EARLY LIFE:
Brenda Gail Lambert was born on December 26, 1969, in Williamson, West Virginia. From a large family of seven children, she was described as a free spirit who had a big heart and an outgoing spirit. A tomboy, she was playful and mischievous, with a penchant for exploration. One of her favourite places to visit were the mountains that surrounded the town in which she grew up.
While a smart girl, Brenda never had an interest in school and was allowed to drop out at 15, on the recommendation of her principal.
In 1986, Brenda married Raymond Lambert, a co-worker of her brother, Tim. They were employed by the local chicken factory. While a devoted stay-at-home wife and mother to their two children, Krista and Raymond, Jr., Brenda suffered regular abuse at the hands of her husband, with her family noting rings around her neck from him strangling her and frequent black eyes.
On July 8, 1992, Brenda had filed a domestic violence complaint against Raymond with the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office. While she’d dropped it two days later, there were signs their marriage was nearing its end. She’d scheduled an appointment with a divorce lawyer on July 30, and Raymond had since moved out and was living with his parents at their 200-acre mountain property.
DISAPPEARANCE:
On July 26, 1992, Brenda held a birthday party for her infant son at her Bluewell, West Virginia, home. Family and friends were invited, included Raymond, who’d brought the cake. According to attendees, there was noticeable tension between the pair, and it’s speculated that the cause was the presence of Brenda’s cousin, Tammy, who was having an affair with Raymond.
Raymond left the gathering with the children around 8:00 PM, despite Brenda wanting Krista and Raymond, Jr. to stay with her. By 9:00 PM, the last of the guests had left the Windmill Hill Road property.
The following series of events are based on witness statements, including Raymond. According to one of Brenda’s sisters, Raymond stopped by her house the next day to say his wife had been missing since around midnight, despite her personal belongings and car being left at the residence. He claimed to have called their mother, who’d promised to call Brenda, but it’s unknown if one was made.
Upon speaking with Raymond, two of Brenda’s sisters drove to her home to see if everything was okay. They, too, noticed her car in the driveway, and while the front door was locked, they were eventually able to enter the residence, where they found signs of the party the previous afternoon, but no Brenda.
Depending on the source, either Brenda’s family or Raymond were the ones to report her missing to the authorities.
Fast-forward to January 14, 1993, when another individual disappeared from the local area. Mark Anthony Cook was last seen walking toward US Route 52 after leaving Pedro’s Bar at the Airport Square shopping centre around 3:00 AM. The 24-year-old, who was reported missing by his mother’s boyfriend four days later, reportedly knew Brenda.
Investigators believe the two cases could be connected, with foul play suspected in both.
SEARCH:
Raymond was immediately considered a person of interest in Brenda’s disappearance. When spoken to by investigators, he claimed his wife had run away with a man named “Mike” and abandoned him and the children. When asked if he’d had any involvement, he denied any wrongdoing.
Brenda’s aunt, Bonnie Patterson, was interviewed and recalled a interaction she had with Krista, who said that Raymond and her grandfather had been “on and off the mountain” around the time Brenda went missing. The Lambert family had owned a sawmill property, and when asked by investigators if they could search it, Raymond dodged the question.
Tammy told investigators that she’d heard from Raymond’s sister that he and his father had been at the sawmill the night Brenda went missing. Within a week of her disappearance, Tammy had moved in with Raymond, and the two eventually married. She’d believed her husband was innocent for a while, but he soon became abusive toward her. This, paired with Brenda’s absence at major events in her children’s lives, has since led her to question his version of events.
Brenda’s home was searched, and while everything appeared okay, it was noted that the bedroom was a mess and a suitcase had been packed. The latter was believed to be related to her pending divorce.
Polygraph tests were conducted early on in the investigation, with one unnamed male suspect failing the one administered to him. A number of potential sightings of Brenda were reported soon after she went missing, with the most promising coming from a pawn shop in Princeton, West Virginia, and a grocery store in Bluewell. Unfortunately, none were proven to be the 22-year-old.
In 2003, a tip came in, which stated that Brenda and Mark’s bodies may have been found in a pond off US Route 52, about a half-mile south of the Airport Square shopping centre. Significant efforts were undertaken to confirm if their remains were there, including an attempted draining of the pond and the use of a diver and underwater radar and video equipment, but nothing was found.
Brenda was legally declared dead in 2022. Her sister, Christy, has publicly stated that she believes the 22-year-old was murdered and her body hid on a property near Mercer County.
The AWARE Foundation has since become involved in the search for Brenda. In 2023, the organization erected a billboard about the case along US Route 52.
DETAILS:
Brenda Gail Lambert went missing from her residence on Windmill Hill Road in Bluewell, Mercer County, West Virginia, on July 26, 1992. She was 22 years old, and was last believed to be wearing a short-sleeve denim t-shirt, blue denim shorts and black shoes.
At the time of her disappearance, Brenda stood at 5’2″ and weighed 110-115 pounds. She has curly shoulder-length black hair, blue eyes, pierced ears, dark-coloured freckles on her shoulders, a birthmark on the back of her left leg and a one-inch scar on her right wrist. She’d previously had her tonsils removed.
Mark Anthony “Tony” Cook went missing from the Airport Square shopping centre in Bluefield, Mercer County, West Virginia, on January 14, 1993. He was 24 years old, and was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, a blue denim jacket with a drawing and writing on the back, bleached blue jeans, black tennis shoes and a white baseball cap.
At the time of his disappearance, Mark stood between 5’5″ and 5’9″ and weighed 135-140 pounds. He has brown hair and green eyes.
While several sources, including the West Virginia State Police, have stated that the pair were in a relationship at the time of Brenda’s disappearance, her family has said they weren’t that close.
CASE CONTACT INFORMATION:
Currently, both cases are classified as Endangered Missing, with foul play suspected. Brenda’s DNA and dentals are available for comparison against any human remains that may be found.
Anyone with information about either disappearance is asked to contact the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office at any of the four telephone numbers: (304)-487-8364, (304) 487-8301, (304) 425-2274 or (304) 487-8365.
Image Credit: The Doe Network
Stories of the Unsolved 