On Thursday, July 27, local law enforcement and the FBI conducted a search on a Porterdale property in connection to the disappearance of Morgan Bauer, who went missing in 2016. 

The search, which officials said resulted in the retrievement of “items of evidentiary interest,” involves multiple agencies, including Porterdale Police Department, Newton County Sheriff’s Office, Peoria Police Department (Illinois), Atlanta Police Department, the GBI and the FBI. 

Two weeks prior to her disappearance, Bauer moved to the Atlanta area from Aberdeen, South Dakota. Since then, new details have emerged to cause a break in the seven-year old case.

Here is a timeline of events spanning the entire case:

FEB. 12, 2016

According to a June 9, 2016 article from Fox 5 Atlanta, Bauer flew to Atlanta from South Dakota on Feb. 12, 2016. 

In April 2016, two months prior to that article, Fox 5 cited Bauer’s mother, Sherri Keenan, who stated Bauer moved to the Atlanta area to live with someone she met off of Craigslist with an agreement to clean the house until she found a job. 

When that plan did not work out, Bauer began working as a dancer at Top of Gainesville club in Hall County. The Fox 5 article reports Bauer worked at the club for about a week until she vanished.

FEB. 25, 2016 

Police initially reported Bauer’s disappearance on Feb. 25, 2016, however, new evidence reported by 11Alive in February of this year revealed Bauer last posted to social media on Feb. 26, 2016.

Prior to this discovery, Bauer’s mother told 11Alive she was last seen on the 25th at the Citgo gas station on Hwy 278 in Covington. She was dropped off by several people after her shift at the Top of Gainesville.

FEB. 26, 2016

Bauer last posted on her Instagram account on Feb. 26, 2016 from Porterdale Yellow River Park, according to Fox 5. A man can be seen behind Bauer in the video, which has been widely shared on social media.

Bauer’s family shared to Fox 5 that it was “not in her character to not make contact with them or her friends.”

JULY 27, 2023

According to Fox 5, law enforcement searched a Porterdale property after obtaining new information. Officials said the owners of the property have been cooperative with the investigation.

The Covington News will continue reporting on the Morgan Bauer missing person’s case when more information becomes available.