Nashville grandmother missing for 5 years believed to be victim of foul play

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — A Nashville grandmother missing for five years is now believed to be the victim of foul play, Nashville cold case investigators announced Tuesday.

Wanda Faye Walker was last seen on October 4, 2016, leaving her home she lived in with her cousin on the 1400 block of 11th Ave. South. The 60-year-old had missed two days of work at Dollar Tree, which police say was unlike her. According to authorities, all of Walker's banking activity ended on October 3, the last day she was seen by her coworkers.

Walker maintained regular communication with her family that suddenly went silent. After three days of searching for her, Walker's family reported her missing.

Days later on October 13, 2016, Walker's car was found in an alley near the 1000 block of Wade Ave.

Police say the inside of the vehicle had Walker's blood "all over" it.

"It contained many of her personal belongings that she would have taken with her had she simply run away. The car also contained evidence of a struggle and it is believed that Wanda had a physical confrontation with someone that she knew," Metro Police shared. "This person then drove Wanda’s car to the location on Wade Avenue and left it in that area because of their familiarity with the location. Also located inside the car was a significant amount of privet, a flowering shrubbery type plant."

With questions surrounding the unexplained disappearance, the case went cold. Now five years later, there's a renewed push for answers.

Metro Cold Case Detective Matt Filter has been on the case since the start. He announced Tuesday that Walker is believed to be a victim of foul play.

“I believe Wanda Fay Walker was likely killed," Detective Filter said.

Despite his efforts, Filter hasn't been able to crack the case with the scarcity of information at hand. He reached out to the Federal Bureau of Investigation'sBehavioral Analysis Unit for help. They suggested that offering a reward could influence someone to come forward with information that could help find out what happened to Walker.

The FBI is offering a $10,000 reward, while Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.

Family members of Walker hope this will bring them one step closer to closure.

Quantesa Chambers says her grandmother was the rock of her family. She'll always remember her bright smile and laugh.

“We’ve gone five long years without knowing what happened to my grandmother," Chambers said. "It’s been a difficult journey, but God has got us to this point.”

“We’re definitely praying for closure," she added. "We’re definitely praying that we don’t go another year without knowing what happened to my Granny.”

Chambers says her family is depending on someone in the community to come forward with information, so they can begin the grieving and healing process.

“Having closure would give us a sense of peace and allow us to grieve and figure out what happened to my grandmother. It’s hard not knowing," she said.

Anyone with information on the Walker case is urged to speak up. Tips may be submitted anonymously online at tips.fbi.gov, or by phone to 1-800-CALL-FBI or to Nashville Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463. Those with information may also contact a local FBI office, the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.

Get reports like this and all the news of the day in Middle Tennessee delivered to your inbox each morning with the FOX 17 News Daily Newsletter.