Cops: Kristi Leigh Cornwell Snatched While Exercising

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Police think the man depicted in this sketch could have had something to do with Kristi's disappearance.

Investigators say that on August 11, 2009, Kristi Leigh Cornwell was exercising on a rural road in Blairsville, Ga. when she was abducted.

Cops say she was talking on the phone to her boyfriend when she told him she was going to step off the road to avoid an oncoming car; that’s when her boyfriend told police there was a struggle, and the phone went dead. 

The community is pulling together, and there is a major effort underway to find Kristi. Police believe a stranger possibly abducted Kristi from her hometown and headed out of state.

She was walking down Jones Creek Road, a rural, two-lane stretch of asphalt at the time of her abduction. It's a walk cops say she does frequently, believing they have found the abduction site and retrieved some of her personal items.

There’s not a lot of traffic along Jones Creek, and no witnesses have come forward. Police say she was walking back to her parents' home when she was snatched.

Police did pull surveillance video from the area, but no clues have turned up, and they are locating and interviewing about 150 sex offenders in the area.

On Friday, August 14, investigators say more than 17 agencies have sent volunteers to, along with the community, cover as much ground as possible to help locate Kristi.

Investigator Mike Ayers says that, “Getting this to the public is going to be our best help, hoping someone will see it, and realize that they cannot waste time calling."

Former Probation Officer Trained To Fight Back

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The man involved in the Ranger, N.C. incident drove a Nissan Xterra, like this one.

Investigators say Kristi was a former probation officer who was working on a career change, attending college to become a lab technician.

Although, police believe she is in extreme danger, Kristi's family says she is trained to fight back in situations like this. 

Kristi had worked inside the local jail, has a criminal justice degree, and knows self-defense tactics.

At the time of her abduction, she was staying with her parents nearby, and had recently rented an apartment in town where she was attending classes.

Kristi's Case Linked To Ranger, N.C. Incident

Police now believe there may be a link between Kristi's case and another incident that occurred about 25 miles from where Kristi disappeared.

On Aug. 2, 2009, around 9 p.m., a silver SUV pulled up behind a woman in Ranger, N.C. and knocked her down. The driver got out and walked toward the woman, but fled when another car approached.

She got a good look at the man's profile as he drove away with his driver-side window down.

Similarities between this case and Kristi's, including the light-colored SUV and time of day, have lead police to think the two could be related.

Now, police have released a sketch of the man from the Ranger, N.C. incident and a picture of the late-model Nissan Xterra the woman described. She said the Xterra has tinted windows and a brush guard on the front.

The man is believed to be white, in his mid-20's with dark hair.

Police are turning to the public for help identifying this man. If you know anything that could help police, call our hotline at 1-800-CRIME-TV.