Lisa Marie Shuttleworth was a single mom of two who lived in Aiken, South Carolina with her 8-year-old son, Ryan, and her 14-year-old daughter, Krystina. The 34-year-old divorced their father, Jack, in 1996 and he was not very involved in their lives. Lisa worked at Jerico's, a bar owned by her father.
Lisa owned a blue/green 1994 Pontiac Grand Am but it broke down shortly before she went missing. She borrowed a white Lincoln Towncar from 74-year-old Neal Durden, a friend of her parents.
On the morning of September 4, 2003, Lisa made breakfast for Ryan and took him to school; Krystina had spent the night with her grandparents. Lisa was supposed to meet Ryan at the bus stop after school and she planned to pick Krystina up later that evening, however, she never showed up.
When Ryan got off the school bus and realized that his mother wasn't there, he made the short walk home where he found both Lisa's vehicle and the car she had borrowed parked in the driveway. Since the front door was locked, Ryan decided to wait at a friend's house across the street.
At 6 pm, Krystina called her mother several times wondering why she hadn't picked her up but there was no answer. A short time later, Neal arrived at Lisa's home, upset she hadn't returned his car. When Ryan told him that his mother wasn't there, Neal took him to his grandparent's house.
Since Lisa's parents had a key, they were able to gain access to her home. There was a pot of tea on the stove with a napkin still wrapped around the handle. It appeared as though Lisa was about to move the kettle aside when something unexpected happened. Her purse was gone but her driver's license and Social Security Card were later found in an envelope inside the home.
Lisa was reported missing. A witness reported seeing her at a Pit Stop convenience store at 9 am. CCTV confirmed that Lisa was filling the car she had borrowed with gas while reading a newspaper.
Neal said Lisa called him at 10 am from her home and told him she was expecting a friend. She reportedly did not mention the friend's name nor did she tell anyone about the alleged meeting.
The authorities confirmed that all calls to Lisa after 10 am went unanswered.
An entire week later, scent-sniffing dogs were finally deployed in and around the vicinity of Lisa's home, however, nothing was found. She was never seen or heard from again.
Ryan and Krystina were subsequently raised by their grandparents. They never stopped searching for Lisa who they described as the life of the party. “She made sure we had a roof over our heads and food in our mouths to eat. She was a wonderful mother," Krystina told news reporters in 2014.
At the time of her disappearance, Lisa was having an affair with James "Bubba" Harrison. Although there were rumors that Lisa was pregnant with James' child, this hasn't been confirmed.
Other than James, there were several persons of interest including Neal Durden, Lisa's ex-boyfriend, Jimmy King, and her ex-husband, Jack Shuttleworth. Jack claimed Neal was Lisa's "sugar daddy."
James Harrison and Jimmy King are reportedly still alive while Neal passed away in 2004 due to complications from a stroke. Jack has been in and out of jail for years on unrelated charges.
Nearly 20 years later, the search for Lisa Marie Shuttleworth continues. She was last seen wearing a white t-shirt and pink or gray sweatpants. Lisa was also carrying a pager. Today, she would be 53.
If you have any information, contact Aiken County Sheriff's Office at 800-922-9709.
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