LEAD UP TO DISAPPEARANCE:
At around 11:00pm on March 11, 2018, Ebony Giddens and a relative spoke over the phone. According to said relative, their conversation was normal and she didn’t seem distressed, nor did she speak about taking a trip or leaving home.
DISAPPEARANCE:
At 7:30am on March 12, Ebony’s brother came to the apartment where she and two of her three sons lived. As with every morning, he was there to take the two children to school. Upon knocking on her front door, he received no answer, and thus tried contacting her via phone call and text. However, his text messages went unanswered and his calls went directly to voicemail.
Worried, he reached out to the children’s father, Roderick Daniel, who told him he’d spoken with Ebony the day before. Roderick then travelled to Ebony’s apartment, where the two men continued to knock on the door, ring the doorbell and call her cellphone. Eventually, her five-year-old son answered the door and told them his mother was missing.
Upon gaining access to the apartment, the two men searched each room, but found no sign of Ebony. While her cellphone was missing, her purse was still in the living room, along with her keys and wallet.
Ebony’s brother then called their mother, Lisa Giddens, to see if she’d been in contact with the missing woman. She then proceeded to contact Ebony’s ex-boyfriend, Malcolm Jackson, at work, but could only get ahold if his secretary, who told her he was there, but was unable to speak.
That same day, Ebony was reported as missing to the Columbus Police Department.
SEARCH:
According to Ebony’s loved ones, it’s uncharacteristic of her to abandon her children or leave them alone in the apartment. She also wasn’t known to drink, party or smoke. As such, they are worried for her safety and are confident she didn’t leave of her own accord.
During the initial phases of the investigation, police said they didn’t suspect foul play, as there was no evidence of wrongdoing.
In order to try and raise awareness about Ebony’s disappearance, her family and friends handed out flyers all around Columbus, Georgia, as well in the surrounding cities of Lumpkin and Cusseta, where she worked.
Early into their investigation, investigators learnt that Ebony had gotten into a domestic dispute with Jackson before her disappearance. As a result, she had called the police, claiming he’d jumped on her, hit her in the face and threatened her with a gun. On March 10, he had been arrested for misdemeanour assault and was booked into the Muscogee County Jail. He bailed himself out the same day.
Upon being released from jail, he was ordered to stay away from Ebony, yet still attempted numerous times to call her. This was despite the missing woman telling him their relationship was over. When questioned, neighbours also claimed to have seen him working on Ebony’s car the day before she was last seen.
The day after Ebony went missing, Jackson was jailed on charges of aggravated stalking and felony probation charges. However, police won’t say if the charges are in relation to the case. As of publication, Jackson has not been named a suspect in Ebony’s disappearance.
In April 2018, the Giddens family hired Columbus attorney and former Columbus mayor Bob Poydasheff to help in the investigation. He met with investigators and told the family he believes the department is working hard to solve the case.
A former classmate of Ebony’s from Spencer High School, 26-year-old Travis Gardner, contacted the missing woman’s relatives to say he knew where she was and that he would return her if they sent him $1,000,000. He threatened to deliver her body parts in pieces if the police were contacted or his demands weren’t met.
Upon police identifying Gardner, he was arrested on charges of making terroristic threats and attempted extortion. He was also ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation.
Currently, the family is offering a $10,000 reward for information that could help solve the case.
Details of the Columbus Police Department’s search efforts have not been disclosed at this time, given the ongoing nature of the investigation. However, investigators have said that multiple units are involved, and they have nothing to report in the way of suspects or persons of interest.
THEORIES:
1) While there is no evidence that foul play was involved in Ebony’s disappearance, the current and only theory is that Malcolm Jackson was somehow involved. This is given the pair’s turbulent relationship and his recent arrest as a result of the domestic dispute in the days leading up to ex-girlfriend’s disappearance.
AFTERMATH:
Ebony’s children are currently living with their respective fathers.
The Giddens family are trying to stay optimistic and are praying for Ebony’s safe return.
CASE CONTACT INFORMATION:
Ebony Giddens went missing from Montclair Drive, just off Leary Avenue north of St. Marys Road and east of Interstate 185, in Columbus, Georgia on March 11, 2018. She was 27 years old. At the time of her disappearance, she was 4’9″ and weighed approximately 110 pounds. She has short, braided black hair and brown eyes, and her ears are pierced.
Currently, her case is classified as missing under suspicious circumstances. If alive, she would be 28 years old.
If you have any information regarding the case, you can contact the Columbus Police Department at 706-653-3205. Tips can also be phoned into the department’s Special Victim’s Unit at 706-653-3449.
Image Credit: Our Black Girls
Stories of the Unsolved 