The rain traveled with us on the over 5 hour drive from Michigan to Illinois. We changed time zones successfully despite the drama in the van with all of us having different opinions on which clocks will change on their own and most importantly what will the Garmin do? For those interested the Garmin takes time zone changes into account when it tells you your arrival time.
Missing Rachel Mellon lived across the street from Wipfler Park when she went missing in 1996 at 13 years of age. There's a memorial plaque under a tree "Remembering Rachel..Present In Our Hearts". Some things say Rachel Mellon, some say Rachel Mellon Skemp, and I've also seen Rachel Mellon-Skemp. I found this confusing as I familiarized myself with her case. Her biological father is Skemp and her stepfather is Mellon. On the day of her disappearance Rachel was sick and stayed home from school with her stepfather. He says she was napping when he went out to walk their dog. Her siblings noticed her missing when they came home from school and say they informed their father but nothing was done until their mother came home. Her coat and shoes remained in the house despite below zero weather, but her blanket and pillows that she used for her nap were missing. At the time Rachel went missing her stepfather had scratches on him and a domestic violence record. He also failed a lie detector test. Prosecutors convened a grand jury in 2000 but came away without an indictment. Rachel's mother and stepfather have since moved away.The family I met of Rachel's said they were relatives of the stepfather, they were wonderful caring people who told of raising Rachel's sibling after the Mellon's left town. They took many pictures at the garden and ballon release for Rachel's siblings.
Bradley Olsen was 26 years old and living at home with his parents when he went out one night in 2001. The friends picked him up in subzero temperatures and they went to a nightclub together. The friends left Brad at the club and he stayed until closing time and then used his cellphone to try and obtain a ride home. Being unsuccessful he took off walking and hasn't been seen or heard from since. Both his vehicles remained at his home. Brad left behind a daughter prompting his parents to have him declared legally dead in 2010 so the daughter could receive his Social Security benefits. Brad's mother has gotten involved in the Adopt A Doe Program by seeking publicity for them every time she holds an event for her son. Today there is information on a John Doe found in 1998 and a female Spring Doe found in 2005. They are both included on our tour.
Another family present today is Missing Sheri Swims. Sheri was 23 when she went missing from Homestead Fl in 1986. I believe she is on our tour this year because her family lives here. Sheri was last seen in the early morning hours with 2 males. In 2003 investigators were told she was murdered and buried beneath a waterfall. The property was excavated in 2007 after CUE became involved but no evidence was found. I don't believe I could do that story justice, and the riveting account and all that went wrong can be found at thelifersproject.blogspot.com, written by Monica. I suggest reading it.
Other highlighted missing at this stop include Tom McGinn who was last seen at work in 1996. He was 36 years old at the time and his car was found near a lake. A search of the lake was unsuccessful. Also, Missing sisters, Tioda and Diamond Bradley who went missing in 2001. Tionda was 10 and her sister Diamond was 3 when they were left alone in the morning while their mother went to work. Tionda left a note saying they were going to walk to a nearby school and a store. Neither has been seen since.
When we pulled up to the park in the rain we can see a tent set up and all we see underneath a clothesline of missing faces are legs and feet. A lot of legs and feet. Was there going to be room for us under there? Soon enough our van is seen and room is made. Smiling faces so happy to see us, and Missouri State Outreach Coordinator David Sullivan greet us. They have postcards made out of our Road Tour logo picture on which we are to write notes on the back and attach them to the white and purple balloons that we soon release up into the cloudy sky. I learn they have hosted a rally stop previously, before I began making the trip in 2011. These are our veterans, families of people missing for a long time, the "lifers". Families whose lives have been been put on hold indefinitely, families who have spent years and decades dedicated to finding their missing loved one, families that deserve to know what happened so long ago. This Illinois group has become a family of their own as well as part of CUE's family. A new family we all hold dear even if we never wanted to belong to it. Wouldn't it be nice if someone came forward on any one or all of these cases with the information needed to bring their loved one home and allow these families to put this nightmare behind them? Someone has the answers, these families deserve them.
Elisa
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