement only found deer bones when they searched the site. To this day, there have been no arrests or charges in relation to Paula and Brandon Wade’s disappearance and no official suspects have been publicly named.

Paula and Brandon’s family own the website http://www.paulawade.com/ where additional information is available. You can also use the website to contact their family if you would like to share information anonymously by using the email address: FindPaulaWade@gmail.com

The National Center for Missing and Expoited Children and the FBI also have tip lines that can be used to report information about Paula and Brandon Wade, both are listed at the top of this page.

You can report tips to the FBI by calling 770-216-3000 or online at http://tips.fbi.gov