Owner offers reward

Victor Brewer has been friends with Jennifer Hampton for eight years and was among the last people she spoke with Friday night before she was reported missing the next morning while on a business trip in Knoxville, Tenn.

"I spoke with her at about 8:30," Brewer said. "I asked her how she was doing ... me and her talk all the time. She was kind of lonely ... homesick, and was ready to come home."

Hampton, 21, and a graduate of Waterloo High School, was to return home this week, but instead was reported missing Saturday morning when she did not join her coworkers.

Hampton works at Mama Blue's restaurant in Florence and traveled with coworkers to Knoxville to help train employees for a Mama Blue's opening in that city. They had been in Knoxville since Tuesday, and coworkers said it was routine for them to meet each morning in the Days Inn parking lot where they were staying before going to work at the Knoxville restaurant.

When Hampton failed to meet at the appointed time, her coworkers asked the front desk if someone could check her room. No one was in the room, but it looked as though it had been slept in, according to reports.

An employee last saw Hampton around 9:30 p.m. Friday, said Jim Lewis, who operates the Florence restaurant and was among the workers who traveled to Knoxville. Lewis said she had text messaged family and friends as late as 10:39 p.m. Friday.

Lewis said they were briefed late Monday by officers.

"They said they've had close to 100 people out searching for her," he said. "We still have no information on what may have happened. They're treating it as a disappearance and suspect foul play."

Knoxville authorities have declined to say what has led them to the belief that foul play was involved. Hampton's cell phone and purse were in the room, two items that she would always have with her when she's out, according to reports. Her keys, money and vehicle were also at the hotel, according to reports.

Knoxville Police Public Information Officer Darrell Debusk said that approximately four dozen officers and reserve officers have been searching for Hampton.

"They were concentrating on an area on Lovell Road up to a shopping center - there is a wetland area near that stretch of the road and we've been doing a grid search to see if there was anything there to tie back to this case," Debusk said.

Mama Blue's has posted a $5,000 reward for information leading to Hampton's whereabouts.

Debusk said police have talked to family, coworkers, friends and anyone who may have seen something.

"We're working with the (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation)," Debusk said. He said kidnapping has not been ruled out.

Brewer said he spoke Monday with Hampton's mother, who is in Knoxville with other family members, including Hampton's twin sister.

"I've been phoning people, asking them to pray for her," Brewer said.

Hampton is 5 feet 3 inches and weighs about 110 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information is asked to call local authorities or Knoxville police at (865) 215-7014.

TimesDaily Senior Staff Writer Tom Smith and staff writer Bernie Delinski contributed to this report.