FBI joins search for missing 14-year-old boy in Iredell County
UPDATE: Gideon Ferguson was found safe on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell said.
The search for a missing 14-year-old Iredell County boy is expanding beyond woods and farmland and into the boy’s electronic devices and social media accounts, the local sheriff said.
Law enforcement began searching for Gideon Andrew Ferguson after he went missing at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, said Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell.
“We have anywhere from 10 investigators just from us that’s assigned to this case, in addition to federal authorities,” Campbell said Friday in a phone call with The Charlotte Observer. “Land crew searches ... yesterday was probably around 70 to 100. And we’ll probably have that same duplication today.”
Ferguson was last seen at his home on Watermoss Drive, a rural area between Cleveland and Troutman. Campbell said the teenager’s phone was left at home when he went missing. Campbell said he thinks the phone was left on purpose.
Crews searched the farmland and wooded areas near his home and have continued to search each day since, Campbell said.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is now involved, which will help with examining Ferguson’s phone, game consoles and other devices that have messaging and social media access, the sheriff said. The N.C. State Bureau of Investigation has also offered help. And the sheriff’s office has networked with other states.
“We’ve got to get the information back,” Campbell said. “That’s the purpose of the FBI. They can fast track that information.”
Campbell said Ferguson’s “digital footprint” may provide more information about what happened, or if he was speaking with someone recently.
A press release from the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office said the public should stay away from the area to avoid interrupting search efforts. Foot or vehicle traffic can slow the search process or disrupt scent trails being tracked by dogs , the press release said.
Campbell said people could help by asking their children if they had spoken to Ferguson or knew him, or may have seen anything suspicious in the area.
“We’ll continue the investigation,” Campbell said. “As long as there’s something to be searched, we’ll keep searching.”
People with information can call Iredell County Emergency Communications at 704-878-3100, or 911.
This story was originally published January 16, 2026 at 12:33 PM.
