Police Search Continues for Missing Woman

An effort to locate 69-year-old Mattie Mizell of Cleveland has continued Monday in an all-day search.

Mizell went missing on Saturday, Jan. 1, where she was seen walking in a northwestern direction by White County Middle School around 2:40 p.m. by security cameras. She was then observed by residents on Allison Drive at approximately 3:00 heading North.

Mizell was last seen on the cameras from Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies on NOK Drive next to Babyland General Hospital at 3:30 on Jan.1st, Shoemaker said. Much of the search efforts this Monday have now been focusing on the woods between BabyLand and Cabin Creek Road. Authorities are using drones, helicopters, canine units, and on-the-ground officers to facilitate the search, Shoemaker said.

Authorities are now asking for any visitors of Babyland General on Jan. 1st between the hours of 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. to call the police department at 706-865-2111. 

Police have been searching since Saturday evening in the areas of Allison Drive, Doug Allison Heights, Cantrell Road, U.S. 129, Hilltop Road, Hulsey Road, and Ga. 75 North. Cleveland Police Chief Jeff Shoemaker said Monday morning he believes this is a search effort rather than a recovery at this time.

Mizell, who authorities say suffers from dementia, is described as a 5'3” Black female that weighs 160 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. She was wearing blue pants, and a purple/blue hoodie with black shoes with white soles when she left her home on White Street. Authorities had no luck finding Mizell over the weekend despite working into the night on both Saturday and Sunday. 

State and local authorities reconvened at 8 a.m. Monday at a command base for the search set up in the White County Middle School gymnasium. The Cleveland Police Department has been joined in the search effort by White County Sheriff’s Department, Cleveland Fire Department, White County Fire Department, Hall County Sheriff’s Office, White County Board of Education, Georgia Bureau of Investigations, Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Georgia Emergency Management Agency, Georgia State Defense Force, and a host of citizen volunteers. 

The community has been asked to search the outer areas of their property to include garages, porches, shrubs and brush areas, vehicles, or any area that a person may use for shelter in the rainy weather. In addition to this, the sides of the roadway, culverts, drain areas, etc. Police are also asking local business owners to check their surveillance footage and bring forward any footage that could show Mizell.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Cleveland Police Department at 706-865-2111 or dispatch E911 at 706-865-0911.