What happened on October 12, 2002 in Valdosta, Georgia? Where is Paula and Brandon Wade? These two questions continue to haunt the family of missing Paula Wade and her 3-year-old son, Brandon Wade. Paula walked out of the Valdosta SAM’s Club where she worked on Saturday, October 12th, and no one has seen her or her 3-year-old since that day.

Paula Wade grew up all over the world as a child with her family. Her parents traveled together while Paula’s father was in the military. After getting to know more about them, I can say that her family is best described as individuals who are rooted in faith and consistency. The same can be said about the two decade search for answers about what happened to Paula and Brandon. They continue to faithfully, consistently search for them.

In 2021, just before the 19th anniversary of the disappearance of Paula and Brandon Wade, is the first time I began to learn more about the details surrounding their disappearance. It’s hard to believe that four years have passed, and even harder to believe that for over 22 years, Paula and Brandon have been separated from their family in a twisted standoff with the truth.

Over two decades ago, as the seasons began to change, the Valdosta State University football team played an afternoon game against the University of Arkansas, and multiple events were happening in town on what would end up being a very warm fall day. It is quite typical for the south Georgia region that time of year. Paula was spending her last week in Valdosta after reaching a crossroads that would require her to make a choice.

Valdosta embodies every iconic benchmark of southern life in the United States. Football and food are currency,  and everyone has a pastor in the family. The weather is always unseasonably warm in comparison to the majority of the country. Remnants of a troubled history are still present in the everyday lives of residents who call Valdosta home.

Paula’s husband, Lance Wade, was in the Air Force, which is why they were living in Valdosta near the Moody Air Force Base. Lance was later transferred to South Carolina. Meanwhile, Paula stayed in Valdosta where she was moving up in the job she held at SAM’s Club and they relied on her additional income. Unfortunately, SAM’s Club was unable to transfer Paula near the base that Lance was transferred to in South Carolina and Paula spent some time contemplating what to do.

After Lance was transferred to South Carolina, Paula considered getting a roommate while she decided what to do next. A person in Valdosta, an individual that would have appeared credible to Paula, mentioned that they knew someone who was looking for a place to stay. A student who moved to the area to attend Valdosta State University. It seemed like an ideal opportunity to save some money while preparing for her and Brandon’s next steps. Paula’s new roommate, Marcus Burroughs, moved to her apartment during a time when his life also seemed to be at a crossroads. Marcus was allegedly kicked out of Valdosta State University. 

She eventually decided to keep working for SAM’s Club and move to Florida where she could maintain her job by being transferred to a store close to her family. On October 12th, with just one week left to finish packing, life for Paula and Brandon was busy as she continued to work fulltime and fit in time to see friends she had made in the area.

Meanwhile, Paula’s mother and father were preparing to soon leave Florida and head to Valdosta with a moving truck to pack up her apartment and travel back to Florida with Paula and Brandon. They planned to catch up at their normal time, Sunday at 6:30 p.m., when they would likely discuss the remaining details of their trip.

No matter what the distance was between them, this is not a family that loses contact, even for short periods of time. A week without contact was absolutely unheard of. Paula’s parents spoke to all their children every week. Each of their kids had a scheduled time that they would catch up on the phone to talk about their week and check in with each other. Paula’s weekly phone call with her parents was every Sunday at 6:30 p.m. 

The details of what transpired after Paula left work on Saturday, October 12th in 2002 are still being discovered, and over the last five years I have learned details that are far from comforting. In an effort to discover where Paula and Brandon are today, I went back to October 12th, 2002 and have worked my way forward. The last four years have been incredibly informative. A compilation of court documents, family accounts and sourced statements provide a clearer picture of the details than what was known to me just five years ago.

In the hours after Paula left work on Saturday, she allegedly reached out for help. It would appear that Paula was scared and trying to reach out for help with Brandon. My best summary of the information would lead me to believe that Paula wanted Brandon in a safe location. She did not say why she was scared and the overall communication between her and the source was very short. But we do know that the source was unable to assist Paula at the time, leaving me to believe that Brandon was with her that night.

The more sourced information we obtain, the clearer that evening becomes. One source alleges that they attempted to contact Paula during the day on Sunday and that she did not answer the door. None of Paula’s friends in Valdosta made contact with her on Sunday. On occasion, Paula would meet up with friends in Valdosta to attend church together or just to let their children play together. I find it odd that on the last Sunday that Paula would be in Valdosta before she moved to Florida, she did not see any of her friends.

Paula’s parents both went to bed on Sunday evening without a phone call. They were conflicted between concern and understanding. It was a busy week and Paula could have been tired from packing and working all week, plus caring for Brandon. Back in Valdosta, no one realized that something happened to the mother and son who lived at the Commons Apartments, now known as The Gables. The apartment complex is still there, the overall condition of the property and the buildings has deteriorated over the years without proper maintenance.The apartments are surrounded by a wooded area of land that stretches on for miles. The woods cover a vast area leading up to interstate 75, multiple rivers, Val Tech Road near the Lowndes correctional facility, Volume Power Sports and the entire inner city of Valdosta just down the road. The street that the apartments are located on, can also be a direct path out of town if needed.

Monday morning began as usual at the Valdosta SAM’s Club, but as everyone started their normal routine they noticed that Paula, an employee who seemed to be adored by everyone at her job, was absent. She didn’t call in sick or make any contact. This was just as unheard of as her not calling her parents for their Sunday evening chat.

I’m told by everyone that Paula is prompt, an attribute that seems hereditary in their family. Her absence was not only concerning, but absolutely alarming. Her coworkers knew that if Paula wasn’t at work, something was wrong. They went to her apartment and there was no sign of Paula or Brandon except for her car that was sitting in the parking lot.

The phone calls began. Police were notified, friends were called, and Paula’s mother was contacted. Her mothers reaction, her screams of anguish, is forever embedded in the memory of Paula’s sister. Family began making phone calls and plans to head to Valdosta. They just knew there had to be some explanation.

Local media has covered the story of Paula and Brandon’s disappearance, in a conflicting and sometimes confusing way, leading the public to have far more questions than answers about the information that has been released over time, with no attempt to correct the record.

“We’ve given it every asset we have at this time looking for these individuals. We’ve put in 110 percent for them and for their family that’s still here living in the area,” said Detective Chris Crews to WTVM News.

Detective Crews is allegedly no longer overseeing their case and it has been passed down to Detective Garland. The case has passed through a variety of hands over the years at the Valdosta Police Department. A lack of morale and standards at the Valdosta Police Department has been a focal point in their local news reports over the years, including opinion pieces from high ranking Valdosta law enforcement officers, that are now deleted from the archives. Their archives, not ours.

Police began looking inside Paula’s apartment and checking through her vehicle. Everything was there. Her ID, wallet, Brandon’s favorite toys, everything was present except Paula and Brandon. The apartment did not show any specific signs of a struggle and her vehicle was taken into custody to collect any available evidence.

In their search of the apartment, Paula’s roommate was also absent, according to police. They later claimed that he was last seen at the apartment on October 15th, 2002. There are several conflicting details from police that they have never clarified including their claims about speaking to Marcus Burroughs, the locations of Paula’s vehicle and Brandon’s car seat, and specifics about the case that they may have incorrectly documented. And a few other details that I will not draw attention to at this time. That is for another future episode. We have collected equally as much information about the investigation as we have about the people of interest in this case, and there is a lot to discuss. What is done in darkness will always come to light.

As the days passed, there was no sign of Paula or Brandon. Two weeks after they were reported missing, police arrested a man for theft and booked him into the Lowndes County jail in Valdosta. He was released within days and police eventually realized that the man gave them a false name when he was arrested, his true identity was Marcus Burroughs, Paula’s roommate who had moved to Valdosta from the Pelham, Georgia area.

Sources have alleged that Marcus Burroughs seemed to be attempting to hide information about Paula and Brandon’s disappearance from people who knew him in Valdosta. Another source alleged that Burroughs did something to harm Paula and Brandon. For now, all the statements that have been made will remain allegations as they have never been challenged in court and no charges have ever been filed in relation to Paula and Brandon’s disappearance.

A lack of investigation and ground searches, will absolutely lead to a lack of charges filed. A source who knew Marcus Burroughs, came forward and told police that Paula and Brandon could be found in the woods near their apartment at The Commons. No evidence was recovered after the source shared the information.  

In the following years after their disappearance, Paula and Brandon’s family continued their search by utilizing missing persons organizations, media, advertising, and a lot of creative thinking. Meanwhile, Marcus Burroughs carried on with his life and eventually moved to Florida. There is a large gap in time we will skip over, I do not believe that it is helpful for me to outline every step that Burroughs has ever taken. The pursuit for answers to what happened to Paula and Brandon is about truth and dignity, we will only be discussing aspects that could either be related to Paula and Brandon’s disappearance or could clear Marcus Burroughs’ name from the list of people that police were interested in learning more about.

After some time in Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee, Burroughs repeatedly ended up back in Florida where he has significant relationships and associations. A few years after Paula and Brandon disappeared, Marcus Burroughs was allegedly wanted for an unrelated matter that would essentially put him back in front of police who were interested in learning more about what happened to Paula and Brandon Wade. Up until this time, Burroughs allegedly refused to speak in detail about their disappearance.

What happened at this meeting with Marcus Burroughs and police is a complete mystery, not because of a lack of information, but because of conflicting statements from law enforcement that have left major questions about what actually was or was not said during this meeting. There is no requirement for law enforcement to disclose the details while they are still investigating, but the issue is that they did disclose details at different times, to different people, and the answers are conflicting. Unfortunately, the answers are conflicting on several points of the investigation. This is not to disparage the individuals that have worked on the investigation, this is simply a fact. We have questions.

The family of Paula and Brandon work with the Valdosta Police as much as possible to search for answers and they appear to have a grounded relationship with them. However, after speaking to multiple officers, detectives, and officials in Valdosta, it has become difficult for me to look away from the glaring conflicting statements.

The meeting with Burroughs did not lead to any charges against him for the disappearance of Paula and/or Brandon, and he was free to continue his life. He continued to bob and weave in and out of Florida. And then we noticed something.. A new address and a new name in the overall investigation and research into the possible people of interest.

New information is always reenergizing, but it only lasts so long. In this instance, it lasted an entire 45 seconds after a simple search of the new name was an instant punch in the face. In this type of scenario, I recalibrate before searching further. Maintaining an open mind is vital, if you look for something hard enough, you’ll find it. It is highly important to ensure we are always searching for the truth, not our own version of what we believe the truth is. So, I walked away and mentally recalibrated.

When I returned, it was time to work. Not for hours or days, for months and months. What I eventually discovered was, Burroughs was utilizing the address of a family who was investigated for possible international child trafficking, RICO crimes and more. The family has never been convicted of these claims but they have been investigated and they have had penalties applied to them for some of their actions, such as failing to keep proper documentation and failure to abide by a request from the government to dissolve their adoption business. There were also a variety of civil claims against them for alleged fraud in the international adoption industry. The adoption business was receiving complaints from clients and international organizations. Fraud, abuse, and unethical practices were alleged by a variety of people who all had similar, horrific stories.

And then there are the children that they personally adopted, some of them have spoken to me about their experience and the alleged abuse they endured inside the home. As I learned more, the question became, what is Marcus Burroughs’ connection to this family?

It is a question that we have carefully, thoughtfully considered. We continue to speak to individuals who have knowledge about the arrangement and the overall details. There are no specific inferences to be drawn between Paula and Brandon and this information at this time, but a detail that we want to be extremely thorough in researching. It is simply a fact we have learned in our pursuit for truth and dignity for everyone involved. This pursuit includes the attempt to eliminate the names of any people of interest that we possibly can.

The last 4 years have been a whirlwind of information, meanwhile, life goes on, and that can be a difficult fact to digest for those who love Paula and Brandon. Their family appreciates each person who takes the time to share a post about them, listen to a podcast or media interview about their disappearance, and each person who has invested time into trying to help find them. They are grateful to the public and to private individuals who take the time to share any information, big or small.

I want to mention one more detail.. In this pursuit for truth and dignity, I keep hearing certain details repeated. And one of those details is about how Marcus Burroughs appeared to behave around Paula and Brandon. By all accounts, Marcus allegedly cared about Brandon and had become close to him during the time that they were all roommates. I have heard a variety of positive statements about Marcus and I feel it is only fair to mention that as well.

The duality of humans can be a complex and frustrating experience, everyone one of us harbors light and dark qualities. The facts and information we have shared is not an effort to draw any inferences, but rather to discuss the facts in an effort to obtain additional facts.