THE MISSING FILES: Sister of missing Aaron Cody Fortner says he could have been harmed for 'being gay'
THE MISSING FILES is a weekly special feature that looks into cases of missing people across America that have shattered communities and families. It delves into the known facts and the latest updates on these mysterious disappearances.
JACKSON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA: Aaron Cody Fortner was last seen at his home on Fox Trace Road in Sylva, North Carolina, on February 21, 2022. Aaron reportedly also goes by the names Cody Black, Cody Smith, Cody Fortner and Aaron Winehouse. Few clues were left behind after Fortner, who is now 26, disappeared.
Over a year after Aaron's mysterious disappearance, MEAWW spoke to his sister, Kourtney Kay Biddix, about the details of the case. "Aaron is a funny, outgoing person, always telling jokes and making people laugh. He's gay and has also had some alcohol problems for a while," she said.
READ MORE
"Aaron was the first person to hold me when I was born, I was the first person he told he was gay. We are very close and always have been," Kourtney, 21, added. Kourtney recalled that when Aaron's calls were going to voice mail, they decided to go to the camper.
"He always had his phone on," Kourtney said. "The bolt lock on the mail door was locked but the side door near his bed was unlocked (he always locked it and blocked it). We searched the property for about 20 minutes until our sister found his hat down the driveway. I decided to call 911."
'Around here, being gay isn't okay'
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office scoured miles of terrain, and said on March 3, 2022, that their search for Aaron had ended. On being asked what she thinks may have happened, Kourtney said, "I'm not sure, he left everything but his phone and the stuffed dog he would take anytime he moved for a long period of time. My mom believes he is still up the mountain."
"A lot of people could have hurt him, though. Around here, being gay isn't okay. He also talked to a lot of married men who were gay. So there are a whole lot of people who might have wanted to harm my brother," she added.
'He said there were people and dogs coming to get him'
The night before he disappeared, Aaron's behavior was odd. "He behaved strangely that night. He called my grandparents and was telling them about his dad wanting him to leave and move the camper (this had already happened). He also claimed there were people and dogs coming to get him," said Kourtney.
Before he went missing, a trucker who worked with Kourtney's grandfather overheard Aaron talking. "The trucker was preparing to go home after he was done with his long haul when he heard Aaron say, "Dad please, I'm sorry." The trucker said he heard the voice talking and going up the mountain."
Kourtney said when Aaron first disappeared, the police cooperated. "But when I attempted to hold a search party to search the mountain, the Sheriff's department said that they were going to search for us and never did. We don't have lots of money for a reward or we would. I did raise money for a billboard to be put up this week," she said. "I want cops to search the mountain if they want to continue to work on this case. That needs to be finally searched."
'My heart aches every day'
"I look at our old videos and miss my brother so much. There is a childhood video of me and my brother in the yard and I'm pretending to shoot him (I was probably 4) and he would fall over and play dead. That's my favorite memory," Kourtney said.
"If I could send him a message, I would like to tell Aaron we just want you home, we love you and miss you so much. My heart aches every day not knowing what happened to you," she concluded.