http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/jan/06/sarah-teague-asks-court-for-warrant/Sarah Teague asks court for warrant The mother of a Webster County woman who disappeared 13 years ago is hoping a senior judge who is not from Henderson County will grant her a search warrant of property where the prime suspect in the case committed suicide.
Sarah Teague went to Henderson County District Judge Rob Wiederstein's courtroom Tuesday morning asking him to sign a search warrant for property belonging to the family of Marvin Ray "Marty" Dill at 8663 John Steele Road, she said.
Officials say an eyewitness saw her daughter, 23-year-old Heather Teague, being dragged off of Newburgh Beach on Aug. 26, 1995. Dill was the main suspect in the case but killed himself as police were closing in on his mobile home on John Steele Road.
While a search had been conducted of Dill's property, Sarah Teague said that search was not complete. Her search warrant would specifically address a pond and a cistern on the property, she said.
Meanwhile, however, Wiederstein recused himself from the case, adding that he was not commenting on the merits of the search warrant. Gleaner reports show that he was the assistant county attorney in a case where Teague was charged with eight counts of harassing communications when she wrote letters to Dill's widow.
Teague was found not guilty of those charges in 1996. Since then, she has continued her investigation into her daughter's disappearance.
On Tuesday, Wiederstein said he would contact the chief district judge, who would then assign someone to examine the search warrant.
"I think it's very important in your situation to have a magistrate or judge who knows nothing about your case," he said.
He added that his secretary would contact Teague to let her know the next step in the process.
The search warrant Teague hopes to present to the senior judge is different from a search warrant that she had hoped to present to a judge on Dec. 30.
The current search warrant lists a number of things in its attempt to bring probable cause.
These include a Ford Bronco that was filmed near Newburgh Beach that was found hidden behind the Dill residence and DNA evidence showing that Heather Teague's hair was found in the Bronco.
Other included circumstantial evidence are screams that were heard two-tenths of a mile down from the Dill property about seven hours after the reported abduction, Sarah Teague said.
The previous search warrant, which was never filed, was based on the apparent findings of a bloodhound from Wisconsin that had allegedly found 13 separate indications of Heather Teague's scent around the Dill property.
The Kentucky State Police refused to sign the affidavit requesting the Dec. 30 search warrant, saying it does not believe Nixter is a credible search dog.
And Sarah Teague said on Tuesday that she cannot have the handler in the case, Penny Bell, and Bell's dog, Nixter, investigate the case further because Bell is not certified.
Bell is the lead handler of Keeping Tracks, a Milwaukee, Wis., bloodhound search/rescue and recovery organization that was founded in 1996 to help in the recovery of missing persons.
Bell has said that she works in line with National Police Bloodhound Association standards.
But a retired Maryland State Police trooper who is also the president of the National Police Bloodhound Association said he was highly doubtful that a bloodhound would be able to track a scent that is 13 years old.
"The association has never heard of Penny Bell and does not know how she is working under the National Police Bloodhound Association standards and guidelines as she has never attended any of the association's training seminars or schools (and) she is not even eligible for membership," said Douglas H. Lowry.
He added that no one really knows how long a scent will last. But in his 26 years worth of experience handling police bloodhounds for the Maryland State Police, he said the oldest scent he ran with a bloodhound was seven days. That was on a suicide, he added.
"But 13 years? I would say past a week's time, in general, that you are going to have a very difficult time in following a trail of any sort," Lowry said.
That's because there are other variables that could affect the length of the scent in that area. These include weather and other people who have walked through the area.
Nixter got Heather Teague's scent from items that were provided by the Kentucky State Police at the request of Teague's family. These included a bathing suit and other items worn or used by Heather Teague.
But KSP Post 16 Public Information Officer Joe Woo said the search involving Nixter was not sanctioned by the state police.
He added that there were questions about Nixter's credibility regarding the search warrant that was written Dec. 30 and not filed.
"It is my understanding that Chip Adams (Sarah Teague's attorney at the time) wouldn't sign off on an affidavit saying the facts presented to obtain a search warrant were true and accurate," Woo said.
"(Kentucky State Police) Detective (Marc) Carter wouldn't sign it because the dog wasn't a certified law enforcement dog."
Meanwhile, Bell said she has never claimed to be a member of the National Police Bloodhound Association and she said she knows that that organization is for law enforcement officials only.
She said she has studied a book on National Police Bloodhound Association standards.
Bell said she also took a seminar put together by many old-time bloodhound handlers at the Lansing Correctional Facility in Kansas about 10 years ago and also received training at Leavenworth Federal Prison in Kansas.
At the time that she attended the seminars, the standards taught were the National Police Bloodhound Association standards, Bell said.
She said she has also taught seminars at Concordia University and at Fox Valley Technical College, both of which are in Wisconsin.
"All I'm saying is why can't we give these dogs an opportunity to try?" she said. "What right do I have to tell my dog that he can't do it?"
Bell said donations allowed her to bring her dog to Henderson and she received no payment.
