Mystery haunts local family

Culberson – On a cold February night in 1963, 76-year-old Lou Emma “Emma” Shields went missing, which started the largest manhunt in Cherokee County history of the time.

Silas Shields, 24, Emma’s great-great grandson, is still trying to process the mystery surrounding his late ancestor. 

Mrs. Shields went missing from her home on Feb. 20, and the next day an extensive search began using rescue squads from Cherokee County, Polk County, Tenn., and Fannin County, Ga., along with hundreds of volunteers. 

The search lasted for eight days, trekking mountainous terrain, and Shields was presumed to have been murdered.

Cecil Shields, who was 44 then, lived with his mother, Emma, at the time. He was taken into custody for questioning.

Cherokee County Sheriff Claude Anderson quoted Cecil saying he had been drinking alcohol and gone to sleep after his mother left the house around 8:30 p.m. the night of the disappearance. Another man taken into custody for questioning was a Georgia resident, Walter Cole, 65 at the time, who had spent time at the house the night of Feb. 19. 

Both Cecil and Walter had been drinking, and both men had no recollection of what happened. Mrs. Shields’ youngest son, Haden, had a warrant sworn out for Cole in the disappearance.

Search begins

According to an article in the Feb. 28, 1963, edition of the Cherokee Scout, Mrs. Shields’ son, Otis, came to visit his mother that morning and found Cecil in his bed with broken glass on the floor. Cecil woke up and told his brother their mother had probably gone to Haden’s home, which was less than a mile away.

After Shields’ sons couldn’t find their mother, they called the Cherokee County Rescue Squad, which found broken glass, hair pins, torn curtain and untidy bed in Shields’ room. Shields’ daughter added that her mother’s coat and boots were missing as well as her checkbook and cash savings.

A piece of Mrs. Shields’ glasses was also found in the front yard. The temperature that night hit a then-record low of -2 degrees.

A neighbor of Shields also reported seeing a strange vehicle approach the home around 9 p.m. the night of the disappearance and left minutes later. After eight days of searching, there was no sign of the missing mother and grandmother.

Body found

On March 2, 1963, the body of Mrs. Shields was found less than a mile from her home in a field. According to an article published in the March 7, 1963, edition of the Cherokee Scout, the autopsy revealed she had no signs of foul play, and the cause of death was exposure. 

Anderson reported every square foot of ground within a mile radius of the home had been searched. The Scout reported there were two three-strand bobbed-wire fences between the field and the Shields’ home, as well as a creek with no means of crossing other than wading. 

So what happened the night Emma Shields disappeared? Her great-great-grandson, Silas, doesn’t have many more answers other than family speculation. 

Silas came to learn about the mysteries surrounding his great-great-grandmother’s death after reading about it in the Feb. 20, 2013, edition of the Cherokee Scout, where the disappearance was noted in This Week in Local History. He said he asked his father, Mitchell, about it and learned more about the family history. 

Seeking answers

The more questions he asked about the history, the less answers he found. Silas said his family members have different views on what happened, but no one truly knows.

“I’ve talked to enough generations, and the general consensus is that they believe while she might not have been murdered, foul play was involved,” Silas said. “Nobody believes Cecil had a hand in it.” 

While the family doesn’t think Cecil had a hand in his mother’s death, Silas believes the disappearance wasn’t something the family would talk about because of Cecil’s possible guilt from being unable to solve the mystery.

The most difficult part of the case for Silas is that the area around his family home was combed extensively, and there were no signs – yet when she was found, it was only ¾ mile from the home in the middle of a field. 

“I don’t think, even after 58 years, no one in the family truly found peace about it,” Silas said. “While they all know she went to her heavenly home, justice wasn’t served on this side. Only God and maybe one other person really knows what happened.” 

No one was charged with the death of Emma Shields, and any answers have faded. However, Silas said his ancestor’s legacies have lived on through the generations.