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

[Chelly]

This twitter was released by the Lowell Police Dept. last night:
No signs of foul play as search for missing Lowell woman continues
What are the thoughts on this?

I think LE have based their no foul play theory on the condition of recovered SUV, road conditions and statements of people questioned. In the absence of a body, the current conclusion must be accident or suicide, right?

 

[Chelly]

Since the advent of social media, police have learned to play their cases much "closer to the vest". My observations and opinion only.

 

[Spider92]

This twitter was released by the Lowell Police Dept. last night:
No signs of foul play as search for missing Lowell woman continues

What are the thoughts on this?

Thanks for posting that.
My interpretation: there was no violent crime committed here and it was likely a suicide. The family doesn't want to talk about it. LE made the post because they ocasionally get inquiries as to what happened. There will be no further updates unless and until the body is found by chance in the Merrimack River by a boater or fisherman. Sorry to be so negative.

 

[Chelly]

Thanks for posting that.
My interpretation: there was no violent crime committed here and it was likely a suicide. The family doesn't want to talk about it. LE made the post because they ocasionally get inquiries as to what happened. There will be no further updates unless and until the body is found by chance in the Merrimack River by a boater or fisherman. Sorry to be so negative.

Right, and I was one of the people making inquiries. So, it is what it is. Gotta just let this one go.

 

[Genealogy lady]

So, that's it.There are a lot of people who do not agree with the statement. They are not ruling out foul play. They are just saying at this time because they don't have more information..at least no information they are willing to put out there, they (LE) can't call it foul play. Keep asking yourself questions. 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)? Her car didn't need a key in the ignition, but it did need one in the car to start it. We know what the LE is saying, but what aren't they saying?
What Kim was wearing. Don't they usually give that information when looking for a missing person? If she was alone in the parking lot. They have footage of her leaving her apartment. Which direction she was heading. There are cameras on some of the lights at intersections. Do they have a clear picture of who was actually driving the SUV? The LE did say that it is still an active case and she is still missing.

 

[Chelly]

So, that's it.There are a lot of people who do not agree with the statement. They are not ruling out foul play. They are just saying at this time because they don't have more information..at least no information they are willing to put out there, they (LE) can't call it foul play. Keep asking yourself questions. 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)? Her car didn't need a key in the ignition, but it did need one in the car to start it. We know what the LE is saying, but what aren't they saying?
What Kim was wearing. Don't they usually give that information when looking for a missing person? If she was alone in the parking lot. They have footage of her leaving her apartment. Which direction she was heading. There are cameras on some of the lights at intersections. Do they have a clear picture of who was actually driving the SUV? The LE did say that it is still an active case and she is still missing.

@Genealogy lady I am glad to hear your thinking as someone who knew Kim. I still check here every day hoping for news. Clearly whatever evidence LE has, they are not prepared to pass it on. What has puzzled me from beginning....no dive teams searching river when SUV was recovered. Does the Merrimack's current move so fast that police don't use search divers? Of course I wonder about husband whom we can not sleuth. However, there was a post upthread that public records indicate there had been a filing for divorce not long before Kim disappeared.

 

[Spider92]

So, that's it.There are a lot of people who do not agree with the statement. They are not ruling out foul play. They are just saying at this time because they don't have more information..at least no information they are willing to put out there, they (LE) can't call it foul play. Keep asking yourself questions. 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)? Her car didn't need a key in the ignition, but it did need one in the car to start it. We know what the LE is saying, but what aren't they saying?
What Kim was wearing. Don't they usually give that information when looking for a missing person? If she was alone in the parking lot. They have footage of her leaving her apartment. Which direction she was heading. There are cameras on some of the lights at intersections. Do they have a clear picture of who was actually driving the SUV? The LE did say that it is still an active case and she is still missing.

@Genealogy lady - thanks for your perspective. Have you spoken with the family and are you able to share with us what they think?

 

[Rush4087]

A very strange comment by LE, imo. To me, it begs the question: what are you hiding? It piques the interest rather than discourages it.

The statement certainly cannot be construed as an attempt by LE to raise public awareness that KKO is a missing person. And it certainly cannot be construed as an attempt by LE to encourage the public to be on the look out for, and to search for, KKO.

I guess they're worried that maybe somebody will get hurt while searching for her? Or maybe they don't want to tip a possible suspect that they are perhaps on to him? Or maybe they're just tired of answering questions.. We are left to wonder, however, due to the vagueness of the statement.

Everyone knows: absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Until LE clarifies - or shows some evidence to the contrary - I think we can assume that they have NOT ruled out foul play. They certainly have not said that they HAVE ruled out foul play.

I do hope they are quite certain though, because if they are not - and if it is ever determined that foul play WAS involved - they just made any (possible) prosecution of any (possible) suspect(s) all the more difficult. Jmo

 

[Rocky1]

This twitter was released by the Lowell Police Dept. last night:
No signs of foul play as search for missing Lowell woman continues

What are the thoughts on this?

My thoughts are that they haven't ruled out foul play. They just don't have any evidence that points to it.
A little twist on words when they state that "there is no new information that can be provided at this time." That, to me, doesn't mean there is no new information. It may mean they have information, but just can't provide 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?
One thing that's still a possibility. As mentioned, I doubt they think she's in the water with no searching the water. Suicide? Maybe, but she could have disappeared on her own free will.

I think at this point, my thoughts about her being in a hospital somewhere goes out the window. LE claims they are still searching for her. I think it's fair to say that anyone that works at a local hospital has heard about her being missing by now, and would have contacted someone, but this case is so odd that who knows?

 

[Rocky1]

@Genealogy lady I am glad to hear your thinking as someone who knew Kim. I still check here every day hoping for news. Clearly whatever evidence LE has, they are not prepared to pass it on. What has puzzled me from beginning....no dive teams searching river when SUV was recovered. Does the Merrimack's current move so fast that police don't use search divers? Of course I wonder about husband whom we can not sleuth. However, there was a post upthread that public records indicate there had been a filing for divorce not long before Kim disappeared.

The State Police use divers in that river. They've pulled bodies out of there in the past.

 

[Genealogy lady]

This was just posted by someone on the Lowell Police Dept FB page: Tune in tonight, March 2, just after 6 pm, Bob Ward from Fox 25 News is doing a special segment on Kim.

There is a vigil planned for Kim on March 21 at 4:00 pm on Pawtucket Boulevard in Lowell by the UMass Lowell Boathouse. Please feel free to bring a candle to light with everyone in hopes of her safe return home.

 

[Spider92]

Good to see some press on this but still a lot of unanswered questions....like where was she spotted at 10:45pm and where was she going....

Concerns grow for Kim Kelly-Oberhauser, missing from Lowell

At the time of Kim’s disappearance, her personal life was in turmoil. Kim had recently separated from her husband and she had just moved into an apartment complex across the street from where her Range Rover was found.

The fact that Kim was not in that Range Rover when it was recovered haunts her friends to this day. They don’t think she drove the SUV into the Merrimack River.

“She would not be suicidal,” Lynn Smith said. “And if she was, she would not be in the car. That is not Kim.

“Kim did not drive that car; Kim did not put that car in the river. And it still boggles me as to how the car got there and who put it there,” Lynn Smith added.

So, where is Kim Kelly Oberhauser? No one knows. Her friends said, at the time she disappeared, Kim seemed happy. They are urging authorities to not give up.

 

[SAMS]

Just thought I’d drop this here. Some similarities, IMO.

MA - MA - Abbie Flynn, 60, Gloucester, 2 Feb 2020

 

[waldojabba]

This may sound kinda stupid but could this have any connection to Susan Willand who also went missing a bit ago? They're from around the same area, Susan's body was found in the same river where Kim's car was, their appearance description on their missing posters were almost exactly identical and they both left everything at home (except for Kim who took her car).

Good thought - I just looked up Susan Willand and they do look very much alike in the pictures !

 

[waldojabba]

Good thought - I just looked up Susan Willand and they do look very much alike in the pictures !

I live in the metro boston area and just heard about this case- so sad and puzzling

Not much to go on in MSM -
I did see a link to a fb page when I google searched but that link no longer takes you to an operational page

There are lots of good questions posted here by many and so few answers
The first question I have is who saw her driving the car at 10:45pm the day she went missing? Person ? Camera?
Does LE have a 100% positive ID that it was her? I know that LE reported that she was seen ( articles posted up thread) but nothing about where etc ? And then, of course, so many, many other questions after that...

Hopefully LE is working diligently and all will be resolved

I think the candle light vigil is really helpful and should draw reporters- keeping her in the news

Hopefully there will be flyers and her family on hand -

Fingers crossed for a safe resolution

 

[weepingangel]

Lowell woman remains missing six weeks after her SUV was found | Boston.com

 

[Spider92]

Lowell woman remains missing six weeks after her SUV was found | Boston.com

I realize Kim had separated from her husband but find it odd that no family members were quoted in the article.

 

[Spider92]

This is NOT Kim but it may give us a sense of where and when she might turn up IF she went in the river with her vehicle. In December, this man went in the Concord River which flows north into the Merrimack River. His body seems to have then travelled east and was found in Andover, though perhaps that should be North Andover. I have not yet come across an exact location. Maybe @Rocky1 can confirm my map skills - sense of direction has never been my strong suit.
Missing Lowell man's body recovered from Merrimack River

Edited for follow up - ok his body was found near 400 River Road in Andover.

Body Found in Merrimack River in Andover

 

[Esse]

I don't think it was suicide. She has 3 dogs and I don't think she would have just left them in a new apartment with nobody to take care of them. She was planning on coming home.

 

[Genealogy lady]

I don't think it was suicide. She has 3 dogs and I don't think she would have just left them in a new apartment with nobody to take care of them. She was planning on coming home.

I agree she would not have left her dog alone in the apartment for any length of time. One of her dogs had passed away in October. She had the younger one with her at the apartment.