A 21-year-old part-time Mississippi State student has been missing since Thursday evening.
Junior physical education major Kaila Morris, a Columbus resident, left her mother’s house on Sept. 17 in a dark van, according to Lt. Tony Perkins of the Lowndes County Sherriff’s office investigative division.
“She had told her stepfather she was leaving with a friend around 8 p.m. last Thursday to see another friend across the state line in Alabama,” he said. “She never showed up.”
Morris is described as being 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing 230 pounds.
Perkins said Morris’s parents reported her missing the following day when they discovered she was not at her friend’s house.
“Friday night the police were notified, and she was declared officially missing,” Perkins said.
He said Morris left her vehicle, credit cards and purse behind.
The LCSD currently has no suspects, and Morris’s whereabouts are still unknown, Perkins said.
“We don’t have any evidence that anything out of the way has happened yet,” he said. “To our knowledge she could have voluntarily left with a friend.”
Perkins said at this point in the investigation authorities are working to spread the word of Morris’s disappearance.
“We’re just trying to get it all out to the news sources and try to find out more [information],” he said.
The Facebook group “MISSING: KAILA MORRIS” was created following her disappearance.
To report information in regard to Morris, contact Crimestoppers at 1-800-530-7151 or the LCSO at 328-6788.