Search in Washington County fails to advance Sonya Tukes case

Efforts to locate missing woman continue

TENNILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — A search conducted Wednesday at a “place of interest” in Washington County as part of the ongoing investigation into Sonya Tukes’ disappearance did not yield the desired results, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office says.

The search, completed with the help of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), Middle Georgia Gang Task Force-Ocmulgee Drug Task, Sandersville Police Department and Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA), was the latest effort in the nearly two-decade-long case of Tukes, who vanished in May 2004.

Sonya Tukes, then 22, was last seen stepping outside her sister’s home in Tennille to make a phone call.

Despite Wednesday’s setback, Sheriff Joel Cochran thanked the agencies involved and said the sheriff’s office will continue searching for clues and evidence.

“We always ask the community to stay involved, and continue to pray,” he wrote in a news release posted on the sheriff’s office Facebook page.

Tukes’ disappearance has remained a focal point for law enforcement and the community, with renewed efforts and technological advancements driving the search.

In May 2023, a joint task force was formed aimed at solving the case and providing closure for Tukes’ family. At the time, the sheriff’s office credited advancements in technology and ongoing community support for its renewed optimism in the case.

“Our team of dedicated law enforcement professionals will continue moving forward in this investigation,” Cochran wrote Wednesday.

If you have any information or wish to submit an anonymous tip, call GBI Special Agent Corey Haynes at (478) 374-6988 or Major Trey Burgamy at (478) 552-0911.