GA GA - Foy Mae Brady, Summerville, 1950s

A few years ago I was driving through North Georgia and stopped for breakfast in Summerville, Georgia. All around the little town were missing persons fliers with a picture that was definitely from the 1950s. All the fliers said was a name and that Foy Mae's family thought she had been killed and her body was in a well in Chattooga County.

I couldn't find anything on the woman when I got home, but there have been breaks in the case. According to this 2006 article from a local paper her daughter is suing law enforcement and suing for the right to search the well herself. Here is the daughter's posting on Topix.

This is so sad.Fifty years this town has refused to do anything to help this family find their love one?

wow mabey someone from here can stir some things up and get this case solved .. at least i hope so .. i wonder if there is any way to make the LE in that town let her search ? or do one ?

I don't get the impression it's LE that's stopping a private search, but the well's owner(s). This can be a difficult situation because obviously LE thinks no judge will ever issue a warrant, for lack of solid evidence, and without a warrant they can't search a private property if the owners don't agree. I'd be curious to know the reason invoked by the owners for denying permission, but I suppose it could be as simple as thinking the well could be damaged and they're not sure they'd be compensated if it happens. Also I suppose it's not everyone who really wants to know if there's a skeleton in their water, I'm not sure I would.

Apparently the well is (or was) owned by Foe Mae's brother-in-law, who her family believes killed her. He recently died.

It's all very strange, and even locally I haven't really found any press coverage, except for the one article in 2006 I linked to. It must have been 2005 when I saw the missing posters when I drove through Summerville.

AMP1979 said:

Apparently the well is (or was) owned by Foe Mae's brother-in-law, who her family believes killed her. He recently died.

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I see. That naturally explains why permission was never granted.

http://www.romenews-tribune.com/vie...files-for-search-of-Chattooga-wel---Local-New

Here is a link to the old article that as of this date is working.

The affidavits accuse Brady’s late brother-in-law Otis Brady of murdering her and indicate that before his death, he admitted placing her body in a well on Martin Street in Summerville.

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Hyperlink to affidavit and request to search well is broken in article above.

1930 Census records show that Foy (born abt. 1901 in GA) was married to Clifford E. Brady and living in Fort Lauderdale, Broward, Florida with two children aged approx. 7 and 5 yrs.

(only posted that for background info for those that are curious about those things).

I wonder what the resolution was? Were they given permission to search the well? I wonder what motive would be to murder her?

OT but I remember another family that was convinced their Mother's remains were located within a well also I think there is a thread here but for the life of me I can't remember the name.

Has anyone heard anything else about this? I could do a little research, but would like to know if anyone had any update.

Thanks.

Ok if the brother in law is now dead surely wouldnt the new owners give permission for the search to go ahead even if it is just to get the family off the backs so to speak?

Not sure that any of the links in this older thread are still working -- found this one (2006) that currently is working, so thought I'd post it:

[h=1]Family alleges 50-year-old murder, files for search of Chattooga well[/h]

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http://www.northwestgeorgianews.com...cle_2cb4e486-9b0f-5754-89ae-c1d3c8a886c5.html

This is an odd one. It is quite difficult to find much information but a quick look has produced the following questions for me;

Firstly, in response to Kat's post #6. I may be wrong but I am doubtful about the identification of Foy Mae with the 1930 census record showing her born 1901 and living in Florida married to Clifford. My first doubts were raised by the comment of her daughter on the topix site (referenced in #1) saying "Foy Mae Brady was murdered at a very young age leaving 7 children behind". Whilst not conclusive this seems to me to be inconsistent with her being murdered in her 50s. I then found records on both Ancestry and MyHeritage showing that Grady Jackson Brady (born 1920) of Summerville married a Foy Mae Reynolds and had 7 children (as mentioned on Topix). The only issue seems to be that none of the children are called Debbie (the daughters name on the Topic comments). But perhaps Debbie is a second name used in preference. If Grady was born 1920 it seems likely Foy Mae was no older and so probably in her 30s when murdered. I think these records point to the right couple, but I cannot be sure. Some inconsistencies remain (such as the Grady married to Foy Mae Reynolds not having a brother Otis, but another Grady Brady born in Georgia in 1912 having one!). However, Foy Mae is so unusual a name and the location is right (Summerville). Ancestry also shows that 3 of the children were adopted out and that Grady went off the rails in the late 1950s with multiple charges of public drunkenness - all consistent with a family tragedy.

Secondly, and very intriguingly, I came across a 'news from the past story at the following link;

http://leepeacock2010.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/the-evergreen-courants-news-flashback.html

The story is from October 1956 and concerns a 100 mph car chase after a drunk driver and his companion. The relevant sentence is; " A woman companion, Foy Reynolds, age 28, alias Foy Brady, of Summerville, Ga is being held for investigation". I cannot see any way that this is not Foy Mae and it immediately raises the question of what was going on in her life at the time. Interestingly, Grady's first record for public drunkenness comes a year before this story.

It seems the story of Foy Mae could be more complicated and interesting than seemed to be the case on the initial facts.

Bump.

One additional piece of information. Grady Jackson Brady Jr (son of Grady Brady and Foy Mae Brady) died in 2017. His obituary identifies his wife as Debbie. Perhaps this is the Debbie who made comment on Topix (see post #1 and my post above). In which case it was her daughter in law rather than daughter looking for her.

Foy Mae Brady was my grandmother, she has been missing since she was around the age of 28, she left behind a husband and seven children.
The lady that is posted named Debbie is my aunt, her and my uncle Junior tried to get the media involved thinking they would do something But yet they still all these years later have not done a thing, there is no one left to prosecute and no one cares to but I want closure for my mother and my uncle who are in their 70's. I would give anything if they would just dig up that well and just prove once and for all if she is in that well, My aunt and uncle tried to do something but it costs money they said that they would have to get an archeologist and that costs money, I feel like if she had not been a poor person they would have cared more and done something by now.

Kim.Neese said:

Foy Mae Brady was my grandmother, she has been missing since she was around the age of 28, she left behind a husband and seven children.
The lady that is posted named Debbie is my aunt, her and my uncle Junior tried to get the media involved thinking they would do something But yet they still all these years later have not done a thing, there is no one left to prosecute and no one cares to but I want closure for my mother and my uncle who are in their 70's. I would give anything if they would just dig up that well and just prove once and for all if she is in that well, My aunt and uncle tried to do something but it costs money they said that they would have to get an archeologist and that costs money, I feel like if she had not been a poor person they would have cared more and done something by now.

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What about starting up one of those go fund me pages to try to generate the money. I'm sorry your family is going through this. Keep pushing the LE and the media.

Kim Neese, I think a go fund me page would be a big help. Bake sales and car washes can raise money as well, if there others who would help you.

Bumping for Foy Mae...