Carolina Adkins, 26, Missing

On New Year's Eve, 26 year old Carolina Adkins left her house (approximately 1am New Years Day) and has not been seen since.  

In the news articles about the case, we have various quotes from her husband, but none of the articles are written with consistency; that is, letting us know if he is making open statements, or if he is answering questions directly.  

Please note that there is not enough information  to draw a conclusion.  

Carolina Adkins, 26, was last seen at the Mariner's Pointe Apartments where she lived with her husband and two small children. 

Here is what one article wrote:

"Her distraught husband, Joseph Shepherd, recounted one of their final interactions.

"She gave me a hug and a kiss and told me it was a new year," he said. "I said 'yeah baby, it's a new year.'"

We do not know if the subject was asked to recount their final interaction, as worded above.  

If not:  this becomes important. "Hug" and "kiss" would then appear to be an attempt to portray the relationship in a positive manner. 

If it is a response to a question, the above analysis does not apply.  

Next:  we note the word "told", rather than "said", which is authoritative and more indicative of a verbal argument than a loving statement.  Did they argue before she left?

"Baby" could be a term of endearment, used to impress the listener that this is a good relationship when it is actually an argument, or a troubled one.  The context is not clear.  If he was answering the direct question and quoting himself, it is appropriate.  

This is something interesting:  

"It's a new year" could be the same as a new beginning.  We often feel a need for a new beginning when we have problems and want to change things.  Was this a signal of trying to reconcile something between them?  Or, was it about the daily stresses of child raising and surviving, including the fact that they have a special needs child?

Shepherd said at around 1 a.m. New Year's Day, Adkins put on a beige hooded jacket.

"I said, 'Where are you going,'" he said. "She said, "I'm going to the living room and its been cold in there,"

"cold" is an interesting word.  It could be about the living room and it could refer to the relationship.  

In context, we do not know where they were.  Let's consider that they may have been in the bedroom.  She is leaving the bedroom to go into the living room at 1am? The quests that were in the home earlier have left and she is physically separating herself from her husband.  This should be explored.  

Shepherd said he went to sleep. The next morning, he woke up and his wife was gone. He said their front door was unlocked and her keys, purse and cell phone were still in the apartment.

"I woke up and saw my kids sitting next to me. I didn't see my wife," Shepherd cried.

This is oddly worded.  The body posture of the kids indicates an increase of tension.  "I didn't see my wife" is not to say that she left or she was gone. 

In this short, choppy article, we did not hear her name used.  "My wife", although incomplete, still takes ownership of her (possessive pronoun) and she still has the title, "wife."  Compare this with Chief McCollum's utter avoidance of the two elements.  

"I just find it hard to believe she strayed too far away without her car, her keys and her purse," said Myron McCarthur, Adkins older brother.  

This brother spoke on television and was articulate, honest and showed appropriate concern for his sister. 

Adkins mother, siblings, nieces and nephews recently filled her living room. At times they fought back tears as they shared sadness and anger over her disappearance.

They said she was known to be responsible, earning her the nickname "Mother Carol," and that she would never leave her husband and two children behind, especially since her 6-year-old daughter Autumn suffers from a serious heart condition.

Please note this paragraph about "Mother Carol" never leaving her children behind, with the statement about her leaving for a few days.  

“I’ve known her since I was in the seventh grade. She never does this and if she was to be gone for a day or two, she’ll have her phone with her.” her husband said.  

Another article said he stopped her from having another drink, which may explain the argumentative language of "told" rather than "said."

Next, her mother spoke:  

"We just want her home," said Myra Adkins. "She has a beautiful family. We want her home and I can't understand it," she said.

This may indicate that her mother does not know of something wrong in the marriage, or any problems with work, or other relationships. 

Here, another quote from the husband:  

"I just want my wife back," Shepherd said, "That is the missing piece to my puzzle. That is my heart. She is my baby and if anybody got her, just bring her back to me please."

It would be important to learn what he means by "puzzle" ; it may be a simple poetic look at life.

"That" is distance.  It is repeated.  There is distancing language, not towards her, but towards his puzzle and his heart.  This may indicate an argument before she left, and highlight the need for a "new" year.  

He allows for the possibility of kidnapping with "if" as it is helpful to learn the opinions of those closest to her.  Do they think she ran off?  Or, do they believe that she was kidnapped?

Sometimes a guilty person will try to convince his audience that she was kidnapped.  This is not the case here.  He only allows for it with "if"...He is not attempting to make it sound like a kidnapping.  

"I'm having nightmares about people taking my wife. I wake up and look at the sun and I see it's another day," Shepherd sobbed.

I like to hear concern for the missing person more than those left behind.  It is understandable that the family suffers, but it is expected that a husband who is no longer able to love, protect and help her, will express concern for her well being.  

Married for three years, Shepherd and Adkins have a love story that began in the seventh grade.

"I loved her since I was in middle school," he said. "She is beautiful, gorgeous, the most beautiful thing in the planet to me."

The past tense "loved" is appropriate since he is going back to middle school in his sentence.  This is not a red flag.  

From other articles : 

"We didn’t argue at all. Everything was bliss. It was very peaceful. And that’s why it’s so weird,"

We do not know if this was in an open statement, making it concerning, or if the journalist asked, "Were you arguing?" but I do not like the word "bliss" or "very peaceful."
No marriage is "bliss" because no life is bliss.  Not only do they have the struggles that all human relationships have, but they have a special needs child and a mother who is sick.  

Recall Scott Peterson's description of his marriage to Lacy:
"glorious."

"That's why it's so weird":  why would her happiness and bliss have something to do with a kidnapping?  Or is this in relation to her taking off on her own accord?  He made a plea for people to return her.  It is difficult to know if this was in response to a question, or just him speaking freely.  This is why journalist must have Statement Analysis training. 

“I’ve been sitting on the couch waiting and waiting, looking through the window, waiting for her to come home and she has not come back. I’m just really worried about her,” 

Here he gives his body posture, another signal of tension.  He does not say he has been out searching for her, but this may be due to the children's needs, where he has to watch them.  We do not know.

I like to see pro-active statements about organizing searches, posters, alerting others, etc.  It may be that these activities are covered by the family and not the husband.
I do like that he is really worried "about her" in this sentence.  When someone shows only concern for himself, and not for the victim, it is alarming.  

There is not enough here to draw a conclusion.  Readers know that I do not 'hedge' my bets in analysis.  
The husband has not cleared himself and it is important to ask him questions about his language.  
There is not enough here to make a conclusion.  The writing of the articles did not help the flow of information.  
Inconclusive.