Alicia A. Waters was a 40-year-old Black woman when she was last seen in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on April 10, 2015. She had lived with severe cerebral palsy since infancy and required extensive assistance in every part of her daily life. Alicia was unable to speak, used a wheelchair for mobility, and depended completely on caregivers to provide food, shelter, medical attention, transportation, and personal care. She was described as approximately 5 feet 4 inches to 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing between 105 and 115 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Because she could not communicate her circumstances or seek help independently, the loss of contact with her created an especially serious concern for her safety and well-being.
For most of Alicia's life, she was cared for by her parents, Florence Elaine Waters and Charles Waters. A medical-malpractice settlement had resulted in a trust fund of more than $1 million that was intended to support Alicia's lifelong needs. As her caregivers, her parents could reportedly receive as much as $9,000 each month from the account for expenses related to her care. Questions eventually arose about the management of the trust, including allegations that some of the money had been used for purposes that did not directly benefit Alicia. A Murfreesboro attorney was consequently appointed as conservator and placed in charge of determining how funds would be distributed. The financial dispute became significant because the trust was intended to ensure that a profoundly vulnerable woman would continue receiving the specialized care upon which she depended.
During the period before Alicia disappeared from public view, Florence and Charles reportedly appeared regularly in Rutherford County Chancery Court. Their relationship with court officials became increasingly strained, and they resisted requests that officials be allowed to see Alicia and confirm her condition. The family later sold its Murfreesboro home and left Tennessee, providing a forwarding address in Duluth, Georgia. After leaving, Alicia's parents stopped requesting money from her trust fund. They had also stopped collecting her Social Security disability benefits years earlier, after questions were raised about how those payments were being used. Their departure, combined with the absence of direct contact with Alicia, left officials unable to independently determine where she was living or whether her medical and personal needs were being met.
The uncertainty continued as legal authorities attempted to obtain reliable information about Alicia's whereabouts. A warrant was issued for Florence in connection with her failure to disclose Alicia's location to the chancery court. In 2017, a Georgia television news crew located Charles at the Duluth forwarding address. He acknowledged his identity and said Alicia was alive and being cared for, but he would not reveal where she and Florence were living. He initially claimed they were in Tennessee before admitting that statement was untrue. Neighbors near the Georgia residence reportedly said they had not seen anyone there who used a wheelchair. Although Charles's assurances offered some hope, they could not replace an independent welfare check, and Alicia continued to be regarded as endangered because authorities had no verified access to her.
For years, Alicia's case remained defined by that painful lack of verification. Her disabilities made it impossible for her to contact investigators, explain her circumstances, or assure the public that she was safe. The court reportedly offered a reward for information leading to her location, while advocates continued circulating her name and photograph in hopes that someone could provide answers. Public case listings emphasized that the central concern was not simply that Alicia had moved away, but that no responsible authority had been permitted to see her and confirm that she was receiving appropriate care. Her case drew sustained attention because she was among the most vulnerable of missing adults: nonverbal, dependent on a wheelchair, and wholly reliant on other people to protect her interests.
A public update issued by Tennessee Missing and Unsolved on April 20, 2026, reported that Alicia had been confirmed alive and safe. The precise circumstances of how she was located, where she had been living, and which agency completed the confirmation have not been publicly detailed in the available update. Those unanswered questions do not diminish the importance of the outcome: after approximately eleven years of uncertainty, Alicia was no longer considered an active missing person. Her story began with the disappearance of a 40-year-old woman from Murfreesboro on April 10, 2015, continued through years of legal conflict and unsuccessful efforts to independently verify her welfare, and concluded with the long-awaited confirmation that she had survived and was safe. The case remains a sobering reminder of how difficult it can be to protect a profoundly disabled adult when access to that person is controlled by others, but its final known development brought the compassionate resolution that those who followed Alicia's case had hoped to receive.
Last Seen: Apr 10, 2015
