Shanna Peoples

Missing – September 8, 2011 – Geneva, AL

Geneva County

The 2011 disappearance of 19-year-old Shanna Genelle Peoples from the small town of Geneva, AL has haunted the community for over decade.

Shanna, standing tall at 6 feet with sandy blonde hair and soulful brown eyes, was a young woman who stood out in a crowd. Beyond her physical appearance, her friendly and trusting demeanor endeared her to those she encountered. Despite facing cognitive impairments, a speech impediment, and a bipolar disorder diagnosis, Shanna possessed a resilient spirit and a strong desire for independence.

At some point prior to her disappearance, Shanna made a life-altering decision—to move in with her boyfriend, Wendell Hudspeth, who was significantly older than her. This choice was met with mixed reactions from her parents, but some of their doubts may have been tempered by the fact that she would only be a couple of blocks down the street and frequently stopped by to visit.

September 8, 2011, marks the last day Shanna was seen or heard from. Accounts of that day remain shrouded in uncertainty, with only fragments of information available to piece together the timeline. Reports indicate that Shanna had a brief phone call with Wendell, serving as the final recorded conversation. A sighting by a student on a school bus places her in the area between 3 and 5 p.m., while her cellphone was turned off around 4 p.m.

The discovery of Shanna’s home in disarray added to the perplexity surrounding her disappearance. When a friend visited, they found the front door open, the television on, and no sign of Shanna. Her personal belongings, along with her bike, remained untouched, suggesting an absence of struggle. The only item missing was her cellphone, which has never been recovered.

Geneva County law enforcement, including the Geneva Police Department, State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), launched an extensive search operation to find Shanna. Despite their best efforts, the investigation has yielded no concrete leads or substantial breakthroughs.

As the years passed, hope gave way to grief, and Shanna’s family fought tirelessly to keep her memory alive. Her father, Elvis McKee, showed unwavering determination in his quest for answers, even in the face of personal health challenges. Tragically, Elvis passed away in 2022, carrying with him the burden of unfinished business.

You can hear more about Shanna’s case in Episode 16 of Unforgotten.

To this day, the fate of Shanna Genelle Peoples remains unknown. The Geneva County community, once filled with tranquility, is haunted by her disappearance. Law enforcement authorities continue to emphasize that the answers lie within the community itself, urging residents to remain vigilant and come forward with any information that might help crack the case.