Alexis Ware's family to unveil new bill targeting cold cases

SPARTANBURG, SC (WSPA) – Two years after her disappearance in Anderson County, Alexis Ware has still not been found and her family believes Anderson County no longer has the resources to continue the investigation on his disappearance.

“No disrespect to Anderson County, but the family feels they missed the ball on this matter,” said Bruce Wilson, an advocate for the family. “They really don’t have the resources.”

Wilson added that the family believes there was a criminal element to his disappearance, although he said the sheriff's office is still treating Ware as just a missing person.

Wilson said the family asked the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to step in and take over the case as a criminal investigation. However, in a document provided to 7NEWS by Wilson, SLED denied the family's request.

“SLED investigates cases of criminal misconduct only after receiving a request from an attorney, the Attorney General's Office, or the appropriate law enforcement agency. Therefore, SLED will not conduct a criminal investigation into this matter.

“We know that [Anderson County Sheriff’s Office] I don’t have the manpower,” Wilson said. “They currently have an investigator looking into this. It's been two years.

So the Ware family and Wilson worked together to draft a new bill proposal aimed at changing the way things are currently done when it comes to unsolved missing persons cases.

“It’s not just about this family, but also other families of missing people in South Carolina,” Wilson said.

The bill titled “Alexis Ware Act to Improve Missing Persons Investigations” would allow SLED to resume an investigation into a missing persons case after 12 months of no reasonable progress in the case if the immediate family of the missing person requests it.

Wilson said he took the matter to several local sheriffs and received a positive response. He added that he also ran it through several high-ranking SLED members so as not to “catch them off guard.” He said he has also contacted State Sen. Karl Allen, who he hopes will introduce the bill to the rest of the state's lawmakers.

“I have always said what is closure without justice? Wilson said. “I think this bill will do justice.”