On July 4, 2016, 29-year-old Lelia Marie Faulkner vanished from her parents' home in Troy, Alabama. She had recently moved back in with her family after ending a volatile relationship with her live-in boyfriend, Blane Gralheer Jr. Lelia, a mother to a young daughter named Madison, had been a bright student and class valedictorian before challenges, including struggles with alcohol and drug abuse, altered the course of her life.
Just days before she went missing, Lelia had expressed fear of her ex-boyfriend to her parents, telling them, 'if something happens to me, it's him'. On the day of her disappearance, Lelia stayed home while her family attended an Independence Day barbecue. Her parents last spoke with her around 5:30 p.m., which is also when she made her final post to Facebook. Later that evening, around 7:00 p.m., her parents heard the front door open and close as they were getting Lelia's daughter ready to go see fireworks. They believed Lelia was heading out to be with friends and did not see her leave.
As days turned into a week with no word from Lelia, her family grew increasingly concerned. This was uncharacteristic, as she typically maintained daily contact with her mother. Although Lelia had left for short periods in the past, she had never been out of touch for so long. Her parents attempted to file a missing person's report on July 7, but were initially told to contact her friends due to her history of leaving for a few days at a time. Two weeks later, with still no contact, the Pike County Sheriff's Office accepted the report. Investigators learned that Lelia had left without her car, but her purse, cell phone, and tablet were also missing. All of her social media and bank accounts have remained inactive since the day she was last seen.
The investigation into Lelia's disappearance revealed she and Gralheer had been arguing via text messages and on Facebook the day she vanished. Lelia had accused him of stealing money and leaving her for another man, allegations which he denied. Gralheer reportedly took a polygraph test, but the results were inconclusive, and he declined to take a second one. While he has been considered a person of interest, no one has been officially named a suspect in her disappearance. Lelia's case is classified as an endangered missing person case. She is described as a white female with strawberry blonde, shoulder-length hair and blue/gray eyes. At the time she went missing, she was 5'6' tall and weighed between 120 and 135 pounds. She has several distinct tattoos: the name 'Madison' on her right wrist, cherries on her lower back, and Chinese characters for 'success' on her foot. The circumstances surrounding her disappearance remain a painful mystery for her loved ones, who continue to search for answers.Last Seen: Jul 4, 2016
