MISSING WITHOUT A TRACE: Columbia woman’s family asks for community’s help in finding loved one

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — More than two weeks ago, a Richland County woman went missing from her friends and family.

Thursday morning, they asked for the public’s help in finding her.

“The last time we saw her, she came over to the house to pick up a few things we were holding for her. She was in good spirits,” said Amanda Amaker, sister-in-law of Alisa Wood. “She was laughing and smiling, just like Alisa does no matter what’s going on.”

The last time 38-year-old  Alisa Wood was heard from was a few days later.

“I think it was May the 9th. She texted her son, which she does every morning,” said family friend Janice Luther.

Alisa was known to bike to her work at a car wash on Broad River Road. Her family says she would always stay in contact with them, especially her teenage sons. Alisa also has a medical condition that requires medication.

“Completely out of character. This isn’t her at all,” Amaker said. “If no one else heard from her, her kids did.

“She would call somebody in the family to come get her,” Luther added. “She would normally call me or her son to come get her if she needed to get somewhere. She didn’t do that this time either. It’s like she just vanished.”

Family says Alisa and her boyfriend were renovating a unit at Brook Pines Apartment Complex. They had recently moved to Broad River Road from Chapin.

“He told us the last time he saw her was the 9th as well. That’s the last time he’s seen or spoken to her,” Luther said. “Her cell phone we’ve been calling daily, several times a day. There’s no answer. It goes straight to voicemail.”

They say Alisa is a kind and loving person, but say that she is also naïve about people’s intentions. 

“She is way too trusting of people. She doesn’t think people are out to hurt anybody. She doesn’t think anybody will hurt her,” Amaker said. “She’s proven that more than once. I feel like if anything has happened to her, it’s because she put trust in the wrong person.”

The family plans to organize a search for Alisa using anyone who is willing to help, searching both land and water, looking for answers.

“We’re not going to stop until we find her,” Luther said. “Hopefully we find her safe.”

Amanda Amaker says that people interested in searching for Alisa Wood should contact her on her Facebook page or by her cell phone number which is listed there.