Found Deceased MA - Kim Kelly-Oberhauser, 56, Lowell, 18 Jan 2021

[Itzme Ellen]

Vigil for Kim, organized by friends is tomorrow, Sunday, March 21. 4pm at the UMASS Boat House, Pawtucket Blvd. Lowell, MA. Please Bring a Candle to light the hope of her safe return.

 

[Spider92]

Vigil for Kim, organized by friends is tomorrow, Sunday, March 21. 4pm at the UMASS Boat House, Pawtucket Blvd. Lowell, MA. Please Bring a Candle to light the hope of her safe return.

It will be a beautiful day for it, I hope it's a good turnout.

 

[Chelly]

Vigil for Kim, organized by friends is tomorrow, Sunday, March 21. 4pm at the UMASS Boat House, Pawtucket Blvd. Lowell, MA. Please Bring a Candle to light the hope of her safe return.

So glad to learn of the vigil for Kim. I hope this case is kept active and Kim is not forgotten.

 

[Chelly]

Interesting.
Police Looking for Missing Lowell Woman

Both blonde. I know it's early, but coincidence, or serial killer?

@Rocky1 Strange coincidence, imo. What is the timing? About two months apart?

 

[Rocky1]

@Rocky1 Strange coincidence, imo. What is the timing? About two months apart?

Almost two months. Kim was last seen Jan 18th, and Sinead March 12th.

 

[Spider92]

I stopped by the vigil and it was a nice gathering of probably 60 people. I have poor hearing and was not able to hear what was said. As an outsider, I didn't want to elbow my way to the front of the gathering. If anybody else went, please let us know your impressions. It did seem like quite the contrast to the winter night she went missing - the area was full of walkers, joggers, bikers and even some people fishing. Hopefully, family and friends will get answers soon.

 

[Chelly]

I stopped by the vigil and it was a nice gathering of probably 60 people. I have poor hearing and was not able to hear what was said. As an outsider, I didn't want to elbow my way to the front of the gathering. If anybody else went, please let us know your impressions. It did seem like quite the contrast to the winter night she went missing - the area was full of walkers, joggers, bikers and even some people fishing. Hopefully, family and friends will get answers soon.

Nice gesture @Spider92. Thanks for reporting back to us.

 

[Spider92]

‘We need to keep looking for her’ – Lowell Sun

I've cut and paste the article below and have bolded the part of it that I had not seen previously written about.

LOWELL — Lynn Smith recalls standing near Reggata Field in January, watching as emergency crews pulled her close friend Kim Kelly-Oberhauser’s 2016 Range Rover SUV out of the Merrimack River.

The SUV was empty. Nearly two months later, Kelly-Oberhauser — who had been reported missing less than a week before the submerged vehicle was discovered — has still not been found.

Smith, along with dozens of Kelly-Oberhauser’s friends and family, gathered at the same location along the Merrimack River on Sunday afternoon to hold a candlelight vigil in honor of the missing woman and to ensure the search for her continues.

“We need to keep looking for her, and reaching out to the DA’s Office and the Mass State Police,” Smith told vigil attendees before handing out candles to the group. “Any information you might have, even if it’s a little piece of something you’ve seen, or a story she might have shared, please just reach out.”

Smith described Kelly-Oberhauser as a kind, active and successful woman, who would be up by 5 a.m., at which time she would head out for her daily jog that stretched several miles. Kelly-Oberhauser, born in 1964 and originally from Chelmsford, was an only child. When her father passed away, she was left to take care of his business, Kelly Sheet Metal on Dutton Street in Lowell.

“This would be a woman in a white tennis skirt going into a sheet metal welding business,” Smith said. “She’d go in for a couple hours, send out some bills, and that would be it.”

Kelly-Oberhauser, a mother of one, had a house in Tyngsboro but had recently moved into the Grandview Apartments on Pawtucket Boulevard — across the street from where her SUV was found underwater. Several of her friends and family said she was going through a transition in life, but was in good spirits and excited about the future.

Kelly-Oberhauser was last seen operating her black 2016 Range Rover in Lowell around 10:45 p.m. on Jan. 18. The vehicle was discovered in the Merrimack River on Jan. 22. The Lowell Police Department has said the case remains ongoing. They have also reported there does not appear to be any foul play associated with her disappearance.

Lowell Police Superintendent Kelly Richardson said in an email to The Sun on Friday that finding Kelly-Oberhauser is a priority for his department and the State Police.

“Losing a loved one is life’s toughest challenge, not being able to put her to rest makes it insufferable,” Richardson said. “This is why it remains a priority and will remain a priority until she is returned to her family.”

He added State and Environmental police were on the river last week and carried out a multi-day search using State Police helicopters and divers.

“Unfortunately they were unable to locate her,” Richardson said. “As we have seen with previous searches it is a difficult time of year to make a water recovery. We are hopeful that the warmer weather will facilitate our efforts to locate her. We will continue until she is found.”

Jackie Smith, another vigil organizer and long-time friend of Kelly-Oberhauser, questioned police efforts in the search for her missing friend. Jane Kelly-Rood, Kelly-Oberhauser’s cousin, shared a similar sentiment, becoming tearful as she spoke at times. Kelly-Rood said she doesn’t think police are doing enough to find her cousin.

They also question how police can be certain there was no foul play associated with Kelly-Oberhauser’s disappearance if law enforcement hasn’t recovered a body.

“Do your job,” Jackie Smith said. “Bring her home. You can’t assume anything until you find her. It’s frustrating and sad.”

Jackie Smith also questioned how police were so sure her body would even be in the Merrimack River. She, along with Lynn Smith and several others, carried out a search of their own on Saturday, checking a wooded area behind Kelly-Oberhauser’s home in Tyngsboro.

“She wasn’t in the car, so where is she?” Jackie Smith said.

Despite their negative opinions of the police department’s job with the search, Greg Oberhauser, Kelly-Oberhauser’s husband, wasn’t as critical of law enforcement’s efforts.

“The police have explored a number of avenues and done a very good job,” Oberhauser said after leaving the vigil on Sunday. “I’m not satisfied that we haven’t found my wife, but from what has been shared with us, they’ve done a very good job.”

Questions about where Kelly-Oberhauser could be circled among the vigil attendees on Sunday, as did memories of their missing loved one.

“I just don’t want her to be forgotten,” Jackie Smith said.

 

[Chelly]

Special thanks @Spider92 for posting the updated info. I hope Kim won't be forgotten.

As Kim's friend Jackie Smith questioned at vigil, "She wasn't in the car, so where is she?"

 

[Itzme Ellen]

‘We need to keep looking for her’ – Lowell Sun

I've cut and paste the article below and have bolded the part of it that I had not seen previously written about.

LOWELL — Lynn Smith recalls standing near Reggata Field in January, watching as emergency crews pulled her close friend Kim Kelly-Oberhauser’s 2016 Range Rover SUV out of the Merrimack River.

The SUV was empty. Nearly two months later, Kelly-Oberhauser — who had been reported missing less than a week before the submerged vehicle was discovered — has still not been found.

Smith, along with dozens of Kelly-Oberhauser’s friends and family, gathered at the same location along the Merrimack River on Sunday afternoon to hold a candlelight vigil in honor of the missing woman and to ensure the search for her continues.

“We need to keep looking for her, and reaching out to the DA’s Office and the Mass State Police,” Smith told vigil attendees before handing out candles to the group. “Any information you might have, even if it’s a little piece of something you’ve seen, or a story she might have shared, please just reach out.”

Smith described Kelly-Oberhauser as a kind, active and successful woman, who would be up by 5 a.m., at which time she would head out for her daily jog that stretched several miles. Kelly-Oberhauser, born in 1964 and originally from Chelmsford, was an only child. When her father passed away, she was left to take care of his business, Kelly Sheet Metal on Dutton Street in Lowell.

“This would be a woman in a white tennis skirt going into a sheet metal welding business,” Smith said. “She’d go in for a couple hours, send out some bills, and that would be it.”

Kelly-Oberhauser, a mother of one, had a house in Tyngsboro but had recently moved into the Grandview Apartments on Pawtucket Boulevard — across the street from where her SUV was found underwater. Several of her friends and family said she was going through a transition in life, but was in good spirits and excited about the future.

Kelly-Oberhauser was last seen operating her black 2016 Range Rover in Lowell around 10:45 p.m. on Jan. 18. The vehicle was discovered in the Merrimack River on Jan. 22. The Lowell Police Department has said the case remains ongoing. They have also reported there does not appear to be any foul play associated with her disappearance.

Lowell Police Superintendent Kelly Richardson said in an email to The Sun on Friday that finding Kelly-Oberhauser is a priority for his department and the State Police.

“Losing a loved one is life’s toughest challenge, not being able to put her to rest makes it insufferable,” Richardson said. “This is why it remains a priority and will remain a priority until she is returned to her family.”

He added State and Environmental police were on the river last week and carried out a multi-day search using State Police helicopters and divers.

“Unfortunately they were unable to locate her,” Richardson said. “As we have seen with previous searches it is a difficult time of year to make a water recovery. We are hopeful that the warmer weather will facilitate our efforts to locate her. We will continue until she is found.”

Jackie Smith, another vigil organizer and long-time friend of Kelly-Oberhauser, questioned police efforts in the search for her missing friend. Jane Kelly-Rood, Kelly-Oberhauser’s cousin, shared a similar sentiment, becoming tearful as she spoke at times. Kelly-Rood said she doesn’t think police are doing enough to find her cousin.

They also question how police can be certain there was no foul play associated with Kelly-Oberhauser’s disappearance if law enforcement hasn’t recovered a body.

“Do your job,” Jackie Smith said. “Bring her home. You can’t assume anything until you find her. It’s frustrating and sad.”

Jackie Smith also questioned how police were so sure her body would even be in the Merrimack River. She, along with Lynn Smith and several others, carried out a search of their own on Saturday, checking a wooded area behind Kelly-Oberhauser’s home in Tyngsboro.

“She wasn’t in the car, so where is she?” Jackie Smith said.

Despite their negative opinions of the police department’s job with the search, Greg Oberhauser, Kelly-Oberhauser’s husband, wasn’t as critical of law enforcement’s efforts.

“The police have explored a number of avenues and done a very good job,” Oberhauser said after leaving the vigil on Sunday. “I’m not satisfied that we haven’t found my wife, but from what has been shared with us, they’ve done a very good job.”

Questions about where Kelly-Oberhauser could be circled among the vigil attendees on Sunday, as did memories of their missing loved one.

“I just don’t want her to be forgotten,” Jackie Smith said.

 

[Marg from Oz]

Were all doors and windows in the car shut when It Was found? If so, was she in it when it went into the water? How would she have got out of it? JMOO

 

[Curious_in_NC]

@Marg from Oz , I was just wondering the same thing. There was a statement about this earlier in the thread:

RSBM BBM If she wasn't in the car, where is she? They say they didn't find anything in the car but the car was closed up..so where is everything (keys, purse, any other personal items)?

And an unaddressed question about it:

You claimed the car was closed up? Can you elaborate? I missed that. I'm guessing with the temps that cold that the windows would be rolled up, but were the doors locked too? If so, I'm wondering how the car got in the river if the doors were locked on land. Would the doors lock automatically if someone had the key Fob and walked a few feet away? If she was in the car and got herself free after it went in the water, would the doors lock on their own? Or, would the doors lock once the car was put in drive? If someone put the car in drive on land and got out and closed the door, would they lock while it's rolling away?
RSBM

Looking at the news video where the car was recovered, the front windows were down, plus the sunroof and tailgate were open. Maybe this was only done to drain water and attach straps for lifting it out of the river. One or both front air bags looked to have also activated. Would these have needed weight on the seat(s) to activate? What about the seat belt(s)? Were they unclasped?

So the question is, is it possible she or someone was in the car when it went in and escaped in the water or did it roll in empty?

 

[Spider92]

Hi everyone. Glad to see some renewed discussion here. The quotes from last week's article really intrigued me. I was previously thinking this was a potential suicide but now am not so sure. As stated by @Curious_in_NC it is impossible for us to know what windows were open when the car went in the water. It looks like the driver's side window was intact from the picture on the flatbed truck. It would have been hard to climb out the opposite window. The moon roof on that vehicle is probably pretty big but I guess we'd be asking a lot of a driver to escape that way given the circumstances. And I assume it would be impossible to open the doors against the water pressure.
Anyways, IIRC, LE never theorized as to exactly where the vehicle went into the river. To me, that would be a key piece of information, particularly if video cameras were installed in that spot or surrounding streets. Of course, that video might be gone by now.
I'm wondering if her friends will hire a PI? It might give them better access to what's happening (or not happening) at Lowell PD. I'm not sure if Lowell PD is focused exclusively on the river or if they perhaps have reasons to just keep quiet until things develop further.
Hopefully, her friends and family will get answers.

 

[Curious_in_NC]

@Marg from Oz , I was just wondering the same thing. There was a statement about this earlier in the thread:

And an unaddressed question about it:

Looking at the news video where the car was recovered, the front windows were down, plus the sunroof and tailgate were open. Maybe this was only done to drain water and attach straps for lifting it out of the river. One or both front air bags looked to have also activated. Would these have needed weight on the seat(s) to activate? What about the seat belt(s)? Were they unclasped?

So the question is, is it possible she or someone was in the car when it went in and escaped in the water or did it roll in empty?

Correction: only the passenger side window was open, not the driver's. Here's some views from news video stills and the one photo taken on the wrecker.

 

[Chelly]

@Marg from Oz , I was just wondering the same thing. There was a statement about this earlier in the thread:

And an unaddressed question about it:

Looking at the news video where the car was recovered, the front windows were down, plus the sunroof and tailgate were open. Maybe this was only done to drain water and attach straps for lifting it out of the river. One or both front air bags looked to have also activated. Would these have needed weight on the seat(s) to activate? What about the seat belt(s)? Were they unclasped?

So the question is, is it possible she or someone was in the car when it went in and escaped in the water or did it roll in empty?

If only we knew the condition of vehicle before it was pulled from water. We don't know if a diver was submerged for vehicle inspection before the SUV was pulled out, do we?

 

[Jay462]

At the Merrimack River today in Lowell, within yards of where Kim’s car was found and witnessed divers in the water. Not sure if this is related or not. I watched the boat arrive they seemed to know exactly what spot they were looking for. Sent in 2 divers and left approximately 30 minutes after arrival.

 

[Spider92]

At the Merrimack River today in Lowell, within yards of where Kim’s car was found and witnessed divers in the water. Not sure if this is related or not. I watched the boat arrive they seemed to know exactly what spot they were looking for. Sent in 2 divers and left approximately 30 minutes after arrival.

@Jay462 - Thanks for the on the scene report! OT, but by any chance were you fishing there? I've always wondered how the fishing was in the Merrimack.
@Chelly -good question on the divers that were there when the vehicle was pulled out of the river. I had assumed that they sent divers down there to hook up the cables that seemed to be wrapped through the cars windows, but I'm not at all familiar with the mechanics of pulling a car out of the water.
Anyways, I hope today's divers found what they were looking for. At least it seems to be an indication that they are still working Kim's case.

 

[Jay462]

@Jay462 - Thanks for the on the scene report! OT, but by any chance were you fishing there? I've always wondered how the fishing was in the Merrimack.
@Chelly -good question on the divers that were there when the vehicle was pulled out of the river. I had assumed that they sent divers down there to hook up the cables that seemed to be wrapped through the cars windows, but I'm not at all familiar with the mechanics of pulling a car out of the water.
Anyways, I hope today's divers found what they were looking for. At least it seems to be an indication that they are still working Kim's case.

I was not there fishing, just having my lunch and a walk along the river as I usually do daily when the weather is nice.

 

[Curious_in_NC]

If only we knew the condition of vehicle before it was pulled from water. We don't know if a diver was submerged for vehicle inspection before the SUV was pulled out, do we?

I would think that investigators might also be able to determine if the motor was running when it was submerged, if it was in drive or a gear, or reverse, were keys in the ignition, etc. when it was recovered. To the best of my knowledge, if any of this is known, it hasn't been shared with the public

Cars with sunroofs used to come with a manual crank key to use if the power crank was not functional. I can't find info on if newer Range Rovers had one. If so, divers might have used this to open the sunroof.

 

[Spider92]

The presence of divers in the river Thursday also begs the (recurring) question as to where the vehicle entered the water. If they were looking for something that was dislodged when the car went in the river, would they be looking in that spot by the boathouse? I feel like there would be more physical evidence at the point of entry than the spot where it was pulled out. Or did a diver drop something during the vehicle recovery process? Either way, unless it was very heavy, I'm guessing it has shifted location due to currents.