Justice Unresolved: Ciera Breland vanished in Johns Creek, Georgia. Questions continue to surround her husband

More than four years ago, 31-year-old Ciera Locklair Breland vanished without a trace from Georgia. She was last seen at her mother-in-law’s home in Johns Creek on February 24, 2022. Her family has since been desperate for answers, most of which still remain unanswered.

Ciera was not reported missing until February 26, when her husband, Xavier Breland, filed a report with police in Carmel. Xavier claimed that Ciera simply left their home without her cell phone, keys, or her infant son. However, neither detectives nor Ciera’s family bought that story.

Xavier quickly stopped cooperating with investigators. He was soon labelled as a person of interest in Ciera’s disappearance.

The Johns Creek Police Department has been the lead investigator on the case, even though the missing person report was filed in Indiana, because the last time Ciera was seen alive was in Georgia. Ciera and Xavier had gone to Georgia to visit their families.

Police in Georgia said that they obtained avideo confirming Ciera’s last known location. Ciera was last captured on video about 7:17 pm on February 24at her mother-in-law’s home on Highgate Manor Court, according to Johns Creek police Lt. Debra Kalish, WRTV reported.

Ciera’s mother later claimed that her daughter was planning to leave Xavier, and “did not plan to go back to Indiana,” per Fox59.

Blaire Nichole, a resident of Carmel, Indiana, where Ciera was reported missing, opened up about the case in a conversation with HindustanTimes.com. Blaire, who knows Ciera’s family, has been vocal about the case in the years since Ciera’s disappearance.

“I learned of her case on the local news,” Blaire said. “It was extremely shocking because we don’t hear of many crime cases here in Carmel.”

“After seeing Xavier’s photo, I recognized him as someone who had been swiping right on me on Hinge, a dating app I was on at the time. He and I never connected on the app, but I recognized him as he looks distinctive. After that, I joined a social media group dedicated to Ciera’s case. Through that group, I met some of Ciera’s family. Eventually, I met her mother.”

Blaire stressed that law enforcement in both Indiana and Georgia continue to do a “very good job” with Ciera’s case.

Court documents showed that Xavier was involved in “an accidental discharge of a firearm” that occurred at a residence on Baldwin Lane, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. He told investigators that he was moving a Christmas tree into his garage when he heard a gunshot and rushed outside. He reportedly returned to the garage to locate the firearm, and then unloaded it. Investigators found a SIG Sauer P365 and another firearm at the scene.

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Xavier already had a prior criminal history. He was convicted on felony burglary charges in 2005.

During police’s time at Xavier’s home after the firearm incident, they received a missing person’s flyer featuring Ciera. Xavier had told officers that his wife had walked to a store down the street wearing a black top and purple shorts in 20-degree weather, but Ciera’s family said that police told them she never reached the store. No surveillance footage captured her entering the establishment.

At home, authorities found her personal phone, work phone, and a burner phone, as well as her identification, credit cards, the couple’s five-month-old son, and their dog. The burner phone was there for emergency communication, family members said.

Xavier became a person of interest in his wife’s disappearance several days after her disappearance and was apprehended on an unrelated charge. Authorities went on to uncover an outstanding warrant for aggravated stalking in Coweta County, which led to his extradition to Georgia for prosecution.

According to court records, Xavier allegedly placed a tracker inside a stuffed animal owned by his daughter to try and monitor the child’s mother, his ex-wife. It began as a custody dispute between the former couple.

A jury cleared Xavier of the charges in August 2022. He was arrested in Fulton County on contempt of court charges, online court records showed.

“No one really knows what happened to Ciera,” Blaire told HindustanTimes.com. “I suspect that Xavier was aware Ciera was planning to leave him, they fought about it, and he perhaps lost control and something happened that ended her life. Beyond that, it is a total mystery.”

“We won’t stop looking for her,” she added.

They reportedly met in Georgia, and later relocated to Indiana when Ciera secured a position at a local law firm. According to family members, problems arose in their relationship as early as June 2021 during their relocation.

Ciera’s mother said that both she and her husband had “encouraged” her to come home. However, Ciera struggled with the decision to leave, and cited concerns about custody arrangements for their child, Jackson, in case she got divorced. Ciera’s cousin said that Ciera “couldn’t imagine letting Jackson go with Xavier.”

According to reports, however, Ciera was already taking steps to extricate herself from the marriage. She had even been saving money in a secret bank account, and was planning to temporarily move back in with her parents. According to her family members, she was waiting for a suitable opportunity to make that move, but the moment never came before she vanished.

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Ciera’s parents were later granted custody of the couple’s child.

In March 2022, investigators found a jailhouse video where Xavier was seen discussing Ciera’s disappearance with his children. He told his kids that his wife would not be returning home due to her alleged kidnapping. However, this narrative did not match the information provided to Carmel Police concerning Ciera’s disappearance.

Xavier’s father acknowledged that there were inconsistencies in his son’s statements, reportedly saying that he “just creates a different story for everybody he’s talking to.”

“Ciera was a feisty, ambitious woman who didn’t let adversity get in the way of her dreams. She kept a small circle and was very family oriented- she was best friends with her dad and her cousin. She was private, didn’t maintain a social media presence. She loved her son immensely and would have never willingly left him,” Blaire told HindustanTimes.com.

Various coordinated searches have been carried out, some concentrated on specific areas, but Ciera remains missing. Law enforcement officers have distributed flyers, and even utilized electronic signs to heighten public awareness.

Authorities hope that someone may have seen Ciera and Xavier driving a white 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan bearing Georgia license plate RMB 5869, featuring an FSU Law School frame around the plate, before the last time the young mom was seen.

“There have been search efforts by law enforcement and there were also search efforts locally in the John’s Creek, Georgia, area that were mostly led by Ciera’s cousin. There is currently a $10,000 reward from the FBI for the whereabouts of Ciera,” said Blaire.

Ciera stands at 5 feet tall and weighs approximately 120 pounds.

Anyone with any information about the case or Ciera’s whereabouts can contact Johns Creek Police Corporal Rozier at 678-372-8046, the Carmel Police Department at (317) 571-2580, Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-TIPS (8477), the Georgia Bureau of Investigation tip line at 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324).