CHELSEA BROOKE WOODS

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Van Buren County Sheriffs Department (AR)

Missing From:

Clinton, Arkansas

Summary:

Chelsea Brooke Woods, a 38-year-old white female, was last seen on August 28, 2022, in Clinton, Arkansas. At 7:03 a.m., she called 911 saying she was afraid of who was in her home in reference to a domestic incident. After making the call, witnesses stated she was "talking all sorts of crazy" and ran out the door into the woods. She has never been heard from again.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

Two days before her disappearance, Chelsea last spoke with her mother, Sherry Lawrence, in a brief conversation where she said, "If something happens to me, Mama, I want you to know I love you." On August 28, 2022, at 7:03 a.m., she called 911, saying she was afraid of who was in her home. The call was in reference to a domestic incident that had already occurred. Witnesses stated that after making the call, Woods was "talking all sorts of crazy" and ran out the door into the woods. When police arrived, they found Woods down the street. She wanted to speak only to a specific officer, and this person was unavailable. The police tried for nearly an hour to convince her to return home, but she ran further into the woods and disappeared. Police say Woods ran out of the cabin she was living in and into the woods with a foot-long kitchen knife.

Additional Details:

Three days later, Woods's aunt asked the police to do a welfare check on her, as her aunt had been unable to contact her. When police arrived at Woods's home, the front door was open. There was no sign of her, but her cat was inside. Her driver's license, purse and some other personal belongings were found at a nearby property. On Saturday, around 150 first responders and community volunteers did a grid search of the area. The Van Buren County Sheriff's Office, Arkansas State Police and volunteers conducted a grid search from 8 a.m. until after dark to help locate the woman. Authorities in Van Buren County, Arkansas, are offering a $10,000 reward for information in the disappearance. Woods' mother stated that her daughter told her, "Mama, Colby's hurting me. He just threw something at me, and it went past my head," and said she encouraged her daughter to protect herself, pleading with her many times to call the police. The family says Woods' phone, charger and her purse were discovered in a tree growing in a ravine. Another phone was found in the wall of the cabin, behind the insulation. Chelsea Woods was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee and graduated from Hunters Lane High School. A candlelight vigil was held on August 28, 2024, to mark the second anniversary of her disappearance at the Botkinburg Foursquare Church in Clinton.

Case Last Updated:

Oct 02, 2026