Family fears the worst for missing 15-year-old girl

By Mark Becker and Trish Williford

ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. —Erica Parsons was 13 years old the last time anyone saw her two years ago.

On Tuesday night, Eyewitness News spoke with the family of Erica Parsons for the first time since she was reported missing.

Family members that Eyewitness News spoke with on Tuesday night said they would have reported Erica Parson's disappearance to police, in an instant, if they knew.

They said that they were convinced by her adoptive parents that she was away with her birth family.

On Tuesday night, family members fear the worse for the adorable girl.

They told Channel 9 that they believe 15-year-old Erica Parsons will never be found alive. For the past 20 months, they never knew she was actually missing from her house.

They said when they asked her adoptive parents where Erica was they were told she left her Salisbury home to go live in Asheville with her biological grandmother.

Eyewitness News searched for relatives of Erica in Asheville and could not find any.

Police in Asheville told reporters they did not know about the case until Tuesday.

The last time anyone saw Erica alive was November 2011, but it was not until June 30, when her stepbrother James Parsons reported her missing.

Family members said James moved out of his home with his parents and then told police everything he knew about Erica's disappearance.

"Let's just say we could not find her right now if we had to," said attorney Carlyle Sherrill.

Erica's adoptive parents did not want to talk with Eyewitness News, but we did speak with their lawyer on Tuesday.

They said Erica simply left home and told her parents that she would not be coming back.

"It's a situation where they looked at it as a rebellious teen who didn't want to come home," said Sherrill.

Eyewitness News asked family members to say more about Erica, they said she was incredibly sweet and very tiny. They also said she was quiet and lived in fear.