On September 5, 2017, Abby Lynn Patterson, age 20, was last seen in Lumberton, North Carolina. She disappeared after telling her mother she would return in an hour after leaving the house.
Background
Abby Lynn Patterson was born to mother Samantha Lovette on February 15, 1997.
Patterson was visiting her mother in Lumberton, North Carolina, when she disappeared. She formerly resided in Jacksonville, Florida, and had recently returned there after completing a heroin addiction treatment program.
She had just returned to Lumberton a few days prior to her disappearance.
Disappearance Details
Abby Lynn Patterson was last seen by her grandmother on East 9th Street in Lumberton, North Carolina, on September 5, 2017.
Patterson sent her mother a text message around 11:30 a.m. informing her that she was going to spend the next hour with some old high school friends.
Neighbors last observed Patterson walking down the street toward Inglewood Avenue and entering a brown Buick sedan on Park Avenue. Abby never returned to her residence and has not been heard from since.
Abby’s mother filed a report of a missing person at 6:00 p.m. with the Lumberton Police Department after she failed to return home. All of her cell phone calls went directly to voicemail.
Investigation of Case
Abby’s acquaintance and driver of the brown Buick told police that Patterson was dropped off at an unspecified location. Authorities have refused to disclose where she was dropped off, nor have they identified the driver publicly.
In Lumberton, North Carolina, in 2017, three women were discovered dead within a four-block radius a few months prior to Abby Lynn Patterson’s disappearance, but authorities do not believe the cases are related.
On April 17, 2017, Christina Bennett was discovered dead in a Peachtree Street residence. The following day, Rhonda Jones was discovered dead in front of an East 5th Street residence. On June 3, Megan Oxendine was discovered dead in the yard of an abandoned house on East 8th Street.
The causes and circumstances of the deaths of the three women who had a history of substance abuse are unknown. They were discovered naked and in varying stages of decomposition.
Whereabouts
Abby Lynn Patterson’s disappearance has been linked to foul play. The circumstances surrounding her disappearance are currently unknown, and she is classified as missing. Her case is still unresolved.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Abby Lynn Patterson please contact the Lumberton Police Department at (910) 671-3845, or the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office at (704) 672-6100. Agency Case Number: 2017-32652
There is a $10,000 reward being offered for information leading to Abby’s whereabouts.
