Mother of Missing Lawyer Believes Convicted Felon Husband Killed Her

A 31-year-old Indiana lawyer has been missing for over one year, and her mother believes that her convicted felon son-in-law has something to do with her disappearance. Ciera Breland vanished on February 24, 2022, last seen in surveillance footage at 7:17 p.m. outside her mother-in-law's home in Johns Creek, Georgia, receiving a delivery. Kelly Locklair, Ciera's mother, pleads for any information about the whereabouts of her daughter – dead or alive – in a new interview, calling the situation a "tormenting" standstill.

Ciera's Mom Is "Hoping" That Her Body Is Found

"You know how they say they're waiting for the shoe to drop? We're waiting for the bomb to drop," Locklair tells Fox News Digital. "We're hoping a fisherman or a hunter or someone like that will stumble across her. Just, please, Lord, someone find her."

Ciera Said That Her Husband Was Abusive, Mom Claims

According to Locklair, her daughter had been visiting her parents in Georgia with her husband, Xavier, their 5-month-old son, and dog for over a week and had told her mother that she didn't want to go back to Indiana because she was "scared" of her husband who was facing multiple stalking and weapons charges. She also reportedly told her mother that he was abusive and that they were having money problems. 

She Wasn't Going to Return to Indiana with Him, Her Mom Claims

"Ciera had no intention of returning to Indiana," Locklair said. "She told me, 'However I have to leave, I'm leaving … My furniture can rot. I'm never going back.' That's how desperate she was to get out."

Xavier Is the Only "Person of Interest"

Xavier is a "person of interest" in his wife's disappearance, but no charges have been filed against him. The case "remains very active," according to investigators, but there have been no updates recently. Xavier's lawyer, Bryan Howard, maintains his client did nothing wrong. However, Xavier was arrested days after his wife's disappearance on unrelated weapons charges. He has been in jail multiple times since. 

Ciera is "Definitely Gone" Her Parents Say

"She's definitely gone," Locklair said. "That was the first thing my husband said when police called after (Xavier) reported her missing, and the officer said she had walked away without bringing the baby. She wouldn't even take a shower and let anybody else watch the baby."

She Would Never Leave Her Baby, Father Says

As to rumors she could have disappeared, Locklair says there is no way, as she was a loving and devoted mom. "So when they said that, my husband said, 'No, no. There's no way. My daughter, she would not do that. If that's the case, and you're telling me that she's missing and the baby is not with her, then my daughter's dead. She would not leave him,'" Locklair said.

Xavier Reported Ciera Missing in Indiana

According to reports, Xavier didn't report his wife missing until Feb. 26, 2022, claiming that she left their home in Carmel, Indiana, around 10 p.m. on the night of the 25th and never returned home. However, according to the FBI, there is no evidence Ciera ever returned home from the Georgia trip. 

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She Was Last Seen in Georgia

Two days later, Xavier changed his story, telling his stepchildren "that somebody took her" and vowed "to find his wife" during a Zoom call that was shared with Fox News Digital. "Somebody kidnapped my wife," he said during the call. "You know what it means when you kidnap an adult? She's not coming home, bud." Locklair thinks her daughter's body could be in Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, or Indiana. There's a $10,000 reward for information in the case.