The Spalding County Sheriff's Office is searching for a 56-year-old woman with Alzheimer's disease who has been missing since Wednesday afternoon.

Gloria Jean Brownlee left her residence in the 100 block of Wilti Road around 2 p.m., and family members told authorities that she may have walked into the woods around the house.

A search team looked in the woods Wednesday evening, and a helicopter was deployed, Sheriff Wendell Beam said in a news release. K-9 units, all-terrain vehicles and a helicopter resumed the search Thursday morning.

Brownlee is described as a black female, 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighing 170 pounds. She has short hair but has been known to wear a longer wig. She had pink curlers in her hair when she disappeared.

When last seen, she was wearing an orange shirt, black pants and polka-dot socks. She has other medical conditions in addition to Alzheimer's, the sheriff's office said.

Anyone with information on Brownlee's whereabouts should contact the Spalding County Sheriff's Office at 770-467-4282 or local law enforcement.

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The city of Brookhaven's mayor and City Council last week decided to remove the colored panes of glass from the dome of Brookhaven's new City Centre after residents objected to the brightness of the colors, seen here Friday, June 27, 2025. (Reed Williams/AJC)

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