W.Va. State Police continue to search Nicholas County for missing woman

NICHOLAS COUNTY, W.Va. (WCHS/WVAH) — West Virginia state troopers are conducting their sixth search in a rugged area of Nicholas County for a Braxton County woman who disappeared nearly four weeks ago.

Troopers, deputies and Natural Resources Police focused their efforts Monday in the rugged area around a gravel parking lot near U.S. 19 in Birch River.

They are looking for Chandice Cochran, who is from Sutton.

While police have found no evidence of foul play, there is growing concern as the time adds up since she disappeared Aug. 20.

Police have arrested Kristopher Speas, who they labeled as a person of interest in the case on unrelated charges for failing to register as a sex offender. They say they do not believe what he is telling them about Cochran's disappearance.

"Right now, it's still a missing person's investigation, but we have nailed down that he has not been truthful,” Senior Trooper J.O. Hensley said. “We've proved that he has not been truthful with us. So, he's still the primary person of interest in this missing person’s case."

The terrain has made for a difficult search coupled with the fact that the 28-year-old woman's mother was not reported missing until Sept. 1. Her last known location remains that gravel parking lot in Birch River.