The family of Linda Reed, seeking answers regarding the April 30 disappearance of the Carrollton woman, met with FBI agents in Jackson on Tuesday.
Reed’s stepson, Chris Reed of Grenada, said some of the wild rumors surrounding his stepmother’s disappearance from Copiah County have been put to rest.
“She was not arrested by the FBI in Mexico. She is still a missing person,” he said Wednesday in a phone interview. “They are trying to find out what happened. ... As far as the reported embezzlement goes, the FBI has not reported any embezzlement.”
WLBT Channel 3 in Jackson reported last Sunday that Reed, 65, had been arrested in Mexico. Late Tuesday night, the station backed off that claim on its website.
Copiah County Sheriff Harold Jones said Monday he tried to call WLBT before the report aired but couldn’t reach the station. Its reports couldn’t be substantiated, he said.
“We don’t know where she is. I hope she is alive somewhere. That would be great,” Jones said.
Chris Reed did not attend Tuesday’s meeting with the FBI, but he said those present included Linda Reed’s husband, James “Lou” Reed; son Chris Sessums; and daughter Cindy Gray. He said the meeting lasted several hours.
Deborah Madden, the Jackson FBI’s media representative, did not respond to emails regarding details of what was discussed at the family meeting.
Linda Reed was first reported missing on April 30 when she did not show up for work at Moore’s Fabrication of Gallman. Reed has worked for the firm as a bookkeeper since 1999.
Her husband last spoke with her on the night of April 29.
Sessums found his mother’s car, a Chevy Equinox, on April 30 off Pat Harrison Road near the Crystal Springs exit on I-55.
In the car were Reed’s glasses, cellphone and money. Her family also found a human tooth in the vehicle.
The owner of Moore’s Fabrication, Shannon Moore, said on May 15 he was working with law enforcement to find out if it’s possible that she could have been embezzling money before she disappeared.
Chris Reed said the rumor that his stepmother was embezzling is ridiculous.
“The FBI has been going over her books. ... For a fact there were no large amounts of money missing from anywhere,” he said.
He said she was not the only bookkeeper but did have control over some accounts.
Some accounting discrepancies were discovered, but they were minor, he said.
He said a 1973 charge of uttering forgery in Hinds County, brought against Linda Reed by an ex-husband, was dismissed in court.
Chris Reed said it made no sense for his stepmother, who is “not in great health,” to flee from her family, including her 86-year-old mother, without saying a word.
He said the family is grateful to those who have stood by the family and sought to find his stepmother. “We want to thank everybody for their efforts, for their prayers,” he said.
A $10,000 reward has been offered by Linda Reed’s family.
•Contact Bob Darden at 581-7239 or bdarden@gwcommonwealth.com.
