By Chuck Hustmyre

(Continued)

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Since 2002, Beth — a graduate of the University of Mobile — has taught elementary school and kindergarten in the Baldwin County school system.

In February, school officials informed Beth she was going to lose her job at the end of this school year.

Lately, Beth's behavior at school has been erratic. She has been showing up late for work and leaving early.

In December, she filed a change of address at work and told friends she'd been divorced since Thanksgiving. The new home address she gave her employer turned out to be fake.

Earlier this year, Beth fell at school and cut her head. Fellow teachers reported she appeared confused and perhaps on drugs. Beth began asking her co-workers for pain pills.

A few weeks ago, she reported that her purse had been stolen from her car, but it was later found in her desk and contained several bottles of prescription pain medication.

In early February, school officials asked Beth to take a drug test. She failed, testing positive for pain killers, mainly Lortab, a highly addictive, opioid-based prescription pain medication.

At a Thursday press conference in front of the First Baptist Church of Summerdale, Beth's family seemed to acknowledge for the first time that she may have run away.

"Beth, I want you to know, there's not anything that cannot be overcome," Beth's father, Donnie Byrne, said. "Our prayer is that you will be safe, that you will come home. Our family is together and we will all get through this."

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Contact Chuck Hustmyre at chuck3174@yahoo.com

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