A woman and her three children reportedly disappeared from their Virginia home on September 5, but what happened to them is a mystery. Lauren Cook, 30, and her kids, 7-year-old Benjamin, 5-year-old Hannah, and 2-year-old Elijah, were supposed to go to a family member's house, but they apparently never showed up. Strangely, the family supposedly waited days to notify the authorities.
The Franklin County Sheriff's Office posted on Facebook on September 13, sharing it was looking for Cook and her children and asked anyone with information to contact the department. The sheriff's office said communication efforts were unsuccessful. And now, her husband says they are fine and that he wants privacy. Yet details remain sketchy, and police are puzzled.
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Police called the case 'complex.'
According to the New York Post, Cook and her husband, Jordan, share custody of the three children. The case is unusual because there didn't appear to be any trouble with the couple that would have caused Cook to leave.
"A lot of times you see these situations where a parent loses custody and takes the kids and runs away. This doesn't seem to be like that," said Sgt. Megan Huston, the department's public information officer, per the Post.
Additionally, police records show there have not been any domestic disputes or 911 calls related to the family, the Post reported.
But, the couple is new to the area.
Huston said even though there is no history with the couple in Franklin County, they are not originally from the area. She wasn't privy to information that may indicate whether they had a troubled past in another jurisdiction. "It's a complex situation that we have limited details on," she said.
Because a report of the family's disappearance was delayed, it is hard to determine when they were last seen or many details of that time period, including what they were wearing or any plans to leave.
The mother's cellphone hasn't been used in more than 10 days.
Investigators could trace Cook's last cellphone activity to September 7, WSLS reported. According to the news station, the final ping on her cellphone was near Lexington, Virginia. Police said she and her children may have been traveling in a blue 2013 Chrysler minivan.
"The last time that Lauren Cook and her children were seen or heard from from family was around September 5, 6 area, and since then they have just not been able to have any communication with her," Huston said, according to WSLS. "We're just trying to assist in the search to locate her and her children to make sure that they're safe."
Social media is obsessed with the case.
Groups dedicated to the missing mother and her children continue to pop up on Facebook. People are concerned and some are even suspicious.
"Is it possible she left for safety reasons? Or did the dad/husband do something? Its Heartbreaking this is going on in our world today. So Sad," someone wrote in the Missing Lauren Cook And Children Discussion public Facebook group.
"It's been almost 2 weeks & very little information. The family hasn't made any public plea's for Lauren to contact them/come home. This is a very strange case," another person posted in the group.
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Jordan Cook claims his wife and children are not missing.
Per a report by WSET, the children's names were listed on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's website early Monday; however, they no longer appear in the search results. According to Jordan Cook, there is a good reason for that.
In a statement to the news outlet he said, "Contrary to what has been reported, my wife and children are not 'missing.' I have no reason to be concerned about their safety or well-being. I have heard from my wife, and I'm sure she and my children are doing well. We ask that our family's privacy be respected at this time."
Investigators have not released any new details confirming or denying Jordan Cook's claims. The sheriff's office asks anyone with information about where Lauren Cook and her children might be to call 540-483-3000.
