22-04-2025
Roane County woman still searching for missing sister after father's murder
KINGSTON, Tenn. (WATE) – A Roane County woman is still searching for answers five years after her sister was reported missing and nearly three years after their father was killed.
Jessica Groover, who goes by Brooke, was last seen in October of 2019. Weeks later Beverly Groover, Brooke's sister, reported her missing.
'We knew when she didn't show up for Thanksgiving or Christmas that she would never not come and see dad. Dad and her were very close. We were daddy's girls,' Beverly Groover said.
The two sisters were 5 years apart. Beverly Groover was the oldest.
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'We had the best childhood, riding our bikes, going to the lake with our mom, our dad traveled a lot, he was a truck driver, but we had great times,' Beverly Groover said.
Their father, Steve Groover, hired a private investigator in the beginning. He was determined to find his daughter, however, that search was cut short. Steve Groover and Cindy Scruggs were killed in 2022. Brooke Groover's ex-boyfriend Lonnie Wright was convicted in their deaths and is serving a 33-year sentence.
Chief Deputy Tim Phillips with the Roane County Sheriff's Office called Wright a person of interest in Brooke's missing person case.
'He's a person of interest, he's not the easiest person he's really familiar with the criminal justice system and he's hard to deal with,' Phillips said.
Now, years after her sister's disappearance and her father's death, Beverly Groover's goal remains the same: to find her younger sister.
'I don't know if it's harder to not know or to know that she's gone,' Beverly Groover said. 'I feel like she's gone and it's a matter of finding her.'
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The Roane County Sheriff's Office shares that same goal. Phillips told 6 News Brooke Groover's Missing Person File sits on the detective's desk as they continue to vet tips.
'It's personal. Somebody's loved one, like in this case, is a missing persons we want to know the details,' Phillips said. 'We want to know what happened.'
Beverly Groover said she believes someone out there knows something that could be the missing piece.
'I'm begging you, please, if you do know something please reach out,' Beverly said. 'My family needs closure. We really really would like to find her and know what happened.'
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Anyone who has any information that could help the Roane County Sheriff's Office in Brooke Groover's missing person case is asked to call 865-717-4700.
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