‘Someone can’t just disappear’: Family of missing man pleads for help

By Hannah Mackenzie

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    JACKSON COUNTY, North Carolina (WLOS) — The family of a missing Jackson County man is begging anyone with information on the 25-year-old’s whereabouts to come forward.

Aaron Cody Fortner was last seen at his camper on Fox Trace Drive on Feb. 20, said his sister, Kourtney Biddix.

“I just want him home,” she said.

Fighting back tears, Biddix said she was the one to call 911 after she and her family went to check on Fortner, who she said had been acting strangely the night prior.

“Something was happening that was scaring him,” Biddix said.

According to Biddix, Fortner had made several calls to their grandparents. He told his grandmother he didn’t know where he was and that people were looking for him.

“I’m afraid that somebody might have taken him and then I’m not sure, maybe hurt him,” Biddix said. “He was on some dating apps and stuff like that, so you could meet strangers anywhere, which is a worrying thing.”

Fortner’s mother, Kristina Biddix, told News 13 his camper was a disaster. Items were thrown all over, she said, and it looked completely different from when she had seen it the day before. According to Kristina Biddix, all the lights were on, Fortner’s electric blanket was on, and his wallet and keys were still inside.

“We started panicking, looking around, and my youngest daughter found his hat in the driveway, and we called 911 immediately,” Kristina Biddix said.

The mother of three said she and her son speak daily and that this is not normal behavior for him.

After combing through miles of terrain, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday, March 3 that they have ended their “boots-on-the-ground” search for Fortner. Investigators said they are now focusing on interviewing acquaintances and following leads, while Fortner’s family waits with bated breath.

“All I want is just an idea of where you are; just a message,” Kourtney Biddix said. “Just something simple, like get on Facebook, Snap Chat just open a message, so I know that somebody is on your account, if it’s you or anything else.”

Fortner is known to go by a few different names, including Cody Black, Cody Smith and Aaron Winehouse.

If you have any information on Aaron Cody Fortner’s whereabouts, you’re asked to contact the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office at 828-586-4355 or dispatch at 828-586-1911.

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