Murfreesboro police are searching for a 45-year-old woman with several medical conditions who was last reported at her Mapleside Lane home on August 20 and hasn't been seen since. Carmen Manning left in a gray 2025 Toyota Camry bearing Tennessee plate 374BMXT, and investigators say they need the public's help tracking her down.
According to WSMV, the Murfreesboro Police Department has identified Manning as missing and entered her into the National Crime Information Center. She is described as 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighing 165 pounds. Anyone with information has been asked to contact Detective Smith at 629-201-5568.
A Legal Clock Is Already Ticking
Tennessee law adds urgency to cases like this one. Under Tennessee Code § 38-6-121, local departments that receive a report of a missing adult with a documented medical or physical condition must launch an immediate investigation, notify the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation within four hours, and enter that person into the NCIC database within the same window, according to Justia Law. The statute reflects a broader statewide push to standardize rapid police response whenever a disoriented or medically vulnerable resident disappears.
That framework traces back to 2021, when Tennessee overhauled its missing adult alert system under Public Chapter 55, renaming the old Care Alert program to Silver Alert and expanding eligibility beyond seniors to include any adult 18 or older with a documented physical, intellectual, or medical impairment, per the UT County Technical Assistance Service. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation reported in February that its Silver Alert Program, run alongside partners like Alzheimer's Tennessee, Inc., has helped locate and safely recover more than 500 missing individuals since it launched.
License Plate Readers Could Be Key
Because Manning left home behind the wheel of a car, the technology Murfreesboro police already have in place could prove decisive. The department's Real Time Crime Center operates more than 100 fixed and mobile Automated License Plate Readers across the city, which scan vehicle tags in real time and automatically flag officers if a missing person's plate turns up, according to Main Street Media of Tennessee. Those plate reads are cross-referenced against national and local missing person databases, giving investigators a potential edge if Manning's Camry passes any of the city's cameras.
It remains unresolved whether the TBI has formally issued a statewide Silver Alert for Manning, whether any of those plate readers have logged a hit on her vehicle, or what specific medical conditions elevate her risk while she remains missing. None of those details have been made public as of the latest reporting.
How Other Middle Tennessee Cases Have Ended
Manning's disappearance echoes a pattern seen elsewhere in Middle Tennessee this month. Neighboring Wilson County resolved a Silver Alert for a missing 70-year-old woman after multi-agency search efforts located her safe within days. A 73-year-old Germantown woman with a medical condition who vanished while driving was also found safe in Memphis shortly after a statewide alert went out, illustrating how quickly disoriented missing motorists can cross municipal lines.
Murfreesboro has its own history of resolving these cases through public tips. In November 2024, the department's search for a missing 21-year-old local resident ended safely after community tips and police search operations paid off. On a national scale, the challenge investigators face is significant: federal data from NamUs shows that between 2021 and 2025, an average of 532,727 missing person records were entered annually into federal law enforcement databases, and as of this month, federal authorities are actively tracking more than 26,600 open missing persons cases across the country.
For now, Murfreesboro police are relying on the public to help close the gap. Anyone who has seen Carmen Manning or her gray Toyota Camry, or who has information about her whereabouts, is urged to contact Detective Smith at the number listed above.
