The family of a missing Domino‘s delivery driver is searching for answers after the woman was found dead in what the company describes as a “heinous act.”
Hilereca Dortch was last seen leaving the Domino’s Pizza in Canton, Mississippi, before she disappeared last Friday, the Clarion-Ledger reported. Her aunt said she was out on delivery, however, store owner and franchisee Molly Yildirim declined to offer specifics, citing the police investigation.
Hilereca Dortch, 31, was last seen leaving her job at a Domino’s Pizza in Canton, Mississippi, last Friday afternoon. (Photo: Hilereca Dortch / Facbook)
Dortch’s disappearance prompted a frantic four-day search. On Tuesday, Madison County deputies discovered her remains behind an abandoned house. The find came just days after authorities found the 31-year-old’s car parked behind another abandoned home, hidden behind some bushes.
Dortch’s body was found approximately 5 1/2 miles from where her car was located, police said. It was a local farmer who spotted the vehicle, a Chevy Malibu, noting there were a few personal belongings still inside.
“If he hadn’t been out there feeding his cows, we would have never known she was missing,” the victim’s aunt, Tammie Dortch, told the paper. “We would think ‘We’ll see her next week sometime. She’ll pop up eventually.'”
Tammie Dortch said it wasn’t uncommon for the family to go for periods of time without seeing Dortch, describing her niece as a “private” individual who kept to herself.
“She was so private to the point where we only knew one friend,” she added. “We don’t know any boyfriend, any other friends, where she hung out, where she kicked back at. We don’t know any clubs she went to, any concerts she went to, we don’t know anything.”
So far, it’s unclear if a suspect has been identified in the case. Dortch’s cause and manner of death also have yet to be released.
The senseless tragedy has left Dortch’s family and colleagues on edge. Domino’s corporate spokesman Dani Bulger addressed the incident in a statement.
“All of us at Domino’s are horrified by the senseless, tragic loss of Hilereca Dortch,” said Bulger. “Domino’s, the local franchise owner [and] local law enforcement are working together and will be offering a reward as authorities look for whomever was responsible for this heinous act.”
Tammie Dortch said she felt there was something odd about her niece’s disappearance. Now, she finds it difficult to sleep and said the family is considering buying a gun.
The grief is overwhelming.
“Nothing seems to be helping to ease the pain,” she said.
Preliminary autopsy results are expected by the end of the week.
