In the winter of 1996, a neighbor in Fayetteville, North Carolina, witnessed 32-year-old Robby Ann Hughes Floyd loading boxes into a blue van outside her home on Winter Park Drive. Accompanying Robby were three of her childrenï Sarena Glenn and four-year-old twins, Brent and Brenttany Hughesï and her younger sister, Jennifer Hughes. Robby explained to the neighbor that she was heading to Alabama to care for her ailing father.
An unknown woman was with Robby, whom she introduced as her mother; however, Robby's actual mother later stated she had not been to her daughter's home in years. The neighbor noted that Robby seemed to be in a hurry as she, her children, and her sister departed, leaving her husband, Jason Floyd, and their shared son behind.
The family's disappearance went unreported for a significant amount of time because Robby did not maintain regular contact with her relatives. It wasn't until August 1998, nearly two years after they were last seen, that they were officially reported missing. Robby's husband, Jason, told authorities that she had called him after leaving North Carolina, stating they had arrived in Sylacauga, Alabama, and were staying in a motel near her father's home. He claimed she promised to call again in a few days, but he never heard from her again. However, relatives in Alabama confirmed that Robby and the others never arrived. In the years since, there has been no activity on the Social Security numbers of any of the five missing family members. Robby's driver's license has since expired, and the blue van she was driving was never registered.
The circumstances surrounding the family's disappearance are complex and filled with contradictions. Years after they vanished, a 2004 news article suggested they were not truly missing but were hiding, alleging that Robby had used aliases and was wanted for writing bad checks. That same report claimed her daughter, Sarena, had contacted her father in 1998 and another relative in 1999. Despite these claims, a 2011 report quoted law enforcement stating there had been no activity on their Social Security numbers and no school records requested, making it seem as if 'they don't exist anymore.' Adding to the concern, the twin children, Brent and Brenttany, both had a heart condition that required ongoing medical attention. The overview of the case is one of profound mystery, initiated by a departure filled with inconsistencies, such as the identity of the woman with Robby and the fact that they never reached their stated destination. The nearly two-year delay in reporting them missing created immense challenges for any investigation. The conflicting information that has surfaced over the decades has only deepened the uncertainty, leaving a lingering question of whether five members of a family, including three children, chose to disappear or met with an unfortunate end. Their cases remain unsolved.Last Seen: Dec 1, 1996
