‘Alexis Ware’ act seeks to improve the way police investigate missing people

WYFF News 4
Nate Stanley
January 27, 2025

The recently proposed “Alexis Ware Missing Persons Act” would let families of missing persons request help from SLED.

Bruce Wilson with Fighting Injustice Together, says when multiple local law enforcement agencies are working on a singular case, they can run into roadblocks. He says the Ware family experienced red tape hold-ups during the investigation into Alexis Ware’s missing person case.

Ware went missing in Anderson County nearly three years ago. She was last seen at the 7-Eleven on Highway 29 North on Jan. 30, 2022. Her case is still unsolved today.

“Her mother actually reached out to SLED to try to get them involved, along with other individuals, like the FBI and the attorney general’s office. None of that was successful. And one thing that SLED replied to Alexis’s mother is that ‘we have to be invited,” he said.

That’s the motivation behind a proposed bill brought before the Greenville County legislative delegation on Monday.

“What this bill will do will allow the family member to request, after a certain period of time, that [SLED] takes over a case. We believe that that would be helpful for the family and also for the state as a whole,” he said. “[The investigation] would be up under one house, and they could take it and handle it. Plus, the state, our major agency, [and] premier authority here would have the case. They would have the resources.”

The bill has yet to be sponsored by any lawmaker, meaning it can’t be attached to a subcommittee; the first steps to becoming a law. Wilson remains confident it will gain support from state leaders.

“This bill doesn’t mean that they automatically will [take over]; they can evaluate it to see if it meets certain criteria before they take it. But at least now with this bill, if it is passed, would give them the authority, the ability to take the case and at least look at it to see if it’s right,” he said.

Wilson was questioned by Rep. Karl Allen (D) Greenville, during Monday’s meeting, but no decision was made on the future of the legislation in Monday night’s meeting.

Photo credit: WYFF