NC Wanted: Nine years later, family still searching for Shonda Stansbury

It’s been nine years since family and friends last saw Shonda Stansbury.

Stansbury’s family said it’s been difficult to remain positive.

“I’ve been all in Weldon and everywhere looking for her—Halifax, Rocky Mount,” said Stansbury’s mother, Gloria Bedgood. “I don’t know where else to look.”

Stansbury’s body has never been found. Technically, the mother of four is listed as missing, but she doesn’t meet the requirements of a Silver Alert or Amber Alert.

“How do you know when somebody was abducted, compared to somebody who simply ran away,” said Jeff Gordon of the North Carolina Highway Patrol. “A lot of times we don’t know that answer.”

The N.C. Highway Patrol has a unit devoted to cases like Stansbury’s, but not all departments in the state have the resources to find thousands of people who remain missing.

“I mean, she could walk right past you in the store and you wouldn’t even know it,” said Stansbury’s sister, Jackie. “The publicity has never brought to it like it was for an elderly person, sick person or child.”

The governor’s office is offering a $5,000 reward for information that helps solve the case.

Anyone with information the disappearance of Stansbury is asked to call the NC Wanted toll line at 1-866-439-2683.