COLUMBIA (WACH) --A Midlands mother is not giving up hope on bringing her missing daughter home. She now has help from the FBI along with the Richland County Sheriff's Department and a private investigator.
Friends, family and people concerned with the whereabouts of 15-year-old Gabbiee Swainson came together to pass out missing persons flyers Thursday evening. The group targeted Northeast Columbia, the area where Gabbiee was last seen at her mother's home Saturday morning.
The FBI is now joining the search and is involved with "specific tasks" in the case, according to deputies with the Richland County Sheriff's Department.
Elvia Swainson the mother of the missing teen is having many sleepless nights, she says she is not blaming anyone for her daughter's disappearence she just wants Gabbiee to come home.
"I don't know what happened I just don't know what is going on right now" said Swainson. "I need to see you Gabbiee, I need to love on you tonight."
Swainson said when she first called the Richland County Sheriff's department they ruled the case as a runaway.
Swainson then decided to bring in a private investigator of her own.
"It was classified as a runaway and of course when I got there and heard the evidence and examined her room I knew it wasn't a runaway immediatley" said Private Investigator, Chandra Cleveland-Jennings.
Cleveland-Jennings worked with the Sheriff's Department for 19 years she says that she will not rest until Gabbiee comes home.
"Regardless of if it's day 6, 7 or 8 we are not going to stop looking. We will continue to look as if it were yesterday" said Cleveland-Jennings.
The Richland County Sheriff's Department is not releasing much information at this time, however, they have stated that this is not a typical runaway situation.
If you have any information that could help investigators find Gabbiee call 1-888-CRIME-SC.
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