Allyson Watterson, 20, was reported missing on Dec. 22, roughly 30 hours after she was last seen hiking in a wooded area near North Plains with her boyfriend, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. Her family hadn’t heard from her since Dec. 20.

Watterson and her boyfriend, Benjamin Hunter Garland, became separated during their hike and he was able to find his way out of the area. He was arrested on Dec. 23 but for something unrelated to his girlfriend’s disappearance, officials said.

During a news conference on Monday, Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams told reporters that the search for the missing girl is expanding to Alabama and that her mother is no longer cooperating with their investigation.

“As of today, Taylor’s mother, Brianna Williams, remains uncooperative with this investigation. She has not spoken with us since Wednesday and she was the last person to see Taylor,” Sheriff Williams, who is not related to the family, said at the news conference. “She is a person of interest in this case and we still need her cooperation in our efforts.”

Williams said officers have been deployed to Demopolis, Ala., est of Montgomery.

The girl was reported missing from her Jacksonville home last Wednesday.

Although authorities firmly believes that the cadet doesn’t pose any threats to the public, they believe, however, that he may be a threat to himself.

“The academy will be operating normally with an increased force protection status, with more police presence at sporting events and across the academy,” authorities said in a statement

He was last seen on Friday around 5:30 p.m. and also discovered missing when he failed to show up for a military skills competition. And immediately, his teammates began looking for the cadet, who was a member of the class of 2021 according to the academy.

On Saturday, around 1 a.m., military police began another search for the cadet after an initial search to locate him proved to be unsuccessful.

Subsequently, various hospitals across the Keller Army Community and New York were contacted to make sure the missing cadet hadn’t received medical treatment, the academy said.

The shoreline was also searched by the Coast Guard and state police offered helicopter, K-9 and drone support for the search.

“I want to thank the local and state law enforcement agencies and emergency services for their tireless support,” Lt. Gen.Darryl A. Williams, the 60th Superintendent at the US Military Academy at West Point, said in a statement. “We will continue to search with all means possible, on and off West Point. Safely locating the Cadet remains our focus and number one priority.”

The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday on Facebook that Anthony Gumina, 44, was initially arrested on an outstanding no-bail warrant for domestic violence.

Detectives then simultaneously conducted a search warrant Friday in the Pleasant Valley area of El Dorado County, where they discovered what is believed to be the remains of 33-year-old Heather Gumina, his wife.

“Following the discovery, EDSO detectives arrested Anthony Gumina for homicide,” the sheriff’s office said.

Gumina – who was also known as Heather Waters – is a 33-year-old mother of three from the Pleasant Valley area, located about 50 miles east of Sacramento.

33-year-old Heather Waters was last seen on July 16 and had been recovering from a broken collarbone; Christina Coleman reports from Los Angeles.

She had not been seen since July 15, when she was released from the hospital after being treated for a broken collarbone. She spoke to her mother after spending the night at the hospital and complained she was released too soon.

Her mother, Joanna Russel, told FOX40 on Saturdaythat family members always feared this would have been the end result, and were heartbroken on Saturday.

“We’re super sad about what happened and I don’t know if we’re ever going to be OK,” Russel told FOX40. “I miss my daughter.”

Russel, who described her daughter as one of the “most giving, loyal people,” said the grim discovery weeks later was devastating.

“I’m going to grieve for a very long time,” she told FOX40. “It’s like the world’s worst nightmare.”

The sheriff’s office released a photo of Anthony Gumina under arrest, sitting down on what appeared to be a curb. Officials said in order to protect the integrity of their homicide investigation, not further information is being released at this time.

But while officials claim to have evidence linking Gumina to his wife’s death, a family member told FOX40 he believes the 44-year-old is innocent.

“I’m 100 percent positive that he didn’t do it,” Robert Shawaluk, a cousin of the Gumina, said Saturday. “He did nothing wrong. He loved her. He loved his wife. And for them to arrest him when he cooperated the whole time. He did nothing but cooperate with the cops.”