Key facts
- Name: Catrina Renee Jackson (“Renee”)
- Born: February 11, 1973
- Age at disappearance: 13
- Last seen: May 30, 1986, ~6:30 a.m.
- Location: Leaving her sister’s residence, Sylvania / Hiltonia, Screven County, Georgia
- Height / build: 13-year-old girl; brown wavy hair, hazel eyes; moles across her back, pierced ears
- Status: Still missing — Georgia Bureau of Investigation / Statesboro PD; classified non-family abduction
- Investigating agency: Georgia Bureau of Investigation; Statesboro Police Department; Screven County Sheriff’s Office
The books on the ground
At about 6:30 on the morning of May 30, 1986, 13-year-old Catrina Renee Jackson walked out of her sister Shirley’s house in Hiltonia, near Sylvania, Georgia, heading to school. She was staying with her sister at the time.
She never arrived at school. Her school books were found on the ground along the way.
That is the whole of the physical evidence in the case: a 13-year-old girl’s books, left on the ground on a rural Georgia road, on a school morning. Everything after that is absence.
Renee — everyone called her Renee — was wearing a black “Daytona Beach” t-shirt, blue jeans, and blue sneakers, with a wristband that said “Renee.” She had brown wavy hair, hazel eyes, moles across her back, and pierced ears. She was reported missing on May 29, 1986, per the GBI’s records — the date discrepancy in the file reflecting the confusion of those first hours.
Her case is classified as a non-family abduction. She has been missing for 40 years.
Forty years of not knowing
Catrina’s mother, Sandra Isler, has spent four decades not knowing. In May 2026, on the 40th anniversary of Renee’s disappearance, WRDW spoke with the family for a piece titled around a local family still searching for answers after 40 years. Isler’s grief, four decades on, was undiminished — the particular grief of the families of the missing, for whom time does not heal because there is no wound to close, only a question that never gets answered.
In April 2026, the Statesboro Police Department shared an updated age-progression image of Renee — what the 13-year-old with the Daytona Beach t-shirt might look like at 53. The GBI’s missing-persons page for Catrina Renee Jackson remains active. Her case file sits with the GBI, Statesboro PD, and the Screven County Sheriff’s Office.
She would be 53 years old today.
Theories: what might have happened
Non-family abduction. This is the case’s official classification, and the physical evidence supports it: a 13-year-old walking to school at 6:30 a.m. on a rural road, her books found on the ground — dropped or left in a moment of force or fear. Children do not abandon their school books on the roadside voluntarily.
She ran away. There is no evidence for this: no history suggesting it, no contact in 40 years, and the books on the ground argue against a planned departure. The classification as a non-family abduction reflects investigators’ judgment.
Foul play by someone known to her. Possible in any child case, but no suspect has ever been publicly named, and the roadside evidence points to an encounter during the walk itself.
Have information?
Contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Tip Line at 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), the GBI Statesboro office at (912) 871-1121, or the Screven County Sheriff’s Office at (912) 564-2292. In an emergency, dial 911.
Timeline
- February 11, 1973 — Catrina Renee Jackson is born.
- May 1986 — Renee is staying with her sister Shirley in Hiltonia, near Sylvania, GA.
- May 30, 1986, ~6:30 a.m. — Renee leaves for school on foot. Her school books are later found on the ground along her route. She never arrives.
- 1986 — Reported missing (GBI records date: May 29, 1986). Case classified as non-family abduction.
- 1986–2025 — Investigation continues across GBI, Statesboro PD, and Screven County Sheriff; age-progression images updated periodically.
- April 2026 — Statesboro PD shares an updated age-progression image of Renee at 53.
- May 2026 — 40th anniversary; WRDW interviews mother Sandra Isler: a family still searching.
- Today — Still missing.
FAQ
Is Catrina Renee Jackson still missing?
Yes. As of October 2026, Renee Jackson has been missing for 40 years. Her case is active with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Was Catrina Jackson ever found?
No. Neither Renee nor her remains have ever been found. The only physical evidence ever recovered was her school books, found on the ground along her walking route.
How old would Catrina Jackson be today?
Renee was born February 11, 1973. She turned 53 in February 2026.
What was Catrina Jackson wearing?
A black “Daytona Beach” t-shirt, blue jeans, blue sneakers, and a wristband reading “Renee.”
What does “non-family abduction” mean?
It is the classification investigators gave Renee’s case, meaning they believe she was taken by someone outside her family — based on the circumstances of her disappearance during a routine school walk.
How can I help?
Share this case file. If you have any information, contact the GBI Tip Line at 1-800-597-TIPS (8477).
Sources
- Official / law enforcement: Georgia Bureau of Investigation, missing-persons page for Catrina Renee Jackson (gbi.georgia.gov); GBI Tip Line 1-800-597-TIPS; Statesboro Police Department age-progression release (April 14, 2026, via gray-wtoc-prod.gtv-cdn.com); Screven County Sheriff’s Office (912-564-2292).
- News: WRDW (Augusta), 40th-anniversary coverage: “local family searches for answers” (May 2026).
- Reference: The Charley Project, “Catrina Renee Jackson”; NamUs.
Found an error? Tell us via the About page and we will fix it promptly and note the change here. Last verified October 2026.