Forsyth investigators search grounds around missing woman's apartment

By Jeffry Scott

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Forsyth County investigators Tuesday afternoon were preparing to search the grounds around the apartment of a 66-year old Cumming woman who has been missing for a week.

The family of Ann Marie Barker, who lived alone at the Oxford Summit apartments on Ronald Reagan Boulevard in Cumming, has hired Alpharetta private investigator T.J. Ward to help find her, Ward said Tuesday.

“I’m working with the sheriff’s office, and so far it’s still a mystery what happened,” said Ward.

Forsyth County sheriff Ted Paxton said in a statement released by his office that there was no sign of a struggle at Barker's apartment and her purse and cell phone were at the residence. Barker was last seen Oct. 5 when she made a routine transaction at a nearby Wachovia Bank.

Ward said Barker had gone to the bank to get two certified checks made out to a person in Florida, but those checks have not been cashed. Barker is a white, five feet seven inches tall, weighs 145 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair. Anyone with any information about Barker’s whereabouts is asked to call Investigator Scott Boggus at (678) 513-5988.