Jones County, Miss. (WDAM) – A Jones County Sheriff’s Department investigator is tasked with solving some of the toughest cases; finding missing people with few clues and little information about their disappearance.

JCSD Unsolved Case Investigator Thad Windham is currently working on solving multiple missing persons cases.

Last week, Windham brought in three K9 handlers and four K9s who are part of the GTR K9 Search and are specially trained to identify cadavers.

GTR K9 Search is a volunteer organization based in Mississippi that provides cadaver searches on a regional basis to law enforcement agencies in the state and other states.

GTR K9 Search team members consist of:

• Kathy Doty (Lowndes County) with K9 Tomi Girl and K9 Seal
• AJ Brown (Tishomingo County) with K9 Jag
• Dr. Barrett Gutter (Oktibbeha County) with K9 Maverick

Currently, Windham and K9s are searching for Lewis Guy Thornton, who has been missing with his dog since August 19, 2022, and James Abel Pryor, who has been missing since September 18, 2015.

The two cases are unrelated.

Information received about both cases led investigators to two different geographic areas in Jones County to search for human remains.

K9s conducted ground and water searches in both areas and found no human remains to be found in either area.

No evidence or conclusive evidence has been obtained as to what may have happened to Pryor or Lewis, but Windham is not giving up just yet.

The search will continue.

“Someone has information that could help us solve both missing persons cases,” Windham said. “We ask that this person or persons contact me confidentially at 601-425-3147 or via JCSD email at [email protected].”

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