Kristina Branum

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Hardin County Sheriffs Department (TN)

Missing From:

Savannah, Tennessee

Summary:

Kristina Delane Branum was a 17-year-old who disappeared on July 27, 2006, from Savannah, Tennessee, along with her 21-year-old boyfriend Christopher Mittendorf. They went shopping and never returned home. Their vehicle was found abandoned five days later in Lawrence County, about 50 miles away. In 2013, authorities identified a deceased suspect responsible for their deaths and remains disposal, leading to case closure in 2014.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

Kristina Branum and Christopher Mittendorf disappeared July 27, 2006, and their families reported them missing on July 28, 2006. Kristina and Christopher had been dating for around a year when they disappeared from the apartment they shared with Mittendorf's mother in Savannah, Tennessee. The couple had gone shopping and returned to their home, where they lived with Christopher's mother, Cheryl Flatt. When Flatt returned home, Kris and Christopher were not there and the items they had bought that day were on a bed. Kristina called her father to tell him they were home and would visit him soon. Four days later, the couple's vehicle – a dark green 1994 Geo Prism – was found unlocked and abandoned in Lawrence County, about 50 or 60 miles from their home. Inside the unlocked vehicle, deputies discovered a cell phone. Upon calling a number from the device, they reached Kristina Branum's grandfather, confirming a connection to the missing teens. A witness reported seeing the couple leave the car there, get into a white car and drive away.

Additional Details:

In July 2006, at the request of former 24th Judicial District Attorney General Robert G. Radford, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation special agents began working alongside the Hardin County Sheriff's Office to investigate the disappearance of Kristina Branum and Christopher Mittendorf. Christopher's mother, Cheryl Flatt, found a lockbox in her home belonging to known criminal George "Eddie" Baugus, suggesting possible drug involvement. Baugus had a lengthy criminal record, including drug and theft charges. He wasn't a man to be trifled with. Baugus was killed by his wife in 2010 during a domestic assault. Baugus and his wife, Shannon, had a long history of domestic violence that ended when she shot him during an argument on Sunday, March 21, 2010. In 2011, she was charged with first-degree murder but was acquitted of all charges by a jury. In 2013, new information led to the discovery of additional witnesses and evidence, which directed investigators to identify the individual believed to be responsible for the disappearance of Branum and Mittendorf. Through renewed investigative efforts, authorities determined the individual was deceased. In September 2014, as part of the investigative process, authorities shared the investigative findings with the families of Kristina Branum and Christopher Mittendorf to provide them with some closure. At the request of former 24th Judicial District Attorney General Matt Stowe, the families were also advised of the TBI's closure of the criminal investigation into their tragic deaths based on facts and evidence uncovered during the investigation. The families have now been notified by the TBI that the case is officially closed. Kris had plans to join the U.S. Army after graduating from high school. Since Kristina's disappearance, her older brother was shot to death by his employer in 2008. The suspect pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter.

Case Last Updated:

Nov 15, 2026