A Florida woman who went missing two months ago after moving to Atlanta to live with a man she met online has been found, her family has announced.
Katrice Simmons, 59, was living in Pensacola when she became involved in an online relationship. In April, she decided to relocate to Georgia and move in with her boyfriend.
The last time Simmons spoke with her relatives prior to her disappearance was on May 19. Simmons’ daughter told Fox 5 Atlanta that she thought her mother sounded like she was in distress during their last communication.
After the May 19 conversation, Simmons went silent and her family filed a missing persons report with the Atlanta police.
Her sister, Felicia Pettiway, told Fox 5 Atlanta that Simmons not being in contact was extremely unusual.
“She will reach out to one of her daughters, she’s going to always keeps in touch with one of them or her son, and that’s the alarming part,” she said.
Her family believes she moved to an apartment in the 300 block of Lanier Street NW in Atlanta before she stopped responding to their calls and messages.
The family asked Simmons’ boyfriend if he had any idea where she was, but he reportedly said he had no idea where she’d gone.
Simmons’ phone, vehicle — a black Chevy Equinox with a missing rear door window — and her belongings disappeared with her, and calls to her cellphone went straight to her voicemail.
One of Simmons’ family members told Fox 5 Atlanta before she was found that they feared the worst has happened.
“I believe that there may be a possibility that my auntie is dead,” the family member said at the time. “We’ve gone to the shelters, we’ve gone to the morgues. My son had done everything, typed her name to search and there is no Katrice.”
The Atlanta Police Department sought the public’s help in locating Simmons. It’s unclear if a tip from the public helped officers locate her or if she re-initiated contact with her loved ones.
“I have no words but thank you God my MOMMY has been found. Thank you everyone for everything I’m speechless there’s a God,” Simmons’ daughter, Shaquansia Love, wrote on Facebook on Monday morning.
Pettiway also acknowledged that her sister had been found.
“Hello Facebook family I just want to thank everyone for your support and prayers my sister was found and we are about to lay eyes on her,” she wrote. “Thanks everyone again God is truly amazing.”