Print Page - Kelly Currin Morris, 28 msg 9/3/08 Stem, NC (BODY FOUND/Husband Charged)

My old neighbors daughter has been missing and her husband is a "person of interest." Texas Equisearch is now coming to search for her. I also work with her step-Mother at the hospital. Multiple volunteer searches have been done with no results.

From True Crime:

Looking for the Dog: The Disappearance of Kelly Currin Morris
Sep 13, 2008
The last time anyone saw 28-year-old Kelly Currin Morris was Wednesday, September 3. "A family member" gave NBC 17 in Chapel Hill, NC an interesting statement about Kelly's disappearance. According to said "family member," Kelly's husband Scott said that his wife went to look for the family dog and simply never came home again. On September 3, 2008.

On September 4, 2008, there was a fire at the Morris residence on 3220 Tump Wilkins Rd. in rural Granville County, NC.

The authorities were actually alerted to the young woman's disappearance because they'd been called to put out the fire. The search for Kelly began on the 4th.

They found her 3-year-old Honda Accord that day. It was a mile from the house. The car was locked. Kelly's purse, cell phone, and keys were inside.

More people joined the search for the mother of two. Five days after the fire, at least 50 volunteers were wending their way through the woods near the Morris homestead. Speaking to NBC 17, one volunteer said, "Everybody is praying non-stop saying all the prayers they can say..."

The same volunteer -- a long-time acquaintance of the missing woman's -- stated that leaving on a whim was just something the "family oriented" Kelly would never do.

On September 10, Granville County Sheriff David Smith made a public statement about the search. "We've gone back [and] double-searched [and] triple-searched," he said. While everyone still held onto "a dim light" of hope that Kelly might be okay, Smith admitted that the idea that something bad happened to Kelly "would be in the back of your mind."

Wanda Hollis, Kelly's mom, eventually made her own statements to the press. And Wanda's "gut feeling" was that her daughter was dead. According to Hollis, her daughter would have contacted her if she was still alive.

Hollis was asked about seeing her daughter's burned home. She said, "It was hard at first, but it’s been hard to cope with things for the last year, too."

Wanda Hollis didn't elaborate on that statement.

Eight days after the search for Kelly began, nine days after she allegedly began her search for the missing dog, investigators announced that the fire at the Morris residence was an act of arson.

So... on September 3, a young woman supposedly goes to look for her dog. On September 4, her house burns. Her car is found a mile away, most of her necessary personal effects inside.

Her mother refers to a difficult year of coping with something, but will not go into detail. Police, when asked if husband Scott Morris is a suspect in connection with his wife's disappearance, simply say that everyone is a suspect.

Searchers, number more than 100 by September 12, wonder why Scott Morris hasn't been a part of the effort. One of them speaks to reporters with WTVD in Raleigh Durham and says that Scott is "probably the only one that knows anything."

Based on statistics about these sorts of things, I'd imagine that is true. But Scott Morris hasn't been called a suspect, or anything. So for now, we'll just act as if he isn't.

It is worth it to note, however, that there's a weird pattern to the disappearances of many women. The ones who are married, sometimes in difficult marriages, often disappear while "jogging," or doing some other kind of outdoor activity.

Laci Peterson did. She supposedly went for a walk. Her purse, keys, and cell phone were left behind.

Lori Hacking vanished while jogging. She never came home, never went to work.

Kelly Currin Morris went to find a dog. She left her keys, cell, purse behind. Never came back, never returned to work. And then her house burned. Fire deliberately set.

We can't write the rest of Kelly's story yet, because we don't really know what's happened to her. But don't you get the feeling the script has been written, and that the next acts will be horribly predictable? I know I do. One person may think this story isn't predictable. But just as time passed and the fire was proven to be arson, a few more days will go by and we'll hear the police making less neutral-sounding statements. They know this script, too. They're just building a strong-enough case to bring it to its proper denouement.

[NBC17.com, NewsObserver.com, HendersonDispatch.com, WTVD, ABC in Raleigh-Durham, NC.]

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=6416463

Investigators chase lead in Kelly Morris case
Friday, September 26, 2008 | 10:08 PM

GRANVILLE COUNTY (WTVD) -- Eyewitness News has learned investigators called in a special K9 unit on Friday in their search for a missing Granville County mother.

Investigators said the three-week search for Kelly Currin Morris now extends beyond a 10-mile radius. On Friday, law enforcement focused on a wooded area with farms and ponds near Hawley School Road and Brassfield Road.
Investigators said they were following up on several leads in the case and dismissed community rumors they had located Kelly Currin Morris.

Meanwhile, volunteers are hanging purple ribbons throughout Granville County to remind the public a beloved mother is still missing.
It's been three weeks since family and friends have heard from Kelly Currin Morris. The mother of two went missing September 4, the same day her home mysteriously caught fire off Tump Wilkins Road in Stem. Her vehicle was discovered less than a mile from her home with her purse, keys and cell phone locked inside.
With the help of the SBI, the Granville County Sheriff's Department remains focused on the fire that destroyed Morris' home in Stem. Investigators said it was arson. They've named Kelly's husband as a 'person of interest' in the fire and his wife's disappearance. According to search warrants, William Scott Morris is the focus of a criminal investigation.
Two search warrants in the case remain sealed. But, a third warrant served this week said Scott Morris was the last to see his wife alive on Wednesday, September 3. The warrant suggests he has given investigators conflicting statements about his wife's whereabouts and what he was doing the after her disappearance.
In an interview, he said his wife went looking for their lost dog around 9:30 p.m. while he showered and then went to bed.
But, phone records show Scott called his father at 9:45 p.m., asking him watch the couple's children while he went to search for Kelly. Scott believed Kelly was cheating on him, according to an affidavit.
When his father arrived, Scott left in a green 1996 Toyota pickup truck. Investigators have since seized the vehicle and removed fibers as well as a twig from the truck as part of their investigation.
Scott's statements about his whereabouts in the hours before the couple's home caught fire conflict with other witness interviews and surveillance video at a local restaurant.
According to the warrant, Kelly's oldest daughter recalls he was awaken by an early morning phone call from another tow truck driver that wanted to meet at Scott's storage lot on the morning of September 4. But, the driver told investigators it was Scott who phoned him to postpone the previously planned meeting by two hours.
During that time, Scott said he stopped by the BP Station on Main Street in Creedmoor where he worked before taking his daughters to school. He met the driver at the storage lot around 8 a.m. Video surveillance at the storage lot confirmed their meeting.
Scott also told investigators he went directly to a Hardee's restaurant in Butner and then returned to his job in Creedmoor, taking Highway 56 to Main Street. But, surveillance images show he arrived at the restaurant nearly an hour after leaving the storage lot. When he left the Hardee's parking lot at 9:15 a.m., he turned in the opposite direction that he told investigators he had traveled, according to the warrant.
Two hours later, the home he shared with his wife, daughter and stepdaughter was engulfed in flames. The children have told investigators their dogs were locked inside their crates before they left for school. But, investigators said when firefighters arrived at the scene, the dogs were outside.
Multiple interviews with Kelly's friends and family suggest the couple had a difficult marriage that often turned violent. According to the warrant, Scott had "punched holes in the wall during arguments and once threw a computer out of a window."
Wanda Hollis, Kelly's mother, told Eyewitness News that her daughter had planned to divorce her husband and had sought the help of an attorney. She was starting a new job in Raleigh on the same day she disappeared. Her hope was to save enough money to leave the marriage peacefully, said Hollis.
"She was very miserable in her marriage and so was he," said Hollis, refuting claims Kelly had an affair. "It's been a real tough year. She would call me crying. I would calm her down and she would say,'Mama, I just feel like I'm losing it.'"
Despite the rain, Morris' relatives said they will continue their search efforts over the weekend. Volunteers are selling t-shirts that read: Team Kelly Currin Morris, Keep Hope Alive. The shirts are an effort to raise awareness and money for the search.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Granville County Sheriff's Department.
Comments at the site.

High-Tech Equipment Utilized in Kelly Morris Search

October 18, 2008

TES conducted an intensive search today for Kelly Morris, a 28-year-old mother of two, who went missing from her Stem, N.C., home on Sept. 3, 2008.

After dispatching searchers out to specific areas of interest, Tim Miller, myself and a handful of others went out to search ponds in and around the area of Kelly's burned out house. We used a small boat, equipped with side-sonar technology, to scan the bottom of the ponds for potential evidence in the case. (Two weeks ago, EquuSearch used the same technology to find a woman in Oklahoma, who had been missing for five years.)

We started off with a pond behind Kelly's house and branched out from there, until we had canvassed a total of seven ponds. The images taken from the sonar's memory card are currently being examined to see if anything of interest can be identified.

During the pond searches, we found a pair of rubber kitchen gloves discarded in a grassy area. We marked the find and brought in two cadaver sniffing dogs to examine them. The handler placed buckets, with air holes, over top of the gloves so that the dogs would not disturb any potential evidence. He then guided each dog around the buckets. Both dogs hit on the gloves, so the handler notified the sheriff's department. A deputy later came out and bagged the gloves for further examination.

We were initially intrigued by the find; however when the dog handler later questioned the property owner, we learned that he had recently lost the gloves in the woods when he was disposing of spoiled deer meat. The find turned out to be a dead end; however it did serve to show the effectiveness of the cadaver dogs, who had obviously alerted to the smell of blood from the meat.

Following that find, we went back to the command center for a short break (between searching, take photos and blogging, I have been averaging 2 to 4 hours a sleep a night since I arrived in N.C.), during which time I was contacted by Dr. Maurice Godwin, President of Godwin Forensic Consultancy. Godwin said that he had grown up in the area and that during the 1980s he had worked as a police officer in Granville County. Godwin had read about the case here and was interested in using his Predator computerized system to identify specific areas of interest in the search. I put Godwin in touch with Tim Miller and within two hours Godwin's computer was able to identify a specific area of interest. Due to the sensitive nature of this information I cannot yet share that report; however I can say that Godwin is currently in route to the area and is expected to arrive sometime tomorrow.

While I was with Tim, searching ponds and other areas of interest, Gene Robinson, an EquuSearch team member, used a special camera to search several old wells and mines in the area. Gene was also going to use a drone plane - an electrically powered plane that is equipped with a high-resolution camera, however the weather conditions were not ideal for flying and that search was postponed until tomorrow.

http://blogs.discovery.com/criminal_report/2008/10/texas-equusea-1.html
Photos and more info at site

October 26, 2008
The Ongoing Search for Missing North Carolina Mother, Kelly Currin Morris
<snipped>
Meanwhile, Texas EquuSearch remains on the scene in North Carolina looking for Kelly. Searches are being conducted on a daily basis, with help from local volunteers. According to Barbie Tarr, Executive Assistant to Tim Miller, founder and director of Texas EquuSearch, roughly 100 people joined the search effort over the weekend.
Searchers have been fanning out all over wooded areas in Stem and Creedmoor, looking for any sign of Kelly or evidence related to the case. Meanwhile, Tim Miller continues to search local lakes and ponds, using a boat equipped with side-scan sonar. Yesterday, Tim found a boat at the bottom of a local pond (click image to enlarge). While it has no direct bearing on the case, the image gives a glimpse of how detailed the sonar images are.
(more)
http://blogs.discovery.com/criminal_report/2008/10/the-ongoing-sea.html

October 27, 2008
Texas EquuSearch Temporarily Suspends Its Involvement in Kelly Morris Search
For nearly two weeks, Texas EquuSearch has been in North Carolina searching for Kelly Currin Morris, a 28-year-old mother of two who went missing from her Stem, N.C., home on Sept. 3, 2008.

Today, EquuSearch announced that it is temporarily suspending its involvement in the search effort in order to regroup and prepare for the Caylee Anthony search, which is set to begin in Orlando, Fla., on Nov. 8. (Investigation Discovery will also be in Orlando to bring you all the latest updates on the search effort.)

Despite this recent development, a spokesperson for EquuSearch told ID that it is not uncommon for the organization to conduct simultaneous searches for more than one missing person. Tim Miller remains committed to the case and plans to return to the area in the near future. In the meantime, Tim has committed resources to the Currin family, which will help them continue their search until EquuSearch returns
The remaining EquuSearch team members are set to return to Texas sometime tomorrow.

Yesterday, Tim Miller spent the better part of the day continuing to conduct sonar searches in local lakes and ponds. While that search was underway, Kelly's father, Pat Currin, was flying in his ultra-light plane to conduct additional reconnaissance in his daughter's case. Due to the sensitive nature of the information that was shared with me; I am unable to give you details about his flight.
<snip>
http://blogs.discovery.com/criminal_report/2008/10/texas-equusea-2.html

The News & ******* (Raleigh, North Carolina)

November 15, 2008 Saturday

Search for missing Stem woman to continue Sunday morning

OXFORD -- Volunteers will continue the search for missing Kelly Currin Morris on Sunday morning.

Search teams will meet at 8 a.m. Sunday at the Berea Fire Department on U.S. 158 west of Oxford. Members of Texas EquuSearch, a high-profile search organization, will be there to help.
More volunteers are needed, the group said.

Searchers are asking anyone with an abandoned well or quarry within a 40-mile radius of Stem to contact them at 812-2310, or helpfindkelly@gmail.com, said search coordinator Al Mignacci.

They also have asked hunters to report any articles of clothing they come across or other unusual finds to the Sheriff's Office.

The search for Morris began in early September. She was reported missing hours after her home in Stem burned to the ground. The fire was arson, investigators have said, and her car was found less than a mile from her home.

Authorities and volunteers have searched by air, horseback and with dogs, but so far have found no sign of the 28-year-old mother of two.

http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=574&topicId=100020825&docId=l:884774546&start=2

Nice article here on the search, etc.
http://blogs.discovery.com/criminal_report/2008/11/the-search-cont.html

It has been two months since the disappearance of Kelly Currin Morris, a 28-year-old mother of two, who went missing from her Stem, North Carolina, home on September 3, 2008. There have been no new leads in the case, and police have scaled down their investigation. Nonetheless, the search continues, and Investigation Discovery is back on the scene.

I am in Creedmoor, North Carolina, tonight, preparing for a weekend search effort with Kelly's family, friends, volunteers, and members of Texas EquuSearch. For all intents and purposes, I could be within 10 miles of Kelly as I sit here and type this. That is not a very pleasant thought, and knowing that eats at me like a cancer. I hate these cases. They are the worst of the worst. I hate not knowing, and I hate the fact that people suffer because of that.

I never knew Kelly in her life. I would not have known her if I passed her on the street, and yet I feel a strong connection to this young woman. There is a rule in this job, and I have mentioned it before: DO NOT GET EMOTIONALLY INVOLVED. Perhaps that works for some journalists, but I can't do that.

I never knew Kelly in her life. I would not have known her if I passed her on the street, and yet I feel a strong connection to this young woman. There is a rule in this job, and I have mentioned it before: DO NOT GET EMOTIONALLY INVOLVED. Perhaps that works for some journalists, but I can't do that.

The day a missing person case becomes a job to me is the day I hang up my hat. How can I not get emotionally involved in these cases? I have sat down with Kelly's family for dinner, I have heard the stories that they have shared about her, I have spoken with her best friends, and I have searched side by side with her father, Pat Currin. I have put my blood, sweat, and tears into the search for this young woman whom I have never met. Why? Because I have to. Sure, I could sit at home and report on this from a distance. I could place a few calls, click on a few news links and be done with it. I could do that, but that is not who I am. Anyone who knows me will tell you that. What I do is far more than a 9-to-5 job. It is my passion. I feel for the families of the missing, and I suffer watching their pain. As often as I can, I set out to join in these searches, to get down and dirty in the field and give them the coverage they deserve.

Sadly, Kelly's case never had much of a chance in the media. Had she gone missing four or five months ago - prior to the Caylee Anthony case - she might have stood a chance. But as it stands now, the nation continues to look on as this family struggles to get volunteers to help them find their missing loved one. This family needs answers. They need to bring Kelly home. Knowing her father like I do, I don't think he will ever get the closure that he seeks until he is able to do that.

Actually, scratch that. "Closure" is a very deceptive word. It leads us to believe that all could be well again. Who gets closure in a case like this? That is an overhyped media word designed to make us think that things could go back to normal again. The fact is, the only way things could be "normal" again would be if Kelly were to be found safe. Unfortunately, that is not a very likely scenario. Hence, the term "closure" is not very fitting. Perhaps I should have said that Kelly needs to be found so her family can live a more "bearable" life.

Read: "Daddy's Little Girl," Kelly Currin Morris, Needs You!
What upsets me most about the case is the fact that there are people out there who can bring this case to an end - but choose not to. Apparently, they have no problem sleeping at night while this family suffers. I hope that those individuals lead a miserable life. I hope that they think about it every second of every day. I hope the knowledge eats away at them. I honestly don't know how they can sit back and watch the Currin family go through this living hell. I wish they could spend five minutes in Pat Currin's shoes. I wish they could stare out the window like he does - wishing and hoping - but knowing that their loved one is not coming home and that there is a possibility they will never get the answers that they seek. Think about that. How would you like to live your life that way? How would you like to wake up every morning of every day, knowing that your child, sibling, or parent may never be found? How would you like to see one of your own family members go through that? These people need to think about that, and they need to do the right thing. They need to come forward and bring this family's suffering to an end.

In the meantime, the search for Kelly Currin Morris continues. New areas of interest have been identified and volunteers are asked to come to a temporary command center on Sunday, November 16, at the Berea Fire Department, located at 1213 Hwy 158 W, Oxford NC.

The family has also established a new email address at helpfindkelly@gmail.com. We are asking that anyone that owns property within a 40 mile radius of Stem, NC, where Kelly lived, that has an abandoned hand dug well on their property, please contact them at the above email address. You can also contact the Kelly Currin Morris Search Command Center at 919-812-2310.

The family of Kelly Currin Morris is offering a $30,000 reward for information on her whereabouts. Anyone with information is asked to call (919) 812-2310.

You can also visit a Website about Kelly's that has been set up at: www.kellycurrinmorris.com and also a MySpace page devoted to her case that is located at: Myspace.com/kellycurrinmorris

November 21, 2008
New Development in Kelly Morris Case
There has been an interesting development in the case of Kelly Currin Morris, a 28-year-old mother of two, who went missing from her Stem, North Carolina, home on September 3, 2008.

On Tuesday, State Bureau of Investigation agent Brian Flemming obtained a warrant to search Kelly's husband, William "Scott" Morris, to obtain "blood, saliva, hair, including head hair and pubic hair."

The "probable cause" section of the warrant reads the same as the Sept. 24 warrant that was issued for the search of a truck belonging to Scott Morris's father, Jimmy Morris.

The warrant alleges that Scott Morris was not forthcoming with investigators; Morris had allegedly told them that he went to bed on Sept. 3, while his wife went out searching for the family dog. However, according to a statement given to police by Jimmy Morris, his son had called him that night and asked him to watch the kids so that he could go look for Kelly, because he thought she was cheating on him.

The warrant also provides information on cell phone pings, which police point to as evidence that Scott Morris was not at home sleeping while his wife was searching for the dog. Alleged video footage is also cited in the warrant as further evidence of an inconsistent alibi.

What I found most interesting about the warrant was the last paragraph of the "probable cause" section, which reads:

"This affiant is aware, based upon his training and experience, that persons who commit crimes sometimes leave physical evidence of the commission of those crimes. Certain samples are needed in order for evidence to be analyzed and compared."

Read the Warrant
Why was this warrant issued now? What exactly do investigators want to compare the samples to? Perhaps they have something that we are not yet aware of. Whatever the case may be they are not sharing any details. Let's just hope it helps bring about some answers to this tragic case.

Kelly's family was shocked by the release of the warrant and they remain clueless as to the reason behind it.

On the morning of Sept. 4, 2008, firefighters with the Stem and Providence fire departments were dispatched to a fire at the Morris's house, located at 3220 Tump Wilkins Road. The house and much of its contents were destroyed; however no one was home when the fire broke out. Kelly's husband, 34-year-old William "Scott" Morris, was allegedly at his towing business in Creedmoor and the couple's two young children, ages 8 and 5, were in school at the time of the incident. It was initially believed that Kelly was in Raleigh, where she worked for Nationwide Insurance; however, investigators soon learned that she never showed up for work that morning.

Kelly's car, a burgundy 2005 Honda Accord, North Carolina license plate TXP-5917, was later found abandoned in an undeveloped subdivision, less than a mile from her home. Inside the locked car, investigators found Kelly's keys, purse, and cell phone.

When questioned by police, Scott Morris allegedly told them that he had not seen his wife since the previous night.

"He was the last person to see her alive on Wednesday night (Sept. 3) at their home," Granville Sheriff David Smith told NewsObserver.com. "She was allegedly going to find a pet dog that had got outside, we think, between 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m."

On Sept. 12, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the State Bureau of Investigation conducted forensic tests at the scene of the fire which, according to Smith, have revealed that the fire was the work of an arsonist.

Investigators will not comment on whether Scott Morris is cooperating; however, Kelly's friends have openly criticized him for not getting involved in the search effort.

The family of Kelly Currin Morris is offering a $30,000 reward for information on her whereabouts. Anyone with information is asked to call (919) 812-2310.

You can visit a Website about Kelly's that has been set up at: www.kellycurrinmorris.com. A MySpace page devoted to her case is located at: Myspace.com/kellycurrinmorris.

Discuss The Kelly Morris Case

Here is an article that mentions bones found -- I wonder if this relates to evidence collected and thus the search warrant that Dottie posted was obtained?

By NBC17, NBC17, 1 week, 3 days ago
CREEDMOOR, N.C.

A search team found what could be human bones, said the father of missing Kelly Currin Morris Wednesday.

According to Morris' father, Pat Currin, the bones were found on Highway 15 near Butner, when authorities and searchers learned of an odor coming from the area.

"We found some bones that would have been in the right size for human ribs, and what looked like a shoulder bone, so we backed away from it and called the Sheriff's Office to come in and investigate," Currin said.

The new developments come as Currin says he will not give up the search for his daughter.

Kelly Morris, 28, was last seen at her home on Sept. 3. The next day, firefighters were called out to the burning house Morris shares with her husband and two children. A few hours later her abandoned car was found.

"We don't feel like we're as much looking for a body now as much as we're looking for an item, a piece of clothing... or bones," Currin said.

Kelly's husband Scott Morris has been named a "person of interest" in the arson investigation surrounding Morris' disappearance.

"She came to live with us three weeks prior to her getting missing and the fire," Currin said.

Morris' father said his daughter returned to his home after she experienced marital problems just before she disappeared.

"She had come the end of June, and sometime during the first week of July. My wife and I went on vacation, and she moved back home," Currin said.

Currin asked hunters participating in the start of the hunting season to be on the look out for items that could lead to finding his missing daughter.

"Honestly, we're hoping for a break over the next two or three weeks with the hunters in the woods... you're going to have thousands of people in the woods," he said.

Currin also asked landowners with wells to report suspicious activities and findings.

"If you would call us and at least know us where they're at. We've got a team with underwater cameras, and we can actually go and check those," Currin said.

Since Saturday is expected to be a busy hunting day, Morris said the bulk of the weekend search efforts with be limited to Sunday to keep searchers safe.

Sunday's search efforts will be coordinated at the Berea Fire Department‎ near Oxford.

"We've searched a lot on the south end of the county, now we're moving to the north end of the county to try to do a better job up there," he said.

Search coordinator Al Mignacci said the volunteer search team has covered the 12 to 14 miles of ground, since Morris' disappearances. The search has centered around Morris' now-charred home.

The team is asking for volunteers from surrounding areas to help with the search. They are also asking people with information related to Morris' disappearance to call (919) 812-2310, or email HelpFindKelly@gmail.com.

Let us all pray they can find Kelly -- this family is so devastated. I met a friend of the father last weekend at a search for Kelly and he said the father is searching day in and day out and will not give up until she is found.

By Anthony Wilson dated 11/22/2008
GRANVILLE COUNTY (WTVD) -- The search still continues for a missing Granville County mother.
The Sunday before Thanksgiving is devoted, like nearly every Sunday since September, to the search for Kelly Currin Morris.
Her children haven't seen her since the beginning of September --the same day their home was set on fire. Authorities are calling the fire that destroyed the home an arson.
Morris' car was later found abandoned about a mile away. Her cellular phone, keys and purse were also found.
"You ain't going to stop," searcher Bobby Ray said. "If it was your daughter you wouldn't stop, you know what I mean? But the crowd is dropping off. The searchers are dropping off. There ain't but a few of us."
Months ago, about 50 volunteers could not find the missing mother of two.
"The family needs closure, and the searchers you see out here right now are working to that end," search coordinator Al Mignacci said. "We're going to start trying to work on all the wells and we're going to go back to the water. We've got some new equipment to start looking at the water, the ponds and the lakes. And we're going to continue beating the woods."
Still, they say, they are not giving up. But they admit, after months of searching, they are coming to a grim conclusion.
"I think everybody's basically admitting to the fact that we won't find her alive, but we'd like to get some closure cause if you don't, you've always got those questions in your mind, 'did I stop too quick, or did we search all the places we could," Ray said.
Morris' family held a vigil for the missing mother a month ago in an effort to get the word out that Morris is still missing.
Her husband, Scott Morris, has been named a person of interest by police.

GRANVILLE COUNTY — Another chapter of the Kelly Morris case is in the public record.

Late Tuesday afternoon, a search warrant was returned to the Granville County Courthouse, which gave authorities permission to obtain physical samples from Kelly's husband, William Scott Morris of 3220 Tump Wilkins Road in Stem, NC.

The probable cause details, written by Special Agent Brian Fleming of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, describe Scott Morris's accounts of his activities around the time of Kelly Morris's disappearance.

"When interviewed, Scott [Morris] said he last saw Kelly [Morris] on the evening of September 3, 2008 at approximately 9:30 p.m. when Kelly went outside looking for a lost dog. After that time, Scott took a shower and went to bed in a separate room from the room Kelly slept in," the warrant reads.

"Specifically, Scott said he slept through the night."

The warrant then alleges evidence that contradicts his story.

"The call records indicated Scott called the residence of his mother and father [Carolyn and Jimmy Morris]...at 9:45p.m. on the evening of September 3, 2008."

"Also according to the records, at 10:59 p.m. Scott received a call from [redacted name], which was the work cell number of his father, Jimmy Morris. The call records indicated Scott made an outbound call to [redacted name] at 11:56 p.m."

"The cell site records indicated Scott's cell phone utilized a Creedmoor, NC, cell tower during a 10:59 p.m. incoming call from Jimmy; further indicating Scott was not at his residence at that time."

As for Scott Morris's accounts of his activities the next morning, September 4th, the warrant describes more inconsistent statements, including what Morris said about his arrangements with a tow truck driver and his arrivals and departures from a local storage lot.

The warrant also points to a pattern of violent behavior, "In the past, Scott had punched holes in the wall during arguments [with Kelly] and once threw a computer out of a window."

The family is offering a $30,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in this case.

If you have any information about the unsolved case of Kelly Morris, call NC WANTED toll free at 1.866.43.WANTED (1.866.439.2683) or click on "Report a Tip" Your identity can be kept confidential.

The News & ******* (Raleigh, North Carolina)

December 8, 2008 Monday

Father keeps searching for missing daughter

CREEDMOOR -- Pat Currin spent Sunday morning the way he has spent nearly every morning of the last 90: scouring acres of fields and forests where a killer might have stashed his daughter's body.

For three months, Currin has roamed pastures and cemeteries, peered into lakes and wells, hunting for clues to what became of Kelly Currin Morris. Morris is grown, a mother herself, but she is still Currin's baby daughter, and he wants her home.

"We'll only be done when we find her," Currin said Sunday.

Morris, 28, vanished sometime after her stepmother hugged her goodbye the night of Sept. 3 and before firefighters rushed to her Granville County house the next day to subdue a raging fire. Morris had not shown up to work that day. Firefighters found no trace of her in the charred house.

The next day, deputies found Morris' car, with purse and keys inside, abandoned in an unfinished subdivision near her house in Stem. Authorities later determined that someone had torched the house she shared with her husband, Scott Morris, and her two girls.

That's when Pat Currin started searching for his daughter. At first, he hollered, hoping his daughter would yell back. These days, he just looks. He is searching for bones and tattered clothes.

Other family members and friends joined the search. Then, days later, strangers showed up. They came with good shoes and silent pats on the arm. Those who couldn't walk cooked for the search crews.

As time wears on, the hope and the numbers of volunteers diminish. September brought more than 50 searchers. Sunday, there were fewer than two dozen.

Weekdays now, it's mostly Currin and a few others. Currin has stopped working; his son Carl manages the family's construction company.

Currin invested in sonar equipment to search rivers and lakes; he and others have searched all of Falls Lake. He bought scopes to look down in wells. Still, no luck.

"We need a durn break," Currin said.

Juanita, his wife of more than 20 years, finished his thought: "I don't understand how someone could put a family through this. We hurt so bad."

Granville County sheriff's investigators named Morris' husband "a person of interest." No arrests have been made. Scott Morris could not be reached for comment Sunday.

A stranger helps

Al Mignacci, a retired IBM engineer, walked into the Currins' lives in September when he saw on television that another mother in the Triangle was missing. Since then, he has taken over as commander of the search efforts, leading crews that slowly nibble at a radius of more than 15 miles around Morris' home.

In the workshop of Currin's construction company on the outskirts of Creedmoor, Mignacci leans over a map colored with yellow highlighter marks. Every week, the circle around Morris' house gets a little brighter. On Sunday, Mignacci filled in another inch around a cattle farm west of Stem. Those yellow lines offer about as much hope as searchers get. Every day, they know a bit more about where Morris is not.

At 71, Mignacci is nonchalant about his work for the strangers.

"They needed help," he said. "I had it to give."

He has watched the Currins' hope rise with each small discovery. An article of clothing here or there. In November, they found bones. Investigators later ruled that the bones were an animal's.

For now, the Currins have nothing to bury. No place to go to bid farewell. In the world of police and courts, bodies define crimes, and Morris is just missing.

The Currins know their daughter wouldn't vanish without her girls, without saying goodbye.

So they walk, looking for a sign of Morris that lets them let go.

HOW TO HELP

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Kelly Currin Morris is asked to call Granville County Crime Stoppers at 919-693-3100. E-mail can be sent to searchers at helpfindkelly@gmail.com

The family is offering a $36,000 reward for any tip that leads to the discovery of Morris.

Kelly Morris has not been seen since the night of Sept. 3.
http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=574&topicId=100020825&docId=l:895375254&start=11

Morris family missing Kelly at Christmas

Posted: Dec. 24, 2008

Stem, N.C. — Pat Currin spent Christmas Eve much like he has spent every day since Sept. 3. He pored over a map, looking for hope that his missing daughter would soon be found.

Kelly Morris was reported missing after her home burned. Investigators found her Accord, keys, purse, and cell phone the same day in an undeveloped subdivision about a mile from her home.

Since then, there have been few clues in the disappearance of the Granville County mother.

Her father admits he no longer believes she is alive, but "we think somebody knows something," he said.

Pat Currin doesn't know what to tell his granddaughters, Kelly's children.

"I am to the point that I think Kelly is not coming back. I don't think Kelly is alive, but she's got two kids that's got to be raised."

"We are eventually going to have to face that and figure out and come to some kind of plan to talk to them about your momma is not here and there is a possibility she may not come back."

Currin has never celebrated Christmas without both of his children.

"Everybody always has to be there. You don't do it because another child is somewhere else, you wait until everybody can come," he explained.

This year he won't celebrate on Christmas Day. "There is no Christmas," he said Wednesday.

Instead, Currin and his wife will likely be searching. It is the same way they spent Thanksgiving.

"You don't have any choice but to look. We don't know where she is at and by looking at least we know where she is not," he said.

The Granville County Sheriff's Office is still investigating Kelly's disappearance. Kelly Morris' husband, Scott, has been the focus of several search warrants, but he hasn't been charged in the case.

The Currin family is offering a $30,000 reward for information about Kelly's disappearance.

Family members say they will not stop searching and urge anyone with any information to contact Granville County sheriff's investigators at 919-693-3213 or a volunteer search line at 919-812-2310.

Somber Event Marks Birthday Of Missing Woman
Jan. 6, 2009

GRANVILLE COUNTY, N.C. - Family and friends marked the birthday of Kelly Currin Morris, a missing Stem woman who disappeared more than four months ago, on Sunday.

A candlelight vigil was held in Butner with around 100 people gathering to mark the missing woman's 29th birthday.

People sang songs, prayed and released balloons into the air for Morris, who was last seen Sep. 3.

The next day, a fire burned the home she shared with her husband and their two children.

The incident was later ruled arson, and police named her husband, Scott, as a person of interest in the arson investigation and her disappearance.

Searchers have combed the surrounding area for the last few months looking for signs of Currin Morris.

"She would have never left her two little girls and gone anywhere. So we're not looking to find her alive," said her father, Pat Currin.

Currin said Sunday's vigil also helped raise awareness of the case and while the family fears the worst, they are still hoping she might be alive.

"Sometimes you have doubts, but you still keep hoping and don't give up," said her uncle, Simmons Stephens.
http://news.mync.com/site/news/story/23418/somber-event-marks-birthday-of-missing-woman/

The News & ******* (Raleigh, North Carolina)

January 16, 2009 Friday

Weekend search planned for missing Granville mother

CREEDMOOR -- Searchers will gather again this weekend to continue to look for Kelly Currin Morris, 28, a missing mother from Granville County.

Morris vanished sometime after her stepmother saw her the night of Sept. 3 and before firefighters rushed to her Granville County house the next day to subdue a fire. Morris had not shown up at work that day. Firefighters found no trace of her in the charred house.

The next day, deputies found Morris' car, with purse and keys inside, abandoned in an unfinished subdivision near her house in Stem. Authorities later determined that someone had torched the house she shared with her husband, Scott Morris, and her two girls.

There have been no arrests, but Granville County sheriff's investigators consider her husband a person of interest, according to Al Mignacci, search coordinator.

"He has not been out on any searches with us," said Mignacci, who lives in Raleigh and has spent months volunteering his time to search for Morris, whom he did not know.

Mignacci admits he holds a slim hope she is still alive, "but to tell you honestly, I'm looking for a body."

Searchers will meet at 8 a.m. Saturday and at 1 p.m. Sunday, beginning at the Kelly Currin Morris Command Center on N.C. 50/2816 Old Weaver Trail in Creedmoor.
http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=574&topicId=100020825&docId=l:912015355&start=2

Family seeks help in finding missing 28-year-old woman
Comments 2 | Recommend 0
February 17, 2009 - 5:28 PM
Keren Rivas / Times-News
Want to help?

What: Search for Kelly Currin Morris, who disappeared Sept. 3

When: Saturday at 8 a.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

Where: Kelly Currin Morris Command Center, 2816 Old Weaver Trail, Creedmoor (near the intersection with N.C. 50). Lunch will be provided on Saturday.

Please e-mail the command center at helpfindkelly@gmail.com if you are planning to come on Saturday so that they can know how much food to have on hand. Wear layered clothing, walking shoes and bring a hiking stick or other object to move leaves and debris. For more information, contact the center at 919-812-2310.
On the Web: Read about Morris and the efforts to find her at http://kellycurrinmorris.com/Kelly_is_Missing.html.

------------------

Ever since Kelly Currin Morris disappeared 5 1/2 months ago, her family has done everything to try to find her.

"We have looked for her every day," said Morris' aunt, Janet Foushee, of Elon. "Somebody has looked for her every day. We have searched and we continue to search."

Morris was last seen by her husband and two daughters, ages 5 and 8, the night of Sept. 3 at the family house in Granville County.

The following morning, someone set the house on fire. The children were at school and her husband was reportedly at his business.

At first, the family believed Morris, 28, was in Raleigh, where she worked at Nationwide Insurance. They soon discovered that she had not shown up for work that day. Her locked car was later found less than a mile from the house. Her purse, keys and cell phone were inside.

According to media reports, her husband told investigators that the night before she had gone outside to look for the family dogs when he went to bed. No one has seen her since then. No one has been arrested in connection with her disappearance or the arson. She would have turned 29 on Jan. 4.

Brindall Wilkins, deputy chief with the Granville County Sheriff's Department, said the case is unusual, adding that his department is actively investigating the case.

This weekend, deputies will join family and friends in a search for Morris. Wilkins said their search efforts typically are confined to the 10-mile radius around Morris' home.

After being missing for more than five months, Morris' family does not expect to find her alive, Foushee said. But that doesn't stop them from continuing to search.

"We want to put her to rest," Foushee said. "We want the girls to know ... We want them to know that their mother would never leave them."

She described her niece as a quiet but funny person who loved her children and cared for those around her.

"Kelly was a great mother," she said. "She was a beautiful 28-year-old woman who cared for people."

Though Morris lived in Stem, a small rural town in southern Granville County, she has ties to Alamance County. Besides Foushee, whose sister married Morris' father when Morris was just a child, the missing woman has several cousins and other extended family in this area, Foushee said.

She said they hope to get 75 to 100 volunteers for the search efforts this weekend. She said they are trying to intensify their efforts before the spring because once vegetation comes back it will be harder to find anything.

She said the uncertainty of not knowing what happened to Morris is what hurts the family the most.

"It is very hard," Foushee said. "It would be extremely difficult to lose a child but it would be even worse not knowing what happened or where she is."

Besides being heavily involved in the search efforts, Morris' father is offering a $30,000 reward to whoever might have information on her whereabouts. The state has also offered a $5,000 reward.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Granville County Sheriff's Department at 919-693-3213, the Granville County Crime Stoppers at 919-693-3100 or the Kelly Currin Morris Command Center at 919-812-2310.

New warrant released in missing mother's case
Kelly Morris, of Stem

Posted: Today at 4:03 p.m.
Oxford, N.C. — Investigators want access to another e-mail account they believe belongs to the husband of a missing Granville County woman.

In a search warrant returned Monday, SBI agents indicate they believe Scott Morris may be using an America Online e-mail address to communicate.

Investigators say Morris was the last person to see his wife, Kelly Morris, at their home on Sept. 3. The next day, the house caught fire. Hours after the fire, police found Kelly Morris' car, keys, purse and cell phone in an undeveloped subdivision.

Scott Morris has been the focus of several search warrants in the case, but he hasn't been charged with a crime.

Investigators have already looked at several other e-mail addresses, as well as bank records, belonging to Scott Morris. In the latest warrant, they say they believe information in the AOL e-mail address could generate leads or lead to additional evidence of arson or a homicide.

According to an affidavit outlining their reason to obtain e-mail messages, addresses and other data, agents say an individual, referred to as "a good citizen," went to investigators earlier this month after purchasing an item from a seller using the AOL e-mail address.

When the buyer picked up the items at a home in Stem, he was met by a man named Connie Wright, who said he was helping Morris sell items so Morris could pay for his attorney.

The warrant does not specify what was purchased but says it "was still in its original box and it appeared it had been originally shipped to Kelly Morris."

The buyer showed investigators the shipping label off the box, which did have Kelly Morris' name and address on it, the affidavit stated.

Since her disappearance, local authorities and volunteers have searched numerous times to find Kelly Morris. Her family is offering a $30,000 reward for information about her disappearance.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Granville County sheriff's investigators at 919-693-3213 or a volunteer search line at 919-812-2310.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/4595486/
warrant
http://www.wral.com/asset/news/local/2009/02/23/4595496/20090223155647187.pdf

SBI will search e-mails of missing mom

Posted: Today at 11:25 a.m.
Updated: Today at 12:37 p.m.

Oxford, N.C. — Investigators have a new lead in the disappearance of a Stem woman almost a year ago.

Kelly Morris was last seen on Sept. 3. The next day, police found her car, keys, purse and cell phone in an undeveloped subdivision shortly after firefighters responded to a fire at her home, 3220 Tump Wilkins Road. The Granville County sheriff has said her husband, Scott Morris, is a person of interest her disappearance.

In a search warrant issued Aug. 4, Superior Court Judge Robert H. Hobgood authorized the search of a Road Runner e-mail address known to have belonged to the missing woman. According to the warrant, a friend of Kelly Morris told investigators about the e-mail account and provided copies of e-mail received from the account.

Investigators have already looked at several other e-mail addresses, as well as bank records, belonging to Scott Morris.

Since her disappearance, local authorities and volunteers have searched numerous times to find her. Her family is offering a $30,000 reward for information about her disappearance.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Granville County sheriff's investigators at 919-693-3213 or a volunteer search line at 919-812-2310.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/5796318/

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. — They spent their nights jumping in and out of strange cars, trolling otherwise empty streets lined with decaying storefronts and boarded-up homes. Many sold sex to support drug habits or children left in the care of worried, hardworking grandmothers.

Even when they were picked up for drugs or prostitution, nights in jail looming, they called home to let their families know they were OK. Then, one by one, the calls stopped.

Since 2005, nine women who lived at the edges of the poor community in this small North Carolina city have disappeared. Six bodies were found along rural roads just a few miles outside town, most so decomposed that investigators could not tell how they died. At least one of the women was strangled, and all the deaths have been classified as homicides. Three women are still missing.

Police will not say whether they suspect a serial killer, but people in the community about 60 miles northeast of Raleigh do, and they're impatient with law enforcement efforts to investigate the slayings.

After the latest body — that of 31-year-old Jarneice Hargrove — was found in June behind a burnt-out house that was once a crack den, local law enforcement and state police formed a task force. In July, the FBI got involved.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,539355,00.html?test=latestnews

I am not sure that this has been shared -- here are photos of how badly the house was burned at the time of the fire -- http://www.kellycurrinmorris.com/Arson.html

Family recalls Kelly Morris on anniversary of disappearance

Posted: Sep. 3, 2009
Stem, N.C. — A year has passed and volunteers have spent hours search for 28-year-old Kelly Morris, who disappeared Sept. 3, 2008, hours before fire was set to her Granville County home.
The next day, police found her car, keys, purse and cell phone in an undeveloped subdivision shortly after firefighters responded to a fire at her home, 3220 Tump Wilkins Road. The fire was ruled arson, and the Granville County Sheriff's Office has named her husband, Scott Morris, as a person of interest in the case.
Her father and stepmother said they still want to find Kelly Morris, who left behind two daughters, now ages 5 and 8.
"We don't think we're looking for a runaway person at all. We know she would never leave her children, no matter what," her father Pat Currin said.
"If they ask – and they have – 'Why is Mommy missing?,' I say, 'I don't know why Mommy is missing,'" Juanita Currin, Kelly Morris's stepmother, said.

After Kelly Morris' disappearance, the community launched an around-the-clock search. Supporters held vigils, and volunteers posted flyers all over Granville County.
As months passed, though, hope faded.
"We're not expecting to find her alive. We're just looking for where she is, period," Pat Currin said.
"(Her daughters) not only lost their mother, but they've lost each other, and what they knew as a normal life isn't normal anymore," Juanita Currin said.
According to search warrants, Scott Morris told investigators that his wife left the house to look for a lost dog around 9:30 the night before she disappeared.
He said he went to bed while she was gone. Phone records, though, show that Scott Morris and his father exchanged calls as late as 11:56 p.m.
Warrants also contradict what Scott Morris said he was doing the next morning.
He claimed he was working at a BP gas station, but a surveillance camera captured him driving away from the station and toward his home two hours before the fire was called into 911.
Scott Morris did not respond to attempts to contact him.
His quiet has been a sore spot for friends and relatives who say he hasn't participated in the search effort. Kelly's relatives, though, said that's not surprising, given the state of the couple's marriage when Kelly Morris disappeared.
She had moved in with them for a few weeks before she went missing, Pat Currin said.
"I think early on in their marriage that they were happy. I would say, over the last couple years is when things probably started shifting," Juanita Currin said.
In the case's most recent developments, the State Bureau of Investigation started reviewing e-mails from Kelly Morris' account, and Pat Currin has filed for emergency custody of his youngest granddaughter.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/video/5932128/

Press conference will be held tomorrow, November 18th regarding this case.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/6442385/

Granville authorities plan news conference on Kelly Morris case
Kelly Morris

Posted: 26 minutes ago
Updated: 3 minutes ago

Stem, N.C. — The Granville County Sheriff’s Office is planning a news conference Wednesday regarding the disappearance of missing Stem mother Kelly Morris, officials told WRAL News Tuesday afternoon.

Morris, 28, disappeared Sept. 3, 2008, hours before a fire was set to her Granville County home.

The next day, police found her car, keys, purse and cell phone in an undeveloped subdivision at 3220 Tump Wilkins Road. The fire at her house was ruled arson, and the sheriff's office named her husband, Scott Morris, as a person of interest in the case.

According to search warrants, Scott Morris told investigators that his wife left the house to look for a lost dog around 9:30 p.m. the night before she disappeared.

He said he went to bed while she was gone. Phone records, though, show that Scott Morris and his father exchanged calls as late as 11:56 p.m.

Warrants also contradict what Scott Morris said he was doing the next morning.

He claimed he was working at a BP gas station, but a surveillance camera captured him driving away from the station and toward his home two hours before the fire was called into 911.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/6442385/

Skeletal remains could belong to missing woman; husband in custody

(http://wwwcache.wral.com/asset/news/local/2009/11/17/6443581/morris-600x450.jpg)

Posted: Today at 6:48 p.m.
Updated: 3 minutes ago

Stem, N.C. — WRAL News has learned that investigators believe skeletal remains found Tuesday afternoon belong to missing Stem mother Kelly Morris. Her husband Scott Morris was taken into custody and was being booked late Tuesday at the Oxford magistrate's office.

The 28-year-old mother of two was last seen at her home on Sept. 3, 2008.

The following day, the house she shared with her family, including her husband, Scott Morris, caught fire, which officials ruled was arson. Hours afterward, authorities found Morris' car about a mile from her home with her keys, purse and cell phone inside.

Since her disappearance, authorities and volunteers have searched numerous times to find her. Her family is offering a $30,000 reward for information about her disappearance.

Investigators have called Scott Morris a person of interest in her disappearance, and he has been a focus of investigators in multiple search warrants related to the case.

Family members and friends told authorities the couple was having marital problems and had talked about divorce, investigators’ affidavits say. They also indicate inconsistencies between Scott Morris' account and those of others regarding his actions in the hours after he says he last saw his wife and the following day.

The Granville County Sheriff’s Office is planning a news conference Wednesday regarding the Morris case. Stay logged on to WRAL.com, and watch WRAL News for more on this developing story.

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=7124790

(http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/images/wtvd/cms_exf_2007/news/local/6374820_600x338.jpg)

New information expected in Morris disappearance
Updated at 08:54 AM today

GRANVILLE COUNTY (WTVD) -- Investigators will make an announcement Wednesday about the Kelly Currin Morris, the mother of two who has been missing since September 2008.

Search teams and volunteers have been looking for the Granville County mother for over a year.

After spending the last two days searching a new area off of Sam Moss Hayes Road in Creedmoor, there may be a break in the case.

Investigators told ABC11 Eyewitness News Tuesday that there will be an announcement regarding the case at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Morris' husband, Scott Morris, remains a person of interest in the case. Sources at the Granville County Jail told ABC11 Tuesday evening that he is in jail and cooperating. However, authorities have not said why they are holding Scott or what he is charged with. It also is not clear if he is charged with anything.

He will make his first court appearance Wednesday morning.

(snipped)

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/6445876/

Missing mom's husband charged with murder
Posted: Today at 10:34 a.m.
Updated: 10 minutes ago

The husband of a Granville County woman missing for more than a year has been charged with first-degree murder in the case.

Family members of Kelly Morris, 28, also said Wednesday that authorities notified them that skeletal remains found Tuesday afternoon in the southern part of the county are those of the mother of two.

Morris was last seen Sept. 3, 2008. The following day, the house she shared with her family at 3220 Tump Wilkins Road caught fire, which officials ruled was arson. Hours afterward, authorities found Morris' car about a mile from her home with her keys, purse and cell phone inside.

William Scott Morris, 35, of 113 W. Church St., Creedmoor, was taken into custody and charged Tuesday evening. In addition to murder, he also faces a charge of fraudulently burning a dwelling.

Law enforcement officials, however, have not commented on the investigation or a possible motive and have not identified the remains. The Granville County Sheriff's Office has scheduled a news conference for 4 p.m. WRAL plans to carry it live on WRAL.com.

Meanwhile, Kelly Morris' father and stepmother – Pat and Juanita Currin – have filed a petition for custody of the Morrises' 6-year-old daughter. A second daughter is Kelly Morris' from a previous relationship.

Chief District Court Judge Daniel Finch on Tuesday signed an emergency order that states that Kelly Morris was likely the victim of a homicide and that Scott Morris was likely involved in her death.

A custody hearing is scheduled for Friday.

The order states that Scott Morris had the “intent to deceive” investigators, made numerous inconsistent statements to authorities about his whereabouts the day his wife went missing and will likely be charged with kidnapping and/or murder.

The order further suggests that Scott Morris' father, Jimmy Morris, might have been involved in a cover-up.

According to search warrants in the case, family members and friends told authorities the couple was having marital problems and had talked about divorce. They also indicate inconsistencies between Scott Morris' account and those of others regarding his actions in the hours after he says he last saw his wife and the following day.

Family members, authorities and volunteers from as far away as Texas have searched relentlessly over the past year for Kelly Morris.

"We search somewhere every day – every road, every path, farms, fields – looking for her," her father, Pat Currin, said in an interview with WRAL News in March. (Watch the interview.)

Currin said then that he didn't think he would ever find his daughter alive but that he wouldn't stop looking until he could bring her home.

"Kelly's got two small girls, 5 and 8 years old. They need to know where their mama is – obviously as bad or worse than we do," he said. "My determination is driven because of her children."

Stay logged on to WRAL.com, and watch WRAL News for more on this developing story.

Husband charged with Kelly Morris murder --http://www.newsobserver.com/front/story/198618.html
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CHRIS SEWARD - cseward@newsobserver.com
Old police tape and fire damage remains at the home of Scott and Kelly Morris on Tump Wilkins Rd. near Stem N.C. Scott Morris was arrested and being held in Oxford, NC on Nov. 17, 2009, charged with murdering his wife Kelly Morris.
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From staff reports

OXFORD -- More than a year after a young mother from Granville County was reported missing, her husband has been charged with her murder.

William Scott Morris, 35, of Creedmoor was charged with first-degree murder late Tuesday, according to the arrest warrant. Authorities think he killed his wife, Kelly Currin Morris, then 28, in September 2008.

Granville County Sheriff Brindell Wilkins Jr. said this afternoon that his department received information Monday that led them to Kelly Morris’ skeletal remains off Sam Moss Hayes Road north of Creedmoor. She was identified through dental records, Wilkins said at an press conference. He did not provide other details about the case.

"We're doing the best we can,” Wilkins said. “I don't want to mess up anything we're doing by things getting out."

Morris’ skeletal remains were found just inside a fence at Tar River Fox Pen, a private hunting preserve outside Creedmoor, said Al Mignacci, who helped organize searches for Morris. Hundreds of volunteers searched for her in the days and weeks following her disappearance.

Kelly Morris vanished sometime after her stepmother saw her the night of Sept. 3 and before firefighters rushed to her house in Stem the next day to put out a fire. She had not shown up at work that day. Firefighters found no trace of her in the charred house.

The next day, deputies found Kelly Morris' car, with purse and keys inside, abandoned in an unfinished subdivision nearby. Authorities later determined that someone had torched the house she shared with her husband and her two daughters.

William Morris is being held without bail. He made a brief appearance in court this afternoon and is not scheduled back in court until Dec. 2.

The marriage of William and Kelly Morris produced one child, a daughter who is now six. On Tuesday morning, a District Court judge granted custody of the child to Kelly Morris’ parents, Pat and Juanita Currin.

The order said it was likely that William Morris was involved in his wife’s death and that his father, Jimmy Morris, “was also involved in the coverup of Kelly’s homicide.” The order also said that Morris had made false statements to investigators about his whereabouts and activities at the time of his wife’s disappearance.

The couple’s daughter had been living with William Morris and his father, according to the Judge Daniel Finch’s order.

Kelly Morris’ other daughter has been living with the child’s father.

Slain mom's parents awarded full child custody

Posted: Today at 1:01 p.m.

Oxford, N.C. — A District Court judge on Thursday granted full custody of a slain Granville County woman's 6-year-old daughter to her mother's parents.

Pat Currin and his wife, Juanita Currin, filed a request for custody in November, the same day authorities discovered his daughter, Kelly Morris', skeletal remains in a wooded area in Creedmoor.

The Stem mother of two had been missing for more than 14 months after she failed to show up for work on Sept. 4, 2008. The same day, the house she shared with her family caught fire and her car, purse and cell phone were found in a neighborhood about a mile from her home.

Her husband, Scott Morris, 35, faces charges of first-degree murder and fraudulently burning a dwelling.

Scott Morris was called to testify at Thursday's hearing, but he invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to do so. His attorney, Jerry Clayton, presented no evidence and no one testified on his client's behalf.

Pat and Juanita Currin both testified.

"I love her," Juanita Currin said of the 6-year-old. "We are committed to do whatever it takes to get her whatever she needs."

Each said they have allowed Scott Morris' parents to visit with the child on three occasions – a request he made before the judge at a temporary custody hearing in November.

Kelly Morris had two daughters. The other has been staying with her biological father since her mother's disappearance.

Scott Morris remains in custody of the Granville County Sheriff's Office.

Authorities have not offered a motive for Kelly Morris' slaying, but according to search warrant affidavits related to the case, investigators allege that the couple had marital problems and were considering divorce.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/6760644/

Posted: 2:22 p.m. today

Autopsy: Stem woman 'most likely' slain

Chapel Hill, N.C. — The state's top medical examiner said he couldn't determine how a Stem woman died two years ago but that she "most likely" was killed, according to an autopsy report released Wednesday.

Kelly Morris, 28, was last seen Sept. 3, 2008. The following day, the house she shared with her family, at 3220 Tump Wilkins Road in Stem, caught fire. Hours later, investigators found her car about a mile from her home with her keys, purse and cell phone inside.

Her skeletal remains were found Nov. 16 in the Tar River Fox Pen in southern Granville County.

North Carolina Chief Medical Examiner Dr. John Butts performed an autopsy on the remains the following day to make a positive identification and try to determine the cause of death.

"While the exact cause of death is not determined, the circumstances of her disappearance and the location of her ultimately discovered remains, in my opinion, indicate that her death was most likely the result of homicidal violence," Butts wrote in the autopsy report.

Morris' husband, William Scott Morris, 35, of 113 W. Church St. in Creedmoor, was arrested hours after her remains were found. He is charged with first-degree murder and fraudulently burning a dwelling, and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in the case.

http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/7882969/

Scared Monkeys Discussion Forum

Missing, Exploited and True Crime => Missing Found or Presumed Deceased => Topic started by: lainey on October 16, 2008, 11:25:20 PM