Family fears missing Maxton woman is dead
By Matt Elofson - Staff writer
MAXTON, MN - Aponda “Bootie” Bullard has been missing for more than month and her family believes she may have been murdered.
The 33-year-old Bullard, who lives at 383 Gurney Road near Maxton with her mother and 7-year-old son, was last seen on April 24 near Myrtle Beach, S.C. Her mother, Marie Bullard, filed a missing person report on May 7.
“It's very unusual for her to be gone for this length of time without calling me or someone else in the family,” Marie Bullard said. “In my opinion something has happened to her. The conclusion I've come to is that she's not alive anymore ... it's just not like her not to call.”
Bullard was at Myrtle Beach when she was arrested on May 23 while traveling in a stolen pickup truck with two men and her sister, according to Robeson County sheriff's Detective Hubert Graham.
She was charged with violating the open alcohol container law, Graham said. The two men were arrested and charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle. Bullard's sister was not charged.
Graham said Bullard's sister was able to get a ride home to Maxton but Bullard has not been seen since she left the Ruben Long Detention Center the day after her arrest. After she was released, she left a phone message with her uncle, Kirk Bullard, saying she planned to try to find a ride home to Maxton, Marie Bullard said.
“I can't determine yet if there was any foul play involved,” Graham said.
In addition to a 7-year-old son, Bullard has two teenage children who live with relatives.
Bullard is an American Indian who has brown eyes, brown hair, is about 5 feet tall, and weighs about 150 pounds.
Anyone with information about her whereabouts can call the Robeson County Sheriff's Office at 671-3181 or Marie Bullard at 522-5084.
Lead from 2 beads Correspondent Teresa Anahuy
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June 2007 Reports
Last updated on June 06, 2007