LIVINGSTON — After 16 years, deputies believe they are close to finding an answer on what happened to Barbara Blount.

She was 58 when she mysteriously disappeared from her home in Holden on May 2, 2008.

Blount's family said there were no signs of forced entry, and her silver Toyota was abandoned down the road.

After she disappeared, search teams used dogs, helicopters, and four-wheelers to look for her, but months turned into years and Barbara was never found.

In 2015, Blount’s daughter, Kristie Thompson, spoke with WBRZ in about her mothers disappearance. 

"I remember calling and calling and she wouldn't answer the phone. and it was just chaotic." she said. "Somebody did something to her, because she wouldn't just get up and leave without telling anybody where she's going."

Last May, Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard said on social media the investigation into the missing persons case may finally have a lead. 

A year later, he says there's hope.

“We're going to continue to look into these leads as we get them, but I do feel pretty good about the one we have," Ard said. “We haven't completely finished that part of it yet, but it's just taking us a little longer than we hoped for, but it's still there and we're still going through the process."

Former investigator Woody Overton, who hosts a podcast called "Real Life Real Crime," detailed what happened to Barbara on his show. He also assisted in getting leads in the case.

"It's just a tragedy of investigative events that occurred since Ms. Barbara, I'm going to just say it, she was murdered, because no she didn't just disappear, I'm telling you she was murdered," Overton told WBRZ.

Anyone with information about Blount's disappearance should contact the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office at (225) 686-2241 or Capital Region Crime Stoppers at (225) 344-STOP (7867).