JOSH CANTRELL - 16 yo - Douglas County GA

Josh Cantrell told his mother he was walking home from a cousin’s house
on Oct. 25 around 9:30 p.m. When he failed to come home, his mother,
Heather Cantrell, became worried and notified police he was missing.

Though Heather Cantrell said her 16-year-old son had run away in the past, the longest he has ever been missing was 24 hours.

Now,
more than a week later, Heather Cantrell and her father, Lt. Chris Hale
of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, said they just want Josh home
safe.

“I probably should have done a lot of things
differently,” Heather Cantrell said. “Hindsight is 20/20 I guess, but
now I just wish he would come home.”

Investigator Hunter
Ethredge of the Villa Rica Police Department has been on the case since
Heather Cantrell filed the missing person report a week ago.

“There’s
no evidence of foul play,” Ethredge said. “We are treating this
seriously and will not dismiss any evidence that could give us a lead.”


Josh Cantrell reportedly asked his mother if he could live with
distant cousins on his father’s side who live in Habersham County.
Heather Cantrell, however, said she told him no.

“He didn’t seem angry about it, so I didn’t think about it again until he went missing,” Heather Cantrell said.

Hale
explained that a number of Josh Cantrell’s behavioral problems started
three years ago when his father, who battled with addiction, was killed
in a slow-speed chase with a Gwinnett County police officer. Heather
Cantrell said she also used to have a drug problem but has maintained
her sobriety now for three years.

“I wasn’t always the
greatest parent, so my son doesn’t like the authority now that he
didn’t have in his life before,” Heather Cantrell said.

Heather Cantrell said she also has a 14-year-old daughter who is concerned for her brother’s safety.

“His sister is just turned over by this,” she said. “I just hope he’s not hurt.”

Hale said he is working with the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office to try to track down his grandson.

“During
the course of the investigation I have just tried to find out if he’s
safe and I feel like he is, but I’m scared to death for him,” Hale
said. “It’s not hard to separate my job from my personal life, he
obviously comes first and is always in my thoughts.”

If Josh
Cantrell is in fact living with family members in Habersham County, any
of the residents above the age of 18 could be charged with harboring a
juvenile runaway, according to Ethredge.

Emailing police to see if there is an update about josh cantrell, missing from douglas county, GA

Josh Cantrell has been found!
RE: Josh Cantrell update?‏

From:	Keith Shaddix (kshaddix@villarica.org)
Sent:	Thu 3/25/10 11:46 AM
To:	xxxxxx

Yes, Josh has been located. Thank you for your interest and if there is anything I can help with please call me.

My direct line is (678) 785-1105



Captain Shaddix