‘She’s not coming home, bud,” husband of missing Indiana mom told kids on video

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — The man police are calling a person of interest in the disappearance of a missing mother faced a judge virtually today.

Channel 2 investigative reporter Mark Winne took part in the hearing where the judge had some harsh words for Xavier Breland Jr.

Johns Creek Police Capt. Todd Hood said the last location police know missing lawyer Ciera Locklair Breland was seen in Johns Creek was at the home of the mother of Xavier Breland Jr., Ciera’s husband.

Hood said Breland Jr. has reported to Carmel, Indiana police he last saw her walking away from their home in Carmel soon after.

On Thursday, he was in court via Zoom.

The hearing was in another case where he’s a major player, but the missing persons case loomed large in it as well.

“Part of this stems from Breland being the only person of interest right now in the disappearance attorney Ciera Locklair,” attorney Donato Palumbo said.

“As the court knows, a person of interest is always going to be a spouse,” Breland’s attorney Bryan Howard said

Hood said Xavier Breland Jr., 37, is a person of interest in the disappearance of his wife, lawyer Ciera Locklair Breland, but not charged at last check in that missing persons case.

A document indicates Breland Jr. is also the target of a 2021 permanent protective order by Fulton County Judge Alexandra Manning involving another woman.

An order which suggests Breland Jr. violated the family violence act.

RELATED STORIES:

• Details from Zoom call contradict story missing woman’s husband told police about her disappearance
• Family says missing Indiana mother was ready to move back to Georgia right before she disappeared
• New surveillance video shows sheds light on case of missing lawyer
• Johns Creek police looking for missing woman from Indiana
• FBI, GBI joining search for missing woman from Indiana
• Husband of missing woman has history of stalking, according to records

A document from Breland Jr.’s side has said he denied he violated any family violence act and/or other offenses.

We’re told the protective order allowed Breland Jr. to, on a temporary basis, have video visitation with two minor children he and the woman in the protective order have together.

Now, a motion from that woman’s lawyer, Palumbo, has sought to have Breland banned from any contact whatsoever with the minor children

“His video visits have become detrimental,” Palumbo said.

“I don’t think a visit which is done via Zoom is harmful to the children,” Howard said.

A contact told Winne that a Zoom video which we showed on Channel 2 Action News on Tuesday was of video visitation between Breland Jr. and the children on Feb. 28, roughly two days after Breland Jr. reported Ciera, the children’s’ stepmom, missing.

“What I saw in that video was heartbreaking. It’s heartbreaking. This little girl falls apart in two minutes,” Manning said.

The Coweta County Sheriff’s Office said before the hearing, Xavier Breland Jr. would be appearing via Zoom from the Coweta County Jail after he was extradited from Indiana in connection with a Coweta County aggravated stalking indictment.

A document shows a not-guilty plea by Breland Jr. in that case.

“Mr. Breland, this is in place permanently. You can’t talk to either of your children. These two children,” Alexander ordered.

Palumbo suggested the visitation should be suspended until Breland Jr. receives appropriate psychological or psychiatric services and met another condition.

The FBI is offering a $10,000 reward to anyone who can tell them the location of Ciera Breland.

Anyone with information in this case is asked to call the Johns Creek Police Department tip line at 678-474-1610.

RELATED NEWS:

Details from Zoom call contradict story missing woman’s husband told police about her disappearance In the video, he says she’s been kidnapped, which is dramatically different from what he told police.

©2022 Cox Media Group