Photo courtesy of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.
Human remains found near Fort Bragg two months ago were identified as missing North Carolina woman, Priscilla Sands. The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement on Dec. 16.
Sands suffered from dementia and had been missing since Jan. 7, 2020. She reportedly left home to go to a doctor appointment and never returned. Sands had also forgotten her cell phone and wallet when she left her Fayetteville home on foot. Her remains were found
near Fort Bragg off of I-295 on Oct. 5 but not identified until recently.Family members searched for the 56-year-old woman for months. In February, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office eventually put out a Silver alert for Sands.
Sands’ son, Shelton Blige, said the family posted her picture everywhere, trying to find her and make her face known.
“They came out here with the dogs and everything, and they had chased her scent to try and find out which way she went,” he said. “After that, we’ve been getting billboards and posters out to get her face out there to try and get her face known.
Her family was distraught wondering how she was and if she was okay. One relative, Carrie Adkins, told reporters that she believed Sands was not adequately looked for because she was Black.
“Wondering every day if she is alive, is she warm, is she cold. Did she eat today? It’s been very hard,” said Adkins. “Right now, my heart, all I can do is pray. I know for a fact that if she would have been a different race, if they would not have thought she was homeless, if they would not have thought that she was a dope addict. She would probably be alive today.”
The cause of death has not yet been determined, and the medical examiner is still investigating. Sands’ family will receive her remains once the medical examiner has completed their investigation.