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Dateline continues its story on Jennifer Hollowell Watkins, a mother from North Carolina who disappeared in June 2025 and has not been found. The woman, who was 45 when she vanished from the Washington area in Beaufort County, left behind three sons and a lot of questions.
Jennifer was last seen in the Washington area after a series of events that started with a domestic violence incident involving Samuel Foster, the father of her youngest son. Jennifer called her former stepmother, Janet Windley, for help on June 24, and Foster was arrested.
A restraining order was already in effect against Foster. Two days later, Jennifer appeared on surveillance footage at a Speedway on U.S. Highway 264 West. As explained in Dateline, she was later believed to have been near Ponderosa Road off VOA Road, where she was separated from the vehicle in which Sarah Waller had been sleeping.
Her phone was turned off, and after that, there was no contact from Jennifer. No one could find out where she went or whether she was with someone who could be responsible for her disappearance.
An extensive search was carried out, but Jennifer was nowhere to be found. Now, Dateline sheds light on the case once again, reminding people of how a woman vanished and that her case is still unsolved.
Complete details below.
Dateline examines the events before Jennifer disappeared
Jennifer's disappearance came shortly after a troubling encounter involving Samuel Foster. On the night of June 24, Foster went to the home where Jennifer was staying with a roommate, prompting her to contact Janet Windley for help.
Windley called the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office, and deputies arrived at the residence and arrested Foster. Afterward, Jennifer left with Sarah Waller, described as Foster's cousin, with the two reportedly planning to go toward the beach to look for work and get a change of surroundings.
While she was away, Windley looked after Jennifer’s youngest son. Jennifer was supposed to call when she returned. That call never happened.
The last confirmed image of Jennifer came from a Speedway surveillance camera at about 10 p.m. on June 26. She was wearing a long gray dress, brown open-toed footwear, and appeared to have a white wallet with her.
Some earlier descriptions mentioned different clothing and a possible bag or backpack, but the Speedway footage provides the clearest final image. Her phone's last known location was also in the VOA Road area that day.
Dateline traces Jennifer's final known movements
As explained in Dateline, the investigation into Jennifer's disappearance continued, and the focus shifted to the place where she was last seen, Ponderosa Road. On June 27, Sarah Waller was sleeping inside her car when Bobby Nixon approached her.
Later, Waller told the investigators that she realized Jennifer was gone. The passenger door was open, and she didn't know where Jennifer had gone. Nixon then told investigators that he hadn't seen Jennifer since June 24.
This left investigators with a notable gap between Jennifer's confirmed surveillance appearance on June 26 and her disappearance from the vehicle area. On June 29, Janet Windley reported Jennifer missing after she neither returned nor called.
The sheriff’s office put out a BOLO and began working to track down her phone and piece together her movements. Investigators interviewed Waller, Nixon, Foster, and other associates.
Authorities worked to find out what happened after Jennifer’s last known sightings, following Crime Stoppers tips and serving search warrants at several locations.
Dateline highlights the search for answers in Jennifer Hollowell's case
Dateline explains that all possible resources were used in finding Jennifer Hollowell. Beaufort County Emergency Management, North Carolina Search and Rescue, drones, cadaver dogs, NCSBI personnel, and the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections were all involved in finding answers.
Jennifer's sister, Amber, has also spoken about this case and said that she wants answers, especially for Jennifer's sons. They have so many questions about their mother's disappearance and deserve to know what happened to her.
Amber said (via NBC News):
"I want to be able to give them answers. I want to be able to give justice to my sister. I don’t want them to question where their mother is."
Jennifer's case was also given to missing persons organizations and databases: NamUs, NC ISAACS, The AWARE Foundation, and The Lost Sheep Initiative. Not only that, but even The Find Me Project has separately worked with Jennifer's family.
The investigation has also changed the way authorities describe the case publicly. Earlier, it was said that there was no evidence hinting at a suspect or any foul play. But later updates said foul play had not been ruled out and referred to several persons of interest.
So, the Jennifer Hollowell case remains unsolved, and her family is actively looking for answers.
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