Missing
Sadie Wallace Nelson
Nelson, approximately 1996
Date and time person was reported missing : 06/08/1996
Missing location (approx) :
Benton, Tennessee
Missing classification : Endangered Missing
Gender : Female
Ethnicity :
White
Age at the time of disappearance: 74 years old
Height / Weight : 5'6, 130 pounds
Medical conditions : Wallace was taking prescription medication at the time of her disappearance and does not have it with her.
Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos
: Caucasian female. Brown hair, brown eyes. Nelson has a gold front tooth. She wears eyeglasses and her ears are pierced. She may use the last names Cantril, Finnell, Sanford, Thompson and/or White.
Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Nelson was last seen in Benton, Tennessee on June 8, 1996. She lived with her boyfriend, 77-year-old John Burlie Pike, on a farm north of town off Highway 411. They were joint caretakers of the property.
On the morning of June 9, Pike's body was found in the driveway; he had been beaten and his throat slit. Nelson was missing and the residence was "virtually untouched." She has never been heard from again.
In December 1996, police thought they had found Wallace after they learned someone was cashing her Social Security checks in Batavia, New York. It turned out Wallace's son was cashing the checks and keeping the money for himself, and he didn't know his mother's whereabouts. She has previously been married six times and is not originally from the Benton area.
There are no outstanding warrants for Wallace, but authorities would like to question her and see what she knows about Pike's murder. It's unclear whether she also met with foul play. Pike's murder and Wallace's disappearance remain unsolved.
Other information and links : ncy
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
423-307-7647
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.
The Knoxville News-Sentinel
Tenth Judicial District Cold Case Task Force
The Chattanooga Times Free Press
October 12, 2004. March 6, 2017; .
Interactive Missing Person Search Map
