In the winter of 2016, a 32-year-old mother of three named Brianna Jade Hughes vanished from Upper Burrell Township, Pennsylvania. On December 15th, just two weeks after being released from the Allegheny County Jail, Brianna appeared at her mother's home. She expressed her intention to return to rehab to battle a long-standing addiction that began in her teenage years. Her mother, Paula Gregg, gave her some clothing, and as Brianna prepared to leave, she noticed an older model red car, possibly a Chevrolet Cavalier, waiting for her. Inside was a woman her mother didn't recognize, described as a heavy-set white female with curly blonde hair. Brianna got into the car with the unknown woman and has not been seen or heard from since that day.
Brianna's life had been marked by struggles with addiction, which her family says began after she was prescribed painkillers for a gymnastics injury at the age of 16. This led to what her mother described as falling in with the 'wrong crowd' and a 14-year battle with addiction, resulting in several criminal charges and periods of incarceration. Despite these challenges, her family maintains that she was a devoted mother to her three children and would never have willingly cut off contact with them. It was her failure to call one of her daughters on her birthday in March 2017 that solidified her mother's belief that something was terribly wrong, prompting her to officially report Brianna as a missing person.
In the months following her disappearance, there were a couple of unconfirmed sightings of Brianna in the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh. She was reportedly seen on Frankstown Road, where it is believed she may have been living with her youngest child and the child's father. Another possible sighting occurred in East Liberty in February 2017, which is considered the last potential sign of her whereabouts. Investigators have stated that they suspect foul play is involved in her disappearance and do not believe she simply left on her own. The Upper Burrell Township Police Department considers her case to be active, though it has grown cold over the years, leaving her family with unanswered questions and a lingering hope for closure. Brianna, who sometimes went by the nickname 'Winter,' is described as a Caucasian female with brown hair and hazel eyes, standing between 5'2' and 5'3' and weighing around 100 to 110 pounds. She has a distinctive tattoo of the word 'Breathe' on the center of her upper chest.
Last Seen: Dec 15, 2016
