Lauren Cook: Husband ‘unconcerned’ over mom missing for 2 weeks
- Lauren Cook failed to appear for a court appearance in Virginia Sep. 13
- She and her three children were last heard from Sep. 5
- Her husband says he is not concerned for her or the children's safety
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(NewsNation) — Virginia police say Lauren Cook is missing along with her three children, but her husband maintains that isn’t the case.
Lauren Cook was last seen at the family’s home in Ferrum, Virginia, with the couple’s three children: 2-year-old Elijah, 5-year-old Hannah and 7-year-old Benjamin. According to her mother, Lauren Cook is also five months pregnant.
Cook’s mother last spoke with her daughter on the phone when Lauren said they were visiting family in New York. Her mother said Lauren’s bank account hasn’t shown any recent activity, and her cellphone last pinged Sep. 7 in Lexington, Virginia.
When Lauren’s mother last spoke with her daughter on the phone, she said she and the children were in New York visiting family, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Megan Huston told USA Today on Tuesday.
However, Lauren’s husband, Jordan Cook, told local station WSET-TV that his family is not missing at all. Jordan stated he had no reason to be concerned about the well-being of Lauren or the children and asked for the family’s privacy to be respected.
NewsNation Law and Justice Correspondent Jennifer Coffindaffer said she believes Jordan is not being truthful or candid.
“People don’t disappear and leave their husbands without using their monetary resources and without using their phones,” she said.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation Sep. 13 after Lauren failed to appear for a court date in the county’s Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. Coffindaffer said the specific court is significant.
“Those courts specifically deal with things like child abuse, they deal with issues like separation and custody matters,” she said. “So it tells me something very important was being discussed about those children.”
The office was able to confirm that the four were in Litchfield, Illinois, but was unable to make contact with them directly and so cannot resolve the missing case.
The sheriff’s office has posted information on the family, saying they will be considered missing until the department can contact them to ensure they are safe and not in distress.
According to information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Lauren and her children may be traveling in a 2013 blue Chrysler van with Virginia license plates.
Anyone with information on Lauren Cook or her children should contact the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.
