In the small town of Watumpka, Alabama, on a warm day in late May 2017, two individuals suddenly went missing. A 42-year-old woman and her 14-year-old son. There was no call, no note, no trace, and their phones were switched off. The home where they lived was locked from the inside. Loved ones were bewildered, and law enforcement was slow to respond. What really happened to the mother and her son?
Susan Lynn Osborne was born on August 22nd, 1972. She grew up in a typical American household with two brothers, Brian and Jason, and a sister named Nancy. The family was calm and stable. Her parents worked hard to create a cozy, secure environment. From a young age, Susan stood out as independent, sociable, and friendly. She was especially close to her mother, Linda, and even as an adult, maintained warm relationships with her siblings.
After her marriage in 2005, Susan relocated from Michigan to Alabama. On June 25th, 2002, her son Evan was born, but the marriage did not last and Susan ended up on her own. She chose not to go back to her family and decided to start a new life in Alabama. Later, she had a daughter, Anna Grace, with another partner. That relationship also fell apart and Susan devoted several years to a long, grueling battle for custody of Anna Grace.
As a single mom, she poured herself into raising her children. Despite everyday challenges, she remained mentally steady, kind-hearted, patient, and energetic, determined to give Evan a stable upbringing. He grew up surrounded by love and attention. Curious, hardworking, and a little shy. At school, he was respected for his intelligence and maturity. He loved science, played chess, and showed real promise. Managing his health needs required regular monitoring and some medications.
Around 2009, a woman named Holly moved in across the street from Susan. Both single mothers, they quickly bonded. Soon they were inseparable, supporting each other, spending time together, talking every day. That friendship would play a significant role in what would come.
Later, Jerry Michael Osborne entered Susan’s life. A former US Air Force airman, he had been discharged due to disciplinary issues. His fellow service members described him as hot-tempered, inclined toward aggression, and resistant to authority. After his service, he worked as an emergency dispatcher on base. He was known to struggle with post-traumatic stress, was suspicious, withdrawn, and controlling.
That was how the lives of Susan, Evan, and Jerry began to intersect, and everything that had seemed ordinary started to unravel.
In summer 2013, Susan and Evan spent a day by the water. Fishing was their shared passion. They even made their own tackle that day. Jerry Michael Osborne happened to be there. A spontaneous conversation began. Jerry introduced himself, spoke briefly with Susan, and then left. But a few days later, he appeared again. Their interactions became routine soon, and he began taking more initiative. He bonded easily with Evan, inviting him to play, discussing fishing gear, and asking about school.
Within a couple of months, they were meeting regularly. That fall, Susan and Evan moved in with Jerry. His home was located on Waterview Drive, a quiet street in Wumpka with direct access to the Cusa River. The area was remote, a private road surrounded by trees. The house sat on a spacious lot set back from the road. Susan liked the location. Peaceful, close to nature, away from the hustle and bustle of town life. Evan spent more time outside exploring the outdoors and helping his mom around the property.
Six months later, in January 2014, Susan and Jerry got married. There were no invitations or guests. Even close friends and family were not informed ahead of time. Holly and the rest of the family only found out later. Jerry and Susan simply announced they were officially husband and wife.
When asked why they had chosen to do it this way, they said:
“We wanted a quiet, simple ceremony.”
Despite the surprise, Susan never gave anyone reason to worry. On the surface, everything seemed fine. In the first few months after the wedding, life appeared to be without complications. Jerry continued working as a dispatcher for emergency services at the nearby military base. Susan focused on the household and the kids. Evan did well in school, kept things tidy, and helped with chores. The family had two dogs, Sugar and Schne. On weekends, they would go fishing, cook meals together, and tend the yard.
Gradually, Jerry started upgrading the home, buying new furniture, replacing appliances, and making small repairs. The house near the Cusa River looked like the perfect place to start fresh. The windows overlooked the water, and in the evenings, you could hear crickets chirping. The neighborhood was considered safe, and the neighbors were friendly. Susan finally seemed to have found stability again. A home, a family, a sense of peace. It felt like a well-earned new chapter after years of struggle.
After their 2014 wedding, life on Waterview Drive appeared calm from the outside. But gradually, Jerry’s behavior began to shift. At first, the changes were subtle. He started asking Susan to stay home more often, encouraging her not to work, saying he made enough and wanted her to focus on the family. Eventually, those requests became demands. Susan left her job and soon became entirely dependent on her husband, both financially and in day-to-day matters.
Over time, Jerry began limiting her contact with the outside world. He would often listen in on phone conversations, ask her to use speakerphone, and insist on being present when she spoke to her family or her friend Holly. Later, he began checking her incoming and outgoing messages. Susan’s communication with her brothers, sister, and mother gradually faded. Her social life nearly vanished.
Her ability to leave the house became restricted, too. Jerry insisted on personally driving her to and from even the smallest errands, often waiting outside to bring her back. Visits with Holly, once frequent, became rare. And when they did meet, Holly noticed a shift. Susan had become more cautious, avoided direct eye contact at times, and did not always feel free to speak openly.
Jerry worked hard to maintain the appearance of a normal life. In public, he was polite, calm, and showed no signs of aggressive behavior. He did not say much to outsiders, but came across as friendly. At home, though, things were different. His behavior became increasingly unpredictable. He would vanish for days without explanation.
When Susan asked where he had been, he would give vague answers, saying:
“I’m handling assignments.”
Or:
“I’m gathering information connected to your legal situation with Anna Grace.”
In September 2016, Jerry vanished for several days without telling anyone his plans. He was not answering his phone, did not reply to messages, and seemed to have disappeared without a trace. Worried and unsure of what to think, Susan reported him missing to local law enforcement. But when she checked their shared account with the phone provider, she found that Jerry had been actively using his phone during the time he was supposedly missing. There were multiple calls, including two to a taxi service.
Later, Jerry sent Susan a photo of a house, claiming:
“I was on a mission gathering information about your former partner’s family.”
It did not add up. Susan realized he was lying.
Shortly before that, Jerry had listed Susan’s boat for sale. It was her personal project, something she had been restoring with her own hands, and it held deep personal meaning for her. By the time she found out, the boat was already posted on Craigslist. It was another red flag. Jerry had begun making decisions about her belongings without her knowledge or permission.
As Jerry’s control escalated, Susan found herself losing more and more autonomy. Her decisions were constantly second-guessed or overridden. He took charge of her communication, her finances, where she went, what she bought, even what she wore. Step by step, he tightened his grip, not through open aggression, but by building a closed world around her that was increasingly hard to escape.
Susan rarely spoke about what was happening behind closed doors. When she canceled plans or stopped answering, she would say:
“I’m tired.”
Or:
“I’ve just been really busy.”
Holly, her closest friend, began to notice changes. Susan started using email instead of texting, which seemed odd given their close friendship. Later, Holly would understand it was Susan’s attempt to communicate without being watched.
That fall, Susan discovered that Jerry was secretly seeing another woman, someone named Britney. From what she found in his messages, he had spent an evening with her, visiting a club and staying overnight at a hotel. Susan took screenshots of the messages and sent them to Holly, her only trusted confidant. Holly confirmed her suspicions and invited Susan to bring Evan and Anna Grace and stay with her in Florida for a while to get away and think things through.
Susan replied:
“I’ll think about it, but I’m not ready yet.”
Then around January, Susan made another shocking discovery. She came across a profile for Jerry on a website known for adult escort listings targeting male clients. The page featured a photo of Jerry in his underwear, his face not shown, but his distinctive tattoos were clearly visible. The description pointed to services intended for men, and the phone number listed matched Jerry’s.
At first, Susan hoped it was old information. The profile had been created in 2011 before they met and in another state. But after reviewing the page closely, she realized the activity on the account was recent. The conversations were ongoing during their marriage. She sent the link and screenshots to Holly. That was the breaking point. Susan now knew Jerry had been lying, not just about his mysterious trips and messages to other women, but about an entire hidden life.
Any hope she had of explaining things away collapsed under the weight of undeniable evidence. In a conversation with Holly, she admitted:
“I can’t stay in this marriage any longer.”
And:
“I’m going to file for divorce.”
To create some distance, Susan moved into a separate bedroom. A few days later, Jerry started asking why she was no longer sleeping beside him.
“What changed?”
“Why aren’t you sleeping with me anymore?”
Susan did not directly mention the website. Instead, she asked indirect questions about certain names, messages, and dates. Jerry denied everything.
“I’ve never been involved with any men.”
“Those conversations aren’t mine.”
“It’s all fake.”
He dodged questions, changed the subject, and refused to acknowledge anything.
Discovering the truth about Jerry’s secret life hit Susan hard, not just emotionally, but with a sense of real danger. She realized she now knew too much.
In the spring of 2017, Susan and Holly regularly talked about Holly’s upcoming wedding. Holly had recently moved to Florida where her fiancé worked with the Coast Guard. The ceremony was planned for Key West and Susan was set to be the maid of honor. They discussed the date, the travel plans, and dress details. Evan was going to join his mom on the trip, a chance to get away and relax. The two women spoke almost every day. Nothing pointed to any imminent crisis.
The last week of May started off as normal. On May 26th, Susan went to see her daughter Anna Grace, who was living with her father. Later that day, she called Holly and mentioned that a letter had arrived at her house addressed to Holly’s old address. Susan promised:
“I’ll forward it to you next week.”
That same day, Evan stayed home from school. He was not feeling well. During their conversations, Susan gave no sign that anything was wrong.
On May 28th, Susan and Holly talked again by phone. Everything seemed routine. The next day, Memorial Day, May 29th, they exchanged text messages, chatting about everyday things. Nothing unusual. That evening, Holly sent another message. This time, there was no reply.
At first, she did not think much of it, assuming Susan was busy. But when there was still no response the following day, she started to worry. On May 30th, Holly tried calling Susan, but no one picked up. She kept texting and calling throughout the day. Meanwhile, Susan’s other relatives were also trying to reach her. Soon, both Susan’s and Evan’s phones went straight to voicemail. No calls, no social media activity, no bank card usage. Total silence.
That same day, May 30th, Susan’s younger daughter, Anna Grace, came by the house on Waterview Drive with her paternal grandmother. Evan had a medical appointment scheduled and Anna wanted to drop something off for him, but instead of Susan, they were met by Jerry. He was visibly agitated, sweating, and told them:
“You can’t come inside. The house is a mess.”
He then claimed:
“Susan left me. She took Evan and ran off with another man.”
He refused to offer details and grew irritated when questioned. The visit ended with him shutting the door on them.
The next day, Evan missed his medical appointment. That was a huge red flag. The procedure required advanced preparation, and Susan had always been diligent about his care. She never missed anything related to his health. For Holly, this was the moment she knew something was wrong. Susan had never disappeared without warning. Even going one or two days without contact was unusual for her. Now, it had been several days, and there was still no word. Not from Susan, not from Evan.
Holly kept messaging daily. At one point, she tried calling Jerry, but he did not answer. The family began to realize this was not a spontaneous getaway. It did not feel like Susan had run away or left unexpectedly. This felt like a hard, abrupt stop, one that left no trace.
Weeks went by. Family members kept calling and sending messages. At the end of June, Susan’s mother mailed her a letter. Eventually, it came back stamped undeliverable.
Then, on July 28th, 2017, exactly two months after the last confirmed contact with Susan and Evan, they were officially reported as missing. At that point, the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office became involved. Their first step was routine for this type of situation, a wellness check and an initial review of family dynamics. Two officers were sent to the house on Waterview Drive to find out where Susan and her son were and why they had suddenly vanished.
At the door, they were met by Jerry Osborne. He immediately made it clear that he was not prepared for a visit.
“I’m in the middle of cleaning. Please keep this brief.”
When asked about Susan and Evan, Jerry stated that they had left two months earlier. According to him:
“On Memorial Day, we had an argument. Susan packed up, took Evan, and left.”
He added:
“A man was waiting outside in a vehicle.”
Jerry claimed Susan and Evan got into the vehicle and disappeared, and that he had not seen them since.
He described the man as:
“Tall, dark-haired, with a beard and sunglasses.”
But the details were vague and inconsistent. In one version, he said he did not know who the man was. In another, he claimed it was Susan’s brother Brian. He also changed his description of the vehicle, calling it a truck in one version and a silver Nissan SUV in another. Nothing he said could be verified.
Police pulled bank records and phone logs. From May 30th onward, there was complete digital silence. There were no signs that Susan or Evan had been active anywhere. Their passports remained unused, and there were no flight records under either name. Even more concerning, Evan’s prescriptions, which required regular refills, had not been renewed. No doctor visits, no pharmacy requests. That was a major red flag. Without ongoing treatment, his health could be at risk.
The officers working the case noted all the inconsistencies in Jerry’s account. None of his statements lined up with any evidence. He had not tried to reach out to Susan’s family, had not filed a missing persons report, and showed no urgency to find them. For someone who had lived under the same roof with Susan and her son, his behavior raised serious concerns.
Investigators began to suspect that this was not just a case of someone walking away. Everything pointed to the theory that the story of Susan leaving was a cover. But without witnesses, physical evidence, or confirmed sightings, proving otherwise was legally impossible. All they could do was document every contradiction and continue working to reconstruct the chain of events that led to Susan and Evan disappearing.
During the initial walkthrough of the house on Waterview Drive, officers did not note any obvious signs of a struggle. But one detail stood out. None of Susan’s or Evan’s personal belongings were in the home. No clothes, no documents, not even ordinary everyday items. It looked as if the two of them had never lived there at all.
A second visit to the home, this time with a search warrant, took place after inconsistencies in Jerry’s statements raised further concerns and the family’s sense of alarm grew stronger. By then, the house on Waterview Drive had undergone significant changes. The floors had been replaced, walls repainted, and several rooms fully renovated.
Jerry claimed:
“I just decided it was time for home improvements.”
He also explained:
“Susan wrote offensive messages on the walls before leaving, so I had to paint over them.”
However, investigators found no evidence of spray paint or markings anywhere in the home. There were no cans, no residue, nothing to support his claim. Officers suspected the renovations were meant to cover up something else.
Jerry also said:
“I removed the hardwood floors myself because the contractor offered me a discount if I handled the demolition.”
But investigators later confirmed the company did not offer any such discount program. Jerry’s payment records showed that he purchased paint, adhesive, carpeting, and other renovation materials during the first week of June, immediately after Susan and Evan disappeared.
Neighbors later came forward with disturbing observations. On the night of May 29th into May 30th, they heard what sounded like gunshots. The next day, Jerry was seen burning something in his yard. The fires were unusually large, producing thick smoke and intense heat. One neighbor later said:
“I could feel the heat from my own property.”
Jerry kept the fires going for several days. No one could say exactly what was being burned, but the activity seemed suspicious. Around the same time, Jerry’s father was seen on the property. He would arrive in the morning, help with the fires, then leave.
Jerry later claimed:
“We were just getting rid of old flooring and construction debris.”
But the timing, beginning immediately after Susan and Evan vanished, deeply concerned investigators.
Another troubling detail was the disappearance of the family dogs, Sugar and Schne. They went missing shortly after the events of late May. Then on June 12th, both animals were found at a local shelter. Jerry had turned them in himself. While filling out the intake form, he made a disturbing mistake. He listed one of the dogs under the name “Susan.” Staff at the shelter found this unsettling.
Even more concerning, Jerry claimed the dogs were strays, despite records clearly showing they were family pets.
Investigators also discovered that Jerry had removed the home’s original security camera system shortly after the disappearances. Cameras that once lined the perimeter were taken down and replaced with a new setup. He explained:
“The system needed an upgrade.”
Even though the old system had reportedly still been functioning properly. Authorities noted that the original surveillance footage might have captured who visited the home during that critical time. But the original files and hardware had been completely erased. Nothing remained.
It was also confirmed that Jerry had been transporting construction waste and other unknown materials to Maxwell Air Force Base, where he worked as a civilian employee. He disposed of items in the base dumpsters without authorization.
When questioned, he said:
“It was just leftover material from remodeling.”
But no other personnel at the base could confirm that he had permission to do so. He carried out the dumping alone and without anyone else’s knowledge.
To investigators, Jerry’s actions looked like a calculated effort to clean everything up, to remove traces, eliminate anything suspicious, and destroy potential evidence. Every step he took appeared aimed at erasing something.
After the initial searches failed to produce direct evidence, the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office authorized a more advanced forensic investigation. In early July 2017, investigators conducted a detailed search of the property using luminol. Under luminol, they identified around 20 separate stains and smears of biological origin. The traces were found in three areas of the house: the kitchen, the bathroom, and the laundry room.
To the naked eye, everything looked spotless. It had all been thoroughly cleaned. But luminol reacts to even the smallest biological particles left behind after intense scrubbing. The size and pattern of the stains suggested that significant physical trauma may have occurred in those spaces.
All collected samples were sent for DNA analysis. A few weeks later, the results came back. The biological material matched Susan Lynn Osborne and her son Evan. This became the first scientific confirmation that a violent incident had occurred inside the home, one in which both Susan and Evan were harmed. These findings directly contradicted Jerry’s version of events that Susan and Evan had left the house unharmed.
At the same time, search teams brought in trained scent-tracking dogs to examine the property and surrounding area. The dogs responded strongly to a utility shed located at the far end of the backyard. Both dogs reacted the same way, showing heightened interest at the door and signaling their handlers with behavior consistent with detecting a target scent.
Despite this, a detailed inspection of the shed turned up nothing. It was dismantled, but no remains or physical evidence were found inside. Search efforts expanded. Police combed through the property along the Cusa River, visually inspecting the shoreline and surrounding woods. Drones were deployed along with search-and-rescue volunteers and dive teams.
Despite extensive effort, no physical remains of Susan or Evan were found. There was still no direct evidence of a crime, but the weight of circumstantial indicators kept building. What had started as a missing persons case was becoming a potential criminal investigation. All signs pointed back to one home, one person, and one night.
Jerry Osborne refused to provide any statements. He hired legal counsel and invoked his right not to testify, cutting off all communication with law enforcement. Over time, he ignored every attempt by investigators and Susan’s family to contact him, whether by phone, mail, or in person.
Meanwhile, the investigation continued, but without bodies, eyewitnesses, or concrete proof of what exactly happened, prosecutors were unable to move forward with charges. While police had gathered a significant amount of circumstantial material, it was not strong enough legally to confirm that Susan and Evan had become victims of a crime. That legal gray area allowed Jerry to remain free.
Thirty-seven days after Susan disappeared, Jerry filed for divorce. In the paperwork, he stated that the marriage had ended and that his wife had left the home. Because Susan could not be present or respond to the filing, the court granted the divorce quickly and without objection.
Soon after, Jerry began selling off belongings and eventually sold the house on Waterview Drive, despite it being at the center of an active investigation. The new owner had no connection to the case, and from that point forward, law enforcement would need a new warrant to search the property again.
Jerry moved to the nearby town of Prattville, about a 30-minute drive from Wumpka, and began a new relationship. According to what investigators and Susan’s family could learn, his new partner had no publicly known information about his past. Authorities and relatives feared she may have been unaware of the suspicions surrounding the disappearance of his previous family.
Jerry kept a low profile, avoided public attention, refused interviews, and made no statements to the press.
Each year on May 29th, the day Susan and Evan were last seen, a memorial vigil is held in Wumpka. Friends, neighbors, and family gather near the river, not far from the house where they lived in their final years. Candles are set afloat on the water, and short speeches are shared. These gatherings serve not only as remembrance, but also as a quiet form of pressure on local authorities, a way of reminding them that the case is still open and still demands closure.
Within the Wumpka community, there is little doubt that Susan and Evan did not leave voluntarily. Their disappearance is seen as a heartbreaking event that shook the entire area. While Jerry has not been charged, he is widely regarded as the only person who may hold the answers.
Years have passed since Susan and Evan went missing, and the case remains open. It has not been closed, but it has not progressed either. The absence of physical remains remains the biggest barrier to holding anyone accountable. Still, the family continues to fight. They believe that one day the truth will come to light. Someone will speak up, or new evidence will surface. And when that happens, their disappearance will no longer be a mystery, but a solved crime with a named perpetrator.
For now, though, the truth remains hidden, just like everything else that happened that night in May 2017 inside the house on Waterview Drive.
