In July 2006, at the request of former 24th Judicial District Attorney General Robert G. Radford, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation special agents began working alongside the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the disappearance of Kristina Branum and Christopher Mittendorf.

On July 28, 2006, Branum and Mittendorf were reported missing to the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators worked tirelessly to locate them during that initial investigation, but Branum and Mittendorf were never found, and the case grew cold.

In 2013, new information led to the discovery of additional witnesses and evidence, which directed investigators to identify the individual believed to be responsible for the disappearance of Branum and Mittendorf. Through renewed investigative efforts, authorities determined the individual was deceased.

TBI’s investigation continued through 2014, ultimately establishing that the person responsible for Branum and Mittendorf’s disappearance was also responsible for the disposal of their remains. As a result of TBI’s investigative findings, investigators are no longer searching for the subject responsible for Branum and Mittendorf’s disappearance.

In September 2014, as part of the investigative process, authorities shared the investigative findings with the families of Kristina Branum and Christopher Mittendorf to provide them with some closure. At the request of former 24th Judicial District Attorney General Matt Stowe, the families were also advised of the TBI’s closure of the criminal investigation into their tragic deaths based on facts and evidence uncovered during the investigation.

Our thoughts continue to be with the families and friends of Chris and Kristina, who suffered an unimaginable loss.

The dedicated employees of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation work with professionalism and passion each day to serve the citizens of Tennessee, striving to make it a better, safer place to live, and standing by the motto, “That Guilt Shall Not Escape Nor Innocence Suffer.”