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Assumed Deceased: Heather Teague - KY - 08/26/1995

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Heather Danyelle Teague
Classification: Endangered Missing Adult
NCMA Case ID: A200300166W
Date of Birth: April 25, 1972
Date Missing: August 26, 1995
From City/State: Spottsville, KY
Age at Time of Disappearance: 23
Gender: Female
Race: White
Height: 62 inches
Weight: 100 pounds
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Green
Complexion: Medium
Identifying Characteristics: Red round birthmark on right buttock; noticeable curvature of the spine.
Clothing: Red plaid bathing suit (it was found near the abduction site).

Circumstances of Disappearance: Unknown. Heather was lying in the sun at 12:45pm. An eye witness from across the river watched through a telescope as a man wearing a wig and a mosquito net dragged Heather into the woods.

Investigative Agency: Kentucky State Police
Phone: (270) 826-3312


Print a poster: http://www.projectjason.org/aan/AAN_HeatherTeague.pdf

Heather Danyelle Teague - More than Just a Poster Child:

In a poem written sometime before she disappeared, Heather Teague describes herself as being a poster child, however, she is more than just another face on a missing person poster. She graduated as valedictorian of her 8th grade class and in her first year of high school, she was earned the title of Prom Queen, which is very unusual for a freshman. As a sophomore in high school, she was voted President of her class and the next year, in what had to be a close competition, Heather became the first runner-up in the Junior Miss Pageant. With the variety of accomplishments Heather had during high school, it should be no surprise that she was also awarded a 4-year scholarship to Western Kentucky University.

Because of her insightfulness and perspective toward life, Heather takes the time to listen to others and their problems. However, it upset her when she noticed not everyone gives the same attention to others and she warns that “Pity spent discriminately is still prejudice!". Despite this, she still sees the world in wonder and amazement which can be seen in the writings she did before she disappeared:
Heather wrote this while she was on the beach the day she disappeared...

"Every footprint can be heard here. Alone with an amplified ear is the VISITOR
In skin's eyes wondering
Which shoulder to look over and how high to jump, Dear
Watson? I presume rotten sockets are buried in (this) dirt with peace in a box."
Do you have a watch on me? How do they tell time without sunshine? What do they see 2X with one light nobody (NO BODY) to compare to.


I Am Learning
I am learning!
I will stand. I will fall.
I will feel embarrassed, happy, mad, scared...everything
I preach not to judge a long-haired hippie until you know him.
How can I denounce anger as 'bad' until I 'know' it?
I have to feel what it makes me feel.
Be consistent
Day by day
Clay to bone and flesh to clay
Live and learn and love and pray
to understand the words I say.
Let me grow along the way, change my mind and be O.K.
Though I may fall along the way
I will try to live a lesson everyday.
Though I have many roles to play
The decisions that I make today
will decorate my yesterday...Someday!
Survive I will and someday say...
It was I who chose my way.
Family and friends miss her very much and continue to wonder, "Where is Heather?" on the website dedicated to her at www.whereisheather.us.

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www.14wfie.com/

Police Search for More Clues in Heather Teague Case

Reporter: Shannon Samson

Detectives executed a search warrant in an Evansville home last week that may have implications in the nine year old Heather Teague missing persons case.

Last Wednesday, Detective Scott Thomas from the Medina, Ohio Police Department joined Evansville Police in the execution of a search warrant at a home on Sorenson Avenue on the city's west side. It's where the fiancee of Chris Below is living.

Investigators were looking for a lock box containing material that connects Below to some cases of missing or murdered women, including Heather Teague.

Thirty-nine-year-old western Kentucky native, Christopher Below, is currently serving time in prison after confessing to the 1991 murder of his former lover, Kathern Fetzer in Medina, Ohio. He never told authorities where to find her body.

In the search warrant affidavit for Below's fiancee's home, detectives say they believe Below is possibly involved in the 1995 disappearance and assumed murder of Heather Teague.

They say Below was living in the Henderson area at the time and abruptly moved away right after Teague disappeared. They say Below had been living near the original suspect in the case, Marty Dill, who committed suicide before police could question him.

The only witness in the case, Tim Walthall, maintains to this day that it was Marty Dill he saw through a telescope, drag Teague off the beach at gunpoint.

But detectives say in the affidavit that Walthall has identified Below in three different photographic line-ups as the person he possibly saw on the beach that day. The document also mentions evidence relating to Below's shoe size and his distinctive posture.

Besides the Teague case, investigators searched for evidence linking below to the unsolved murder of Andrea Hendrix-Steinert, a 28-year-old Evansville woman with a history of prostitution. She was found nude and strangled in a Gibson County ditch in 1997.

The affidavit also mentions a missing persons case in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Earlier this month, Newswatch confirmed that it's the case of Kristina Porco, a teenager who made a phone call from a supermarket pay phone in 1986 and was never seen again.

And now, Piqua, Ohio Detectives say they're trying to connect Below to the missing persons case of Shaylene Farrell. The 18-year-old disappeared in 1994, after leaving the house to run an errand. Her car was found in the parking lot of a supermarket where she worked.

Detectives find it interesting that the victims all resemble each other and are in the same age group. They say they can place Below at some of the crime scenes and speculate his travels as a truck driver may have put him at the others.

Chris Below's sisters were the ones who had told detectives they had seen him with a lock box full of information about missing females. Investigators say it's common for kidnappers or mass murderers to keep such things to serve as trophies. The search warrant executed last week did not turn up a lock box, but investigators were able to find evidence they say is helping them build a case against Below.

Of all those women, Andrea Hendrix is the only one whose body has been found. Detectives only think Below was involved in this case because Hendrix looks like the other victims. Luckily, there is DNA evidence that will either rule him out or implicate him. It will be tested soon.

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Written by Heather's mother:

"Heather, I write to you most every day tellling you of what is happening with our family. There is not a minute of any day that we don't think of you and wonder what really happened that August 26, 1995 day. There was so much going on then. We were so lost. People that were in our lives should not have been there. I would like for you to know how sorry I am for not taking better care of you. I would like for you to know how much it grieves my heart that I gave you hopes and dreams and then destroyed them. I embarrassed you many times in my growing up days. I want you to know how what you have written has helped us. The poem that you wrote for your daddy thirteen days before you left us, means so much to him. I listen to the tape that you left, telling about the day the clouds were black and that you knew you weren't here anymore. I honestly don't believe that what we are being told is what really happened that day. All I do know is that we have all remained and rearranged.. and we have definitely all changed. Our missing you and loving you holds us together these days. We all live less that 10 miles from one another now. If you could read this, I would like for you to know that I remember you. You are a part of me. What I wouldn't give to see you again...to hold you again.. to hear your voice.. the ache never goes away, Heather. It never will until we see you again. I pray that wherever you are that you have found peace. I pray every day for our family to just know 'peace'...There are no words to adequately describe the many ways of all of our days that we just miss you. We are waiting, hoping, praying and believing in a miracle...That's called.. 'survival'.. We won't ever lose hope in that miracle. We can't. Your leaving is a 'heart thing'..."

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Fletcher Declares "Heather Teague Day"

Aug 9, 2005, 10:57 AM

The mother of a Kentucky woman missing nearly ten years receives a letter from the Governor. Heather Teague disappeared off Newburgh Beach in Henderson, on August 26th, 1995. She's never been found and no arrests have ever been made.

Her mother, Sarah Teague, received a letter from Governor Ernie Fletcher Wednesday, stating that August 26th is being proclaimed "Heather Teague Day," in an effort to bring attention to all missing person cases currently unsolved in Kentucky.

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A message from Jim Viola, husband of missing Pat Viola:

"I have created a special DVD video tribute to Heather which has been forwarded to her family.

The video below is a shorter version of this same tribute less the news clips. It is fairly

large at 10 MB so please be patient. It runs for 8 minutes.

Video Link http://70.87.14.186/~trucking/trucking/upload/showthread.php?t=11961

Please pass it on and feel free to post this link in your message boards for Heather.

Thanks

Jim Viola

In search for my wife, Patricia, Viola"

http://patriciaviolamissing.homestead.com

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http://www.11alive.com

Cousins Disappear 10 Years Apart

Reported by: Jennifer Leslie

Web Editor: Michael King

Last Modified: 10/12/2005 8:29:50 AM

The search for a missing mother from Woodstock has family members feeling a sense of deja vu.

Sueann Ray, 26, was last seen six weeks ago on the same day that marked the 10th anniversary of her cousin’s disappearance in Kentucky.

Her cousin, Heather Teague, was abducted from a beach in Spottsville, Ky., on August 26, 1995 in broad daylight. Teague was 23 years old at the time and has not been seen since. Her case remains unsolved (see family Web site.

"You never know the pain a mother and father go through when they lose a child or a child is missing until it happens to you," said Danny Jenkins, Heather's uncle and Sueann's father.

Jenkins has spent years helping his sister deal with the disappearance of her daughter, Heather.

Now he’s in the same situation.

His daughter, Sueann, has been missing since August 26. She disappeared ten years to the day after her cousin’s abduction here.

“It's a feeling you can't describe,†Jenkins said. “It's terrible, and I don't know how my sister made it. I don't know how she's alive. I don't know how she's done it for 10 years, because I can't. I can't go through it for 10 years, I'll tell you that."

Sueann, who was a teenager when her cousin disappeared, recently sent an e-mail to her aunt.

“I am sure that I can help,†Sueann wrote. “I will do anything I can. I picture this happening in my head, and it doesn’t make sense…Something is definitely wrong…We will bring her home, one way or another.â€Â

Three days after sending that e-mail, Sueann vanished. Police suspect foul play, but they haven’t identified any suspects.

"I just have to keep hope that she is alive,†said Sandy Chasm, Sueann’s sister. "I want her home so I can talk to her."

Relatives are hoping at least one family mystery will be solved soon. Anyone with information about Sueann Ray’s disappearance is asked to call the Georgia Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-597-TIPS.

A family friend has put up a $100,000 reward for information that leads to finding her. The total reward fund now stands at $105,000.

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Heather Teague's profile will be aired after the show "Without A Trace" on July 13th.

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CBS has pushed back Heather's case yet ONCE again being featured on Without a Trace. It is NOW on Sunday, July 16th. Her story will be on The Early Show this Monday, July 17th.

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Police turn to Internet in cold cases

Monday, October 2, 2006

Police turn to Internet in cold cases

Hope is someone might hold clues

By Brett Barrouquere

For years, the names of Harold "Bo" Upton III, Ryan Keith Shangraw, Heather Teague and Louis Bennett Chitwood were relegated to yellowing files in a desk or filing cabinet. But now, their cases are among the nearly 130 unsolved murders -- some more than 50 years old -- that Kentucky State Police have posted online, in the hope someone will come forward with information about their slayings.

Sarah Teague of Madisonville, Ky., keeps the Web site Where is Heather Teague??? A Mother Demands Answers For That Day!!! updated as she continues to search for answers about what happened to her daughter, Heather Teague, who was last seen on Newburgh Beach in Western Kentucky in August 1995. Troopers have presumed that Teague was killed after a witness reported seeing a man drag Teague into nearby woods. "I know in my heart, in every fiber of my being that Heather is coming home," Sarah Teague said. "And, I know that every question I have ever asked will be answered."

Please continue to read at the link provided.

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WAVE 3 TV Louisville, KY :: Reward Offered For Information On Woman's Disappearance

Reward Offered For Information On Woman's Disappearance

Nov 2, 2006 10:36 AM CST

(HENDERSON, Ky.) -- A $100,000 reward is being offered for information in the disappearance of a western Kentucky woman more than a decade ago. Heather Teague, a 23-year-old Webster County resident, disappeared from Newburgh Beach in Henderson County where she had been sunbathing on Aug. 26, 1995.

Philadelphia philanthropist Joe Mammana, known for his financial assistance in high-profile criminal investigations, is offering the reward to any person who provides information leading police to Teague or for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the case. The reward is being offered for 20 days beginning Sunday and running through Friday, Nov. 24.

Patti Bishop, a founder of the Midwest Coalition of Missing Persons, said information about Teague's disappearance should go to Kentucky State Police in Henderson at 270-826-3312.

Please continue to read at the link provided.

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14 WFIE, The Tri-State's News Leader: $100K For Leads In Missing Person Case

$100K For Leads In Missing Person Case

Nov 2, 2006 10:05 AM CST

UPDATE, THU, 6:30 AM: A 23-year-old Webster County woman has been missing for eleven years, but her family believes a $100,000 reward could help solve the case.

Heather Teague has been missing since August 26th, 1995, after going sunbathing on Newburgh Beach in Henderson County.

Her mother, Sarah Teague, says Heather's case is one of 20 chosen by Joe Mammana of Philadelphia and the Midwest Coalition of Missing Persons for the reward. Mammana has donated millions of dollars to help solve crimes.

Please continue to read at the link provided.

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AP Wire | 11/02/2006 | Reward offered for information on woman's disappearance

Reward offered for information on woman's disappearance.

Associated Press

Posted on Thu, Nov. 02,

HENDERSON, Ky. - A $100,000 reward is being offered for information in the disappearance of a western Kentucky woman more than a decade ago.

Heather Teague, a 23-year-old Webster County resident, disappeared from Newburgh Beach in Henderson County where she had been sunbathing on Aug. 26, 1995.

Philadelphia philanthropist Joe Mammana, known for his financial assistance in high-profile criminal investigations, is offering the reward to any person who provides information leading police to Teague or for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the case.

Click on the link above to read the complete news article.

.

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14 WFIE, The Tri-State's News Leader: Reward Money Helps Find Missing Teen, Could Help in Teague Case

Reward Money Helps Find Missing Teen, Could Help in Teague Case

Nov 8, 2006 08:40 PM CST

Posted Image

It's been a week since a Philadelphia businessman announced a series of $100,000 rewards to help solve missing person cases around the country including the Heather Teague case in Western Kentucky.

Heather was apparently kidnapped at gunpoint on the banks of the Ohio River eleven years ago.

So far, the financial incentive has led to the recovery of 15-year-old Beatrice Elliott, who'd been missing for nearly two years.

Philadelphia Police found the endangered runaway after a tip came into the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The reward is $100,000 for each tip that leads to a recovery or a conviction. The reward offer ends November 24th.

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Geraldo Rivera is featuring the 2 Million Dollar Story on his show, Geraldo at Large. you can watch a video about Beatrice's recovery in the archive. Click on the 11/9 link. The other 19 missing persons are shown briefly. Here's the link:

Geraldo At Large - Video Archive

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From: 411Gina.org

www.411Gina.org - $2 Million in Rewards Offered for Missing Persons

NEWS FLASH: THE $2 Million Dollar Story

$2 MILLION DOLLARS IN REWARDS for information leading to the recovery of or the arrest and conviction of person(s) responsible for the disappearance of said missing person.

$100,000.00 REWARD EACH FOR 20 MISSING PERSONS FOR 20 DAYS, NOVEMBER 5th - 24th, 2006.

Twenty Missing Persons:

Christy Lynn Garrard

Missing from Boaz, AL

August 14, 1998

Jesse Florez

Missing from Phoenix, AZ

September 14, 2001

Cleashindra Denise Hall

Missing from Pine Bluff, AR

June 9, 1994

Lola Katherine Fry

Missing from Greenwood, IN

November 14, 1993

Harold Bradley Hensley

Missing from Plainfield, IN

January 11, 2006

Scott Michael Javins

Missing from Terre Haute, IN

May 24, 2002

Marilyn Renee McCown

Missing from Richmond, IN

July 22, 2001

Shannon Marie Sherrill

Missing from Thorntown, IN

October 5, 1986

Karen Jo Smith

Missing from Indianapolis, IN

December 27, 2000

Rayanne Turner

Missing from Indianapolis, IN

December 4, 1997

Heather Teague

Missing from Spottsville, KY

August 26, 1995

Reuben Bennett Blackwell II

Missing from Clinton, MD

May 6 1996

Kimberly Lawanda Carter

Missing from Kansas City, MO

July 5, 1984

Regina "Gina" Bos

Missing from Lincoln, NE

October 17, 2000

Jason Anthony Jolkowski

Missing from Omaha, NE

June 13, 2001

Danielle Nottingham

Missing from Princeton, NJ

January 11, 2003

Beatrice E. Elliott

Missing from Philadelphia, PA

March 14, 2005

William "Dean" Ponder

Missing from Spartan County, SC

August 28, 1993

Amos K. Mortier

Missing from Madison, WI

November 8, 2005

Alexis Patterson

Missing from Milwaukee, WI

May 3, 2002

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Missing but not forgotten

Jan 16, 2007 03:58 PM CST

Missing but not forgotten

Reporter: Stefanie Silvey

New Media Producer: Rachel Chambliss

The miracle in Missouri gives new hope to others waiting for news of missing loved ones.

The safe recovery of the two boys is good news to thousands of families, including several in the Tri-State, who've been waiting and hoping for years a missing family member will once again be home.

Detective Sergeant Steve Chambers, ISP, says, "At this point, we don't have a body. We don't have a crime scene."

"There is somebody out there that knows something. There has to be," says Daisy Applegate.

Ricky Thomas was 13 when he disappeared from his Bristow, Indiana home in November of 1997.

Applegate says, "Dead or alive, I mean, just let us know where he is."

He would be 22 today.

"Obviously, Ricky was not the type of person at 13 years old that could have left home and survived on his own," Chambers states.

Chambers is assigned to this missing persons case. "I believe he met with foul play, and the last person to have seen him alive was his stepfather."

Police investigators continue to follow any leads. Anyone with information in this case should contact Indiana State Police-Jasper District.

Dorcas Nesmith describes, "Can you imagine not knowing what happened to someone in your family?"

Her niece, Shannon Green, disappeared in 1986. She was last seen walking away from her Owensboro home.

Days after Shannon's disappearance, another teenager disappeared, Dewayne Bell. Just recently, an audio tape surfaced suggesting Dewayne Bell killed Shannon and others before disappearing himself.

Person asks, "Hid them where? You ain't going to tell me where you hid them? I don't blame you. I wouldn't tell neither."

Dewayne responds, "I....put them in a cornfield."

Numerous digs have taken place, but, so far, neither body has been found. Anyone with information in this case should contact the Owensboro Police Department.

Sarah Teague promises, "Until I find out how she took her last breath, I will not give up hope that one day she will come walking through my door."

Heather Teague disappeared off Newburgh Beach in Henderson in August of 1995. A man across the river actually witnessed her being dragged off the beach by an unknown assailant as she was sunbathing. She's never been seen since.

14 WFIE, The Tri-State's News Leader: Missing but not forgotten

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http://www.courierpress.com/news/2007/aug/08/teague-will-receive-new-information/

Teague will receive new information

By BETH SMITH

, Gleaner staff

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

The mother of a missing Webster County woman said she will soon be getting one of the answers she's been seeking for nearly 12 years.

Sarah Teague said that the Kentucky State Police has agreed to provide her with the time that an eyewitness made a 911 call saying that he'd seen her daughter, Heather Teague, being dragged off of Newburgh Beach. The state police have also agreed to provide the location or which dispatch center received the emergency call.

Teague, 23, was last seen on Aug. 26, 1995, being kidnapped from Newburgh Beach where she'd been sunbathing.

"We've tried to establish a timeline of events that occurred that day," said Chip Adams II of Madisonville, Sarah Teague's attorney. "Over the last 12 years, we've never been able to get this information and it's a crucial piece to the investigation."

Sarah Teague said initially, she and Adams had filed an open records request with the Kentucky State Police for the 911 tape of the eyewitnesses' phone call. The state police denied the request saying that they don't release information regarding an ongoing investigation in the event that it could hurt the case.

Teague and Adams then appealed to the Attorney General's Office, which upheld the state police's decision.

They then appealed the Attorney General's decision to the Henderson Circuit Court, but before a decision could be made in that arena, both parties agreed to a compromise.

"It's been 12 years to get this answer," Adams said, but added he's not sure where this information will lead or if it will generate a resolution to the case.

"This is the first mile of a marathon. We'll have to sit back and see where the leads go," he said.

Teague said that she's expecting to get the requested information from the state police sometime this week.

She said that for her, getting this information is significant for a few reasons.

"It's significant because we've never gotten a straight answer as to when the eyewitness called. It's so significant because it's an answer to one of my questions so that we can piece together what really happened," Teague said.

State Police Lt. David Crafton said the only information being released is the time the 911 call was placed and the location where it was received.

"Normally, we don't release anything that's part of an ongoing investigation," he said. "And every year, we work on this case. We work on it several times a year, following up the different leads that come in."

"Our agency specifically agreed to give the time and location to her (Teague)," Crafton said.

Lt. Scott Miller with the state police legal department in Frankfort said the agency agreed to the compromise because "investigators didn't feel that it would be detrimental to the case to release that information."

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http://www.madisoncourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=253&ArticleID=39871

11/8/2007 3:00:00 PM 

Tour calls attention to missing persons

Laura Halleman

Courier Staff Writer

On Oct. 17, 2000, 40-year-old singer-songwriter Gina Bos disappeared after playing at a local pub in Lincoln, Neb. A mother of three, Gina's car was found across the street from the pub with her guitar in the trunk. She has not been seen or heard from since.

On Aug. 26, 1995, 23-year-old Heather Teague was lying in the sun on a beach in Spottsville, Ky. When a witness says a man appeared from behind her, jerked her up by her hair and drug her into the woods. She has not been seen or heard from since.

On Sept. 3, 2006, 44-year-old Walter Smith, Jr. was last seen at his home in Edinburgh. His black, 2000 Daewoo Laganza was located abandoned two months later on the north side of Franklin. He has not been seen or heard from since.

And the list goes on and on. According to the FBI, tens of thousands of people vanish under suspicious circumstances each year, and there are as many as 100,000 active missing-persons cases daily.

As time goes by and the leads on a missing person fade, law enforcement officials eventually deem them cold cases. But for the families and friends, the unknown of what has happened to their loved one is a constant ache, and their strength and resilience spur them to continue their quest for answers by banding together with other families to find the missing and find creative outlets in doing so.

One such nonprofit organization is www.411Gina.org. Founded in 2001 by Gina Bos' sister, Jannel Rap, the mission of the organization is to bring together musicians and media through what has become known as The Squeaky Wheel Tour.

"After my sister disappeared, I got very depressed for some time. One night I went to bed and sat up in the morning and thought, 'We need to get news attention about this. We need to make some noise,'" Rap said. "I knew Gina was pushing me to do this, and I couldn't look at her kids and not do something about it. It was as if God told me what to do, too. I never knew what faith was until she disappeared."

So that's what Rap did. She made some noise. Continually calling the detectives working on Gina's case, Rap made her voice heard because Gina's could not be, she said.

With the inception of the Squeaky Wheel Tour, Rap, who is a member of the tour's headliner band Clementine, said her hope is to bring media attention to missing people whose circumstances surrounding their disappearance are not deemed "lurid" or "dramatic" enough to receive national attention.

The concert tour is held annually, and this year it played 19 shows across the country, including one that generated a packed house at the Electric Lady in Madison. As with each show, fliers with the faces and details of local missing persons are laid out on tables and displayed on posters for those in attendance to see.

Molly Dattilo, who grew up in Madison and who disappeared in Indianapolis on July 6, 2004, was one of several missing persons from the surrounding area whose disappearance was highlighted.

Last year, the tour brought home 10 people, including a boy who had run away from his home in Indiana and was living in New York City.

The missing boy attended the concert in New York and saw his face on the CD cover as one that was missing. He realized his parents did care and were looking for him, so he contacted his parents after the show.

The show in Madison brought out many relatives from Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky whose loved ones are missing.

Two women in attendance, whose daughters disappeared in separate states, share a heartbreaking similarity. Although the two men responsible for their daughters' deaths were convicted and given lengthy prison sentences based on circumstantial evidence, they refuse to tell these mothers where their daughters remains are, leaving them without closure.

Patti Bishop's stepdaughter Karen Jo Smith, 35, disappeared from Indianapolis on Dec. 27, 2000. Smith divorced Steven D. Halcomb after a volatile, abusive relationship. Halcomb was convicted and sentenced to 95 years in prison for the murder of Smith, but her remains have not been found and Halcomb isn't talking.

"He has a narcissistic personality, and I don't know if he'll ever tell us where she is, but we will never stop searching for her," Bishop said.

Bishop is now heavily involved in domestic violence awareness and is a volunteer for TeamHOPE, a support network for families of missing children and adults. In 2001, after contacting Rap, she helped organize the first Squeaky Wheel Tour to be held in Indiana.

"It's a passion of mine now. You never realize that in a split second someone you love and cherish will disappear from your life. We will never let other families give up hope," Bishop said.

On Aug. 28, 1996, 22-year-old Carrie Culberson disappeared from Wilmington, Ohio. Culberson's abusive ex-boyfriend, Vincent Doan, was convicted and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for her murder. Her remains have not been found. At Doan's sentencing, Carrie's mother, Debbie Culberson, urged Doan to tell her where her daughter's body could be found, but her pleas were met with silence.

"We have told him that if he would tell us where Carrie is, we would agree to a sentence reduction, but he has so far refused," Culberson said. "I and my daughter have been robbed of the natural grieving process that comes with losing a loved one because of this. Some people say our bodies are just a vessel, but it's that physical bond that we need to have closure."

She has since channeled her grief and frustration by working with Congressman Steve Chabot to get legislation passed that would require mandated testing of any unidentified dead and a national repository for these test results for all states to be able to access.

This week the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Justice Programs demonstrated the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, or NamUS, that the department had announced it was setting up in July. NamUs is a national database for matching unidentified human remains with records of missing persons. Ultimately, medical examiners, coroners, law enforcement officials, forensic professionals and the public will be able to use the database to search and match missing persons records and information about unidentified human remains.

The Office of Justice Programs' Bureau of Justice Statistics found that on average, 4,400 unidentified human bodies are received in medical examiners' and coroners' offices each year, and about 1,000 remain unidentified after a year.

The database is at www.namus.gov.

Culberson said she feels guilt for her other daughter for what she said is the "Left Behind Children" syndrome.

"I was there for her physical needs when she was growing up, but I was so absorbed in the trial and finding Carrie that she not only lost her sister, she lost me, and sadly, that has put a strain on our relationship," Culberson said.

The grassroots organizations are a monumental aid to those who want to spread the word of a missing loved one or to console those who have or are experiencing the agony of the unknown that some say is indescribable unless someone has gone through it.

But they know their work is not done. With each passing day, another flier with the photo of a missing son, daughter, brother, sister, mother, father or other relative is posted in a neighborhood.

"Some people say to me, 'It's been years since your daughter disappeared. Maybe it's time you let it go and moved on with your life,'" Sarah Teague, the mother of Heather Teague, said. "I tell them I will not rest until I have justice, but more importantly I will not stop searching, waiting, hoping and praying for a miracle. How can I? I am her mother."

For more on missing persons or to post information on a missing person, visit www.411Gina.org or www.teamhope.org.

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http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=7571228&nav=3w6o

Cold cases continue to haunt those left behind

Jan 3, 2008

Another year begins and still no closure for three families.

Maybe this will be the year the families get answers in three unsolved cases, all in Henderson County.

Two involve murders, the other is a disappearance, but detectives fear the worst in that case as well.

Detectives say the most difficult thing about not being able to solve these cases is the torment it puts the families through. The not knowing is what hurts the most.

It has been a rough couple of years for Jennifer Stott. Her niece Tiffany Phelps disappeared in January of 2006.

Stott says, "You just don't disappear."

Later that year, Stott's boyfriend's son, Danny Caldwell Junior was found dead by railroad tracks in Robards, Kentucky.

Stott says, "Seventeen-years-old, what was he thinking or what was he feeling?"

Lieutenant Frank Gropp with the Henderson Sheriff's Office says, "That was not the crime scene, the body was moved to that location. I feel like there is more than one person involved in this. I feel like there are people out there in the public that do have answers, but aren't coming forward."

Investigators don't believe the shooting of Caldwell is related to the disappearance of Tiffany Phelps, however they do feel like her case could be connected to the murder of Henderson native, Denice Duncan.

Sergeant John Nevels with Henderson Police says, "There has been an individual that we are very interested in. We still don't have enough to charge anyone at this time."

Tiffany's Aunt Glendora Smith says in one of her last conversations with her niece, Tiffany told her she was keeping her belongings at a friends' house on Alvasia Street.

That's the same street Denice Duncan's body was later found.

Smith says, "If anybody has information that can help, they need to come forward because it can happen to another person. "

Smith says they would feel better knowing Tiffany is dead than knowing nothing at all, " Wondering and wondering, is she dead, is she going to call. We'd feel better if we knew."

Investigators say all three cases are believed to be drug related, and because of that, very few people are coming forward with information.

Smith says, "Poor choices. She had a little bit of a habit, but that doesn't justify anyone doing anything to her. We loved her and we're concerned about her."

Another case that remains unsolved in Henderson county is the disappearance of Heather Teague.

Heather Teague vanished off Newburgh Beach August 26th, 1995. The suspect in that case killed himself when investigators went to question him.

If you have any information in connection with the Caldwell case you are asked to call the Henderson County Sheriff's Office. Henderson City Police are working the Duncan and Phelps cases.

The FBI and state police are handling the Teague case. Anyone with information can remain anonymous.

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http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/t/teague_heather.html

Heather Danyelle Teague

teague_heather4.jpgteague_heather5.jpgteague_heather6.jpg

teague_heather7.jpgteague_heather8.jpgteague_heather_ap.jpg
Top Two Rows and Bottom Left and Center: Teague, circa 1995;
Bottom Right: Age-progression to age 34 (circa 2006)


Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance

Missing Since: August 26, 1995 from Spottsville, Kentucky
Classification: Endangered Missing
Age: 23 years old
Height and Weight: 5'2, 90 - 100 pounds

Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Brown hair, green eyes. Teague has a circular red birthmark on her right buttock.

Clothing Description: A red plaid bathing suit.

Medical Conditions: Teague has scoliosis, and her spine curves slightly but noticeably as a result of the condition.


Details of Disappearance

Teague was sunbathing at Newburgh Beach in Henderson County, Kentucky on August 26, 1995. A witness was observing the beach area through a telescope from across the Ohio River at approximately 12:45 p.m. The witness told authorities that he saw a Caucasian man approach Teague at that time. The abductor allegedly grabbed Teague by the hair and dragged her into the woods off of Newburgh Beach at gunpoint. The abductor was approximately 6'0 and weighed 210 to 230 pounds. He had brown hair and a bushy brown beard. The suspect was wearing jeans and did not have shirt. He was also reported to be wearing a wig and a mosquito net at the time he abducted Teague.

Authorities searched the Newburgh Beach area later in the day and discovered part of Teague's bathing suit near the alleged abduction site. Additional evidence was also located, but nothing investigators found could lead them to Teague's whereabouts. She has never been heard from again.

Marvin "Marty" Dill, a resident of Henderson County, Kentucky, had been pulled over during a routine traffic stop by police in February 1995, six months prior to Teague's disappearance. A photograph of him is posted below this case summary. Dill matched the description of Teague's abductor and also drove a red and white Ford Bronco, which was identical to a vehicle a witness reported was parked next to Teague's car on Newburgh Beach. Authorities discovered a hair resembling Teague's, two guns, two knives, duct tape, rubber gloves and rope in Dill's vehicle at the time of his February 1995 traffic stop. The truck had bloodstains on the inside tailgate. Dill also strongly resembled the composite sketch made of Teague's abductor.

Investigators received several tips connecting Dill to Teague's case in August 1995 and arrived at his home to question him. Dill reportedly told his wife to leave their residence after becoming alerted to law enforcement's prescence. He then committed suicide by shooting himself before officers could enter his home.

Prosecutors compiled available evidence against Dill after his death and brought the information before a grand jury. Dill's wife was called as a witness during the grand jury phase, but she invoked her Fifth Amendment rights and refused to answer any questions about Teague's abduction.

Another possible suspect in Teague's case is Christopher J. Below, a native of Henderson, Kentucky. A photograph of him is posted below this case summary. He was convicted of the 1991 murder of Kathern Fetzer and is serving a prison sentence of 11 to 18 years for the crime. Her body has never been found, but Below confessed to shooting her and pleaded guilty to attempted involuntary manslaughter. He is also considered a possible suspect in the disappearances of Shaylene Farrell and Kristina Porco.

Investigators believe Below may have attacked other women who physically resembled Fetzer. Both Teague and Fetzer had long dark hair and were about 5'0 and 100 pounds. Below was known to be in the general area when Teague was abducted, but shortly after her disappearance, on the same day Dill committed suicide, he left Kentucky. He, Dill and Teague share some acquaintances. Although the witness to Teague's abduction consistently identified Dill and not Fetzer as the kidnapper, authorities believe they have circumstantial evidence to tie Below to the crime. They believe he and Dill may have done it together; perhaps one grabbed Teague and the other drove the getaway car. Below has not been charged in connection with Teague's case, however, due to a lack of conclusive evidence linking him to the crime.

Teague's disappearance remains unsolved. Foul play is suspected due to the circumstances involved in her case.


teague_dill.jpgfetzer_below.jpg
Left: Dill;
Right: Below

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Kentucky State Police
270-826-3312


 

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http://www.kentucky.com/471/story/388438.html

Mother searching daughter gone missing 13 years ago

The Associated Press

MADISONVILLE, Ky. --There were no parties or gifts when Heather Teague turned 36 on Friday.

Teague's mother, Sarah Teague, wants only one present: to find out what happened to her daughter 13 years ago. To that end, she's hired private investigator Gil Alba of New York to track down leads on what became of her daughter

"Am I such a great investigator I'm going to figure this out in hours? No, of course not," Alba said. "But I want to do as much as I can to help. The Kentucky State Police have the case. If they want to share information, that's up to them."

Heather Teague, then 23, was abducted Aug. 26, 1995, from Newburgh Beach, a sandy strip of Ohio River shoreline in Kentucky downstream from Newburgh Lock and Dam.

She went to the remote spot that's popular with boaters, campers and weekend partiers on a late summer Saturday to sunbathe on the north end of the beach. A Newburgh resident looking at the beach through a telescope reported seeing Teague dragged into the trees lining the riverbank by a man with a gun.

That marked the last time anyone reported seeing her. A suspect in the abduction killed himself as Kentucky State Police surrounded his rural Henderson County residence.

Since then, Sarah Teague has pushed to keep her daughter's name and case visible. She's even rented billboards asking "Where's Heather?"

Alba took the case after multiple requests by Sarah Teague. He planned to be in western Kentucky for three days, visiting the site where the abduction occurred and talking with other investigators.

Alba said he took the case to "help Sarah with the case and bring some attention and give her (Heather) her due."

Kentucky State Police detective Marc Carter said the agency would "gladly speak to him" and welcomes assistance.

Tips still come in periodically on the Teague disappearance, Carter said.

"Occasionally, someone will call and offer some information, but generally speaking, they're offering old information," Carter said.

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http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=8670231&nav=menu54_2

Judge exec. orders memory ribbons removed

Posted: July 14, 2008 09:27 AM CDT

Posted by Beth Sweeney

A grieving mother's tradition may soon be a thing of the past.

For six years, Sarah Teague has been hanging lavender ribbons on a tree next to the Hopkins County Courthouse, in memory of her daughter Heather who was abducted 13 years ago.

Sarah Teague says she received permission from then Judge Executive Patricia Hawkins to put ribbons on the tree.

However, current judge executive Donnie Carroll has ordered the ribbons removed permanently.

A meeting on the dispute is set for later today.

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