The quiet roads around Bradford, Arkansas, turned into a scene of sorrow this week as friends and family continue to grieve the loss of 37‑year‑old Searcy mother Leigh Ann Moore, whose body was found Monday afternoon after her car was discovered submerged in Dee Par Tee Creek the day before.
On Sunday around 4:30 p.m., White County deputies responded to reports of a white Chevrolet Impala partially in the cold waters off Lake Road near Dee Par Tee Creek. First responders, including the White County Dive Team, confirmed the vehicle was unoccupied and initiated what quickly became a full‑scale missing person investigation.
Investigators soon identified the Impala’s owner as Moore and immediately began searching the surrounding woods and creek banks. Temperatures that evening hovered near freezing, with the air chilling to about 16 degrees — conditions that made the search extremely urgent and difficult.
Nearly 24 hours later, search teams found Moore’s body a few hundred yards from a nearby boat launch. Officials have not yet released the official cause of death, with results pending from the Arkansas State Crime Lab and the medical examiner’s office. Early statements from law enforcement indicate they do not suspect foul play, though the case remains open as authorities await autopsy findings.
Moore was more than a name on a missing person report — she was a beloved part of her community. Friends remember her as a warm, giving woman who built her life in Searcy after moving from Pocahontas. One close friend described her as a “beautiful human being,” recalling memories of laughter and resilience from their time working together at a local restaurant.
In the wake of her death, the community has rallied around her grieving family. A GoFundMe fundraiser was launched to help cover funeral expenses, with supporters sharing messages of love and remembrance for Moore and her child. Donations are being collected at a local café in Pocahontas that has opened its doors to contributions in her honor.
As friends, neighbors and strangers alike mourn, Moore’s story has struck a deep chord across White County and beyond. The search for answers continues, but in the meantime her memory lives on in the hearts of those who knew her best — a mother, a friend, a neighbor taken far too soon.
