Missing
Alicia A. Waters
Alicia, approximately 2015; Florence Waters
Date and time person was reported missing : 04/10/2015
Missing location (approx) :
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Missing classification : Endangered Missing
Gender : Female
Ethnicity :
Black
Age at the time of disappearance: 40 years old
Height / Weight : 5'4 - 5'7, 105 - 115 pounds
Medical conditions : Alicia has suffered from severe cerebral palsy since infancy. As a result of her condition, she uses a wheelchair for mobility and she cannot speak.
Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos
: African-American female. Black hair, brown eyes.
Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Alicia was last seen in Murfreesboro, Tennessee on April 10, 2015. She is severely physically and mentally disabled and has been cared for by her parents, Florence Elaine Waters and Charles Waters, all her life. A photo of Florence is posted with this case summary.
Alicia has a trust fund of over a million dollars set aside for her care, money from a medical malpractice settlement. Her parents, as her caregivers, could receive up to nine thousand dollars a month from the account. There were allegations that Alicia's parents were misusing the money, including a report that they spent some of it on a swimming pool for themselves. As a result, a Murfreesboro attorney was appointed as conservator and he is in charge of how the money will be disbursed.
Florence and Charles came to Rutherford County Chancery Court court in Tennessee once a month for about a year, and were increasingly uncooperative and combative, refusing to allow court officials to check on how Alicia was doing. Then they sold their house and moved away, leaving a forwarding address in Duluth, Georgia.
Alicia's parents have not collected money from the trust fund since then. They also haven't collected any of Alicia's Social Security disability payments since 2006, when the Social Security Administration started asking her parents questions about how the money was being spent.
A warrant was issued for Florence's arrest in January 2017; she is supposed to be taken before the chancery court to show cause for why she should not be held in contempt for failing to disclose Alicia's whereabouts.
Later in 2017, a Georgia television news station went to the Duluth address and spoke to Alicia's father, Charles. He admitted his identity, but refused to disclose where Florence and Alicia were. He said they were together and initially claimed they were in Tennessee, then admitted this was untrue. He said Alicia was alive and being cared for. Neighbors reported they hadn't seen anyone in a wheelchair at the house.
Investigators are concerned for Alicia's safety, as they cannot think of a reasonable explanation why her parents would have walked away from her trust fund. Her parents no longer have legal custody of her, and the court has offered a reward for information leading to her whereabouts. The circumstances of her disappearance are unclear.
Other information and links : ncy
Murfreesboro Police Department
615-849-2670
September 2021 updates and sources
A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are not known. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, death in a location where they cannot be found (such as at sea), or many other reasons. In most parts of the world, a missing person will usually be found quickly. While criminal abductions are some of the most widely reported missing person cases, these account for only 2�5% of missing children in Europe.
By contrast, some missing person cases remain unresolved for many years. Laws related to these cases are often complex since, in many jurisdictions, relatives and third parties may not deal with a person's assets until their death is considered proven by law and a formal death certificate issued. The situation, uncertainties, and lack of closure or a funeral resulting when a person goes missing may be extremely painful with long-lasting effects on family and friends.
Several organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and imAge at the time of disappearance: s of missing children to improve the effectiveness of missing children investigations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), as well as national organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the US, Missing People in the UK, Child Focus in Belgium, and The Smile of the Child in Greece.
WSMV
Find Alicia Waters
The Missing Pieces Network
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Interactive Missing Person Search Map
