Suwannee Valley Unsolved And Live Oak Police Department To Present Kelley Brannon’s Case To Public September 19

Kelly Brannon -Photo: Submitted

By Jason Futch, Executive Director, Suwannee Valley Unsolved

On Tuesday, September 19, 2023, Suwannee Valley Unsolved and the Live Oak Police Department are teaming up to present Kelley Brannon’s case to the public at the Suwannee River Regional Library in Live Oak. This event is intended to provide the community with an opportunity to officially update the public on the case and where it stands today. The event was originally planned for August 31, but due to impacts from Hurricane Idalia, was postponed. Check back on the SVT website for any changes to the itinerary.

Captain Jason Rountree, who has been investigating Brannon’s case since the beginning, will be on hand to present Brannon’s case in depth. Topics to be discussed will include the events leading up to her disappearance, the investigation and what it revealed, and where the case stands three years later. The public will have an opportunity to ask questions regarding the case after the presentation.

“This is an opportunity to share with the public Kelley’s case, as this case has left a lasting impact on the citizens of Live Oak and people across the country,” Jason Futch, Suwannee Valley Unsolved, Inc. Executive Director states. “As Kelley’s case turned three in July, we continue to advocate strongly for her safe return and join the community in coming together and remembering her.”

Kelley Brannon disappeared on July 15th, 2020, from the Sunshine Inn in Live Oak. She and her boyfriend were staying at the motel when they got into an argument that led to Brannon walking away from their motel room. Later, Brannon exchanged text messages with her boyfriend threatening to take the car registration, a bag of clothes and her guitar. He attempted to assuage the situation, but Brannon rebuffed him.

The last time she was heard from was a voicemail at around 1:00am stating that she was leaving him in Live Oak and that she planned to go to Detroit, Michigan or Iceland by herself. The voicemail ended abruptly when she stated that she was getting into someone’s vehicle. You can listen to the voicemail here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7kdzKshKVM
Brannon was not local to Live Oak. Her family is from the Northeastern United States and has been in constant contact with the Live Oak Police Department. She had been known to move around from place to place.

Since the investigation began, the Live Oak Police Department, with Captain Rountree’s lead, has sifted through many tips, coming as far as Baja Mexico. The investigation also made headlines when it was featured by WCTV-6’s Katie Kaplan for their “Unsolved Florida” feature.

The story grabbed the attention of producers for Paramount, which used Kaplan’s feature as the outline to their story told in the Tyler Perry series “Never Seen Again” on Paramount+.

Early in the investigation, Brannon’s boyfriend was identified as a person of interest in the case although he has been cooperative with investigators. However, this hasn’t been convincing with Kelley’s friends, who have been critical of the boyfriend. Several of Kelley’s friends who have reached out to Suwannee Valley Unsolved upon hearing about Thursday’s event have expressed their suspicion that the boyfriend has some knowledge of the events.

Before the discussion, Executive Director Jason Futch will be making a presentation on the recent strides Suwannee Valley Unsolved, Inc. has made since their last presentation in Live Oak. Also, the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office, led by Sgt. Wayne Kelly, will be making an announcement concerning new efforts to review the cold cases that are within the files of the SCSO.

This free, two-hour event will be open to the public. The event will be held at the Suwannee River Regional Library in Live Oak (1848 S. Ohio Avenue) and will begin at 6:00pm. Seating will be on a first come first served basis. Local and Regional media are encouraged to attend the event. For more information regarding this event, please contact Jason Futch at 253-246-9334 or email at SuwanneeValley Unsolved @gmail.com. Additionally, you may contact the Suwannee River Regional Library Live Oak Branch at 386-362-2317.

If anyone has information regarding Kelley Brannon’s disappearance, they may contact the Live Oak Police Department at 386-362-7463. To remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1000, Crime Stoppers of Suwannee County may be contacted at 386-208-TIPS (8477).