Search continues for Sikeston woman missing a year

SIKESTON, Mo. — A little over a year after a Sikeston woman was reported missing, her loved ones and law enforcement continue searching for clues to find her.

Shyann Brooke Morrison, 21, was reportedly last seen Friday, Feb. 5, 2021, at Quick Chek II in Sikeston. She was wearing a red jacket with fur, black pants and brown boots. She may have been on her way to Texas. Morrison is described as having red/auburn hair and brown eyes, between 5-feet-5-inches and 5-feet-7-inches tall and weighing between 120 and 140 pounds.

"This is still a very much active investigation," said detective Matt Cotner with Sikeston Department of Public Safety.

Not wanting to give too much detail about the active case, Cotner said he's interviewed many people and done a lot of investigating digitally. Morrison has also been entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, or NamUs, he said. NamUs is a national clearinghouse and resource center for missing, unidentified and unclaimed person cases throughout the United States.

"I've talked to officers in Texas and Wisconsin, other media outlets there and different experts," Cotner said.

Cotner said Morrison lived in Sikeston for just two months at the time she went missing. She had reportedly moved to Sikeston from Texas with a man, he said. She was reported missing by someone she lived with, according to Cotner.

The Sikeston detective said he follows up on everything he receives and works on the case nearly every day. He even has a copy of Morrison's missing person flyer on his work cubicle.

"I see it every day when I walk in to work," Cotner said. "It definitely sticks with you."

Cotner and other detectives throughout the nation aren't giving up on finding Morrison.

"Somebody knows something somewhere," Cotner said. "Even if they don't think it's a big deal, they should call the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. They can point them in the right direction for anything related in this case. Again, even if they don't think it's a big deal, it could give us more than we have now."

Law enforcement remains in contact with Morrison's family, Cotner said.

Cotner shared a recent statement from Morrison's family: "She's an awesome daughter — when she laughed, it was a deep laughter that was constant. She's a fearless sister. She and her mom had a thing where they said they loved each other to the moon and back — always and forever. When she was little, she was kind of mischievous. Even though she was the baby, she was the ring leader of her older two siblings."

Cotner said no one has given up hope Morrison might still be alive.

"Her family said they want Shyann to know if she hears or sees their message, no matter what the circumstances are, to contact someone and let them know she's OK," Cotner said.

To contact NamUs, call (202) 307-0627 or visit namus.gov. Morrison's missing person case number is 84758.