Woman on crusade to change missing persons search law after son’s death
It was back in May of 2005, when Debbie Spry called cops to report her 17 year old son Travis was missing.
Ms. Spry said officers told her they could only take a missing persons report because Travis was 17.
“I just told them I wanted to know whether he’s alive and safe, but they said there was nothing they could do,” she recalled.
It turned out Travis was not alive. He was found strangled to death.
Debbie Spry decided to do some research. She discovered under South Carolina law, a missing person had to be under the age of 17 for police to launch an active investigation.
So she’s pushing to get the age raised to 18 and under to require authorities to look for missing persons.
“If I had another child that was 17, I would leave the state during that child’s 17th year,” she said.
Travis Spry’s body was found on Mossy Road in Jedburg eight days after he was reported missing. His mom says a change in the law most likely would not have saved his life, but it might have given cops a chance to find the body sooner, and given prosecutors a chance to go after a murder conviction.
“Vital evidence was destroyed, including my sons body, so you had absolutely no forensic evidence in his case to prosecute his offenders,” Ms. Spry said.
26 year old Travis Casey pleaded guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter and was given 22 years in prison. 23 year old Christopher Bryant pleaded guilty to Accessory to a Felony and got 13 years in the state pen.
“They’ve been punished and sentenced to jail, but they will go walking the streets again,” Spry said.
Charleston State Senator Glenn Mcconnell says it’s time to change the missing persons law.
“A child under 18 years of age, that’s a missing child, and they’re missing, that’s common sense,” Senator McConnell said.
It’s also common sense to Debbie Spry, who says she won’t give up in her mission for change.
“I feel if this can be changed, it could help another family not go through what my family went through, and my son wouldn’t have died in vain,” she said.
By Harve Jacobs
WCSC Live 5 News
August 19, 2008