Hunt County investigators searching for single mother who vanished in 1991

WILLS POINT, Texas - The Hunt County Sheriff’s Department has been out searching for evidence connected to a woman’s disappearance in 1991.

To add to an already challenging investigation, an official missing person’s report wasn’t filed for Carey Mae Parker until 19 years after any relatives had seen the mother of three.

The investigator in charge of the case said it’s the most disheartening case he’s ever worked on because there is almost nothing to go on. Investigators aren’t even sure when Parker was last seen.

Brian Parker, Carey Mae Parker’s son, now has children of his own. He was just 5 years old when he last saw his 23-year-old single mother.

“I remember being a kid. I used to build tree houses and I’d sit up there all day just hoping she would come around the corner,” he said.

The Parkers live in Wills Point at the time. On Saturday and Monday, a national organization called Community United Effort brought out 10 human remains detection dogs to search for her. It was the first search for her – ever.

Hunt County Sgt. Jeff Haines is assigned to the cold case. No one was assigned to it for almost 20 years.

“I didn’t have anywhere to start,” Sgt. Haines said.

No one in Parker’s family officially reported her missing until 2010, 19 years after any of them had last seen her.

“They initially thought that another city had taken the report,” Haines said. “But there was nothing, no official record.”

There are different stories about when and where she was last seen that don’t add up on a timeline. Some say she was last seen leaving a party. Her son said he last saw her when she was leaving home with a laundry basket under her arm.

“I can’t even narrow it down to a season. Was she last seen in the summer or the winter or the fall?” Haines said.

If she did just up and leave, Sgt. Haines said she did not leave behind a paper trail showing she had established a new life.

Parker’s youngest daughter, Mandee Taylor, was just 2 years old when she disappeared. She believes someone in the small town of Wills Point knows something and should come forward.

“I know it’s scary but it’s been 28 years. Justice needs to be served, for not just her but us,” Taylor said.

Brian Parker said it’s the knowing almost nothing for sure that’s so painful.

“I know for sure that she’s missing. That’s an obvious one,” he said. “I know for sure that I miss her.”

The Hunt County Sheriff’s Office is not sure what the next step is but it hopes to review results from the human detection dogs. The sheriff’s office is also hoping new people will come forward to be interviewed.