UPDATE: Police release new photo of Kelli Bordeaux taken the night she disappeared
Ryan Sullivan, WGHP, Reporting
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — During an appearance on the Today Show Thursday morning, the husband of missing Fort Bragg soldier Kelli Bordeaux said he’s suspicious of a convicted sex offender who was the last person to have contact with his wife before she vanished nearly two weeks ago.
Hundreds of volunteers on Thursday are expected to aid in the search for the missing 23-year-old U.S. Army medical specialist, who was last seen leaving the Froggy Bottoms bar at 6326 Ramsey St. around 1:20 a.m. on April 14.
A police investigation into her disappearance began April 16 after Bordeaux never showed up for duty.
Kelli’s husband of two years, Mike Bordeaux, was visiting his parents in Florida the weekend of her disappearance.
During his appearance on the Today Show on Thursday, Mike said police questioned him about his whereabouts when he learned that she was missing.
The interview began with Mike Bordeaux establishing that authorities have not told him about any leads related to his wife’s disappearance since crews began searching about 12 days ago.
Mike said that, when he got the phone call on April 16, he felt the situation “wasn’t right” because Kelli “always goes to work.” He added Kelli is a “very responsible person” and, for that reason, he thought the situation was “fishy” from the beginning.
Nicholas Holbert, 25, previously said he was at Froggy Bottoms with Kelli and drove her home the night she went missing, but that he has nothing to do with her disappearance. He said he dropped Kelli off about 1/4 of a mile away from her apartment on Water Trail Drive because she didn’t want him to pull up to her door.
Mike Bordeaux on Thursday said he feels there’s no way Kelli would not have made it to their apartment if she was dropped off where Holbert claims. Mike also said he’s suspicious of purported text messages from Kelli to Holbert saying that she had made it home safely.
“There’s no way,” Mike said.
Meanwhile, Holbert, who was convicted of indecent liberties with a 5-year-old child at the age of 16, was arrested on charges unrelated to the case. Holbert, who lived in a lean-in behind Froggy Bottoms and would sometimes help tend to the bar, was charged with failing to register his address as a sex offender.
Mike Bordeaux said he’s never met Holbert, but that he “doesn’t trust anything [Holbert] says.” He also said that he and Kelli had never been to Froggy Bottoms before.
When asked about the state of their marriage, which had been called into question by some media reports, Mike said “nothing was wrong.” He said the two were “very happy” together and that he was in Florida simply for the purpose of visiting his family.
Mike concluded the interview by saying he’s “so happy” that so many people are making efforts to help find his wife and that he wants her to come home “safe and sound.”
Pfc. Kelli Marie Bordeaux, a native of St. Cloud, Fla., joined the military in July 2011 and was assigned to the 44th Medical Brigade in November.
Bordeaux is described as standing 5’1″ tall and weighing 102 lbs. She was last seen wearing a pink tube top with spaghetti straps and black shorts.
Police established a special hotline for anyone with information on Bordeaux’s whereabouts. The number is (910) 433-1114.
