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Missing Bailey Blunt sent worrying call for help before she vanished a year ago as mom makes heartbreaking fresh plea
Local cops hit back at claims that the mysterious disappearance has been "swept under the carpet"
THE devastated mom of a missing girl has blasted cops for presuming her daughter is dead - despite her body never being found.
Bailey Blunt's eerie last message to her mother on Facebook at 4:30 am on September 22, 2023, was a final call for help and a clear sign the 28-year-old was in trouble.
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"He's drunk and waving his gun around," Blunt wrote about her on-off boyfriend Tyler Burrow in messages seen by The U.S. Sun.
She then disappeared, never to be seen again.
For years, her mom, Tiffany, has urged anyone with information to contact the family via their special Facebook page.
She is adamant Burrow, who has never been charged with anything connected to Bailey's situation, is behind her disappearance.
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However, she has expressed her anger to The U.S. Sun about the "disgraceful" lack of assistance from the Humboldt Sheriff's Department in the remote Willow Creek, Northern California area.
"He f**king killed her. I know it in my bones," she alleged of Burrow.
"She would never just go missing."
Tiffany said local cops took too long to start investigating, and because single mom Bailey was in the midst of a struggle with meth addiction, they soon decided she had been killed.
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INVESTIGATION QUESTIONS
Sheriff William Honsal spoke at length to The U.S. Sun about the investigation and stressed that everything is being done to find the 28-year-old single mother.
He categorically denies accusations that Detective Jennifer Taylor, who is leading the search for answers, isn't doing her job properly.
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"Jennifer is our senior investigator, and she's done an outstanding job," Sheriff Honsal said.
"The reality is, we weren't there when Bailey went missing, and the situation appears grave.
"She hasn’t used her money, and her cell phone is inactive. She’s missing, presumed deceased."
Bailey's family feels authorities "swept her disappearance under the rug" and decided she's "not worth bothering with" because of her drug problems.
But the sheriff countered those claims, insisting, "That's not true.
"We don't discriminate."
LETTER FURY
Tiffany was also furious after receiving a letter, seen by The U.S Sun, from detectives declaring the case closed.
Honsal, however, claims the family requested a document stating clarity about Bailey's whereabouts so her vehicle could be re-registered.
"I am not sure why they turned that around to make it sound like we were insensitive," he wrote to The U.S. Sun.
The Sheriff also claims Burrow has been interviewed twice, the second time attending with a lawyer and he refused to engage.
Bailey's mom suspects the 24-year-old may not have acted alone and is worried more than one person possibly killed her beloved daughter.
Bailey lived with Burrow in Fort Bragg, California, four hours away from her mom and sister Stephanie Baroni.
When Tiffany arrived at the remote mountain location in the week following her disappearance, she found her daughter's ID, bank card, clothes, and other possessions.
According to Tiffany, Bailey had complained about Burrow lying and allegedly beating her, saying "her nose was split and she had black eyes.”
SALVAGE MISSION
Tiffany said she tried to save Bailey last summer when she took all her belongings from the remote mountain location where she was living.
But within a matter of days, Bailey returned to Burrow - and just a few weeks later, she vanished without a trace.
As the family desperately searches for answers, Tiffany is feuding with Burrow's mother and blasted claims that the couple was "happy" and had gone to Mexico.
"That's utter nonsense," snapped sister Stephanie.
"They lived by the side of the mountain. You think she will get on a plane and go somewhere?"
"His mom is involved in everyone's business," Tiffany added.
The family says it took two days for Bailey to be reported missing, and by that time, Burrow's car had already been seen over six hours away in Oregon.
I made that body, and I want it back. It's mine. I will not stop.
Tiffany Madison, Bailey's mom
Burrow is certainly known by local law enforcement.
Months after Bailey’s disappearance, he was charged in a neighboring county with weapons and violence offenses from an unrelated incident.
He has a warrant out for his arrest on those charges and a driving offense in Humboldt County.
Tiffany says there has never been a full investigation into the hours leading up to Bailey's disappearance.
NOTHING FOR MILES
The Trinity River Canyon area where they fear Bailey was last seen is, according to Stephanie, "60 miles of absolutely nothing" and highly rural, making it worryingly easy for a body to be disposed of.
The family says no sniffer dogs have ever been unleashed in the area, and although they raised around $4,000 to help with the search, more is needed.
"It’s a very rural and remote area, with hundreds of miles of Forest Service roads," the sheriff said.
He maintains that his investigators are following up on every lead in the case.
"If Bailey wandered off or something happened to her out there, finding her would be extremely challenging," he said.
"There’s also a lot of wildlife, making it even harder. In such remote areas, cell phone service is spotty, and people living on large parcels of land might not hear anything suspicious."
Sheriff William Honsal speaks out
The sheriff told The U.S. Sun, "I understand why the family may be angry but this is not uncommon in missing persons cases, especially in rural areas like Northern California. When someone goes missing, we enter the case into our system and follow up. But often, we don't have much information because we're not there when they disappear.
"In this case, she was reported missing by friends and family after visiting her ex, Tyler Burrow, in a rural part of the county. We became involved when it became clear that she wasn’t surfacing, wasn’t contacting anyone, and her cell phone wasn’t working. Given the suspicious circumstances, our detectives, including our senior homicide investigator, have been working on this case for nearly a year.
"Detective Jennifer Taylor is our senior investigator, and she’s done an outstanding job. The reality is, we weren't there when she went missing, and the situation appears grave. She hasn’t used her money, and her cell phone is inactive. She’s missing, presumed deceased.
"We’re doing our best as homicide investigators to locate her. This involves following up on leads and conducting searches. We’ve done dozens of searches based on leads and sometimes rumors. But since there are no eyewitnesses, we have to rely on probable cause and evidence. We can’t act on reasonable suspicion alone. There are legal requirements we must follow.
"If we act too soon without solid evidence and fail to prove our case in court, a jury might find the suspect innocent due to lack of evidence. Once that happens, it’s over—double jeopardy would prevent us from retrying the suspect, even if they later admit guilt.
"Tyler Burrow is indeed a person of interest, as he was the last known person with her. The family is aware of this. However, I can’t disclose certain details about the evidence. We understand the family’s concerns, but we have our most senior investigator on this, and we’re tracking the case diligently.
"Tyler was arrested on unrelated charges in Trinity County and was interviewed. He has since absconded and is now believed to be in Oregon. We’re in contact with the current property owner of where he used to live, and we’re continuing our investigation.
"Detective Taylor is also in regular communication with the family, primarily with Bailey’s mother. We’re doing everything we can, but the family may not always agree with our pace. We’re pursuing every lead and urge anyone with information to come forward.
"It’s a very rural and remote area, with hundreds of miles of Forest Service roads. If Bailey wandered off or something happened to her out there, it would be extremely challenging to find her. There’s also a lot of wildlife, making it even harder. In such remote areas, cell phone service is spotty, and people living on large parcels of land might not hear anything suspicious.
"We've been to Oregon tracking down Burrow and possibly Bailey. We've worked with multiple agencies like Trinity County. We're trying to do everything possible to try and, and work this case and we're not giving up even though our caseload is immense here in the county.
"The investigator that's on this case is solid and emotionally invested as well. And it hurts that we don't have resolution on this and it hurts every time she talks to the family, that she can't give good news and she hears the pain and the anguish on the family's voice.
"Believe me, we want to bring justice for Bailey."
QUESTIONS REMAIN
Sheriff Honsal told The U.S. Sun that Burrow remains a person of interest but emphasized the difficulties of prosecuting an alleged perpetrator without concrete evidence tying him to the crime.
"Just because we have some reasonable suspicion based upon some circumstances, if we make an arrest and we try and prosecute, the district attorney needs evidence beyond a reasonable doubt to prove a case in court," he said.
The family is desperate for authorities to up their efforts.
At the same time, they are indebted to the tireless help of Candice Cooley, the mother of Dylan Rounds, whose tragic murder two years ago bears several striking similarities with Bailey's situation.
"She has been amazing," said Tiffany of Candice.
"I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have her guidance."
Tiffany claims the detective charged with taking on the case continues to "gaslight" the family, and they have clashed several times.
"Detective Taylor is emotionally invested," countered the Sheriff.
"It hurts every time she talks to the family and hears the anguish in their voices."
For now, Bailey's loved ones will keep on searching in hopes that a body is found and closure can begin.
Tiffany steadfastly believes that despite her daughter's drug issues, she was a loving, God-fearing person who regularly joined her mom for a morning coffee and discussed parts of the Bible.
"She struggled, but she always knew she was going to do better," Tiffany said, holding back the tears.
"I miss my coffee time with her. They think I am going away, but I made that body, and I want it back.
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"It's mine. I will not stop."
Anyone with any information is encouraged to contact the Humboldt Sherriff's Department at (707) 445-7251.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) at 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
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