Young Beaufort mother and son missing for two weeks. Family: ‘None of us are sleeping’
The family of a missing woman who was born and raised in Beaufort — missing for almost two weeks — wants the public’s prayers and more information from investigating authorities.
Sophia Van Dam, 20, and 2-year-old son Matteo have not been heard from in 12 days, since June 24 when they were seen by a family friend in Beaufort.
Mother and son were reportedly returning to Sumter, where they had recently moved with Van Dam’s boyfriend, Jonas Jerry Washington, Jr. of Burton.
Sophia grew up in Beaufort and graduated from Battery Creek High School. Her parents are Theresa and Henry (Jim), former Parris Island drill instructors who own Abba Construction.
“Any detail they may have — no matter how small it may be — they need to talk to Beaufort County or Sumter,” said Theresa Van Dam, Sophia’s mother,” told the Beaufort Gazette and Island Packet Thursday. “The most important thing is that they be found.”
Sumter police are leading the investigation with assistance from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
“We’re not being given a lot of information, for whatever reason, and that concerns me,” Theresa Van Dam says.
Tonyia McGirt, a spokesperson for Sumter police, said the case is continuing. “We are continuing to work it,” McGirt said Wednesday.
On June 28, four days after they were last seen in Beaufort, Sumter police went to 47 Wilson St. to check the welfare of Sophia and Matteo but couldn’t find them. At that time, Sophia and Mataou were entered into the National Crime Information Center as missing.
The last time Theresa Van Dam saw Sophia and Matteo was 1 a.m. Wednesday, June 21 in Beaufort. She seemed confused and Theresa wanted to take her to the hospital but her daughter was gone when she returned home on Thursday.
“Just continue to pray for this situation and our family to give us strength to guide these detectives in the right direction,” Theresa Van Dam said.
Desiree Pevey, Sophia’s sister, says calls to her cell phone have been going to voicemail since June 26.
“That’s highly unusual. This girl always had a cell phone,” Pevey said. “It was always on. It was always in her hand.”
Sophia is the youngest of 5 siblings. She graduated a year early from high school while she was pregnant with Matteo and went on to earn a welding certification, said her sister. At 16, she ran away from home but the door was always open for her to return, her sister said.
To Pevey, it doesn’t seem as if the disappearance of her sister and her son is getting as much attention as higher profile cases. She understands it’s an active investigation, she said, but it would be nice if authorities provided “a couple crumbs here and there.”
“My mom, she’s on a verge of a breakdown,” Pevey said. “None of us are sleeping at night.”
If you have information
Contact Lt. Angie Crumpton with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office at 843-255-3409 or the Sumter Police Department at 803-436-2700.
This story was originally published July 6, 2023 at 1:03 PM.
