JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The family of 72-year-old Margaret Hanley, who went missing from her Westside Jacksonville home, is speaking out after her body was found in Hinesville, Georgia. They say the search for her could have been handled more quickly.
Hanley was last seen by her family on February 7th. Her disappearance was reported to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on February 11th. While detectives investigated, her car was spotted by a Flock camera on February 8th in Georgia, and a “be on the lookout” alert was sent to Liberty County and the state of Georgia.
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Suspicious bank activity led Hanley’s children to suspect she may have been the victim of a scam. Transactions continued after she was last seen, including purchases in Gainesville and Starke, Florida. Despite this, a Silver Alert was not issued by JSO because her last known location was believed to be outside their jurisdiction.
Hanley’s missing persons alert was not posted on JSO social media until February 19th, more than a week after her disappearance. The sheriff’s office explained that the delay was due to jurisdiction concerns, but the alert was eventually shared to encourage tips and information.
Hanley’s remains were recovered on February 21st in Liberty County, Georgia, less than 10 minutes from where her car had been last seen. Her son, Jomo Thompson, says he wants to use what happened to his mother to raise awareness about scams targeting the elderly and the timing of missing persons alerts.
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“We’re heartbroken and at a loss, but we are grateful we were able to find my mom,” Thompson said. “Not knowing what happened, especially during that week and a half, you run the gamut of emotions from hopeful to fearful.”
Thompson added that he felt the case wasn’t treated as a priority until he appeared on the Nancy Grace show, which brought national attention to his mother’s disappearance. “For the average person without that exposure, you’re at the mercy of the police department, and a family will exhaust all resources.”
While he recognizes that law enforcement handles many cases, Thompson said he wishes the search for his mother had been more urgent. He also emphasized that the scammers responsible should be held accountable.
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“My mom’s a baby boomer. There’s a large population of older people who are being preyed on, and more needs to be done,” Thompson said. “People who prey on the elderly or children are the worst, and it needs to be stopped. A lot more needs to be done to help other people in my situation so they have a better outcome than we did.”
Thompson said he hopes his family’s experience will improve procedures for missing persons alerts. “I shouldn’t have to rely on my friends. You turn to law enforcement and want them to pull out all the stops. This information should have been disseminated earlier.”
He added, “I just wanted to see my mom one last time. I won’t be able to do that, and it’s hard. But I take some solace in the fact that we’ll be able to lay her to rest and say our goodbyes. There’s just so much more I want to know.”
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