It’s been 18 years since anyone has seen or heard from missing mom Laura Williams. Ulster County Sheriff’s Office said she was last seen at the Connelly Trailer Park in the Town of Esopus Ulster County New York, getting into a white, older vehicle with two white males. At the time of her disappearance, she had three children who are all now in foster care or with relatives. Laura is battling multiple sclerosis and is known to have trouble walking.
Investigators say at the time she disappeared, Laura was 5’3”, 145 pounds and had brown, straight hair. She was wearing a light colored summer shirt and blue jean shorts. Laura has a tattoo on her upper right arm that says the name, “John,” and another tattoo of a heart above her right knee.
Hundreds of leads have come in on this case over the years, but none have led authorities to Laura. If you have any information, please contact the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office at 845-338-3640 or contact the Detective in charge of the investigation at amak@co.ulster.ny.us
Raleigh Police are taking over the investigation to find missing mother, Laura Ackerson. Authorities say Laura, 27, went missing last Friday when she did not show up to pick up her children from their father. Kinston Police in North Carolina confirm a friend and business associate of Laura’s initially reported her missing and they were handling the investigation until her Ford Focus was found in Raleigh on Wednesday.
Laura was in Raleigh for business last week when she was supposed to see her children who live with their dad. She never showed for the meeting in Wilson at a gas station. Authorities say when she did not come into work on Monday, that’s when her friend reported her missing. Laura attends church in Kinston and they are praying daily for her safe return.
If you have any information on this case, please contact Raleigh Crimestoppers: (919) 834-HELP
More than 100 people attended a vigil Sunday night to support a missing teacher and mother from Shelbyville, TN. On Monday morning, a $10,000 reward was offered for information leading to her safe return.
Police say Shelly Mook went missing one week ago when she dropped off her 6-year-old daughter at her ex-husbands home. Later that night, Shelly’s car was found burning in a field in Murfreesboro.
In a statement released Thursday morning, Harris Middle School Principal Bill Pietkiewicz said, “Shelley Mook is an excellent member of the Harris Middle School faculty and well-liked by students and staff. She is in her second year of teaching and is helping to sponsor our student council. Our thoughts and prayers are focused on her safe return.”
No suspects or persons of interest have been named. If you have any information on this case, please contact Bedford County Sheriff’s Department: (931) 684-3232 or the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department: (615) 904-3049
Summer has come and gone and Susan Powell has not been found. Over the last nine months since she went missing on December 7, 2009, many bodies have been found in the desert. When her family and close friends get word, they simply hold their breath and wait. That was the case earlier this week when a female body was found on a Wyoming ranch. Investigators confirm that the body is not Susan, and that the search for her continues.
Over the summer a couple of searches took place in the area where Susan’s husband Josh Powell says he went camping the night she disappeared. Josh is officially a “person of interest” in this case, but investigators have not moved forward with any official charges. When Susan went missing last December Josh told investigators he took his two small children out in the middle of the night in the West Desert. Since then many searches have been executed, but unfortunately nothing has been uncovered.
Almost six months have passed since Shantina Smiley and her 8-year-old son Azriel Carver went missing off a beach in Washington State. Sadly, Azriel’s body was found shortly after they disappeared, but there’s been no sign of Shantina. She has vanished. I spoke with Lt. Chris Mealey from the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office recently and he said, “It’s still an open case and if we get information we will move on it as quickly as we can.” He also said that the leads have fizzled out and there is a chance she went into the water with her son, but they have no official confirmation on that.
I confirmed with the Medical Examiner’s office in Tacoma that Azriel’s death is officially ruled an accident and drowning is the cause of death. The area where his body was found is west of Tacoma, Washington, and about 12 miles from where Azriel and his mom’s mini-van was found on a private beach. Azriel’s father flew in from Lancaster to help look for his son initially, and was near the location when Azriel was found. Several memorial services have been held on Grand Island in memory of the child and Shantina.
Erin Rodgers, and Baby Safina (photo courtsey of police)
Erin Rodgers and her daughter Safina lived in Silver Spring, Maryland. I spoke with Montgomery County Police today, and they say the mother and daughter have been missing for three weeks. On May 6, 2010, police say Erin and Safina vanished. Erin is only 19-years-old, and her daughter is 22-months.
ERIN SAFINA
Height: 5’0” Weight: 27 pounds
Weight: 100 pounds Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Hazel Eyes: Hazel
Hair: Black, long
I spoke to investigators this morning, and they are accepting leads on this case. If you have any information, please contact investigators in Montgomery County, Maryland: 301-565-5835, or the non-emergency number at 301-279-8000.
Domestic violence is a vicious cycle, a cycle that many victims cannot pull themselves out of because of children, their safety, or just plain fear of being alone. It appears Venus Stewart was pulling herself out of a violent relationship. She packed up her children and moved to Michigan to get away from her husband, and now she is missing.
Recent court records show Venus Stewart feared her husband so much that she filed three orders of protection against him over the course of their marriage. In court documents Venus writes, “I am scared to death and every day I live in constant fear and I am constantly looking over my shoulder wondering when he will appear again.” Venus and her husband Douglas Stewart were married in 2002 and lived in Newport Beach, Virginia. In February 2010, Venus packed up her children and moved with her family to Michigan. This is a bold move for any victim of violence because the attacker no longer has control.
A few days ago human remains were found off a beaten path in Idaho. The location where the body was recovered is a little less than four hours away from where missing mom Susan Powell was last seen. It’s been more than four months since Susan went missing from her home in Utah. Although the case has faded fast from the spotlight, it is still personally close to my heart and mind. I keep in touch with Capt. McLaughlin from the West Valley City Police Department, and he told me they are looking into the possibility that the remains could be Susan, but investigators in Idaho believe they could be the remains of a woman who went missing three years ago. Capt. McLaughlin says, “They aren’t 100% sure, until they get positive ID through dental records.” It could take a few weeks to make a positive ID.
Tiffany Tehan caught the national spotlight when the missing mom vanished last weekend. Hundreds of volunteers flocked to the area where her truck was found, her family started a website and prayer groups were formed. No one could begin to understand how a beautiful mother of a one year old, and a woman who’s been married for over eight years could just vanish. Everyone wondered if she was another victim of an abduction.
Police told me her vehicle was found in a nearby park with a flat tire and her keys were locked inside. Then, in an odd twist, earlier this week investigators released surveillance shots of Tiffany with an unknown man. They had been seen on a few occasions at a local convenience store spending time together. But who was the man? Tiffany’s family didn’t know and neither did her friends. An investigation identifiedthe mystery man as Tre B. Hutcherson, a married man himself, and it turned out that he had been missing as well.
UPDATE 12:02 p.m. - I just spoke to Kiirsi Hellwell, friend of Susan and Josh Powell, and one of the organizers helping to spread the word about Susan. She says starting next week, February 8 – 15, 2010, they will be getting the public to focus on a week of service in honor of Susan. Susan’s friends and family are asking everyone to lift a needle and donate handmade items to women’s and children’s charities in Susan’s name. This effort will launch across the country. To learn more about this, and what you can do in your own communities, please check out HEARTSKNITFOR SUSAN.
Family friend Kiirsi says that over the weekend, the popular Susan Powell friends and family Facebook page disappeared. But after repeatedly contacting Facebook, it finally reappeared Saturday night. She says a sick troll pretending to be Susan was posting pornographic pictures and sending harassing messages on the group page. Thankfully, the disturbing posts have died down over the last week or two, but it has been a rough month. Kiirsi says her husband picked Josh Powell up at the airport on Thursday night. Josh then came to their home to print out leases in preparation of renting out his house. As far as Kiirsi knows, Josh is still in Utah working on his home to prepare it for rent. When Josh arrived at his Utah home, he was greeted with purple ribbons all over his house in honor of his wife.
Michelle Sigona is a crime fighting, victims advocate extraordinaire, but for Michelle -- the good fight doesn't stop there. In her spare time, she is a volunteer firefighter -- and now, she is tackling the issues and cases that mean the most to her....
Tiffany Tehan caught the national spotlight when the missing mom vanished last weekend. Hundreds of volunteers flocked to the area where her truck was found, her family started a website and prayer groups were formed. No one could begin to understand how a beautiful mother of a one year old, and a woman who’s been married for over eight years could just vanish. Everyone wondered if she was another victim of an abduction.
