Virginia mom mysteriously vanishes from front yard

WAKE, Va. - Authorities in Virginia are searching for a mother who reportedly vanished from her front yard while her two children were home.

The Middlesex County Sheriff's Office said 23-year-old Terrilynn St. John was reported missing from her home at 15 Mill Wharf Rd. in Wake, Virginia on Tuesday.

WTVR reports family members last heard from the young mother of two at about 7:30 a.m. when she went to her car to get ready to take her kids to day care.

The sheriff's office said St. John's children, ages 1 and 3, were found alone and unharmed in the home by their grandfather. The grandfather went to check on St. John and her children after receiving a call that the mother had not shown up to work that day and he found the door to the home open, according to officials.

WTVR reported that St. John's car was still in the driveway, her cellphone was found in bushes outside her home and authorities found a broken necklace in the front yard. The sheriff's office declined to state if the cellphone and necklace had been recovered, citing its ongoing investigation.

The Southside Sentinel reported St. John's boyfriend, Mac Kennard, told the paper the last time he saw St. John was when he kissed her goodbye at 4:20 a.m. before he headed to work.

The sheriff's office said K9 units from the Gloucester County Sheriff's Office and aerial units from the Virginia State Police searched for St. John on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Deputies told FOX 5 it was too early to tell if St. John had been abducted and that their investigation was currently being treated as a missing person's case with suspicious circumstances.

The sheriff's office said four persons of interest had been interviewed. According to deputies, the persons of interest were cooperating and submitted DNA samples that were submitted into evidence.

A missing poster being circulated by the Aware Foundation of Virginia described St. John as being 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing 130 pounds and having blue eyes and blonde hair. It also stated she has tattoos that say "R.J.M." on her right wrist, a princess crown on her left wrist and a cross on her ring finger.

Officials urged anyone with information that can aid detectives in their investigation, especially anyone who witnessed something suspicious in the area between 4:30 and 6 a.m., to call the Middlesex County Sheriff's Office at (804) 758-2779.