"We coming back, girl." That's the last thing their little sister remembers them saying.
On March 18, 1990, 15-year-old fraternal twins Dannette and Jeannette Millbrook left their home in Augusta, Georgia, to buy snacks at a nearby convenience store. They were never seen again.
Who They Were
Dannette and Jeannette were ninth-graders at Lucy Laney High School, two of nine children raised by their mother, Mary "Louise" Sturgis. Their younger sister, Shanta, has described them as good, quiet girls who didn't get into trouble and rarely went anywhere without the rest of the family. Jeannette was the gentler, quieter twin who loved animals; Dannette was louder and would stand up for her sister when needed.
The Last Day
That Sunday followed the family's usual routine: church, then lunch at home. Afterward, the twins mentioned needing bus fare for the week and set out to ask their godfather, who lived nearby, for help. He gave them $20. Earlier that day, the girls had told their mother a man in a white van seemed to be following them; when she checked outside, the van was gone, and she didn't think much of it at the time.
On their way home, the twins stopped at both their older sister's and a cousin's house, asking each to walk them the rest of the way — an unusual request, since they knew the neighborhood well and had walked it alone before. Both times, they were turned down. Around 4:30 p.m., a convenience store clerk who knew the family saw them buy chips, candy, and a drink. She didn't notice anything unusual about their behavior. She's the last confirmed person to see them.
A Delayed, Troubled Investigation
When the twins didn't come home that night, their mother called police, only to be told she'd have to wait 24 hours before filing a missing person report — a delay her family has said cost precious time. It took roughly a week before an investigator was formally assigned. That investigator spoke with classmates who repeated unverified rumors that one twin may have run away over a pregnancy, and eventually closed the case in 1991, largely based on a claim from the school principal that he'd seen the girls and they'd run from him. The original police file has since reportedly been lost.
The investigation reportedly never followed up on the white van, and never formally interviewed the twins' father, John Millbrook, who had a history of abusive behavior during his marriage to their mother and was, by the family's account, largely absent from the twins' daily lives. When they disappeared, he reportedly showed little concern, suggested they'd run off with a man, and later declined to provide a DNA sample — and reportedly discouraged another daughter from providing one, though she did so anyway.
The Case Reopens
After years of advocacy from the family, particularly Shanta, the case was formally reopened in 2013 under new department leadership. In 2017, a man named Joseph Patrick Washington was named a person of interest — he had lived and worked near John Millbrook and shared a history of drug involvement with him, and his known victims were young Black women and girls with short hair, matching the twins' general description. Washington was already serving a 17-year sentence for other crimes and died in 1999, before he could ever be questioned about the case.
Separately, a man named Ernest Vaughns, incarcerated on unrelated charges, told investigators he'd been at John Millbrook's apartment as a child alongside the twins and other men, and described witnessing an assault against one of the girls. Richmond County investigators later stated publicly that they found no connection between Vaughns's account and the Millbrook case.
A Documentary, and a Father's Death
In 2019, Oxygen aired a documentary, “The Disappearance of the Millbrook Twins,” examining the case in depth, including new questions about whether racial and socioeconomic bias affected how thoroughly police investigated it in 1990. The case has also been the subject of extensive podcast coverage, including Crime Junkie, The Fall Line, and Unresolved, which have helped keep public attention on the case for years.
John Millbrook died in 2021, having spent his final years in a care facility with dementia. In a visit before his death, Shanta has said he initially told her the twins were “dead and buried,” then changed his story and refused to discuss them further.
A New DNA Lead
In January 2026, Shanta was contacted by a private investigator regarding a Jane Doe found in Louisiana in 1993, whose description he believed matched Jeannette's. Shanta reached out to the Louisiana coroner's office, and forensic officials confirmed a DNA comparison was underway between that Jane Doe and DNA on file for the twins. As of the most recent reporting, results of that comparison haven't been publicly confirmed.
Separately, skeletal remains found in Aiken County, South Carolina, in 1993 were long thought by the family to possibly belong to one of the twins; a private forensic examination later ruled that connection out.
Where the Case Stands Now
A $50,000 reward remains available for information leading to the twins' whereabouts. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Richmond County Sheriff's Office at 706-821-1080.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have the Millbrook twins ever been found?
No. Neither Dannette nor Jeannette has ever been located, and the case remains officially open.
Is there a new lead in the case?
Yes. As of January 2026, investigators are comparing DNA from the twins' family to remains of a Jane Doe found in Louisiana in 1993.
Is their father still alive?
No. John Millbrook died in 2021.
Was anyone ever charged in their disappearance?
No. No one has ever been charged, though multiple persons of interest have been named over the years, including Joseph Patrick Washington, who died before he could be questioned.