SC SC - Jackson Brent Garcia, 18, last seen @ relative's house, Sumter, 26 Dec 2020

[lindamichelle1]

Sumter County community comes together to honor missing teenager

Sumter County community comes together to honor missing teenager

SUMTER COUNTY, S.C. (WACH) — A community vigil was held in honor of the memory of Sumter County 19-year-old Brent Garcia.
Garcia has been missing since December 26, 2020.

A bench at the Saving Sumter Strays animal shelter on 1230 Winkles Road has been dedicated in his memory. A plaque of Garcia will be dedicated in his honor.

Garcia had dreams of becoming a veterinarian, which is why his grandmother chose that location to have the bench.

Garcia's sister Angel said kind words for her brother at the event, "Our prayer is that maybe someone will take a seat on this bench and make a difference like Brent wanted to. BRent's desire to help animals could always be found amongst the homeless community in our area. He was always visiting with the people to check on them, but more importantly, the animals. He always brought them treats. His love was genuine."

 

[chaddylex]

The Missing just released a podcast about Brent's disappearance.

 

[kmcneel12]

I am so happy to see Brent's case already up on here!!! I joined websleuths to do just that and my 2nd cousins homicide. This is a really odd case. I am not sure what all can be said on here so I will go over the rules before I say anything. We will bring him home.

 

[kelsie]

praying brent comes home.

 

[kmcneel12]

Noting for the time:

“He spent the night at his cousin's house on Ithaca Dr. that night and the last he was seen was about 7 o’clock that Saturday night," Angel and Leo said "We don’t know if he walked off, if he was picked up… it’s been a living nightmare.”

• 5:30 p.m. - He told his Grandmother he'd see her "in a little bit."
• 7:00 p.m. - Last seen outside at his cousin's house on Ithica Drive.
• Bloodhounds tracked his scent to Family Dollar on Route 15.

Is the Grandmother's house within walking distance? Near Family Dollar?

If he was on foot and the bloodhounds were accurate, it is about an hour and a half walk from Ithica Dr to Family Dollar 3340 US-15, Sumter, SC.

I verified that the bloodhounds did track Brent to that Family Dollar and it is not anywhere near his grandmothers home.

 

[CastlesBurning]

Contains a brief mention...

Hundreds of people missing in South Carolina | wltx.com

 

[kmcneel12]

That Family Dollar store is opened until 21.00 according to google maps.

So walking at a decent pace he would have made it in time. If ofcourse that was his destination.

Do those stores have cctv outside?

In one of the news reports they said he was visiting a home near the family dollar. I have walked the path that Brent most likely took (according to His grandma) on google maps and found several locations that looked like they had cctv. I asked JB (grandma, we are friends) if the sheriff’s office collected any of the video footage and she said they did not. May I ask, is it normal for the sheriff’s department to refuse to allow you, your family, or any outside search teams to come in and search for a missing person?

 

[GuyfromCanada]

APR 29

SUMTER, SC (WACH) -- The family of Brent Garcia is hosting a search party in honor of his birthday.

It will take place at Unity Baptist Church located at 4000 Hwy 15. S in Sumter

The family tells WACH Fox News anyone is welcome to come out and help in the search.

Family of missing Sumter man to host search party in honor of his birthday

 

[borndem]

It surely looks like he has a lot of friends who care about him -- it says much about him, doesn't it? Hoping he is safe, and with good folks.

A bit late, but

Welcome to Websleuths,
kmcneel12 !!​

 

[kmcneel12]

It surely looks like he has a lot of friends who care about him -- it says much about him, doesn't it? Hoping he is safe, and with good folks.

A bit late, but

Welcome to Websleuths,
kmcneel12 !!​

Thank you so much! I joined to get help with Brent’s case and also my cousin Jocelyn Hickenlooper was murdered in 1955 and her killer was never found.

 

[PommyMommy]

Google preview is all I can see without subscribing...

Sumter's Missing group will host hot chocolate bar

All are welcome to join Sumter's Missing group and Brent's Army for an afternoon of hot chocolate and holiday fun at Sumter's Missing Memorial on Saturday, Dec. 17. From 3:30-5:30 p.m., the public is invited to visit the memorial, 115 N. Harvin …

www.theitem.com

Dec 10, 2022 — Angel Brown, mother of Jackson "Brent" Garcia, who has been missing since Dec. 26, 2020, came up with the idea to remember Sumter's 20 missing and bring ...

 

[borndem]

Such a tuff time to have a family member missing. Of course every day is tuff as well.
Hoping his family and friends can help support each other and do what they can to help LE and others to find him and bring him home. It's been a long, long time.

 

[PommyMommy]

NOV 15, 2022

‘Keeping the faith’: Missing persons memorial shines bright in Sumter after unveiling ceremony Sunday - The Sumter Item

It’s been almost two years since a Sumter mother began her mission to shine light on a social issue that hit her own home.Her determination, persistence and passion finally came to a crux late …

www.theitem.com

[...]

“This all started for me Dec. 26, 2020, when my son went missing,” she told the crowd.

Brown’s son, Jackson “Brent” Garcia, was 18 when he was last seen. That day changed the lives of many who were determined to never let his name, or 19 others, be forgotten.

“After Brent went missing, we put on a candlelight vigil, and at that candlelight vigil is when I had the idea that I wanted to do a vigil for all of the missing people in Sumter,” Brown said. “We then formed a little group called Sumter’s Missing and Brent’s Army.”

The memorial site ended up taking nearly two years to complete. The group went from council to council, asking for a piece of property. It wasn’t until April 2021 that Sumter County Council approved a site at 115 N. Harvin St., the location of a former Holocaust memorial that has since moved to a new home.

[...]

Several families of missing people from Sumter attended and spoke at the unveiling. Those included family members and friends of Garcia, Willie Hodge Jr., Barbara Nave, Tommy Brailey, Barbara Jenkins, Julia Bean, Naomi Collins, Stacy Lester and Shelton Sanders.

[...]

“While we recognize the hurt these families suffer with unanswered questions about their missing loved one, we are truly moved by the results of their efforts,” said Maj. Randall Stewart, of the sheriff’s office. “I don’t look at this as a memorial as much as I see it as an icon, a symbol that they will not give up hope for their family member. And as a law enforcement agency, neither shall we. The family and friends of Jackson ‘Brent’ Garcia started a new passion about the mysteries surrounding missing persons and grew their cause into a community movement. It is a beautiful thing in the middle of all the pain.”

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 2, 2023

Brent's Army: The family of 18-year-old Brent Garcia missing since Christmas 2020 in South Carolina fighting for answers

Brent Garcia was last seen on December 26, 2020. Today, a group called Brent’s Army advocates for Brent and other missing people in Sumter County.

www.nbcnews.com

[...]

Around 5:30 p.m., their grandmother spoke with Brent, too. Jean Brown told Dateline that when she spoke with her grandson, he told her that he was at his cousin’s house playing games and that he would “be home in a little bit.”

But Brent never returned to his grandmother’s house. Jean said that when she tried to contact Brent later that evening, he didn’t pick up the phone. “I kept trying to call him and I couldn't get any answer,” she said. “It's unusual, very unusual. He kept in touch with me 24/7. He never left anywhere that he didn't tell me where he was going.”

Brent’s mother told Dateline that the cousin was the last person to actually see Brent on December 26, 2020. “It was cold that night and the cousin and Brent were outside with the dog,” Angel said. “The cousin went inside, took the dog in and then Brent was never seen since then.” Angel said that the cousin told her he did not actually see Brent walk away and did not give her any further information.

[...]

According to Angel, Brent’s cell phone was recovered from his cousin’s house and immediately turned over to police. She told Dateline that she knows the phone was processed and that data was recovered, but she does not know if any of the information retrieved was pertinent to the case. “It’s still an ongoing investigation. So I'm not sure of everything that they've retrieved or recovered from the phone,” Angel said. “But yes, they did recover information from the phone.”

Dateline reached out to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office to get the latest on the investigation but has not yet heard back. ...

[...]

In a written statement, Brent’s sister, Maddie, told Dateline that her brother is her best friend. “If I ever had a bad day, he was always the person I could run to,” she wrote. She described him as very family oriented. “We were all he cared about and, of course, his animals,” she said. ...

[...]

There is currently a $10,000 reward being offered by Brent’s Army, Crime Stoppers and the Sumter Police Department for information that leads to Brent’s location.

Anyone with information about Brent’s whereabouts, recent activities or people he could be in contact with should call the Sumter County Sheriff's Office at (803) 436-2000 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC (274-6372). Tips can also be given anonymously by going to p3tips.com.

 

[AddiJames]

Hi, really late to the party and I don't know if it matters anymore but...

The Family Dollar store. There's a post saying it's open until 9 pm, but would that be the case on Boxing Day. I don't know about the US, but here many stores would close early or not open at all on the 26th

 

[Valiant]

Hi, really late to the party and I don't know if it matters anymore but...

The Family Dollar store. There's a post saying it's open until 9 pm, but would that be the case on Boxing Day. I don't know about the US, but here many stores would close early or not open at all on the 26th

In the US the 26th of December is a big shopping day. After Christmas sales and returns are big in the US that day.

 

[Caring1]

 

[PommyMommy]

Still missing

NOV 3, 2023
NBC News - 10 YEARS OF MISSING IN AMERICA
[...]

... On the afternoon of the 26th, Brent went to hang out with his cousin.

He was supposed to return to his grandmother’s house afterwards, but never did. It was a cold night, according to Angel, who told Dateline that Brent and his cousin were outside with a dog before Brent disappeared. The cousin then went inside with the dog. Angel said that the cousin — who was the last person to see Brent — told her he did not actually see Brent walk away and did not give her any further information. Angel told Dateline that there were many sightings of Brent reported to both the family and authorities around the time that he disappeared, but none was ever confirmed. According to a December 30, 2020 Facebook post made by the sheriff’s office, they “conducted aerial, foot and K9 searches for Jackson at his last known location and in the 15 South area near that location.” They also confirmed that investigators were following leads as they came in but none has led to Brent’s whereabouts.

[...]