Army declares missing soldier Kelli Bordeaux dead

Fort Bragg officials said Wednesday they have declared missing soldier Kelli Bordeaux deceased so her military benefits can be transferred to her family.

The change in status does not presume she is dead, according to a statement from the post. It was made based on a recommendation from a board convened to review her duty status, which was listed as missing on May 16, 2012.

Post officials said Bordeaux’s husband and mother were notified of the change Monday.

Bordeaux, 23, was last seen leaving the Froggy Bottoms bar in Fayetteville on April 13, 2012. She was reported missing three days later when she didn’t report for work. She was assigned to the 601st Area Support Medical Company, 44th Medical Brigade, and served as a combat medic.

“Kelli’s entire family is in our thoughts and prayers, especially her mother, husband, sister and brother,” said Lt. Col. Heather A. Kness, commanding officer of the 261st Multifunctional Medical Battalion. “On behalf of the battalion, I would like to thank the countless members of the community and law enforcement who have searched endlessly for Kelli over the last year."

The family recently marked the one-year anniversary of Bordeaux’s disappearance with a renewed plea to the public for help.

"Somebody had to have seen something," her sister, Olivia Cox, said last month. "It's a year later, you're carrying the weight of that knowledge. It's got to be heavy – just come forward and, you know, tell police, and give us answers. We need to bring Kelli home."