Missing Woman: Amanda Jones - MO - 8/14/2005
Started by
Kathylene
, May 14 2007 08:05 PM
103 replies to this topic
#51
Kathylene
Kathylene
-
- Guests
Posted 14 May 2007 - 08:21 PM
Posted on Mon, Aug. 14, 2006
Anniversary draws attention to missing pregnant woman
JEFF DOUGLAS
Associated Press
ST. LOUIS - A memorial service on the one-year anniversary of the disappearance of Amanda Jones was not planned as a funeral, just as a way to show she has not been forgotten, Jones' mother said Monday.
Please click on link for rest of article: http://www.belleville.com/mld/bellev...e/15272860.htm
Anniversary draws attention to missing pregnant woman
JEFF DOUGLAS
Associated Press
ST. LOUIS - A memorial service on the one-year anniversary of the disappearance of Amanda Jones was not planned as a funeral, just as a way to show she has not been forgotten, Jones' mother said Monday.
Please click on link for rest of article: http://www.belleville.com/mld/bellev...e/15272860.htm
#52
Kathylene
Kathylene
-
- Guests
Posted 14 May 2007 - 08:22 PM
Service Planned For Missing Pevely Woman
created: 8/13/2006 6:31:08 PM
updated: 8/14/2006 8:31:24 AM
(KSDK) - Monday, friends and family plan to mark the one year anniversary of Amanda Jones' disappearance.
Please click on link for remainder of story:
http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_articl...storyid=101818
created: 8/13/2006 6:31:08 PM
updated: 8/14/2006 8:31:24 AM
(KSDK) - Monday, friends and family plan to mark the one year anniversary of Amanda Jones' disappearance.
Please click on link for remainder of story:
http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_articl...storyid=101818
#53
Kathylene
Kathylene
-
- Guests
Posted 14 May 2007 - 08:22 PM
Memorial planned for expecting mother who vanished
09:01 AM CDT on Monday, August 14, 2006
HILLSBORO, Mo. (AP) -- A year ago today a 28-year-old expecting mother from Pevely vanished.
Amanda Jones' family will hold a memorial service for her at Calvary Assembly of God Church in Crystal City at 6 p.m. this evening. The service is open to the public.
Please click on link for rest of story:
http://www.kmov.com/localnews/storie...n.91404c9.html
09:01 AM CDT on Monday, August 14, 2006
HILLSBORO, Mo. (AP) -- A year ago today a 28-year-old expecting mother from Pevely vanished.
Amanda Jones' family will hold a memorial service for her at Calvary Assembly of God Church in Crystal City at 6 p.m. this evening. The service is open to the public.
Please click on link for rest of story:
http://www.kmov.com/localnews/storie...n.91404c9.html
#54
Kathylene
Kathylene
-
- Guests
Posted 14 May 2007 - 08:22 PM
created: 8/14/2006 10:02:45 PM
updated: 8/15/2006 8:36:14 AM
1 Year Later: Family And Friends Still Seek Answers About Amanda Jones' Disappearance
By Ann Rubin
(KSDK) - She was 26-years old and due to give birth to her second child any day. But something happened to Amanda Jones a year ago.
She might have had an accident or met with foul play. No one knows for sure. No one has seen her since. Monday night, her family marked the anniversary of her disappearance.
It is an occasion they'd rather not mark. But family and friends gathered outside the Calvalry Assembly of God Church, the last place they saw her that day.
Her mother, Bertha Propst says, "This is not a memorial, because we still don't believe she's dead."
She was nine months pregnant. She was headed to the Hillsboro Civic Center to see the man she said was the father of her child. Police found her car there, but no sign of Amanda.
Her father, Hubert Propst says, "If it was natural death or a car wreck or whatever you could accept it a whole lot easier than what you can because you don't know."
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department has been investigating. Just two weeks ago they searched 100 acres off of White Road. But the leads are drying up, and there are still no answers.
Lt. Tommy Wright says, "Our number one goal is to bring Amanda home. This is the number one case in the sheriff's office."http://www.ksdk.com/...?storyid=101875
updated: 8/15/2006 8:36:14 AM
1 Year Later: Family And Friends Still Seek Answers About Amanda Jones' Disappearance
By Ann Rubin
(KSDK) - She was 26-years old and due to give birth to her second child any day. But something happened to Amanda Jones a year ago.
She might have had an accident or met with foul play. No one knows for sure. No one has seen her since. Monday night, her family marked the anniversary of her disappearance.
It is an occasion they'd rather not mark. But family and friends gathered outside the Calvalry Assembly of God Church, the last place they saw her that day.
Her mother, Bertha Propst says, "This is not a memorial, because we still don't believe she's dead."
She was nine months pregnant. She was headed to the Hillsboro Civic Center to see the man she said was the father of her child. Police found her car there, but no sign of Amanda.
Her father, Hubert Propst says, "If it was natural death or a car wreck or whatever you could accept it a whole lot easier than what you can because you don't know."
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department has been investigating. Just two weeks ago they searched 100 acres off of White Road. But the leads are drying up, and there are still no answers.
Lt. Tommy Wright says, "Our number one goal is to bring Amanda home. This is the number one case in the sheriff's office."http://www.ksdk.com/...?storyid=101875
#55
Kathylene
Kathylene
-
- Guests
Posted 14 May 2007 - 08:22 PM
October 6, 2006, was Amanda's 27th birthday. Happy Birthday, Amanda, wherever you are.
Denise
Denise
#56
Kathylene
Kathylene
-
- Guests
Posted 14 May 2007 - 08:23 PM
The Charley Project: Amanda Kay Jones
Amanda Kay Jones
Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: August 14, 2005 from Hillsboro, Missouri
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: October 6, 1978
Age: 26 years old
Height and Weight: 5'8, 225 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Brown hair, blue eyes. Jones had blonde highlights in her hair at the time of her disappearance. She wears wire-framed eyeglasses or contact lenses; she was wearing the contacts when she went missing. She has a tattoo of a dolphin on the left side of her chest.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A pink sleeveless shirt, a pink and white flowered skirt and pink sandals.
Medical Conditions: Jones was eight and a half months pregnant with a boy at the time of her disappearance; she was due to give birth in late August.
Details of Disappearance
Jones met Brian Lee Westphal at the horse show grounds at the Hillsboro Civic Center in the vicinity of the 10300 block of Highway 21 in Hillsboro, Missouri at 2:00 p.m. on August 14, 2005. She was last seen in the parking lot of the center at 5:00 p.m. that same day. She has never been heard from again. Jones's blue 1997 Pontiac Sunfire was later found unlocked and abandoned in the parking lot. Her purse was inside the vehicle, but keys, wallet and cellular phone were missing.
Jones claimed Westphal was the father of her unborn child, but he always denied it. She met him on the day of his disappearance to find out what, if any, input he wanted into the baby's life. Westphal has cooperated with the investigation and maintains his innocence in Jones's disappearance. He stated they spoke for about an hour in the parking lot of the Hillsboro Civic Center and she was fine when he left her, and talking to someone on her cellular phone.
Jones is divorced and left behind a young child. She employed as a loan administrator at the Eagle Bank in Festus, Missouri in 2005. Her loved ones stated it was uncharacteristic of her to leave without warning, and she could not walk easily as a result of her pregnancy. There has been no activity on her cellular phone or credit cards since her disappearance, and no evidence that she checked into any hospital to deliver her baby. Her last known credit card purchase was at a drugstore; she bought a soda and hair spray hours before she went missing.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Jefferson County Sheriff's Office
636-797-5515
Source Information
The National Center for Missing Adults
America's Most Wanted
KSDK NewsChannel 5
CNN
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch
KMOX 1120
The Belleville News-Democrat
Amanda Kay Jones
Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance
Missing Since: August 14, 2005 from Hillsboro, Missouri
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: October 6, 1978
Age: 26 years old
Height and Weight: 5'8, 225 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian female. Brown hair, blue eyes. Jones had blonde highlights in her hair at the time of her disappearance. She wears wire-framed eyeglasses or contact lenses; she was wearing the contacts when she went missing. She has a tattoo of a dolphin on the left side of her chest.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A pink sleeveless shirt, a pink and white flowered skirt and pink sandals.
Medical Conditions: Jones was eight and a half months pregnant with a boy at the time of her disappearance; she was due to give birth in late August.
Details of Disappearance
Jones met Brian Lee Westphal at the horse show grounds at the Hillsboro Civic Center in the vicinity of the 10300 block of Highway 21 in Hillsboro, Missouri at 2:00 p.m. on August 14, 2005. She was last seen in the parking lot of the center at 5:00 p.m. that same day. She has never been heard from again. Jones's blue 1997 Pontiac Sunfire was later found unlocked and abandoned in the parking lot. Her purse was inside the vehicle, but keys, wallet and cellular phone were missing.
Jones claimed Westphal was the father of her unborn child, but he always denied it. She met him on the day of his disappearance to find out what, if any, input he wanted into the baby's life. Westphal has cooperated with the investigation and maintains his innocence in Jones's disappearance. He stated they spoke for about an hour in the parking lot of the Hillsboro Civic Center and she was fine when he left her, and talking to someone on her cellular phone.
Jones is divorced and left behind a young child. She employed as a loan administrator at the Eagle Bank in Festus, Missouri in 2005. Her loved ones stated it was uncharacteristic of her to leave without warning, and she could not walk easily as a result of her pregnancy. There has been no activity on her cellular phone or credit cards since her disappearance, and no evidence that she checked into any hospital to deliver her baby. Her last known credit card purchase was at a drugstore; she bought a soda and hair spray hours before she went missing.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Jefferson County Sheriff's Office
636-797-5515
Source Information
The National Center for Missing Adults
America's Most Wanted
KSDK NewsChannel 5
CNN
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch
KMOX 1120
The Belleville News-Democrat
#57
Kathylene
Kathylene
-
- Guests
Posted 14 May 2007 - 08:23 PM
Good News!
Jefferson City is starting to listen! There’s another bill that will help the missing; HB 757 which will provide guidelines for Law Enforcement so they will be better able to investigate and process evidence in a missing person’s case. Thank you Brandy and "friends of Summer" for your hard work. This bill along with SB 67 (endangered/elderly alert) will make a huge difference. It can save lives and stop criminals.
Missouri, especially rural Missouri has way too many missing persons cases. It’s time something is done about it! Contact your senators and representatives and ask them to support HB 757 & SB 67. Remember they are starting to listen.
HB 757 Establishes the Summer Shipp Act which specifies that law enforcement officers cannot refuse a written report of a missing person
HB 757 - SUMMER SHIPP ACT - Pratt, Bryan
Summary of the Introduced Bill
HB 757 -- Summer Shipp Act
Sponsor: Pratt
This bill establishes the Summer Shipp Act which specifies that
law enforcement officers cannot refuse a written report of a
missing person. In accepting a written report of a missing
person, the law enforcement agency must attempt to gather
relevant information regarding the disappearance and reasonably
respond to inquiries from the person making the report, a family
member, or any other person in a position to assist the agency in
locating the missing person. The agency must determine whether
the person missing is a high-risk missing person and, if so, to
immediately notify the State Highway Patrol.
If the person is missing for a period of 30 days, the agency must
attempt to obtain DNA samples from family members, an
authorization to release dental or skeletal x-rays, additional
photographs, dental information, and x-rays or fingerprints of
the missing person.
Jefferson City is starting to listen! There’s another bill that will help the missing; HB 757 which will provide guidelines for Law Enforcement so they will be better able to investigate and process evidence in a missing person’s case. Thank you Brandy and "friends of Summer" for your hard work. This bill along with SB 67 (endangered/elderly alert) will make a huge difference. It can save lives and stop criminals.
Missouri, especially rural Missouri has way too many missing persons cases. It’s time something is done about it! Contact your senators and representatives and ask them to support HB 757 & SB 67. Remember they are starting to listen.
HB 757 Establishes the Summer Shipp Act which specifies that law enforcement officers cannot refuse a written report of a missing person
HB 757 - SUMMER SHIPP ACT - Pratt, Bryan
Summary of the Introduced Bill
HB 757 -- Summer Shipp Act
Sponsor: Pratt
This bill establishes the Summer Shipp Act which specifies that
law enforcement officers cannot refuse a written report of a
missing person. In accepting a written report of a missing
person, the law enforcement agency must attempt to gather
relevant information regarding the disappearance and reasonably
respond to inquiries from the person making the report, a family
member, or any other person in a position to assist the agency in
locating the missing person. The agency must determine whether
the person missing is a high-risk missing person and, if so, to
immediately notify the State Highway Patrol.
If the person is missing for a period of 30 days, the agency must
attempt to obtain DNA samples from family members, an
authorization to release dental or skeletal x-rays, additional
photographs, dental information, and x-rays or fingerprints of
the missing person.
#58
Kathylene
Kathylene
-
- Guests
Posted 14 May 2007 - 08:23 PM
Police, family turn to Internet in search of missing woman
By Christine Byers
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
04/07/2007
DE SOTO  Hubert and Bertha Propst looked at each other, looked at the floor and finally at their hands as they searched for the words to describe what their life has been like since their daughter, Amanda Jones, vanished nearly two years ago.
"It's kind of like a plague has come over us," said Hubert Propst, 60, as he raised his head.
It has afflicted their minds and bodies. Invaded their faith in people. Eroded their family relationships.
But the Propsts haven't given in to hopelessness.
That's why they, along with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, are trying a new way to prompt anyone who has information about their daughter to come forward. They have created a page, "Finding Amanda Jones," on the popular website MySpace hoping someone may post the clues police need to bring Jones home.
On Aug. 14, 2005, Jones, who was 26 and nine months pregnant, told her mother she was going to the Hillsboro Civic Center to meet Bryan Lee Westfall, the man she believed was the father of her unborn son. Westfall, a former college instructor, has denied being the father and told police he had left Jones where the two met, at the horse show grounds of the civic center.
Police found Jones' unlocked car, with her purse inside, at the civic center. No one has reported seeing Jones since, and no one has been charged in her disappearance.
"We've tried everything conventional," said Lt. Tommy Wright. "And now we're trying something unconventional. We're so close, but we lack certain pieces of the puzzle. Is this the panacea to find those missing links? I don't know. Only time will tell."
Along with providing a place to post clues with relative anonymity, the site also serves as a tribute to Jones, who was a divorced mother of a 4-year-old daughter at the time of her disappearance.
Several friends and family members, including the Propsts, already have posted messages on the site, which also keeps count of the days, the minutes and the seconds she has been missing  or for her parents, the amount of time they have been plagued with worry.
Initially, they tried to keep the mobile home in Pevely that their daughter shared with her daughter, where the child's drawings lined the walls and covered the refrigerator.
But paying two mortgages became too difficult.
The couple spent about a month last summer going through their daughter's belongings and preparing to sell her place. They kept some things  including her Herculaneum High School mug  and donated her clothes to area nonprofits. They also sold their own home, in Festus, and moved to a smaller home in De Soto.
"Every time we went there (Jones' home), I could barely walk through the door," said Bertha Propst, 51.
The stress also has taken a physical toll on the couple. A knee replacement surgery Bertha Propst had shortly after her daughter's disappearance has yet to heal properly. Hubert Propst, once an avid runner, has gained weight and is having problems with his short-term memory.
At times, he has come home to find his wife of 32 years sitting alone in the dark, "Like she's in a trance."
"It isn't like a death, because you don't know where she's at or what happened to her," Bertha Propst explained.
"And you don't want to think of her as dead," Hubert Propst added. "Just gone."
At least one aspect of moving has brought comfort to Hubert Propst. He said he no longer looked out his kitchen window and imagined his daughter's car pulling into his driveway.
They have set up a room for their granddaughter with a picture of her mother on the nightstand. The little girl they once saw as much as four times a week is now 6 and has seen her grandparents only a handful of times since her mother disappeared  a privilege the Propsts said they had to go to court to earn now that she is in her father's custody in St. Louis.
Each time the girl does come for a visit, she goes to the picture of her mother, kisses it and says, "I love you, Mommy." She named a stuffed bear her grandparents gave her Hayden  the name of the little brother she never met.
Along with their granddaughter, the Propsts have struggled to maintain the relationships they once had with other family members. Frequent family get-togethers have dwindled under the cloud of knowing someone isn't there, Hubert Propst said.
Some family members criticized Amanda Jones' sister, Carrie, for having a picture of her sister on the altar at her wedding in July and for having a moment of silence at the reception, saying it overshadowed her day as the bride.
The Propsts also are having difficulty with relationships beyond their family.
"We've become very bitter, and we don't trust anyone," Bertha Propst said as she recalled stories of people calling to offer tips that have led nowhere, including one that came from a prisoner in Jennings who claimed to know where Jones was buried.
Hubert Propst went to the jail to meet him and still wonders if there was any truth to the man's claims. And just last week, the couple met with another man who said he had pictures of Jones in a park. The images turned out not to be of her.
"When it's your daughter, you'll do anything, go anywhere to try and find her," Hubert Propst said.
Now, they hope the Internet will produce some clues.
"I hope and pray that the person who has the information will find it in their heart to bring it forward," Bertha Propst said, pausing to wipe her tears. "To help us get closure and peace back into our lives."
STLtoday - News - Jefferson County
By Christine Byers
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
04/07/2007
DE SOTO  Hubert and Bertha Propst looked at each other, looked at the floor and finally at their hands as they searched for the words to describe what their life has been like since their daughter, Amanda Jones, vanished nearly two years ago.
"It's kind of like a plague has come over us," said Hubert Propst, 60, as he raised his head.
It has afflicted their minds and bodies. Invaded their faith in people. Eroded their family relationships.
But the Propsts haven't given in to hopelessness.
That's why they, along with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, are trying a new way to prompt anyone who has information about their daughter to come forward. They have created a page, "Finding Amanda Jones," on the popular website MySpace hoping someone may post the clues police need to bring Jones home.
On Aug. 14, 2005, Jones, who was 26 and nine months pregnant, told her mother she was going to the Hillsboro Civic Center to meet Bryan Lee Westfall, the man she believed was the father of her unborn son. Westfall, a former college instructor, has denied being the father and told police he had left Jones where the two met, at the horse show grounds of the civic center.
Police found Jones' unlocked car, with her purse inside, at the civic center. No one has reported seeing Jones since, and no one has been charged in her disappearance.
"We've tried everything conventional," said Lt. Tommy Wright. "And now we're trying something unconventional. We're so close, but we lack certain pieces of the puzzle. Is this the panacea to find those missing links? I don't know. Only time will tell."
Along with providing a place to post clues with relative anonymity, the site also serves as a tribute to Jones, who was a divorced mother of a 4-year-old daughter at the time of her disappearance.
Several friends and family members, including the Propsts, already have posted messages on the site, which also keeps count of the days, the minutes and the seconds she has been missing  or for her parents, the amount of time they have been plagued with worry.
Initially, they tried to keep the mobile home in Pevely that their daughter shared with her daughter, where the child's drawings lined the walls and covered the refrigerator.
But paying two mortgages became too difficult.
The couple spent about a month last summer going through their daughter's belongings and preparing to sell her place. They kept some things  including her Herculaneum High School mug  and donated her clothes to area nonprofits. They also sold their own home, in Festus, and moved to a smaller home in De Soto.
"Every time we went there (Jones' home), I could barely walk through the door," said Bertha Propst, 51.
The stress also has taken a physical toll on the couple. A knee replacement surgery Bertha Propst had shortly after her daughter's disappearance has yet to heal properly. Hubert Propst, once an avid runner, has gained weight and is having problems with his short-term memory.
At times, he has come home to find his wife of 32 years sitting alone in the dark, "Like she's in a trance."
"It isn't like a death, because you don't know where she's at or what happened to her," Bertha Propst explained.
"And you don't want to think of her as dead," Hubert Propst added. "Just gone."
At least one aspect of moving has brought comfort to Hubert Propst. He said he no longer looked out his kitchen window and imagined his daughter's car pulling into his driveway.
They have set up a room for their granddaughter with a picture of her mother on the nightstand. The little girl they once saw as much as four times a week is now 6 and has seen her grandparents only a handful of times since her mother disappeared  a privilege the Propsts said they had to go to court to earn now that she is in her father's custody in St. Louis.
Each time the girl does come for a visit, she goes to the picture of her mother, kisses it and says, "I love you, Mommy." She named a stuffed bear her grandparents gave her Hayden  the name of the little brother she never met.
Along with their granddaughter, the Propsts have struggled to maintain the relationships they once had with other family members. Frequent family get-togethers have dwindled under the cloud of knowing someone isn't there, Hubert Propst said.
Some family members criticized Amanda Jones' sister, Carrie, for having a picture of her sister on the altar at her wedding in July and for having a moment of silence at the reception, saying it overshadowed her day as the bride.
The Propsts also are having difficulty with relationships beyond their family.
"We've become very bitter, and we don't trust anyone," Bertha Propst said as she recalled stories of people calling to offer tips that have led nowhere, including one that came from a prisoner in Jennings who claimed to know where Jones was buried.
Hubert Propst went to the jail to meet him and still wonders if there was any truth to the man's claims. And just last week, the couple met with another man who said he had pictures of Jones in a park. The images turned out not to be of her.
"When it's your daughter, you'll do anything, go anywhere to try and find her," Hubert Propst said.
Now, they hope the Internet will produce some clues.
"I hope and pray that the person who has the information will find it in their heart to bring it forward," Bertha Propst said, pausing to wipe her tears. "To help us get closure and peace back into our lives."
STLtoday - News - Jefferson County
#59
Kathylene
Kathylene
-
- Guests
Posted 14 May 2007 - 08:24 PM
Family Of Missing Woman Sets Up Website For Tips
Created: 4/8/2007 9:53:51 PM
Last updated: 4/8/2007 10:47:43 PM
By Ann Rubin
(KSDK) - It's a high profile missing persons case: A pregnant Pevely woman, gone for twenty months. Now investigators hope technology will provide them with the break they need to find her.
But they're not using special forensic equipment or a police database. They're using the social networking site "My Space."
This isn't your typical My Space page. While it does have pictures and messages, the primary goal here is generating new leads in this cold case.
The family has documented each day she's been gone, held vigils and even made pleas in the paper for her safe return. But now Hubert and Bertha Propst are searching somewhere else for their missing daughter: online.
"Well it's what the world's coming to, internet, internet," Bertha Propst said. "It's all computerized. So you have to go with the way the world's going when you're wanting to try to find somebody."
They don't even own a computer. Still, they're giving technology a try. The site is myspace.com/findingamandajones.
Jones went missing in August 2005, from the Hillsboro Civic Center. She was eight and a half months pregnant at the time.
Since then, the clues have dried up. Jones' family hopes this web page will generate new leads.
"I'm hoping that someone will spill their guts," Hubert Propst said.
"People talk through their fingers on the internet," Bertha Propst said. "So I'm hoping that's what's going to happen. That whoever seen something or knows something maybe this will be a way they can tell what they've seen or known."
The idea came from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department. They've seen websites help solve other high profile missing persons cases. The family of Amanda Jones hopes it will work in their case as well.
"Get on my space and tell us where she's at. You know and we'll come get her and bring her home. That's what we want. We want our daughter back," Hubert Propst said.
"I'm praying that's what's going to happen, that this is going to be the tool that we need to get the answers we need," Bertha Propst said.
There is a $100,000 reward for any information leading to the whereabouts of Amanda Jones.
Again the website is www.myspace.com/findingamandajones.
http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_articl...storyid=116407
Created: 4/8/2007 9:53:51 PM
Last updated: 4/8/2007 10:47:43 PM
By Ann Rubin
(KSDK) - It's a high profile missing persons case: A pregnant Pevely woman, gone for twenty months. Now investigators hope technology will provide them with the break they need to find her.
But they're not using special forensic equipment or a police database. They're using the social networking site "My Space."
This isn't your typical My Space page. While it does have pictures and messages, the primary goal here is generating new leads in this cold case.
The family has documented each day she's been gone, held vigils and even made pleas in the paper for her safe return. But now Hubert and Bertha Propst are searching somewhere else for their missing daughter: online.
"Well it's what the world's coming to, internet, internet," Bertha Propst said. "It's all computerized. So you have to go with the way the world's going when you're wanting to try to find somebody."
They don't even own a computer. Still, they're giving technology a try. The site is myspace.com/findingamandajones.
Jones went missing in August 2005, from the Hillsboro Civic Center. She was eight and a half months pregnant at the time.
Since then, the clues have dried up. Jones' family hopes this web page will generate new leads.
"I'm hoping that someone will spill their guts," Hubert Propst said.
"People talk through their fingers on the internet," Bertha Propst said. "So I'm hoping that's what's going to happen. That whoever seen something or knows something maybe this will be a way they can tell what they've seen or known."
The idea came from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department. They've seen websites help solve other high profile missing persons cases. The family of Amanda Jones hopes it will work in their case as well.
"Get on my space and tell us where she's at. You know and we'll come get her and bring her home. That's what we want. We want our daughter back," Hubert Propst said.
"I'm praying that's what's going to happen, that this is going to be the tool that we need to get the answers we need," Bertha Propst said.
There is a $100,000 reward for any information leading to the whereabouts of Amanda Jones.
Again the website is www.myspace.com/findingamandajones.
http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_articl...storyid=116407
#60
Kathylene
Kathylene
-
- Guests
Posted 14 May 2007 - 08:24 PM
Police turn to Internet
Officers and family of a missing woman create a Web page.
Desoto  Life hasn't been the same for Hubert and Bertha Propst since their daughter, Amanda Jones, vanished nearly two years ago.
"It's kind of like a plague has come over us," Hubert Propst, 60, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
It has affected their health and faith in others, and eroded family relationships.
But the Propsts aren't without hope.
The couple, along with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, have created a page  "Finding Amanda Jones"  on the popular Web site MySpace in hopes someone will post the clues police need to bring Jones home.
On Aug. 14, 2005, Jones, who was 26 and nine months pregnant, told her mother she was going to the Hillsboro Civic Center to meet Bryan Lee Westfall, the man she believed was the father of her unborn son. Westfall, a former college instructor, has denied being the father and told police he had left Jones where the two met, at the horse show grounds of the civic center.
Police found Jones' unlocked car, with her purse inside, at the civic center. No one has reported seeing Jones since, and no one has been charged in her disappearance.
"We've tried everything conventional," Lt. Tommy Wright said. "And now we're trying something unconventional. We're so close, but we lack certain pieces of the puzzle. Is this the panacea to find those missing links? I don't know. Only time will tell."
The site provides a place to post clues and serves as a tribute to the divorced mother of a 4-year-old daughter.
People have called to offer tips that have led nowhere. A prisoner in Jennings claimed to know where Jones was buried.
Hubert Propst went to the jail to meet him and still wonders if there was any truth to the man's claims.
"When it's your daughter, you'll do anything, go anywhere to try and find her," Hubert Propst said.
Now, they hope the Internet will produce some clues.
"I hope and pray that the person who has the information will find it in their heart to bring it forward," Bertha Propst said. "To help us get closure and peace back into our lives."
News-Leader.com | Local News
Officers and family of a missing woman create a Web page.
Desoto  Life hasn't been the same for Hubert and Bertha Propst since their daughter, Amanda Jones, vanished nearly two years ago.
"It's kind of like a plague has come over us," Hubert Propst, 60, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
It has affected their health and faith in others, and eroded family relationships.
But the Propsts aren't without hope.
The couple, along with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, have created a page  "Finding Amanda Jones"  on the popular Web site MySpace in hopes someone will post the clues police need to bring Jones home.
On Aug. 14, 2005, Jones, who was 26 and nine months pregnant, told her mother she was going to the Hillsboro Civic Center to meet Bryan Lee Westfall, the man she believed was the father of her unborn son. Westfall, a former college instructor, has denied being the father and told police he had left Jones where the two met, at the horse show grounds of the civic center.
Police found Jones' unlocked car, with her purse inside, at the civic center. No one has reported seeing Jones since, and no one has been charged in her disappearance.
"We've tried everything conventional," Lt. Tommy Wright said. "And now we're trying something unconventional. We're so close, but we lack certain pieces of the puzzle. Is this the panacea to find those missing links? I don't know. Only time will tell."
The site provides a place to post clues and serves as a tribute to the divorced mother of a 4-year-old daughter.
People have called to offer tips that have led nowhere. A prisoner in Jennings claimed to know where Jones was buried.
Hubert Propst went to the jail to meet him and still wonders if there was any truth to the man's claims.
"When it's your daughter, you'll do anything, go anywhere to try and find her," Hubert Propst said.
Now, they hope the Internet will produce some clues.
"I hope and pray that the person who has the information will find it in their heart to bring it forward," Bertha Propst said. "To help us get closure and peace back into our lives."
News-Leader.com | Local News
#61
Denise
-
- Members
-
- 5,184 posts
Advanced Member
- LocationMetropolitan St. Louis
Posted 20 June 2007 - 06:02 AM
http://www.cantonrep...&subCategoryID=
Other pregnant women also have disappeared
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
BY Tim Botos
REPOSITORY STAFF WRITER
You know the Laci Peterson story, but how about Amanda Jones?
She's the less-famous pregnant woman who vanished two years ago near her home in Hillsboro, Mo. And it's Jones' story that more resembles the disappearance of Lake Township's mother-to-be, Jessie M. Davis.
Both women were 26 years old.
Both were nine months pregnant.
Both already had a small child.
"They were due to give birth," said Lt. Tommy Wright of the Jefferson County Sheriff's office in Missouri.
Similar enough that Tuesday morning Wright was looking up a number to phone authorities in Stark County, 600 miles away. To at least talk to them about how he investigated his case - which remains unsolved.
"But in our case, she had a prearranged meeting with a male ... ours was outdoors; yours was indoors," Wright said. "In those ways it was very different. But we believe foul play was involved, too."
SEARCHING FOR AMANDA
The last time anyone saw Amanda Jones was Aug. 14, 2005. She was heading to the Hillsboro Civic Center to meet the man believed to have fathered her unborn child. The man has since denied he was the father. He's told authorities he knows nothing of her disappearance, since he left her at the civic center.
The community instantly responded.
The sheriff's office commanded a 27-man task force for the first three weeks. They logged more than 3,000 man hours the first two weeks. They chased hundreds of leads. Then, it slowed. Now, Wright said, a few detectives work the case.
"You owe it to her and the family," he said.
Jones had a 4-year-old daughter.
The sheriff's office has tried conventional and unconventional methods, including the paranormal. Wright and another detective set up a "Finding Amanda Jones" page on Myspace, a popular Internet social networking site. Initially, they planned to track who was logging on to the site, but technically couldn't do it. Still, Wright said the page has kept the case in the public eye, and just maybe made her killer feel guilty.
"I think they both (Jones and her baby) are gone," Wright said.
OTHER CASES
Pregnant women do disappear.
In 2000, Michelle Bica, 39, kidnapped 9-months-pregnant Theresa Andrews from her home in Ravenna. The 23-year-old Andrews was buried in a shallow grave, the new baby removed from her abdomen. Bica shot herself to death as police arrived to talk to her - the healthy baby was found in Bica's home.
There's LaToyia Figueroa, 24, of Philadelphia, strangled by the baby's father in 2005. Evelyn Hernandez, 24, full-term pregnant, vanished with her 5-year-old son in 2002 from her San Francisco home - her body was found floating in the Bay, but neither her son nor baby were found. April Renee Greer, 20, 71/2 months pregnant, disappeared in 2003 from Burlington, N.C., her body later found in a trash can along a creek.
Murder is actually a leading cause of pregnancy-associated injury deaths in the U.S., according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, published in the American Journal of Public Health in 2005.
Deaths of nearly one-third of the pregnant women were ruled a homicide, second only to auto accidents.
Other pregnant women also have disappeared
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
BY Tim Botos
REPOSITORY STAFF WRITER
You know the Laci Peterson story, but how about Amanda Jones?
She's the less-famous pregnant woman who vanished two years ago near her home in Hillsboro, Mo. And it's Jones' story that more resembles the disappearance of Lake Township's mother-to-be, Jessie M. Davis.
Both women were 26 years old.
Both were nine months pregnant.
Both already had a small child.
"They were due to give birth," said Lt. Tommy Wright of the Jefferson County Sheriff's office in Missouri.
Similar enough that Tuesday morning Wright was looking up a number to phone authorities in Stark County, 600 miles away. To at least talk to them about how he investigated his case - which remains unsolved.
"But in our case, she had a prearranged meeting with a male ... ours was outdoors; yours was indoors," Wright said. "In those ways it was very different. But we believe foul play was involved, too."
SEARCHING FOR AMANDA
The last time anyone saw Amanda Jones was Aug. 14, 2005. She was heading to the Hillsboro Civic Center to meet the man believed to have fathered her unborn child. The man has since denied he was the father. He's told authorities he knows nothing of her disappearance, since he left her at the civic center.
The community instantly responded.
The sheriff's office commanded a 27-man task force for the first three weeks. They logged more than 3,000 man hours the first two weeks. They chased hundreds of leads. Then, it slowed. Now, Wright said, a few detectives work the case.
"You owe it to her and the family," he said.
Jones had a 4-year-old daughter.
The sheriff's office has tried conventional and unconventional methods, including the paranormal. Wright and another detective set up a "Finding Amanda Jones" page on Myspace, a popular Internet social networking site. Initially, they planned to track who was logging on to the site, but technically couldn't do it. Still, Wright said the page has kept the case in the public eye, and just maybe made her killer feel guilty.
"I think they both (Jones and her baby) are gone," Wright said.
OTHER CASES
Pregnant women do disappear.
In 2000, Michelle Bica, 39, kidnapped 9-months-pregnant Theresa Andrews from her home in Ravenna. The 23-year-old Andrews was buried in a shallow grave, the new baby removed from her abdomen. Bica shot herself to death as police arrived to talk to her - the healthy baby was found in Bica's home.
There's LaToyia Figueroa, 24, of Philadelphia, strangled by the baby's father in 2005. Evelyn Hernandez, 24, full-term pregnant, vanished with her 5-year-old son in 2002 from her San Francisco home - her body was found floating in the Bay, but neither her son nor baby were found. April Renee Greer, 20, 71/2 months pregnant, disappeared in 2003 from Burlington, N.C., her body later found in a trash can along a creek.
Murder is actually a leading cause of pregnancy-associated injury deaths in the U.S., according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, published in the American Journal of Public Health in 2005.
Deaths of nearly one-third of the pregnant women were ruled a homicide, second only to auto accidents.
#62
Denise
-
- Members
-
- 5,184 posts
Advanced Member
- LocationMetropolitan St. Louis
Posted 26 June 2007 - 05:24 PM
http://www.ksdk.com/...?storyid=122876
Family Of Missing Missouri Woman See Similarities In Ohio Case
Created: 6/25/2007 10:26:54 PM
Last updated: 6/25/2007 10:35:57 PM
By Ann Rubin
(KSDK) - When the family of Amanda Jones first saw the story of Jessie Davis, they couldn't believe their eyes. Two years apart, two states away, it was a case almost identical to their own.
Jones' mother Bertha Probst says, "I just sat there and cried like a baby because it was so similar. Both girls were 26, both were pregnant, nine months pregnant and both had a toddler. It just brought back so many memories."
But unlike the case of Jessie Davis, Amanda Jones' disappearance did not end with an arrest.
Hubert Probst, Amanda's father says, "We're not any closer today than we were two years ago."
Investigators insist they haven't given up, they haven't lost hope yet. Lt. Tommy Wright with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department says, "We meet on a daily and weekly basis en masse to discuss options and investigative strategies. I mean we obviously want to solve it."
They've posted an Amanda Jones My Space page online and they say they're looking at other non-traditional options to generate leads. Mostly they're just hoping someone will come forward with information.
Wright says, "We are working on some public awareness, a major public awareness campaign trying to get this back out there. We want to bring Amanda home, that's our ultimate goal."
Amanda Jones was last seen at the Hillsboro, Missouri Civic Center in August 2005. In hindsight, the family wishes things had been done differently: faster action, harsher interrogations, larger-scale searches.
Hubert Probst says, "You see all these other missing cases of missing people and they have the whole town out searching, but when it came to my daughter, no."
And when they saw the search that recovered the body of Jessie Davis, they felt sadness mixed with a tinge of envy.
Davis' family got answers in a matter of days, their family is still waiting.
Bertha Probst says, "It's a horrible thing what happened to this lady, but one thing the family has got is closure. They know what happened to their daughter, where she's at. We have no clue."
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department will start an Amanda Jones media campaign in mid-July, some of which will include putting up banners and flyers at the county fair. They're still hoping to generate new leads in the case.
Family Of Missing Missouri Woman See Similarities In Ohio Case
Created: 6/25/2007 10:26:54 PM
Last updated: 6/25/2007 10:35:57 PM
By Ann Rubin
(KSDK) - When the family of Amanda Jones first saw the story of Jessie Davis, they couldn't believe their eyes. Two years apart, two states away, it was a case almost identical to their own.
Jones' mother Bertha Probst says, "I just sat there and cried like a baby because it was so similar. Both girls were 26, both were pregnant, nine months pregnant and both had a toddler. It just brought back so many memories."
But unlike the case of Jessie Davis, Amanda Jones' disappearance did not end with an arrest.
Hubert Probst, Amanda's father says, "We're not any closer today than we were two years ago."
Investigators insist they haven't given up, they haven't lost hope yet. Lt. Tommy Wright with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department says, "We meet on a daily and weekly basis en masse to discuss options and investigative strategies. I mean we obviously want to solve it."
They've posted an Amanda Jones My Space page online and they say they're looking at other non-traditional options to generate leads. Mostly they're just hoping someone will come forward with information.
Wright says, "We are working on some public awareness, a major public awareness campaign trying to get this back out there. We want to bring Amanda home, that's our ultimate goal."
Amanda Jones was last seen at the Hillsboro, Missouri Civic Center in August 2005. In hindsight, the family wishes things had been done differently: faster action, harsher interrogations, larger-scale searches.
Hubert Probst says, "You see all these other missing cases of missing people and they have the whole town out searching, but when it came to my daughter, no."
And when they saw the search that recovered the body of Jessie Davis, they felt sadness mixed with a tinge of envy.
Davis' family got answers in a matter of days, their family is still waiting.
Bertha Probst says, "It's a horrible thing what happened to this lady, but one thing the family has got is closure. They know what happened to their daughter, where she's at. We have no clue."
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department will start an Amanda Jones media campaign in mid-July, some of which will include putting up banners and flyers at the county fair. They're still hoping to generate new leads in the case.
#63
Denise
-
- Members
-
- 5,184 posts
Advanced Member
- LocationMetropolitan St. Louis
Posted 22 July 2007 - 08:49 AM
http://www.ksdk.com/...?storyid=124815
Parents Turn To Fairgoers For Help in Woman's Disappearance
Created: 7/21/2007 7:39:15 PM
Last updated: 7/21/2007 8:41:37 PM
(KSDK) - "Can you help me find my daughter?"
They are powerful words from any parent, particularly when their child has been missing for nearly two years.
The parents of Amanda Jones could be heard saying that to people attending the Jefferson County Fair in Hillsboro Saturday, while they distributed flyers bearing Amanda's name and image. Jones was last seen August 14, 2005, at the Hillsboro Civic Club. She was pregnant at the time of her disappearance.
Lt. Tommy Wright and other investigators from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department joined Jones' parents Saturday at the fairgrounds.
"We decided to hit the fair this weekend, the Hillsboro Civic Club, as well as Eagle Bank, which has donated a sign has been very cooperative," Wright said. "This is a joint community effort. We're here with the family at the Civic Club this weekend, which is the spot of her disappearance, to hand out flyers and bring that information back into the public."
A $100,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the whereabouts of Amanda Jones and her unborn baby. Anyone with information is asked to call the Jefferson County Sherif'f's Department at (636) 797-5515.
Parents Turn To Fairgoers For Help in Woman's Disappearance
Created: 7/21/2007 7:39:15 PM
Last updated: 7/21/2007 8:41:37 PM
(KSDK) - "Can you help me find my daughter?"
They are powerful words from any parent, particularly when their child has been missing for nearly two years.
The parents of Amanda Jones could be heard saying that to people attending the Jefferson County Fair in Hillsboro Saturday, while they distributed flyers bearing Amanda's name and image. Jones was last seen August 14, 2005, at the Hillsboro Civic Club. She was pregnant at the time of her disappearance.
Lt. Tommy Wright and other investigators from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department joined Jones' parents Saturday at the fairgrounds.
"We decided to hit the fair this weekend, the Hillsboro Civic Club, as well as Eagle Bank, which has donated a sign has been very cooperative," Wright said. "This is a joint community effort. We're here with the family at the Civic Club this weekend, which is the spot of her disappearance, to hand out flyers and bring that information back into the public."
A $100,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the whereabouts of Amanda Jones and her unborn baby. Anyone with information is asked to call the Jefferson County Sherif'f's Department at (636) 797-5515.
#64
Denise
-
- Members
-
- 5,184 posts
Advanced Member
- LocationMetropolitan St. Louis
Posted 22 July 2007 - 08:53 AM
http://www.kmov.com/...n.99f2b52a.html
Parents continue search for woman missing 2 years
08:45 PM CDT on Saturday, July 21, 2007
(KMOV) - It's been nearly two years since a pregnant Jefferson County woman disappeared.
The parents of Amanda Jones work to keep their search for her alive.
August 14th marks two years since the disappearance of Amanda Jones.
There have been no suspects named, no arrests, and no signs of the missing mother.
The 26-year-old loan processor was nine months pregnant with her son when she disappeared.
Family members say Jones went to the Hillsboro Civic Center to meet Bryan Westfall, the man Jones claimed was the father of her unborn child.
Police call Westfall a "person of interest," but not a suspect in her disappearance.
At the entrance of the Jefferson County Fair Saturday, Jones’ parents returned to the Civic Center to pass out 1,500 fliers of their missing daughter.
The couple vows they'll keep searching to keep Jones’ picture out there until they know what happened to their daughter.
Anyone with information about the disappearance of Amanda Jones should call the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office at (636) 797-5515.
A $100,000 reward is being offered in this case.
Jones’ parents have since moved to De Soto.
Her daughter is now six years old.
Parents continue search for woman missing 2 years
08:45 PM CDT on Saturday, July 21, 2007
(KMOV) - It's been nearly two years since a pregnant Jefferson County woman disappeared.
The parents of Amanda Jones work to keep their search for her alive.
August 14th marks two years since the disappearance of Amanda Jones.
There have been no suspects named, no arrests, and no signs of the missing mother.
The 26-year-old loan processor was nine months pregnant with her son when she disappeared.
Family members say Jones went to the Hillsboro Civic Center to meet Bryan Westfall, the man Jones claimed was the father of her unborn child.
Police call Westfall a "person of interest," but not a suspect in her disappearance.
At the entrance of the Jefferson County Fair Saturday, Jones’ parents returned to the Civic Center to pass out 1,500 fliers of their missing daughter.
The couple vows they'll keep searching to keep Jones’ picture out there until they know what happened to their daughter.
Anyone with information about the disappearance of Amanda Jones should call the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office at (636) 797-5515.
A $100,000 reward is being offered in this case.
Jones’ parents have since moved to De Soto.
Her daughter is now six years old.
#65
Denise
-
- Members
-
- 5,184 posts
Advanced Member
- LocationMetropolitan St. Louis
Posted 22 July 2007 - 09:11 AM
http://www.stltoday....F2?OpenDocument
Amanda Jones' parents keep hoping
By Robert Patrick
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
07/22/2007
HILLSBORO  When you're the parent of a missing person, you never give up wondering, hoping or trying to find some clue that would help.
On Saturday, police and the relatives and friends of Amanda Jones, who disappeared almost two years ago, were doing their own hoping  hoping that someone had seen something that would break open the case.
"We just need that one last bit of information," said Lt. Tommy Wright, stretching out his hand as if he were grabbing for something just out of reach.
On Aug. 14, 2005, Jones was 26 and just days away from giving birth to the son she planned to name Hayden Lucas, when she disappeared. Jones had told her mother that she was going to the Hillsboro Civic Center to meet the man she believed to be the baby's father, Bryan Lee Westfall.
On Saturday, Jones' parents, Hubert and Bertha Propst, were handing out "missing" fliers inside the main entrance to the Jefferson County Fair at the civic center, just steps away from where her car was found unlocked and with her purse inside.
Investigators and family members are hoping that someone who saw something the day Jones disappeared will see their fliers or one of two large banners funded by Eagle Bank, where Jones used to work.
Wright said that thousands would be reminded about Jones or see the plea for information for the first time. Wright said 6,000 had attended the fair Friday night.
"You never know," he said.
Wright said the banners would be moved around the county in hopes of catching the right eye.
It's the latest bid to get Jones back in the public eye.
In the spring, it was a "Finding Amanda Jones" page on the MySpace.com website.
There's still a $100,000 reward, and anyone with information is asked to call the Jefferson County sheriff's office at 636-797-5515.
Wright, chief of detectives for the Jefferson County sheriff's office, won't comment on a particular suspect. "We've looked at a person," is all he would say. But Wright said that the person had hired a lawyer and had declined to take a lie detector or voice stress analysis test.
The response to the Propsts on Saturday was mixed.
"Oh, she's still missing?" Bertha Propst said one fairgoer had asked.
Another said he'd seen her in a mall a few weeks ago, before saying he wasn't certain.
Wright said he would check that potential sighting out, just as investigators have checked out about 500 leads in the case.
Hubert Propst was tough to ignore, hitting passers-by with the question, "Will you help me find my daughter, please?"
He got a hug, a "God bless you" and nods.
Amanda Jones' parents keep hoping
By Robert Patrick
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
07/22/2007
HILLSBORO  When you're the parent of a missing person, you never give up wondering, hoping or trying to find some clue that would help.
On Saturday, police and the relatives and friends of Amanda Jones, who disappeared almost two years ago, were doing their own hoping  hoping that someone had seen something that would break open the case.
"We just need that one last bit of information," said Lt. Tommy Wright, stretching out his hand as if he were grabbing for something just out of reach.
On Aug. 14, 2005, Jones was 26 and just days away from giving birth to the son she planned to name Hayden Lucas, when she disappeared. Jones had told her mother that she was going to the Hillsboro Civic Center to meet the man she believed to be the baby's father, Bryan Lee Westfall.
On Saturday, Jones' parents, Hubert and Bertha Propst, were handing out "missing" fliers inside the main entrance to the Jefferson County Fair at the civic center, just steps away from where her car was found unlocked and with her purse inside.
Investigators and family members are hoping that someone who saw something the day Jones disappeared will see their fliers or one of two large banners funded by Eagle Bank, where Jones used to work.
Wright said that thousands would be reminded about Jones or see the plea for information for the first time. Wright said 6,000 had attended the fair Friday night.
"You never know," he said.
Wright said the banners would be moved around the county in hopes of catching the right eye.
It's the latest bid to get Jones back in the public eye.
In the spring, it was a "Finding Amanda Jones" page on the MySpace.com website.
There's still a $100,000 reward, and anyone with information is asked to call the Jefferson County sheriff's office at 636-797-5515.
Wright, chief of detectives for the Jefferson County sheriff's office, won't comment on a particular suspect. "We've looked at a person," is all he would say. But Wright said that the person had hired a lawyer and had declined to take a lie detector or voice stress analysis test.
The response to the Propsts on Saturday was mixed.
"Oh, she's still missing?" Bertha Propst said one fairgoer had asked.
Another said he'd seen her in a mall a few weeks ago, before saying he wasn't certain.
Wright said he would check that potential sighting out, just as investigators have checked out about 500 leads in the case.
Hubert Propst was tough to ignore, hitting passers-by with the question, "Will you help me find my daughter, please?"
He got a hug, a "God bless you" and nods.
#66
Denise
-
- Members
-
- 5,184 posts
Advanced Member
- LocationMetropolitan St. Louis
Posted 01 August 2007 - 05:32 PM
http://newsdemocratj...j_jones.ii1.txt
Hope still alive in Amanda Jones case
Pregnant Pevely woman now missing for two years
By Chris Campbell
Tuesday, July 31, 2007 2:08 PM CDT
Amanda Jones of Pevely has been missing for two years.
Tommy Wright still believes he can find her.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office lieutenant has spent the last two years working the Jones case, chasing down nearly 400 leads.
They range from the promising to the bizarre.
"We get a lot of paranormal stuff," he said. "But we investigate everything. We don't view any lead as a waste of our time."
So far, nothing has turned up.
Jones, 27, the mother of a four-year-old daughter, disappeared two years ago following a Sunday church service.
She said goodbye to her family following the service and has not been seen since.
Her car was later found abandoned outside the Hillsboro Civic Center.
She was nine-months pregnant at the time of her disappearance.
Her case sparked a flurry of local and national media attention and a major investigation by the Sheriff's Office and several other law enforcement agencies.
Media coverage, once a virtual round-the-clock deluge, has slowed considerably.
Over the course of the investigation, the Sheriff's Office has named no suspects.
Last year, investigators searched 300 acres of land adjacent to a Hillsboro quarry near the home of a man Jones claimed was the father of her unborn child.
Investigators also searched a nearby lake, but turned up no new evidence.
Jones parents, Bertha and Hubert Propst, joined Wright in passing out fliers at the Jefferson County Fair late last month, hoping to jog someone's memory, or reveal some critical bit of information that has yet to surface.
"We haven't got anything concrete," Wright said. "We always get a few leads when there's something more in the media."
Wright works the case with two other detectives. They discuss the case often, and meet formally several times a week.
They know that two years on, the odds don't favor a positive outcome.
"We suspect foul play," Wright said. "We've made some progress, particularly in the first few months. We haven't had a lot of solid leads. But we do keep some hope alive."
Part of the reason for that hope was the recent re-emergence of Shawn Hornbeck, who was abducted from his Washington County home in 2002 at age 11, and was recently discovered living with his alleged abductor in Kirkwood.
"The Hornbeck case gave us fuel for the fire," Wright said.
Wright believes once Jones is located, the case will move forward, in one direction or another.
"If it's the worst case scenario, we'll have much more evidence," he said. "But I'm absolutely still optimistic. No matter how much of a realist you become in law enforcement, you always hold out hope."
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Amanda Jones is asked to call the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office at 636-797-5536.
Hope still alive in Amanda Jones case
Pregnant Pevely woman now missing for two years
By Chris Campbell
Tuesday, July 31, 2007 2:08 PM CDT
Amanda Jones of Pevely has been missing for two years.
Tommy Wright still believes he can find her.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office lieutenant has spent the last two years working the Jones case, chasing down nearly 400 leads.
They range from the promising to the bizarre.
"We get a lot of paranormal stuff," he said. "But we investigate everything. We don't view any lead as a waste of our time."
So far, nothing has turned up.
Jones, 27, the mother of a four-year-old daughter, disappeared two years ago following a Sunday church service.
She said goodbye to her family following the service and has not been seen since.
Her car was later found abandoned outside the Hillsboro Civic Center.
She was nine-months pregnant at the time of her disappearance.
Her case sparked a flurry of local and national media attention and a major investigation by the Sheriff's Office and several other law enforcement agencies.
Media coverage, once a virtual round-the-clock deluge, has slowed considerably.
Over the course of the investigation, the Sheriff's Office has named no suspects.
Last year, investigators searched 300 acres of land adjacent to a Hillsboro quarry near the home of a man Jones claimed was the father of her unborn child.
Investigators also searched a nearby lake, but turned up no new evidence.
Jones parents, Bertha and Hubert Propst, joined Wright in passing out fliers at the Jefferson County Fair late last month, hoping to jog someone's memory, or reveal some critical bit of information that has yet to surface.
"We haven't got anything concrete," Wright said. "We always get a few leads when there's something more in the media."
Wright works the case with two other detectives. They discuss the case often, and meet formally several times a week.
They know that two years on, the odds don't favor a positive outcome.
"We suspect foul play," Wright said. "We've made some progress, particularly in the first few months. We haven't had a lot of solid leads. But we do keep some hope alive."
Part of the reason for that hope was the recent re-emergence of Shawn Hornbeck, who was abducted from his Washington County home in 2002 at age 11, and was recently discovered living with his alleged abductor in Kirkwood.
"The Hornbeck case gave us fuel for the fire," Wright said.
Wright believes once Jones is located, the case will move forward, in one direction or another.
"If it's the worst case scenario, we'll have much more evidence," he said. "But I'm absolutely still optimistic. No matter how much of a realist you become in law enforcement, you always hold out hope."
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Amanda Jones is asked to call the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office at 636-797-5536.
#67
Linda
Linda
-
- Guests
Posted 14 August 2007 - 05:16 AM
Today marks 2 years since Amanda's disappearance.. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family for her safe return.
#68
Linda
Linda
-
- Guests
Posted 14 August 2007 - 05:18 AM
http://www.stltoday....BB?OpenDocument
Anniversary of disappearance of Amanda Jones approaches
08/13/07
The family of Amanda Jones is dreading this week.
Tuesday marks the two-year anniversary of the disappearance of the 26-year-old woman. She had gone to the Hillsboro Civic Center to meet Bryan Lee Westfall, the man she believed fathered the child she was about to deliver.
"Like 9/11 is for America, that's how Aug. 14 is for us," said Carrie Johnson, 20, of Desloge, Amanda's younger sister. "Two lives were stolen that day and several lives were changed. Hearts were broken, and a lot of those hearts have not mended at all."
As for the investigation two years later, "It's at a standstill," said Sgt. Gary Higginbotham of the Jefferson County sheriff's office.
"Time hasn't taken away the pain," said Bertha Propst, Jones' mother. "You try to learn to live and go on, but the feelings are still the same and will be until we get the answers."
The family plans to mark the anniversary of Jones' disappearance by planting a tree in her memory at their church, Calvary Assembly of God. But Bertha Propst admits, "I dread that day..."
Johnson remembers the day her sister disappeared. She flashes back to the phone calls that she made to her sister that went unanswered and the countless times she checked the driveway, hoping she would see Amanda's car.
"I should have gone with her that day," Johnson said. "I should have never let her go alone."
Hubert Propst, Amanda's father, said the passage of time has led him to work through his feelings about the person responsible for his daughter's disappearance.
"I don't hate the person who did this," he said. "I just hate what they did. I just can't understand how the person who knows what happened can live with themselves."
Meanwhile, his wife has developed a ritual of her own to cope. She kisses a picture of her daughter every morning and every night and tells her good morning and good night. Johnson says she lies awake at night in silence and tries to hear the sound of her sister's voice.
"For us, this just means another day has gone by, and we still haven't got any answers," Bertha Propst said. "And even when we do get closure, the 14th is still going to be the day she was taken away from us. It will always be a day that tragedy struck our family."
A $100,000 reward has been offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.
Anyone with information is asked to call 636-797-5515.
Anniversary of disappearance of Amanda Jones approaches
08/13/07
The family of Amanda Jones is dreading this week.
Tuesday marks the two-year anniversary of the disappearance of the 26-year-old woman. She had gone to the Hillsboro Civic Center to meet Bryan Lee Westfall, the man she believed fathered the child she was about to deliver.
"Like 9/11 is for America, that's how Aug. 14 is for us," said Carrie Johnson, 20, of Desloge, Amanda's younger sister. "Two lives were stolen that day and several lives were changed. Hearts were broken, and a lot of those hearts have not mended at all."
As for the investigation two years later, "It's at a standstill," said Sgt. Gary Higginbotham of the Jefferson County sheriff's office.
"Time hasn't taken away the pain," said Bertha Propst, Jones' mother. "You try to learn to live and go on, but the feelings are still the same and will be until we get the answers."
The family plans to mark the anniversary of Jones' disappearance by planting a tree in her memory at their church, Calvary Assembly of God. But Bertha Propst admits, "I dread that day..."
Johnson remembers the day her sister disappeared. She flashes back to the phone calls that she made to her sister that went unanswered and the countless times she checked the driveway, hoping she would see Amanda's car.
"I should have gone with her that day," Johnson said. "I should have never let her go alone."
Hubert Propst, Amanda's father, said the passage of time has led him to work through his feelings about the person responsible for his daughter's disappearance.
"I don't hate the person who did this," he said. "I just hate what they did. I just can't understand how the person who knows what happened can live with themselves."
Meanwhile, his wife has developed a ritual of her own to cope. She kisses a picture of her daughter every morning and every night and tells her good morning and good night. Johnson says she lies awake at night in silence and tries to hear the sound of her sister's voice.
"For us, this just means another day has gone by, and we still haven't got any answers," Bertha Propst said. "And even when we do get closure, the 14th is still going to be the day she was taken away from us. It will always be a day that tragedy struck our family."
A $100,000 reward has been offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.
Anyone with information is asked to call 636-797-5515.
#69
Denise
-
- Members
-
- 5,184 posts
Advanced Member
- LocationMetropolitan St. Louis
Posted 16 August 2007 - 06:38 PM
http://www.kmov.com/...s.327c2e70.html
Ceremony will mark anniversary of pregnant woman’s disappearance
08:29 AM CDT on Tuesday, August 14, 2007
(KMOV) -- A ceremony will be held tonight to remember Amanda Jones.
Today marks the two year anniversary of her disappearance.
The 26-year-old woman was nine months pregnant when she disappeared.
She was last seen on her way to the Hillsboro Civic Center to meet the man she believed was the father of her unborn baby.
Friends and family will gather tonight for a tree planting ceremony in Amanda's name.
Ceremony will mark anniversary of pregnant woman’s disappearance
08:29 AM CDT on Tuesday, August 14, 2007
(KMOV) -- A ceremony will be held tonight to remember Amanda Jones.
Today marks the two year anniversary of her disappearance.
The 26-year-old woman was nine months pregnant when she disappeared.
She was last seen on her way to the Hillsboro Civic Center to meet the man she believed was the father of her unborn baby.
Friends and family will gather tonight for a tree planting ceremony in Amanda's name.
#70
Denise
-
- Members
-
- 5,184 posts
Advanced Member
- LocationMetropolitan St. Louis
Posted 16 August 2007 - 06:38 PM
http://cw11tv.trb.co...oll=kplr-home-2
Amanda Jones Missing Two Years
By Terra Croft,
August 14, 2007, 11:13 AM CDT
Life hasn't been the same for the parents of Amanda Jones, since she vanished two years ago.
Jones was last seen at the Hillsboro Fairgrounds parking lot on Aug. 14 2005. She was nine months pregnant and having contractions at the time.
Jones' parents say they will be keeping their daughter's memory alive by planting a tree Tuesday night in her honor at Calvery Assembly of God church in Festus.
Amanda Jones Missing Two Years
By Terra Croft,
August 14, 2007, 11:13 AM CDT
Life hasn't been the same for the parents of Amanda Jones, since she vanished two years ago.
Jones was last seen at the Hillsboro Fairgrounds parking lot on Aug. 14 2005. She was nine months pregnant and having contractions at the time.
Jones' parents say they will be keeping their daughter's memory alive by planting a tree Tuesday night in her honor at Calvery Assembly of God church in Festus.
#71
Kelly
-
- Administrators
-
- 7,704 posts
President and Founder
- LocationRenton WA
Posted 10 September 2007 - 06:18 PM
http://www.stltoday....6C?OpenDocument
Decomposed corpse found in Festus
By Joel Currier
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
09/10/2007
A badly decomposed body of a woman was found in an overgrown ravine in Festus on Sunday night, police said.
Festus residents called police about 7:30 p.m. Sunday after spotting what appeared to be a body in a grassy area bordering their property in the area of South Mill Street and Veterans Boulevard in Festus, said Police Chief Tim Lewis.
The woman's body was found about 500 feet south of a Ryan's restaurant, Lewis said. Investigators recovered the woman's body for examination but were unable to identify her Sunday night because it was so badly decomposed.
The clothing on the body found Sunday does not match the description of those worn by Amanda Jones, 26, of Pevely, who was nine months pregnant when she disappeared Aug. 14, 2005.
"We're not ruling anything out," Lewis said. "But we don't think it's Amanda Jones at this point."
Detectives collected evidence from the scene Sunday night but suspended their investigation because of darkness, Lewis said. Police roped off a four-acre area around the spot where the body was found and will resume their investigation early Monday morning.
Decomposed corpse found in Festus
By Joel Currier
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
09/10/2007
A badly decomposed body of a woman was found in an overgrown ravine in Festus on Sunday night, police said.
Festus residents called police about 7:30 p.m. Sunday after spotting what appeared to be a body in a grassy area bordering their property in the area of South Mill Street and Veterans Boulevard in Festus, said Police Chief Tim Lewis.
The woman's body was found about 500 feet south of a Ryan's restaurant, Lewis said. Investigators recovered the woman's body for examination but were unable to identify her Sunday night because it was so badly decomposed.
The clothing on the body found Sunday does not match the description of those worn by Amanda Jones, 26, of Pevely, who was nine months pregnant when she disappeared Aug. 14, 2005.
"We're not ruling anything out," Lewis said. "But we don't think it's Amanda Jones at this point."
Detectives collected evidence from the scene Sunday night but suspended their investigation because of darkness, Lewis said. Police roped off a four-acre area around the spot where the body was found and will resume their investigation early Monday morning.
Kelly Murphy, Mother of Missing Jason Jolkowski
President and Founder,
Project Jason
www.projectjason.org
Please help us in our mission as a 501 c 3 nonprofit: http://projectjason....y-campaign.html
If you have seen any of our missing persons, please call the law enforcement agency listed on the post. All missing persons are loved by someone, and their families deserve to find the answers they seek in regards to the disappearance.
#72
Denise
-
- Members
-
- 5,184 posts
Advanced Member
- LocationMetropolitan St. Louis
Posted 10 September 2007 - 07:11 PM
http://www.myfoxstl....TY&pageId=3.2.1
Badly Decomposed Body Found Behind Festus Restaurant
Last Edited: Monday, 10 Sep 2007, 6:00 AM CDT
Created: Monday, 10 Sep 2007, 6:00 AM CDT
. (KTVI - myFOXstl.com) --
FESTUS, MO (KTVI-myFOXstl.com) Detectives are trying to identify a body found in Festus. The badly decomposed body was found in a wooded area behind Ryan’s Steakhouse near South Mill Street and Veterans Boulevard.
Police say the clothing indicates it’s a woman, and the body may have been there for quite some time.
The Quad City Task Force has been activated to bring in extra detectives.
The medical examiners office will also be assisting in the investigation.
Badly Decomposed Body Found Behind Festus Restaurant
Last Edited: Monday, 10 Sep 2007, 6:00 AM CDT
Created: Monday, 10 Sep 2007, 6:00 AM CDT
. (KTVI - myFOXstl.com) --
FESTUS, MO (KTVI-myFOXstl.com) Detectives are trying to identify a body found in Festus. The badly decomposed body was found in a wooded area behind Ryan’s Steakhouse near South Mill Street and Veterans Boulevard.
Police say the clothing indicates it’s a woman, and the body may have been there for quite some time.
The Quad City Task Force has been activated to bring in extra detectives.
The medical examiners office will also be assisting in the investigation.
#73
Denise
-
- Members
-
- 5,184 posts
Advanced Member
- LocationMetropolitan St. Louis
Posted 12 September 2007 - 05:32 PM
http://www.stltoday....95?OpenDocument
Festus police trying to identify body found in overgrown area
By Robert Kelly
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
09/11/2007
FESTUS  Authorities had little to work with Monday in trying to identify the badly decomposed body of a woman found late Sunday in an overgrown ravine behind a popular restaurant.
"There was nothing left (of the body) other than bones," said Festus Police Chief Tim Lewis.
Residents called the Police Department about 7:30 p.m. Sunday after seeing the body in a grassy area near some woods bordering their property in the area of South Mill Street and Veterans Boulevard in Festus. The site is about 500 feet south of a Ryan's restaurant.
Lewis said the body probably had been there most of the summer, judging by the state of decomposition.
He said there was no evidence that it might have been the body of Amanda Jones, 26, of Pevely, who has been missing for two years. The clothing on the body did not match the description of clothes worn by Jones when she disappeared Aug. 14, 2005, Lewis said.
The clothing on the body consisted of blue jeans, a blue blouse and white tennis shoes, he said.
He said a forensic anthropologist had determined that the body probably was that of a white woman, age 35 to 55. The woman's approximate height and weight had yet to be determined by late Monday, Lewis said.
He said the Police Department had no description of any missing person that matched the body. "There's a really good chance she may have been a transient," he said.
The remains had no clear evidence of wounds, and no other evidence of a crime was found near the body, he said. "But we're treating it as a homicide unless we get evidence that it was a natural death," he said.
Detectives collected evidence from the scene Sunday night but suspended their investigation because of darkness, Lewis said. Police officers then roped off four acres around the spot where the body was found and resumed their investigation early Monday morning.
The remains were taken from the scene early Monday afternoon and will be kept for further examination at the medical examiner's office, Lewis said.
He asked anyone with information about the case to call the Police Department at 636-937-3646.
Festus police trying to identify body found in overgrown area
By Robert Kelly
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
09/11/2007
FESTUS  Authorities had little to work with Monday in trying to identify the badly decomposed body of a woman found late Sunday in an overgrown ravine behind a popular restaurant.
"There was nothing left (of the body) other than bones," said Festus Police Chief Tim Lewis.
Residents called the Police Department about 7:30 p.m. Sunday after seeing the body in a grassy area near some woods bordering their property in the area of South Mill Street and Veterans Boulevard in Festus. The site is about 500 feet south of a Ryan's restaurant.
Lewis said the body probably had been there most of the summer, judging by the state of decomposition.
He said there was no evidence that it might have been the body of Amanda Jones, 26, of Pevely, who has been missing for two years. The clothing on the body did not match the description of clothes worn by Jones when she disappeared Aug. 14, 2005, Lewis said.
The clothing on the body consisted of blue jeans, a blue blouse and white tennis shoes, he said.
He said a forensic anthropologist had determined that the body probably was that of a white woman, age 35 to 55. The woman's approximate height and weight had yet to be determined by late Monday, Lewis said.
He said the Police Department had no description of any missing person that matched the body. "There's a really good chance she may have been a transient," he said.
The remains had no clear evidence of wounds, and no other evidence of a crime was found near the body, he said. "But we're treating it as a homicide unless we get evidence that it was a natural death," he said.
Detectives collected evidence from the scene Sunday night but suspended their investigation because of darkness, Lewis said. Police officers then roped off four acres around the spot where the body was found and resumed their investigation early Monday morning.
The remains were taken from the scene early Monday afternoon and will be kept for further examination at the medical examiner's office, Lewis said.
He asked anyone with information about the case to call the Police Department at 636-937-3646.
#74
Denise
-
- Members
-
- 5,184 posts
Advanced Member
- LocationMetropolitan St. Louis
Posted 14 September 2007 - 05:13 PM
http://www.ksdk.com/...?storyid=129548
Body Found In Festus Is That Of Missing Woman
Created: 9/14/2007 3:29:23 PM
Last updated: 9/14/2007 5:56:40 PM
FESTUS, Mo. (AP) -- The body found Sunday in a field in Festus was identified as a 56-year-old Pevely woman missing since July.
Police said Clovia Faupel was identified through clothing and other items found at the scene, and through X-rays and DNA. She was reported missing July 24.
The body was found by residents in the field near Highway A in Festus. The cause of death is not known, but police said there are no signs of foul play.
Body Found In Festus Is That Of Missing Woman
Created: 9/14/2007 3:29:23 PM
Last updated: 9/14/2007 5:56:40 PM
FESTUS, Mo. (AP) -- The body found Sunday in a field in Festus was identified as a 56-year-old Pevely woman missing since July.
Police said Clovia Faupel was identified through clothing and other items found at the scene, and through X-rays and DNA. She was reported missing July 24.
The body was found by residents in the field near Highway A in Festus. The cause of death is not known, but police said there are no signs of foul play.
#75
Kelly
-
- Administrators
-
- 7,704 posts
President and Founder
- LocationRenton WA
Posted 23 November 2007 - 09:08 PM
http://www.stltoday....D6?OpenDocument
Ex-husband of missing woman dies
By Christine Byers
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
11/24/2007
ST. LOUIS The former husband of Amanda Jones, who has been missing for two years, died Friday, leaving the future of the couple's 7-year-old daughter uncertain, neighbors and her relatives said.
Neighbors said they saw firetrucks and ambulances early Friday outside of Jeffrey "Scott" Jones' south St. Louis home and learned that he had died but did not know how.
Amanda Jones' parents, Hubert and Bertha Propst of Festus, said Scott Jones' father, Woody Jones, called Friday to tell them his son had died but did not disclose the cause of death. Woody Jones declined to comment for this article.
No other family members could be reached for comment.
"I'm still in shock about it," Bertha Propst said. "My heart goes out to his family right now. My main concern is for our granddaughter."
Scott and Amanda married in 1999, separated in 2000 and divorced in 2002. Amanda Jones maintained custody of her daughter.
On Aug. 14, 2005, Amanda Jones, who was 26 and nine months pregnant at the time, told her mother she was going to the Hillsboro Civic Center to meet Bryan Lee Westfall, the man she believed was the father of her unborn son.
Westfall, a former college instructor, has denied being the father and told police he had left Jones where the two met, at the horse show grounds of the civic center.
Police found Jones' unlocked car at the civic center. No one has reported seeing Jones since, and no one has been charged in her disappearance.
Jefferson County sheriff's office detectives interviewed Scott Jones about his ex-wife's disappearance.
"He was cooperative and we did not consider him a suspect," said Jefferson County Lt. Tommy Wright.
After Amanda Jones' disappearance, her daughter went to live with her father and his wife in St. Louis. The Propsts went to court to win visitation rights, according to court records. Bertha Propst said she had just spoken with her granddaughter Thursday night.
"I'm very hurt for her," Bertha Propst said. "I wish I had her with me right now to comfort her. I don't know how she's going to handle this."
Ex-husband of missing woman dies
By Christine Byers
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
11/24/2007
ST. LOUIS The former husband of Amanda Jones, who has been missing for two years, died Friday, leaving the future of the couple's 7-year-old daughter uncertain, neighbors and her relatives said.
Neighbors said they saw firetrucks and ambulances early Friday outside of Jeffrey "Scott" Jones' south St. Louis home and learned that he had died but did not know how.
Amanda Jones' parents, Hubert and Bertha Propst of Festus, said Scott Jones' father, Woody Jones, called Friday to tell them his son had died but did not disclose the cause of death. Woody Jones declined to comment for this article.
No other family members could be reached for comment.
"I'm still in shock about it," Bertha Propst said. "My heart goes out to his family right now. My main concern is for our granddaughter."
Scott and Amanda married in 1999, separated in 2000 and divorced in 2002. Amanda Jones maintained custody of her daughter.
On Aug. 14, 2005, Amanda Jones, who was 26 and nine months pregnant at the time, told her mother she was going to the Hillsboro Civic Center to meet Bryan Lee Westfall, the man she believed was the father of her unborn son.
Westfall, a former college instructor, has denied being the father and told police he had left Jones where the two met, at the horse show grounds of the civic center.
Police found Jones' unlocked car at the civic center. No one has reported seeing Jones since, and no one has been charged in her disappearance.
Jefferson County sheriff's office detectives interviewed Scott Jones about his ex-wife's disappearance.
"He was cooperative and we did not consider him a suspect," said Jefferson County Lt. Tommy Wright.
After Amanda Jones' disappearance, her daughter went to live with her father and his wife in St. Louis. The Propsts went to court to win visitation rights, according to court records. Bertha Propst said she had just spoken with her granddaughter Thursday night.
"I'm very hurt for her," Bertha Propst said. "I wish I had her with me right now to comfort her. I don't know how she's going to handle this."
Kelly Murphy, Mother of Missing Jason Jolkowski
President and Founder,
Project Jason
www.projectjason.org
Please help us in our mission as a 501 c 3 nonprofit: http://projectjason....y-campaign.html
If you have seen any of our missing persons, please call the law enforcement agency listed on the post. All missing persons are loved by someone, and their families deserve to find the answers they seek in regards to the disappearance.
0 user(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users
Thank you for visiting the website of Project Jason, a 501c 3 nonprofit organization. Your presence means that you care about the missing, and that means so much to us and the families of the missing.