The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office is seeking information about the following missing persons:
Heller Sample
The oldest active missing persons case in Bradley County Sheriff’s Office files has gone unsolved for over 27 years. Heller Sample was last seen at her residence on Peach Orchard Hill Road in February, 1983.
Sample is described as a white female with brown hair, approximately five feet tall and weighing around 105 pounds. At the time she was last seen Sample was 28 years old and had a daughter who was 2 years old. Heller Sample was born in February 1955 which today would make her 56 years old.
Patricia Louise Kelley
Another unsolved case filed the same year involves Patricia Louise Kelley. The last contact with her was on Wildwood Avenue on August 19, 1983.
Kelley was 25 years old at the time of her disappearance and had two daughters.
In addition to her daughters Kelley had other relatives in Bradley and Hamilton Counties. No one filed a missing persons report but a lengthy investigation conducted by the BCSO revealed she could have traveled to High Springs Florida or Cross City Florida, although there is nothing to indicate foul play in her disappearance.
Kelley is described as being 5 feet six inches tall with blue eyes and brown hair.
She was married at one time but divorced. Her ex-husband lived in Griffin Georgia but died several years ago.
Nancy Debra "Debbie" Barr Willis
Nancy Debra Barr Willis was reported missing on March 25, 1987. Family members reported they last saw her on December 23, 1986 in Gate City Virginia. But her husband, Howard "Hawk" Willis, reported he saw her for the last time on March 11, 1987.
Mrs. Willis was 25 years old at the time of her disappearance and had two small children. She has not been seen or heard from since.
She is described as a white female, 5 feet 3 inches tall, blond hair, brown eyes and weighing approximately 125 pounds.
Mrs. Willis’ maiden name was Winegar.
Donnie Lee Payne
Donnie Lee Payne was reported missing to the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office on Sept. 14, 2008 after several days past without contact with any family members.
All leads developed during the investigation have been thoroughly checked but without success in locating Payne. A family member offered a cash reward shortly after his disappearance but it generated no new leads as to his whereabouts.
Payne was 73 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed approximately 125 pounds when he was last seen. He has brown hair and brown eyes.
Sandra Hale a.k.a. Sandra Plumley
The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office has been involved in the missing persons’ case of Sandra Hale a.k.a. Sandra Plumley since her disappearance on May 18, 2005. Hale lived in Perry Georgia but had relatives in Bradley County. The last contact anyone had with Hale was a boyfriend who told investigators she indicated to him plans to travel to Chattanooga. No one has provided details of any contact with her after that.
At the time she was reported missing Hale was 40 years old, 5 feet 3 inches tall, and weighed 135 pounds. Her hair is dark brown and had a red tint.
Hale has a tattoo of a rose with a snake through it on her left shoulder and has protruding top teeth.
Marsha Ellen Brantley
51-year-old Marsha Ellen Brantley has not been seen or heard from since late May or early June 2009. She was not reported missing until November when a friend contacted an attorney to report that she had not been seen or heard from in several months. The attorney took that information to the District Attorney’s Office and they notified the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Brantley was married to Donnie Brantley. He has told investigators his wife left him and they were planning on divorcing.
She is described as 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing approximately 125 pounds. Brantley has light brown hair and blue eyes. Her maiden name was Rader.
Any information about Marsha Ellen Rader Brantley should be given to the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office or the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office would like any information about these individuals. You can contact the Criminal Investigations Division at 423 728-7337 or the Crime Tip Hotline at 423 728-7336. If you wish you don’t have to give your identity.