Photo: Richmond Police Department
She's been missing since early January.
By Sarah Gangraw and Amy Lamare — Written on Jul 12, 2019
A Kentucky mother who was last seen leaving a Lexington, Kentucky bar on January 4th reportedly went to the home of one of the three men she met that night.
Savanah Spurlock, 22, was out at The Other Bar in Lexington with friends when she disappeared. Surveillance footage shows Spurlock leaving the bar at 2:30 a.m. with three men she did not know, according to Richmond Police. She hasn't been seen since and authorities have been piecing together the night she went missing ever since. At the time, authorities believed she was in danger, as there was no indication she ran away.
The mother of four, who gave birth to twins in December, ended up at a rural home in Gerrard County, about 40 miles from the bar, with three men. Her mother was watching the kids as she believed Savannah needed a night off. She hadn't been out in months.
"We do know her last location was at a residence in Garrard County," Richardson told WKYT. "We were told that she left that location. That's just something we can't confirm right now. So we're looking for any information in regards to that. If somebody saw something, saw her, saw anything, just to let us know."
Police identified the three men but did not name them. No arrests have been made.
Now, more than six months later, Savannah Spurlock's body has been found. What happened to her? How did Savannah Spurlock die?
Richmond Police Department
One of the men said Spurlock left the home "later that morning" but did not specify how or where she was headed," Fox News reported. Spurlock's mother, Ellen Spurlock, told the Lexington Herald-Leader she believes the men are withholding information. “I think the guys she was with know more than they are saying,” she said. “Their story doesn’t make sense. She left with no money, no car, no coat, no phone in a different county than where she lives. It’s not like her.”
Spurlock's ex-boyfriend Shaquille Smith, the father of her two-year-old son and newborn twins, was also convinced the men know where she is. “I do think the guys she was with that night know exactly where she is,” Smith, 27, wrote in a message to Fox News. “I do think she is out there somewhere worried and thinking about her kids, family, and friends.”
The search for the missing mother expanded and the Cajun Coast Search and Rescue headed to Kentucky to focus on the deserted areas of Gerrard County, including corn fields and creeks, according to Fox News.
Spurlock's purse was found in the car she took to the bar in Lexington, but her cell phone has not been recovered. It was turned off around 8:30am on the morning after she was at that bar. She FaceTimed her mother, Ellen Spurlock, at 2:30am from inside a vehicle to tell her she was having fun with friends would be home in the morning. Two men were in the car with her daughter, but Ellen Spurlock could not definitively say whether they were the men from the surveillance footage, Fox News reported. A third man in a separate vehicle reportedly followed them to the home in Gerrard County.
Spurlock never returned to the Richmond home she shared with her mom, who promptly reported her missing.
On Wednesday, July 10th just before midnight, police found human remains near the Garrard County home where Savannah Spurlock spent her last hours. David Sparks, 24, has been charged with abuse of a corpse as well as tampering with physical evidence. This was the same home that police searched in January. It was searched again after a neighbor complained of a strong foul odor coming from the property. Kentucky State Police have confirmed that the human remains found are Savannah Spurlock. Police also found other items beloninging to Spurlock on the property.
The investigation into how and why Savannah Spurlock died is ongoing.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Richmond Police Department at 859-624-4776 or detective@richmond.ky.us.
Sarah Gangraw writes about all things news, entertainment and crime. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles based freelance writer covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, and the intersection of technology, business, and philanthropy. She is deeply devoted to her chocolate Labrador and an avid long distance runner. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.