Chastity Terry
*The following story was based on the most up-to-date information as of the Journal-Record’s press deadline on Monday evening, Jan. 13, 2025.
HAMILTON — State, county and local law enforcement agencies are continuing the search for Chastity Ann Terry, 39, and who is considered a missing person. She was last seen on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, according to a release from the Hamilton Police Department that was posted late Sunday night.
The search is being focused on the areas near Hamilton, Jasper, Bear Creek and other locations along I-22.
After the report was posted, Hamilton Police Chief Jordan Carter and Marion County Sheriff Kevin Williams told reporters they were able to obtain camera footage from Love’s Truck Stop in Jasper that showed Terry exiting the store with a male acquaintance early on Friday morning, Jan. 10, during winter weather conditions.
Terry was last seen wearing a gray hoodie and black pants with brown and white shoes.
Law enforcement located their vehicle, which had slid off into a ditch on the westbound on-ramp on I-22 on Exit 22 at County Highway 45 near Guin.
The search in that area was called off on Monday afternoon when no signs of her were found.
“We do have information that the two went to the Birmingham area to buy some narcotics, fentanyl I believe it is, and were on their way back,” Williams said. “So I do believe she was under the influence of something.
“That’s the information we do have. That’s why they were traveling that morning on their way back.”
Williams told reporters they were searching the area around the vehicle for signs of the missing woman.
“She and her boyfriend or acquaintance were last seen in Jasper at Love’s about 2:04 on Friday morning during the snow and ice (storm),” he said. “The reason we’re in this location is because the vehicle was pulled off on the on-ramp going west-bound and slid off into a ditch. That’s the information we had, is that this might be the location she might be.
“We just took the hunch and started searching the area and up and down County Road 45. We have several law enforcement agencies helping us, including ALEA flying the helicopter.”
Williams said there was no evidence pointing to any foul play, but that investigators would take the case just as seriously.
“We didn’t find anything, but we’re going to continue the search,” he said. “Right now, it’s just a missing person, but we’re probably going to try and do a homicide report with it just in case, but we don’t know.
“The question was if she was here. The last known location of them together was in Jasper. But if she was in this location, if she walked or left somewhere, we don’t know yet. We’re going to treat it as a missing person but also as a homicide. We don’t have any evidence of homicide, but we’ll look into that.”
Carter said the male driver of the vehicle she was last seen with has been taken into custody on drug-related charges.
“We did speak with the individual last night who was driving the vehicle in question,” Carter said. “He is currently incarcerated in Marion County Jail on charges of conspiracy to commit a controlled substance crime.
“As far as it relates to the facts, and the things that he’s told us in that interview, I can’t comment on that right now due to the ongoing investigation. Our agency, the sheriff’s office, the investigators are working diligently to try to figure out the actual facts of this case.”
Carter confirmed the man the Hamilton Police Department had in custody is Charles Williams Jr., 49, of Hamilton. He was booked into Marion County Jail on Sunday night, Jan. 12.
Carter said any information regarding her possible whereabouts would be greatly appreciated, but that his department was focused on finding facts.
“The fact of the matter is, we want to know the facts,” he said. “There’s tons of speculation out there. We want to release the facts to you, the media and the public. Please just be patient with us as we try to figure out the facts.
“If people come to us with information, we look into that stuff, believe me, we do. We want people to come forward with information, like ‘Oh, we heard about this or we heard about that.’ That way our agency can look into those allegations or those statements to figure out what the facts of the case are.”
Williams said he is holding onto hope they will find her.
“I hope she’s still alive,” he said. “I still have that hope. I do. I ask the public, if they have any information, to let us know for sure, whether it be from family members or whoever.”
Carter said law enforcement is doing everything they can to solve this case.
“We’re exhausting every one of our options as a police department, and I know the sheriff’s office is as well,” he said. “We’re diligently working this. We had officers out past midnight last night, and we’ve got patrol officers who are gaining knowledge and hearing from different people. Just know that we are treating this as a serious matter, and we are investigating it as such, and we will continue to work diligently until we find her.”
Anyone with information can contact Sergeant Cody McCullar at 205-570-5871 or email cmccullar@hamiltoncityal.org; or call the non-emergency line at 205-921-7424.
*When a defendant is charged with a crime, the charge is merely an accusation until or unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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