Chelsea Shelton, Cassie Shelton Sheetz's aunt, said police notified the family that the group of hikers was split up around midnight on Thursday.
“You know, whether we find her alive, whether we find her passed away, either way, our family needs closure from this and we’re not going to get it until she is found,” Shelton said.
Now family members like Cassie’s sister, Tabitha Black, are constantly looking at their phones, checking old messages and praying for a reply back.
Black said the one message she listens to each night is a voice message from her sister back in January.
“I’m losing Wi-Fi, baby girl. I’ll message you as soon as I get Wi-Fi back, alright. I love you,” Sheetz told her sister in the message.
The family said Cassie’s father was working with volunteers on searching for any sign of Sheetz on the trail Tuesday morning.
Shelton said the family understands there are different stories online that are circulating but they just want anyone who has information on Sheetz’s whereabouts to come forward.
Family searching for missing hiker near Spruce Knob
What do old messages have anything to do with anything?