COURTLAND

The disappearance of a Newsoms woman on Feb. 22 is being investigated as an abduction. That’s according to the Southampton County Sheriff’s Office, which gave an update to media about Cynthia Carver on Tuesday afternoon in the county administrative boardroom.

“It does not appear she left of her own free will,” said spokesman Lt. Camden Cobb. “Based on interviews and information received so far, we are investigating this incident as an abduction.”

He emphasized during the press conference that there’s no reason to be believe that Carver is not alive.

“We’re maintaining hope,” said Cobb.

As previously reported, Carver, 34, was last seen around 9 p.m. on Feb. 21 on Thomaston Road in Newsoms. She’s not been heard from since, according to the spokesman. Her mother, Ann, had reported her missing the next day after seeing her vehicle in the driveway at her home on Everett Street in that town. Carver was supposed to be starting a new job that day. When deputies arrived, they checked and found that her house was empty.

Detectives soon found a knife and evidence of blood at the scene. The analysis of the blood, said Cobb, is still being conducted by a forensics service.

He said the investigation has shown that through evidence of receipts she was on Airline Boulevard in Portsmouth and North Military Highway in Norfolk.

“There are multiple persons of interest in the case that we are working diligently to identify and interview based on recent contact they may have had with Cynthia,” said Cobb. He added that those people are not just suspects.

“Also, we have developed a possible suspect vehicle, a silver Chrysler, maybe a Chrysler 200 or similar, the spokesman said. “A vehicle matching that description was seen leaving Carver’s residence the night of her abduction.”

The investigators are still waiting for permission to gain access to Carver’s social media sites she used.

“She was very active socially,” he said. “Carver is known to have used two dating apps.”

The black female is approximately 5 foot, 1 inch tall and weighs 140 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes. She has a tattoo of a butterfly above “Cynthia” on her right upper arm.

The searches that were done by Newsoms residents last Thursday did yield what he called “items of interest,” but he did not elaborate about them.

With Cobb at the conference was Christina F. Pullen with public affairs for the Norfolk Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. She said the agency is working “hand-in-hand” with the Sheriff’s Office” on this matter.

Pullen confirmed that the FBI has created a 24-hour tip line dedicated for information about Carver. Anyone with information is asked to call 757-609-2482. That information will go to the detectives and agents working on the case.

Pullen added that people can tweet @FBINorfolk as another way to contact the authorities with information.

Cobb said, “The Southampton County Sheriff’s Office and FBI are dedicated to finding Cynthia and the person or persons responsible for her abduction.”