Tennessee Missing Persons Case 2006

The Disappearance of Kristina Branum and Christopher Mittendorf

Missing Person Timeline

Background Information

• Kristina Branum: 17-year-old high school student.
• Christopher Mittendorf: 21 years old, Kristina’s boyfriend.
• The couple lived together in an apartment in Savannah, Tennessee, with Christopher’s mother, Cheryl Flatt.

Timeline of Events July 27, 2006 (Thursday)

• Morning/Afternoon: Kristina and Christopher go shopping.
• Later that day, they returned home to their apartment in Savannah.
• Items from the shopping trip were found laid out on the bed, indicating they made it home.
• Kristina called her father to tell him they were home and would visit him soon.
• Evening: Kristina and Christopher vanish without a trace.

July 28-31, 2006

• Family and friends begin to grow concerned.
• The couple is officially reported missing.
• Christopher’s mother, Cheryl Flatt, finds a lockbox in her home belonging to known criminal George “Eddie” Baugus, suggesting possible drug involvement.
• At the request of 24th Judicial District Attorney General Robert G. Radford, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation special agents began working alongside the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the disappearance of Kristina Branum and Christopher Mittendorf.

August 1, 2006 (Tuesday)

• Local authorities in Lawrence County joined the search for Kristina Branum and Christopher Mittendorf after their vehicle was discovered abandoned near a church about 50-60 miles away from Savannah.
• The couple’s green 1994 Geo Prizm, bearing Hardin County plates, was found off Granddaddy Road near O.K. Baptist Church, approximately 40 to 50 miles from their home in Savannah.
• The car is unlocked.
• Inside the unlocked vehicle, deputies discovered a cell phone. Upon calling a number from the device, they reached Kristina Branum’s grandfather, confirming a connection to the missing teens.
• A witness reports seeing the couple exit the Geo Prizm and get into a white vehicle before driving off.
• The Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department initiated an investigation and then turned the case over to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).
• Authorities noted that the couple had been missing since Thursday, July 27, and indicated that their disappearance may be related to a separate crime that had recently occurred in Hardin County. Investigators have not publicly disclosed what that crime was, but confirmed they were exploring a possible connection.

August 2006 – 2007

• Rumors circulate that the couple may have been involved in drug activity and angered the wrong people.

Multiple unconfirmed sightings of the couple are reported in:

• Tennessee
• Virginia
• Oklahoma

Law enforcement follows leads, but no credible evidence of their whereabouts is found. Persons of Interest: George “Eddie” Baugus:

• George Edward Baugus: A local man with a criminal background, including drugs and theft.
• Allegedly had property stolen by Kristina and Christopher.
• May have believed the couple took his lockbox.

March 21, 2010 (Sunday): Baugus is shot and killed by his wife during a domestic incident. Baugus and his wife, Shannon, had a long history of domestic violence that ended when she shot him during an argument on Sunday, March 21, 2010. Source

• 12:30 PM: After shooting him, Shannon Baugus called 911 and reported the incident. Source
• Baugus had been shot at least four times, three times in the face and once in the chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
• Shannon Baugus was taken to the hospital, where she was treated for a concussion, bruises, and bleeding from one ear.

July 27, 2010

• Shannon Baugus was charged and indicted on first-degree murder charges four months after authorities say she shot her husband multiple times in their Olive Hill home.
• Shannon Baugus, 39, was arraigned and released on $10,000 bond.

Police Statement:

• In her police statement, Shannon described Eddie as “just an angry, self-centered person.” 
• She said he used to sit at home and watch TV while she worked as a nurse and paid all the household bills for the last three years.
• Shannon stated that she had lost her job in August of that year and had yet to receive her unemployment benefits, while he was out enjoying himself. Moreover, she claimed that Eddie did whatever he wanted and would beat her up whenever things did not go his way.

 Current Status 2011

• No arrests have been made.
• Both Kristina Branum and Christopher Mittendorf remain missing.
• The case is being investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and Hardin County Sheriff’s Office.

 Contact Info: If you have any information:

• TBI Tip Line: 1-800-TBI-FIND
• TBI Website: https://www.tn.gov/tbi

2013 – 2014

• New information led investigators to discover additional witnesses and evidence, which helped identify the individual believed responsible for the disappearance of Branum and Mittendorf. Through renewed investigative efforts, authorities determined the individual was deceased.
• TBI’s investigation continued through 2014, ultimately establishing that the person responsible for Branum and Mittendorf’s disappearance was also responsible for the disposal of their remains.

September 2014

• As part of the investigation, authorities shared the findings with the families of Kristina Branum and Christopher Mittendorf to provide them with some closure.

June 3, 2025

• TBI released a statement: In 2013, new information led to the discovery of additional witnesses and evidence, which prompted investigators to identify the individual believed responsible for the disappearance of Branum and Mittendorf. Through renewed investigative efforts, authorities determined the individual was deceased. TBI’s investigation continued through 2014, ultimately establishing that the person responsible for Branum and Mittendorf’s disappearance was also responsible for the disposal of their remains. As a result of TBI’s investigative findings, investigators are no longer searching for the subject responsible for Branum and Mittendorf’s disappearance.
• In September 2014, as part of the investigation, authorities shared the findings with the families of Kristina Branum and Christopher Mittendorf to provide them with some closure. At the request of former 24th Judicial District Attorney General Matt Stowe, the families were also advised of the TBI’s closure of the criminal investigation into their tragic deaths based on facts and evidence uncovered during the investigation. Source

George Edward Baugus

George Edward Baugus

Person of Interest: George Edward Baugus

George Edward “Eddie” Baugus – Background Summary

• Full Name: George Edward Baugus
• Nickname: “Bad Egg”
• Date of Birth: January 18, 1963
• Place of Birth: Cook County, Illinois
• Parents: Carol Baugus and George Murray
• Raised by: Grandparents, Elva and Evelyn Copeland Baugus, in rural Hardin County, Tennessee
• Adoption: His grandparents later adopted him

Early Life & Reputation Eddie Baugus had a troubled upbringing. Though raised in a quiet, rural area, he quickly developed a reputation for volatility. Locals gave him the nickname “Bad Egg” due to his frequent outbursts of temper, alleged involvement in violent incidents, and rumored criminal associations. His early life was marked by instability, which later fed into a criminal lifestyle that would eventually make him a person of interest in the 2006 disappearance of Kristina Branum and Christopher Mittendorf. 2006: Possible Connection to Disappearance of Kristina Branum & Christopher Mittendorf George “Eddie” Baugus, nicknamed “Bad Egg,” was a known figure in Hardin County’s criminal underworld, with a long history of violence, drug activity, and theft. According to Kristina and Christopher’s families, a lockbox belonging to Baugus was found inside the apartment the couple shared, raising suspicions that they may have stolen from him before disappearing. Multiple rumors circulated that the couple had angered someone dangerous; Baugus was a central name in those discussions. Though never officially named a suspect, Baugus’s violent reputation and proximity to the case made him a person of interest. Death of George Edward “Eddie” Baugus & Trial of Shannon Baugus (2010-2011)  March 21, 2010 – Domestic Dispute Turns Deadly On the evening of March 21, 2010, a violent domestic altercation erupted at the home of George “Eddie” Baugus and his wife, Shannon Baugus, in rural Hardin County, Tennessee. Present in the home were Shannon’s teenage daughter, Eddie’s 18-year-old son, and other individuals. The argument allegedly began over a television remote and escalated when Shannon refused to support Eddie’s side. According to Shannon and multiple witnesses, Eddie summoned Shannon into a separate room. Witnesses reported hearing shouting, followed by the sounds of a struggle and what they believed were blows being delivered to Shannon. Shannon later stated that Eddie had attacked her with his riding crop, a pattern of abuse he had allegedly carried out over the years. This time, she said, she reached a breaking point. Shannon claimed that, in fear for her life, she retrieved a .357 Magnum from beside the bed and fired six shots, fatally striking Eddie at least four times, three in the face and one in the chest, according to the autopsy. She then called 911 and calmly requested police and medical help.  Medical and Forensic Evidence Shannon Baugus was treated at Hardin Medical Center for a mild concussion, bruising, and bleeding from one ear, injuries consistent with her account of physical assault. Investigators reviewed Eddie’s extensive history of domestic violence, as well as prior charges related to drug offenses and theft. Early reports pointed toward a self-defense claim, and many details at the scene appeared to support her version of events. Legal Proceedings & Trial October 21, 2008

• In her police statement of October 21, 2008, Shannon described Eddie as “just an angry self-centered person.” 
• She said he used to sit at home and watch TV while she worked as a nurse and paid all the household bills for the last three years.
• Shannon stated that she had lost her job in August of that year and had yet to receive her unemployment benefits, while he was out enjoying himself. Moreover, she claimed that Eddie did whatever he wanted and would beat her up whenever things did not go his way.

2011

• March 27, 2011: Shannon Baugus was charged with first-degree murder.
• February 1, 2011: Shannon Baugus was acquitted by a jury
• March 30, 2011: Shannon Baugus and her attorney, Curt Hopper, were interviewed by Dr. Phil.

 Current Status

• No arrests have been made.
• Both Kristina Branum and Christopher Mittendorf remain missing.
• The case is being investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office.

 Contact Info: If you have any information:

• TBI Tip Line: 1-800-TBI-FIND
• TBI Website: https://www.tn.gov/tbi

The jury ultimately acquitted Shannon, finding the self-defense claim plausible in light of past abuse, corroborating injuries, and Eddie’s documented violent behavior. While Shannon Baugus maintained that she had loved her husband and endured years of abuse in silence, not all family members were sympathetic. Eddie’s cousin, Debi Dabbs, claimed the violence was mutual and alleged Shannon had “been threatening to kill him for years.” Dabbs criticized the number of shots fired, stating, “I can see shooting once or maybe twice. But that many shots, it doesn’t fit.”