Deputies scale back search for missing Keystone Heights woman

Investigators following up on leads in 25-year-old Jordan Cooper's disappearance

KEYSTONE HEIGHTS, Fla. – More than a week after a 25-year-old Clay County woman was last seen, investigators scaled back their search Monday as they continued to actively pursue leads, including some that came in over the weekend. 

The Clay County Sheriff's Office said Jordan Cooper, who has the mental capacity of a young teenager, disappeared Nov. 25 near her home in the Keystone Heights area.

Investigators told News4Jax on Monday that they're remaining optimistic, but they were more so last week when deputies on foot and on ATVs were going through miles of woods, looking for Cooper.

But Monday morning, investigators began focusing on following up on tips, which continue to come in.

"That was a constant, ongoing thing," Sheriff's Office Sgt. Keith Smith said. "But right now, what they’re doing is following up with those. Finishing up and making sure that any lead that came in, any tip, those are being followed up with like they need to be."

At the end of last week, authorities scoured the rough, wooded terrain of Little Rain Lake Park during the search. Deputies said many of the areas covered were in a 5-mile radius from Cooper's home. 

"With the lakes, the terrain that we had to deal with over the weekend, and over the last three or four days, I mean, it was a lengthy search," Smith said. "But it’s something worth doing."

A lot of the areas that were searched were very sandy underneath, making footing difficult. It also made it tough for investigators to get ATVs deep into the woods. Another problem authorities ran into was a lot of trees down in the areas they were trying to search.

As long as tips about Cooper keep coming in, investigators said they will continue to follow up on them until she is found.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Wes Smith at 904-213-6671, email him at bsmith@claysheriff.com or contact the Sheriff's Office directly at 904-264-6512.

An additional tip line has also been set up at 352-473-7211.