Press Conference — Courthouse Steps Sunday Mid Morning
Cold air bit at exposed faces as people packed tight along the courthouse steps. A WLOS Asheville news van idled at the curb, satellite dish tilted toward the gray sky. WYFF out of Greenville had squeezed in beside it, logos bright against the frost. Camera lights blinked on. Microphones clustered on a portable stand like a bouquet of questions waiting to bloom.
Sheriff Burke Scott stepped to the podium, hat tucked under hisarm, jaw set. Beside him stood Special Agent Tessa Quinn with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Mayor Johnny Phillips, and a row of deputies in uniform.
Burke scanned the crowd—familiar faces from church pews, grocery aisles, ballfields. People who’d brought casseroles to the command post. People who stood in the cold because Sara Parker mattered.
He leaned in.
“Morning,” he said, voice steady. “I appreciate y’all coming out.”
He didn’t smile.
“For those who don’t know me, I’m Sheriff Burke Scott. I want to speak directly to Jackson County about Deputy Sara Parker.”
A hush settled.
“Deputy Parker has been missing since early Friday morning. She is one of our own—a deputy in this department and a friend to a whole lot of you standing here today. Our search is active and ongoing. That has not changed, and it will not change.”
He let that land, meeting the eyes he could reach.
“Yesterday morning, a local hunter found human remains on Miller’s Ridge. I know that news is already moving through town. I want you to hear the facts from me.”
A few people shifted closer. Phones lifted.
“A local man was hunting lawfully when he came across what appeared to be human bones in a remote area off the ridge. He did exactly what he should’ve done—he backed out, he called nine-one-one, and he waited for law enforcement.”
Burke drew a breath.
“Those remains were examined on scene by our Medical Examiner and processed by the State Bureau of Investigation. Based on what we know right now, I can tell you this:
“The remains located on Miller’s Ridge are not Deputy Sara Parker’s.”
A ripple moved through the crowd—relief breaking across some faces, fear tightening others.
“And I can also tell you this,” Burke said, voice lower now. “Someone wanted those remains found.”
That quiet line hit harder than the microphones.
“We are investigating those remains as part of a broader investigation that includes Deputy Parker’s disappearance. We are treating both with the seriousness they deserve.”
He leaned in closer, the way he sounded at the diner instead of a podium.
“Look, folks. I know this is serious. I know it’s scary. It’s not the kind of thing we’re used to seeing here. But I need you to hear me clearly—my deputies, our county partners, and our state partners are working around the clock. We are not letting up. We are going to stay on it until we find our deputy and bring her home.”
He turned slightly, gesturing beside him.
“Special Agent Tessa Quinn with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is here with us today. Many of you know she was just in Jackson County less than two weeks ago assisting us on another serious matter. She and her team are back, and we are grateful for that support.”
He stepped back half a pace. “Agent Quinn.”
Tessa moved to the microphones, posture straight, a slim folder in hand.
“Good morning,” she said. “I’m Special Agent Tessa Quinn with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
“Our role here is to support Jackson County in two active investigations: the disappearance of Deputy Sara Parker, and the recovery and identification of human remains located on Miller’s Ridge.”
Her gaze swept the crowd—calm, controlled, unflinching.
