LAKELAND, Ga. (WALB) - A South Georgia mother is preparing to spend another Christmas season without her son, she’s pleading with the public for information in his missing person’s case.

Monday, December 14, 2015, that’s the last day anyone saw or heard from Brandon Helms. He was 42-years-old at the time of his disappearance.

“Brandon, we miss him so much. He was a sweet, kind, loving person to me but of course I’m his mother. He was caring, he cared for people. He had a tender heart. He loved his children like I don’t know what, even his stepdaughter,” Gail Helms, his mother, said.

The father of three is originally from Cordele and was separated from his wife, living with a roommate in Lakeland.

The night he went missing, his wife called his mother asking if she’d heard from him. She hadn’t. And when Brandon wasn’t at home, his roommate reported him missing.

Helms said, “I just want to know what happened. I want him to say I didn’t walk off and leave y’all, I’m not that type of person. I wouldn’t do that to you all. I know something happened because he is not the type of man to walk off and leave his children.”

Brandon shared a home with his roommate on Teeterville Road 10 years ago. Inside, his mother found his cigarettes, lighter, and phone. Outside, his truck was filled with gas. Tracking dogs searched the area and they showed Brandon didn’t just walk away. But his mother says only two searches were conducted. She believes other missing persons cases in Lakeland have gotten more attention.

Helms said, “We have begged them to turn it over to the GBI, but they will not. We have even talked to judges. No one over there in Lakeland will listen.”

Nearly 10 investigators have handled Brandon’s case since 2015. WALB spoke with a few former investigators, and they say the initial reports led nowhere. We also reached out to Lanier County Sheriff’s Office for an update. They told us they can’t comment on an active investigation.

It’s important to note that only certain agencies can request the GBI for their assistance in investigations.

Those include:

• Governing officials of a municipality
• District Attorneys and Judges 
• Sheriffs, Police chiefs, fire chiefs
• And the governor

“It is frustrating, it’s heartbreaking...you have a child missing no matter what his age is. You want him or her found , you know. If you have never been through it you don’t understand the pain,” Helms said.

Despite the pain, the family still hopes Brandon is alive and listening. If he is, he’d be 52 years old now.

“Please come home, just let us know something. Call your mother, your daddy, your brother, and your sister. Call someone and let us know if you are alive. We don’t know if he is on the street in the cold. But if someone knows something...please have a heart...if you know something please tell someone. I don’t even think I want anyone punished at this point, I just want to know what happened to my son.”

If you know anything about Brandon Helms’ disappearance, call Lanier County Sheriff’s Office at 229-482-3545.

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