Endangered Missing Teen – Help Bring 17-Year-Old Kelsey Sims Home
A morning that changed everything
Missing person in Mississippi. 17-year-old Kelsey Sims vanished on Halloween morning, October 31, 2025, in West Hattiesburg, Mississippi, leaving her mother, April Hawkins, trapped in every parent’s worst nightmare. Witnesses last saw Kelsey standing near Hegwood and Oak Grove Road around 9:30 a.m. April was already on her way to pick her up, but when she arrived, Kelsey was gone — no calls, no messages, no trace.
What was supposed to be an ordinary morning turned into a haunting silence that still echoes through her mother’s heart.
Kelsey Sims: The last known moments
Kelsey was last seen wearing gray sweatpants, a black top, and carrying a gray Adidas gym bag. Those details have become crucial to investigators and volunteers searching the area. Witnesses reported seeing her near a local intersection, but after that, her trail vanished completely.
The Lamar County Sheriff’s Department officially received the missing person report on November 1, 2025, launching a full-scale search operation. Deputies canvassed neighborhoods, spoke with residents, and checked nearby businesses for any possible surveillance footage. However, as of now, no confirmed leads have surfaced.
A mother’s heartbreak
For April Hawkins, time has stopped. She replays the same moments repeatedly — the call she made, the route she took, the second she realized her daughter was gone. “It doesn’t feel real,” she said through tears. “I just want my baby home.”
She continues to plead for the public’s help, spending every day calling leads, distributing flyers, and praying for a sign. April’s message is clear and desperate: “Someone knows something. Please, say something.”
The community steps in
As word of Kelsey’s disappearance spread, the community of West Hattiesburg came together in solidarity. Neighbors have joined search efforts, local churches have organized prayer vigils, and residents have shared her photo across social media using the tag #FindKelseySims.
Even strangers have expressed heartbreak, offering food and supplies to volunteers combing through wooded areas and backroads. Businesses in Lamar County have displayed missing person flyers in windows, hoping to catch the eye of someone who might have seen her.
Every small act of kindness keeps hope alive.
Why every share matters
When a teen goes missing, the first days are critical. Sharing accurate information can reach people far beyond local borders. Someone in another town — or even another state — might recognize Kelsey or remember something from that morning.
Authorities emphasize that Kelsey’s disappearance is considered endangered, given her young age and the suddenness of her vanishing. Police urge residents to stay alert and report any potential sightings immediately.
Each share, each post, and each conversation can make a difference. Silence helps no one — but awareness can save a life.
How to help bring Kelsey home
If you live near Hegwood Road or Oak Grove Road, please review your doorbell cameras, dashcams, or surveillance footage from October 31, between 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. A single clip could provide the break investigators need.
If you have any information about Kelsey’s whereabouts, please contact:
Lamar County Sheriff’s Department: (601) 794-1000
Emergency (if sighted): 911
Do not wait. Do not assume someone else has already called. Your information — no matter how small — could bring a daughter back to her mother.
A plea for compassion and action
Kelsey’s disappearance has left a deep scar on her community. The roads where she once walked are now marked by flyers, prayers, and candlelight. Hope is fragile, but it’s still alive.
April still believes her daughter will come home. “I know Kelsey is out there,” she says softly. “Please help me find her.”
You could be the reason April gets to hold her child again. Please share Kelsey’s story, keep her face in the public eye, and never stop looking.
