Do you know what happened to Angela Barrentine on Thanksgiving 2004?

Angela Barrentine was a married mother of one from Vicksburg, Mississippi. She was only 27 years old when she left to make a quick run to the store for cigarettes; she never returned home.

Angela Schultz Shiers Barrentine was born and raised in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Born to Joey and Deborah Schultz, Angela had lived in Vicksburg all her life. She attended St. Aloysius Vicksburg High School. After she graduated, she enrolled at Hinds Community College.

Angela loved NASCAR, baking, going fishing with her little girl (Ginger), watching pro wrestling, riding horses, and working in her yard. Angela was a hard worker, holding down two different jobs at Morgan’s Bestway and Shoney’s restaurant.

Angela was also a newlywed. She had married Daniel Barrentine just three weeks before her tragic disappearance.

The family makes it no secret that Angela struggled with drugs since she was a teenager and likely knew a lot of shady characters. However, she had the biggest heart and would do anything in the world for her daughter. There was no question that she was an amazing mother who loved her little girl.

The day Angela went missing.

Angela was busily preparing dinner when her grandparents stopped by her home the night before Thanksgiving to double check that she was still attending Thanksgiving at their house the next day. She reassured them that she would be here. After they left, around 6:30 PM, Angela decided to make a quick run to the store for cigarettes. Daniel stayed at home with Ginger.

Angela failed to return home that night and did not show up for Thanksgiving dinner the next day - the dinner that she had reassured her grandparents that she would attend just the night before. Her grandparents were immediately concerned and reported her missing. At the time of her disappearance, Angela was 5’ tall and about 85 pounds. She had black hair, green eyes, and tattoos on her thigh, both ankles, and both shoulders. She was wearing a red, long sleeve shirt and jeans.

Angela Barrentine knew drug users and dealers in Warren and Hinds County and it was confirmed that she was seen with two men in the town of Edwards on November 25th near the roads Belknap and Military around noon. This was the last known sighting of her.

Family and others speculate that she went to Edwards, possibly, for drugs.

Angela’s mother, Deborah, stated, “Even if she did do wrong, she’s still my daughter and you don’t stop loving your child just because she did something bad.”

Angela’s husband Daniel was cleared by the police of any involvement in her death. There were also no indications that she would ever run away or end her life. Witnesses who saw her on the 25th around noon said they were told by Angela that she was on her way back home. She had helped some friends move materials using her truck.

In the months and weeks after Angela disappears.

Angela’s sister, Stacy Hartley, fiercely advocated for her sister. Of primary focus for her was the Big Black River - repeatedly and adamantly insisting that law enforcement search it for Angela.

In August of 2005, when the water level dropped to 7 ½ feet, police could see a vehicle poking up out of the water. Angela’s skeletal remains were found inside of her upside down, green and purple, 1997 Ford F-150 pickup truck in that river located south of Highway 80, near the Kansas City Southern Railroad Bridge at the Warren County and Hinds County line.

According to The Vicksburg Post, police stated her truck likely made it into the river by way of the Warriors Trail roadway, a half mile upstream. The truck may have floated due to the air inside the cab before it overturned and sank. The location was so isolated that a backhoe had to be used to pull the truck out of the Big Black River.

Angela's remains were sent off to Pearl, Mississippi to the Rankin County Morgue on August 3rd, 2005 where she was examined and positively identified. Angela’s death was never ruled an accident or homicide, it was ruled undetermined, but the Sheriff, Martin Pace, highly suspected foul play was involved.

Where the case stands today.

Evidence in this case was supposedly sent to the Mississippi Crime Lab to be tested. Her daughter, Ginger Lewis, however reports that she is not receiving any answers and the police are not helping.

In 2004, Angela’s mother, Deborah Cummins told the Vicksburg Post, “Somebody here knows something and we want somebody to tell us. We would like some answers. We want closure.”

Advocates for Angela claim that law enforcement are holding the case hostage, not deeming it a cold case, seemingly so Ginger nor anyone else can obtain the case files. They claim this is not a “crime case,” yet…they do have clothing and pubic hair in evidence. It’s also written in black and white in the newspapers that they sent this evidence to the Mississippi Crime Lab. The Mississippi Cold Case Unit has been contacted and they confirmed it is still an open and active case.

Interestingly, Hinds County Sheriff’s Department claims there is no case file on Angela and they only assisted Warren County with leads. Edwards Police Department refuses to answer any questions. Warren County Sheriff’s Department claims they only helped the Vicksburg Police Department with a missing person case and never opened a file but refused to answer questions because the case is still open and pending. Clothing and hair evidence was sent to the Mississippi Crime Lab but they claim there is no evidence. The Vicksburg Police Department only has a missing persons report. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation Cold Case Unit says the case is still open and refuses to release any information to family or private investigators that could help bring a resolution and closure for the family.

Advocates for Angela are asking for your help. They are requesting that you e-mail the Warren County Sheriff’s Department and ask them:

1. Who is the active investigator of Angela Barrentine’s case? No investigator has been identified in 18 years.
2. Why is the case still open if it hasn’t been solved in almost 20 years and there have been no leads that anyone knows of, in all those years?
3. If the case is not being investigated at this time, why is it not a cold case/closed?
4. Why do they seem to not want anyone to have access to the case files so citizen detectives and cold case units can assist with an investigation to solve her case? Also, why won’t they ALLOW anyone to help them with the investigation?
5. Why will they not give Ginger back her mother’s items? They have in their possession photos, keys, sunglasses, among other possessions belonging to Angela.
6. The autopsy report says there were photos attached BUT when Ginger received the autopsy just recently, there were NO photos that came with it. Where are the autopsy photos?

The phone number for the Warren County Sheriff’s Department is (636) 1761. Letters should be addressed to Martin Pace Jr., 1000 Grove StreetVicksburg, MS 39183. You can email him at warrencounty_s@yahoo.com or go to co.warren.ms.us/contact-us.

Angela Barrentine and her daughter Ginger deserve justice. Ginger deserves answers, the truth, and to be able to start healing. She is begging for her mother’s case and evidence to be re-examined.