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Husband pleads for help after wife of 52 years vanishes

It was 10 days ago -- Nov. 10 -- when Bill's world fell apart. He said he was outside, distracted with yard work when Carol, who has Alzheimer's, wandered away from home.

WEST POINT, Ga. -- Bill Evans knows exactly what he'd like to do.

Right now.

He knows exactly what he'd like to say to Carol, his wife of 52 years.

Right now.

“First thing I’d do is hug her and tell her I loved her," Bill Evans said. "And I wouldn't leave her in the house by herself anymore.

It was 10 days ago -- Nov. 10 -- when Bill's world fell apart. He said he was outside, distracted with yard work when Carol, who has Alzheimer's, wandered away from home.

“They searched and searched and searched and nothing," Bill Evans said. "Nothing has been found."

Over the weekend, the Troup County Sheriff's Office led one more search party, using horses and canines. They've also used helicopters and infrared sensors, drones and hundreds of volunteers.

On Sunday, the sheriff announced the difficult decision -- made with the family -- to stop the ground search.

Sgt. Stewart Smith said perhaps a Good Samaritan gave Mrs. Evans a ride.

“We’re really keeping that hope alive that maybe somebody doesn’t know, maybe they picked her up and took her somewhere," Smith said. “We’re just hoping somebody may have seen something, and they’ll give us a call.”

It more than 50 years ago when a mutual friend showed Carol's photo to Bill. It was in a yearbook. Bill has kept that yearbook all these years, showing it to 11Alive News on Monday, saying that the moment he saw Carol for the first time--when he saw her yearbook photo-- he resolved right then and there to meet her. He had just graduated from Georgia Tech. She had just graduated from the University of Georgia. In 2015, the couple celebrated their golden wedding anniversary, along with their two sons, two daughters-in-law and eight grandchildren.

Now, Bill's focus is on bringing Carol home. He's trying to stay strong.

"I get kind of emotional sometimes," he said. "I’m usually not that way, but this is kind of getting me down.”

No news -- he hopes -- is good news.

"That means there is some hope," Bill Evans said. "All we're trying to do is find her."

Troup County authorities say the case will continue to be maintained as an ongoing and open missing persons case, and investigators will continue to follow any and all leads that come in, and they are still encouraging anyone with possible leads to contact the Troup County Sheriff's Office at 706-883-1616 or Crime Stoppers at 706-812-1000.

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