Posted on 04/26/2007 9:56:41 PM PDT by Bartholomew Roberts
Edited on 04/26/2007 10:30:02 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
The Warren County Sheriff's Office says its seeks the public's assistance in locating two elderly women from Warren County.
Mary Ellen Walters, 68, and Ada Wasson, 80, were last seen last Thursday April 19th at Otterbein Retirement Living Community located at State Routes 741 and 63 in Warren County. The two women live in the Patio Homes section, which is an independent living area.
They are believed to be in Mrs. Wasson's’ silver 2000 Chevrolet Impala bearing Ohio registration DG 30 LC. The women were believed to have been traveling to a JC Penney outlet center either in Columbus, Ohio or Carrollton, Ky.
Friends and neighbors alerted sheriff’s detectives Sunday that the women had not returned when expected.
Detectives have not been able to locate any record of their whereabouts after leaving home. There has been no activity on any gas or credit cards belonging to the women.
Foul play is not suspected at this time, but police are concerned for the women’s safety.
Major John Newsom said detectives have exhausted most of their investigative options.
“We just need the public’s help at this point,” he said.
If you can help, call (513) 925-1280 during business hours or (513) 925-2525 after business hours.
###
UPDATE
There will be a search Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April 27, 28, 29 - anywhere 50 miles east or west of I-71 from Columbus to Carrollton, KY. Grab a map, some posters and stake out a plot of territory to search. They could truly be anywhere.
Travel the roads less travelled and go down dirt roads and look down long driveways to abandoned homes. It would be great to hang a poster on "No Outlet" signs after driving down dead end roads so as to alert others that the road has already been searched.
Take a couple bottles of water and a snack in case you find them! They'll be thirsty and hungry!
For more information, or to print some posters, go to www.neighborsearch.info
A $5000 reward is being offered by the Warren County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you.
OTTERBEIN RETIREMENT LIVING COMMUNITIES
580 North State Route 741, Tel: (513) 933-5400
________________________________________________________________________ Date: April 26, 2007
Release Date: Immediate
Subject: Community Concerned
For more information call:
Bob Benson, President
Otterbein Lebanon Retirement Living Community
513 933-5498
or Rosemary Cicak, Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations,
Otterbein Homes
513 933-5448.
_______________________________________________________________________
Otterbein Community Concerned – Your Help Needed
Otterbein Retirement Living Communities and the Warren County Sheriff’s Office are seeking the public’s assistance in locating two neighbors, who live in the patio home area of the Otterbein Lebanon community. Ada Wasson, 80 and Mary Ellen Walters, 68, a retired United Methodist Pastor, were last seen on Thursday April 19th on the Otterbein Lebanon Retirement Community campus located at Routes 741 and 63 in Warren County. The women were believed to have been traveling to a JC Penny outlet center either in Columbus, Ohio or Carrolton, Kentucky.
The two were traveling in Mrs. Walters’ 2000 Chevrolet Impala, silver in color bearing Ohio registration DG 30 LC
Detectives have not been able to locate any record of their whereabouts after leaving home. Foul play is not suspected at this time.
Otterbein is diligently working with both the families and the authorities to do everything possible to help locate both individuals. We ask that the public join us in praying for the families.
If you have any information that may help, please contact the Warren County Sheriff’s Office at 513 695-1280.
# # #
You have my prayers!
Please keep us updated.
Prayers on the way...
Praying Right Now to our Lord of Merciful Grace.
Thank you so much for your prayers, kind words and really great ideas. Today was another difficult day of searching, organizing search teams, conducting press interviews, and putting up flyers.
I wish the learnig curve weren’t so steep in this kind of thing.
After a full day of the above and with roughly 800 volunteers across Ohio and Kentucky we know as much now as the day we discovered their disappearance.
No sight of them or their car, in person or on video from any of their suspected destinations. Nothing.
I’m really close to this and am afraid I am running out of ideas. I could use some help brainstorming around two issues.
One: What tools/resources can add incremental value to the search? Anything goes.
Two: We feel the disappearance was caused by one of three things - They got lost/ran into a ditch or ravine/got stuck at the end of some road
OR
Something bad criminally happened to them i.e. car jacking, someone offering to help in some way and then doing something to them
OR
They left for an intended long trip away and just forgot to board the dog or pack suitcases or tell anyone.
What happened to them and what evidence (or lack thereof) could lead you to one of the three points. Or, is there another point to add?
So, brainstorm away on either point. I’ll be glad to clarify anything. And am open to any additional thoughts or suggestions.
I don’t live anywhere near the area being searched or I’d be there looking for them.
Continuing prayers for these two ladies.
I have no speculative-opinions regarding their disappearance, but I will continue to pray for the ladies.
Do they have a favorite restaurant in the area or one on their route to their usual shopping trips?
It might help to check with waitresses in those places. They might remember the ladies — or maybe they asked for directions or some such.
Did one of them have cash they could have used to go on an extended outing without needing to write checks, go to the ATM, or use credit cards?
Somewhere in the thread there’s a comment that just the day before, Ada and one of her neighbors had driven for 2 hours looking for the movie theater but had never found it.
What a heart-wrenching situation for you and all those who care about these two women.
Prayers ongoing.
jm
I lift up these two dear women in prayer...
God their Father knows where they are - and no matter where they are, their Father is with them. I pray that we will be led to these women, and that they will be comforted and aware of the Love of God surrounding them.
Deep in the night, I call to God, in Jesus Name; Father, let us have ears to hear Your Answer to our prayer!
Trace any credit/debit card purchases which may have been done, and have the bank disclose any withdrawals from their bank accounts... it sounds elementary, but please ask the police to do that. Also, run a credit check on their names/socials to see if any new accounts have been opened in their names in the last few days...
A financial trace is one of the fastest ways to find someone, and yet, many smaller law enforcement agencies don’t think to run them right away. Do so immediately, and supoena the records if you have to - don’t let any agency tell you they “can’t do it”.
Cut off in mid-post -
Even if no purchases have been made via credit card or atm, a full credit check should be run on both ladies to rule out the use of their identities by others. Criminals will frequently use the old cards to gain credit to open new “store accounts” to make purchases, rather than use the old credit cards themselves...
Make sure to check and see if the car had an ONSTAR system! It WAS optional with the 2000 Chevy Impala...
http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/2000-chevrolet-impala.htm
I don’t know exactly how you’d go about contacting the company, but there must be a way to find out. If you’re not sure, call Onstar and ask them how one would find out. Even if they didn’t have an account activated, there might be a way to enable the Onstar gps if it’s included on the car...
http://www.onstar.com/us_english/jsp/index.jsp
BTTT
What a frightening, terrible ordeal here. Prayers for your Mother-in-law and her friend that they are safe and will be found soon. . .prayers for all concerned here. God Bless Ada and Mary Ellen.
p.s.. . .Have they tried helicopter search - often easier from air to spot a disabled car should it have left the road.
I do not understand why the search area is concentrated on 42 and I-71 when I-75 is so much closer to Otterbien.
I have a sister-in-law who lives at this retirement home, and have visited there countless times in the last twenty years. I may even move there myself in a few years. It is a very well run facility and I know the staff takes very good care of the residents. I don’t recognize the names of these two ladies, but am praying for their speedy return.
I was so shocked seeing this posted I did not read far enough to see one of the women was your mother in law before I posted. I know how disturbing this is and say again I pray for their speedy return.
Prayers continue
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