Kelley Brannon was an artist, musician, and activist known as a free spirit who marched to the beat of her own drum. She grew up in New Hampshire, and following high school graduation, she hitchhiked across the country. She went on to pursue higher education, earning a bachelor's degree in arts and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing. Kelley would sell her drawings on the internet and even created a one-woman punk band. She would perform wherever she could, whether that was in small bars, at house parties, or even on the street. According to her friends, she was a dedicated activist as well. Kelley was reportedly at the forefront of the Occupy Wall Street movement. She lived in New York City for nearly a decade, but eventually, she made her way to Florida. It was in the Sunshine State that she met her boyfriend, Eddie. The pair had a tumultuous relationship with domestic violence issues. In 2019, Eddie was arrested the day after Christmas in Gainesville, Florida, for allegedly hitting Kelley in the face. Leading up to 36-year-old Kelley's disappearance, she and Eddie lived on a Micanopy, Florida, farm. But in July 2020, they decided to embark on a road trip to Detroit, Michigan, where they planned to buy a fixer-upper home and start fresh. So, on July 9 of that year, they packed up their separate cars with their belongings, eight chickens, and Eddie's dog. Then, they started traveling up Interstate 75. Kelley and Eddie didn't get far before Eddie's vehicle, a Toyota pickup truck, broke down. The transmission had overheated, and they were forced to stay in Live Oak, Florida while waiting for the car to be repaired. [caption id="attachment_335950" align="alignnone" width="662"] Facebook - pictured above is Kelley[/caption] Sign up for Chip Chick's newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. First, the couple camped out for several nights in the area. However, by July 14, 2020, the repairs were still not finished, and Kelley and Eddie opted to rent a room at a motel in Live Oak known as the Sunshine Inn. They reportedly got into an argument during check-in regarding where to keep their chickens, and the fight continued into the evening. At 10:30 p.m., Kelley was reportedly crying and drinking outside of the motel; meanwhile, Eddie went to check on her. He also took the keys to her Toyota Camry. "She was crying. She was miserable. She was drunk. I didn't comfort her. I just took her keys off her waist, and I said, 'You can't drive right now, alright?'" Eddie recalled. He returned to their motel room afterward, and he and Kelley's argument moved to text. They exchanged heated messages for hours. "She's texting me and calling me, and I'm answering and hanging up because it's just mean stuff. She's getting drunker and drunker. I'm just trying to sleep," he said. Shortly before 1:00 a.m., Kelley left a final voicemail on Eddie's phone. "You know, I'm sick of your abuse...Oh, I'm getting in a car right now. Bye," she reportedly stated. According to Captain Jason Rountree of the Live Oak Police Department, those were Kelley's last known words. She never went back to the motel and has remained missing ever since. Kelley vanished without her purse, identification, or credit card. Her vehicle was left at the motel, unlocked, with some of her personal items still inside. She also disappeared with her cell phone, but it has been powered off. Eddie reportedly woke up at 9:30 a.m. the following day, checked out of the motel, and began searching for Kelley. When he couldn't get in touch with her, he reported her missing to the Live Oak Police Department. Once an investigation was launched, police reviewed surveillance footage from the hotel. It showed multiple vehicles entering and leaving the parking lot. Nonetheless, Kelley wasn't seen getting into any of them. Rather, various people at the motel reportedly saw Kelley walking away from the property. She was supposedly traveling along Highway 90 East and heading toward downtown. She also had her guitar, which may be the key to finding her, slung over her shoulder. Kelley's guitar was a left-handed Fender Stratocaster with a sunburst finish. The branding was also sanded off the headstock, a unique, identifying feature Kelley did herself. Eddie maintains that he was not involved in Kelley's disappearance. According to Rountree, multiple other people were under suspicion. Additionally, Kelley's friends hired two private investigators who have other theories. "I don't believe somebody came off of I-10 and scooped Kelley up. I believe she ran across somebody that she knew or was familiar with," detailed one of the private investigators, Michael Thompson. For instance, while in Live Oak, Kelley and Eddie came into contact with many new people. They had their picture drawn at The Frame Shop and Gallery Shop and visited the Little Bar. They also went to Armando's Mexican Restaurant and Reece's Auto Shop. Moreover, there were multiple other people staying at the motel the evening Kelley vanished. "The issue with this case is there is a large number of possibilities that are open, and that makes this case difficult," Rountree admitted. The exact circumstances of Kelley's disappearance remain unclear, and her case is unsolved over four years later. Her friends created a Facebook page entitled "Missing Kelley Brannon" to raise awareness about her case. Kelley was five foot five, weighed 130 pounds, and had blue eyes and black hair with dyed gray streaks. Anyone with information regarding her disappearance is urged to contact the Live Oak Police Department at (386) 362-2222.
