Ruth Jenkins, a mother of five, vanished from her Pineville, South Carolina hometown on July 16, 2022. She was 76 years old at the time and suffered from dementia. Over a year later, her family continues to pray for her return.
Robert Jenkins Jr., the eldest of the woman’s five children, said that the night before his mother disappeared, her dog had run off. Ruth, who was upset by this, drove to the
next town over, called Monck’s Corner, to search for her dog. A same-day visit to Walmart resulted in a family member driving the elderly woman home after she lost her keys and couldn’t get into her car, the news outlet reported.The next morning, Ruth set off on her usual walking route, asking neighbors along the way to help her look for her lost keys, according to Robert and the news site. A neighbor’s home surveillance footage captured Ruth searching around 11 a.m. She even entered a neighbor’s home in her disoriented state before wandering away for the last time, NBC News reported.
Robert got a distressing call from his brother Rastrado, who lived with Ruth but was out of town. The eldest brother rushed to Pineville with his wife, joining a massive search effort over the next few days. But no trace of Ruth emerged.
Now, over a year later, Robert is holding onto hope that his beloved mother is still out there.
On November 27, 2022, Ruth’s 77th birthday, the family gathered for an emotional balloon release in her honor, according to NBC News. As Robert expressed, “We pray and we hope that she is [somewhere]. We love her, and we can’t wait to see her again.”
Ruth wears glasses and is between five feet, four inches and five feet, six inches tall, weighing around 125 pounds. She was last seen wearing jeans and a white T-shirt.
The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate her disappearance. The family is also appealing for the public’s assistance, urging anyone with information to come forward to help them bring Ruth home.