Found Deceased MI - Sara Elizabeth Burns, 34, Ogemaw, van found in Leota/Harrison area, 9 Jan 2023

[PommyMommy]

Sara Elizabeth Burns, 34, was reported as missing on Jan. 17.

Burns was last seen leaving her residence in the Houghton Lake area on Jan. 9.

The Ogemaw County Sheriff's Office said they have obtained information that indicates Burns was in the Harrison-area on Jan. 11.

The Clare County Sheriff's Office reported that Burns abandoned vehicle was found in the Leota-area on Jan. 11, prior to her being reported as missing.

Burns is 4'9 and 111 pounds, with blond/strawberry hair and hazel eyes.

Anyone with information on Burns' whereabouts is asked to contact Detective Lt. D

View attachment 397426

Authorities search for missing woman

The Ogemaw County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help in locating a missing woman.

upnorthlive.com

Noting:

"[The] Clare County and Ogemaw County Sheriff’s Offices have since been searching the area where the vehicle was located northeast of Leota by the use of K9s, Drones, and Canvassing. Additional Search and Rescue Crews are also going to be assisting as the search continues," the Clare County Sheriff's Office said in a press release.

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 24, 2023

Michigan police search for missing woman in Clare County

Police officers for the Ogemaw County Sheriff's Office ask for help locating a missing...

www.ourmidland.com

[...]

34-year-old Sara Elizabeth Burns of Prescott was reported as missing on Jan. 17. She was last seen on Jan. 9 in the Prescott area where she had been staying after leaving her previous residence in the Houghton Lake area, according to the Ogemaw County Sheriff's Office in a recent press release.

[...]

"Information has been obtained that indicates Burns was in the Harrison area, Clare County on Jan. 11," the release read.

Clare County Central Dispatch posted to Facebook on Sunday asking those in the Harrison area to look out for her.

[...]

On Jan. 11 the Clare County Sheriff's Office towed her abandoned vehicle in the Leota area before she was reported missing, according to the release. ...

[...]

Police searching for woman reported missing from Ogemaw Co.

The Clare County and Ogemaw County sheriff’s departments are requesting information regarding a missing person from Ogemaw County.

www.wnem.com

The Clare County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by the Ogemaw County Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 23 for assistance with the case.

The two departments have since been searching the area where the vehicle was located northeast of Leota by the use of K9s, drones, and canvassing, detectives said.

 

[UnapologeticallyAspie]

Living near this area , I know Harrison has a large meth presence, with a lot of trafficking of drugs from Detroit area.Not insinuating that Sarah did or didn't have a drug addiction but a lot of nefarious drug related incidences in this rural setting . Praying she is found unharmed .

I’m so glad someone else (you in this case) said something about drugs possibly being a factor.
WS is victim friendly, which is a great thing, and we have to be very careful on how we or rather how I word sentences on here (I’m blunt which comes across as rude sometimes). However in some instances drugs play a role and sometimes this topic should be addressed.

mOO OMO ymmv JMMHO

 

[JiggedyJiggz]

Sara Elizabeth Burns | Facebook

JAN 23, 2023

34-year-old woman reported missing from Ogemaw County​

Investigators say 34-year-old Sara Burns from the Prescott area was last seen on Jan. 9. Clare County Central Dispatch is reporting that the woman's van was found in the Harrison area recently.

Search set in Harrison area for missing woman​

Clare sheriff officials had towed the van earlier, which had not been flagged as being of interest to law enforcement, but Ogemaw investigators discovered it had been located and arranged a search and tracking dog.

everybody is wondering about the car, as it seems to be a detail that can't seem to be tracked down to its right fact. but according to what this just reads on the bottom half. The car wasn't even found by law enforcement, it seems to be found by a tow truck driver. so it couldnt have been too far off into a wooded area that either the tow truck driver/ or someone else couldn't see or call in on. Now im wondering if the tow truck driver had to show LE where it was parked and found or if he gave just general location. although tow drivers tend to have some pretty detailed specific documentation. so did they find anythingggg at the location?or just completely abandoned. possibly, she ran out of gas and had to park it and ran into some bad company or situation. wrong place at the wrong time? or why was she 2 counties over? who was she talking with or possibly meeting whom? does anyone know if shes happened to be at the spot or area her car was found, previously or prior to this occasion, was it normal or did she have absolutely no business being there?

 

[Dargon335]

[...]
She was last seen in the Prescott area, where she had been staying after leaving her previous residence in the Houghton Lake area, on Jan. 9, the sheriff’s office said.
[...]

Police searching for woman reported missing from Ogemaw Co.

So Sara was living (or had lived previously) in the 'Houghton Lake area'. The wording in the MSM report suggests that she was possibly staying with someone in Prescott, or perhaps recently moved there from Houghton Lake.

Please check me on this, but my understanding is:

- Sara lived in the the Houghton Lake area, but may have moved away from there.
- She was staying in the Prescott area, and last seen there (Prescott) on 9 January.
- Sara's van was found by the Clare County Sheriff’s Office in the Leota area and towed away on 11 January.
- The Ogemaw County Sheriff’s Office received a report that Sara was missing on 17 January.

If this information reported by MSM is accurate, then we have a number of questions and some significant missing information here.

I'm wondering about the following:

- Who was Sara 'staying' with in Prescott, and how long had she been living there?
- Did Sara have her children with her while in Prescott?
- Who actually saw her in Prescott on 9 January, and where was she at the time?
- Who reported her missing?
- Where specifically did the Clare County Sheriff’s Office find her 'abandoned' van?
- Were there any signs of foul play inside or around the van when it was found?
- Does Sara have any known previous involvement with substance abuse or MH issues?

In addition, do we have any indication that Sara was actually the person driving her vehicle at the time it was abandoned?

 

[PommyMommy]

everybody is wondering about the car, as it seems to be a detail that can't seem to be tracked down to its right fact. but according to what this just reads on the bottom half. The car wasn't even found by law enforcement, it seems to be found by a tow truck driver. so it couldnt have been too far off into a wooded area that either the tow truck driver/ or someone else couldn't see or call in on. Now im wondering if the tow truck driver had to show LE where it was parked and found or if he gave just general location. although tow drivers tend to have some pretty detailed specific documentation. so did they find anythingggg at the location?or just completely abandoned. possibly, she ran out of gas and had to park it and ran into some bad company or situation. wrong place at the wrong time? or why was she 2 counties over? who was she talking with or possibly meeting whom? does anyone know if shes happened to be at the spot or area her car was found, previously or prior to this occasion, was it normal or did she have absolutely no business being there?

AFAIK, we don't know who found the vehicle, just that it was towed and not on LE's radar at that time since Sara wasn't reported missing yet. MOO

 

[Dargon335]

My understanding per MSM is that the sheriff's office had Sara's van towed, but we don't know for certain that they (sheriff's office) actually discovered her van or if it was reported to them by someone else.

[...]
Prior to the missing person report, the Clare County Sheriff’s Office towed Burns’ abandoned vehicle in the Leota area on Jan. 11.
[...]

This observation may not directly apply to Sara's case, but in my local area vehicles parked along the roads that haven't moved in 24-48 hours are typically tagged by LE with a bright orange sticker in the rear window, then towed away shortly after.

 

[Unsolved]

Prior to the missing person report, the Clare County Sheriff’s Office towed Burns’ abandoned vehicle in the Leota area on Jan. 11.

<snipped to focus on this part/BBM>

"Leota is located in a remote area of northern Clare County along the Muskegon River."

I always hate to see water around cases. I know she didn't drive into it because they have her vehicle, but that doesn't mean it's out of consideration JMO:

Intensive air and ground search continues for Ogemaw County woman

The Clare County Sheriff's Office says search and rescue crews with assistance from K-9s and drones are blanketing an area of northern Clare County to look for 34-year-old Sara Burns

www.abc12.com

Also a wild thought - it looks like there are Amish in the area. Could she be on the run - for whatever reason - and possibly be staying with some Amish people? Might be a place to hide for a while.
Warned you it was wild lol.

 

[Dargon335]

@Unsolved there’s no telling what might be happening regarding Sara’s disappearance. We don’t have enough information at this point so your observations are not necessarily ‘wild’.

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 25, 2023

Clare County Mounted Divsion joins search for woman missing for more than two weeks

Sara Burns was last seen in Ogemaw County on January 9th and her abandoned vehicle was found in Clare County two days later

www.abc12.com

[...]

... When her vehicle was found near Leota, she hadn't been reported missing at that point.

That's where search efforts are focused this week. Police have been using K-9s, drones and horses to search the woods of northeast Clare County.

"The horses, they give us a lot of benefit. No. 1, mobility," said Jesse Loudenslager of the Clare County Sheriff's Department.

[...]

The van was found abandoned on Muskegon Road east of Leota...

[...]

 

[Dargon335]

Clare County Mounted Divsion joins search for woman missing for more than two weeks

[...]
"They did tow the car and they have found some evidence that she was in this area of some sort," Loudenslager said.
[...]

BBM above.

What type of evidence is LE referring to here? Perhaps physical items, such as Sara's phone, or her purse, a backpack, or did someone actually see her in this area? This statement from LE is quite vague IMO.

[...]
The van was found abandoned on Muskegon Road east of Leota in rural Clare County two days later, but she had not been reported missing at the time.
[...]

From the above statement at least we know her van was found somewhere on Muskegon Road. We don't have a precise location, but based on the wording in the MSM report and Google Maps the portion of Muskegon Road "east of Leota" would likely be somewhere between the Muskegon River in the west and the Rice Pond area in the east. The original MSM reports indicate Sara's van was found in a wooded and sparsely-populated area near Leota.

Google Maps - Leota, MI

 

[PommyMommy]

Despite the headline, there is no mention of human trafficking or the task force in this article. I took a quick peek at the FB page for Upper Peninsula Human Trafficking Task Force and it appears they merely posted an ABC article. MOO

JAN 26, 2023

Upper Peninsula Human Trafficking Task Force distributes story on missing Clare Co woman

EUP News Upper Peninsula Human Trafficking Task Force distributes story on missing Clare Co woman

www.eupnews.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The Clare County Sheriff's Office reported that Burns abandoned vehicle was found in the Leota-area on Jan. 11, prior to her being reported as missing.

"[The] Clare County and Ogemaw County Sheriff’s Offices have since been searching the area where the vehicle was located northeast of Leota by the use of K9s, Drones, and Canvassing. Additional Search and Rescue Crews are also going to be assisting as the search continues," the Clare County Sheriff's Office said in a press release.

Authorities search for missing woman

The Ogemaw County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help in locating a missing woman.

upnorthlive.com

 

[PommyMommy]

The Clare County Sheriff's Office reported that Burns abandoned vehicle was found in the Leota-area on Jan. 11, prior to her being reported as missing.

"[The] Clare County and Ogemaw County Sheriff’s Offices have since been searching the area where the vehicle was located northeast of Leota by the use of K9s, Drones, and Canvassing. Additional Search and Rescue Crews are also going to be assisting as the search continues," the Clare County Sheriff's Office said in a press release.

Authorities search for missing woman

The Ogemaw County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help in locating a missing woman.

upnorthlive.com

The press release mentioned in the article, posted on FB Jan 24, 2023:

Clare County Central Dispatch | Facebook

 

[ifindedout]

Muskegon Road in Summerfield Township. Rice Pond appears prominently at the east end.

 

[Dargon335]

Thanks @ifindedout for the map. Very helpful visual.

We know Sara's van was found somewhere in a wooded area along Muskegon Road, but we don't have an exact location as of yet. We also do not know for certain that Sara was driving the van at the time it was 'abandoned', or the reason for it being parked along the road. So far nothing from LE or MSM indicating whether the van was in running condition when it was left there, if it was damaged, flat tire, out of fuel, etc. Also nothing from LE about what evidence, if any, may have been found inside the van.

Sara is short (4-foot-9 per MSM reports) so logically the driver's seat would be in a forward position if Sara was driving the van. A larger/taller person would likely need to move the seat back to drive it. MOO

Do we know if Sara's children were living with her in Prescott or in the van at the time it was abandoned? All that I've seen so far is that she was staying in Prescott, but no mention so far in MSM whether her children were with her.

Clare County Mounted Divsion joins search for woman missing for more than two weeks

[...]
"They did tow the car and they have found some evidence that she was in this area of some sort," Loudenslager said.
[...]

BBM above. I'm curious to know more about this statement. What type of evidence, and where was it found?

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 27, 2023

Missing woman’s van found in Clare County

Sara Burns is missing from Ogemaw County and was last reported in the Harrison area. By Pat MaurerCorrespondent A 34-year-old Ogemaw County woman, Sara Elizabeth Burns, is the subject of an intensi…

wilcoxnewspapers.com

[...]

According to the release from the CCSO, Ogemaw County notified them about a missing person on Monday, January 23rd. As soon as Ogemaw investigators found out that Burns’ van had been located, they arranged for the area to be searched with a tracking dog Monday.

Clare County and Ogemaw County Sheriff’s Offices have since been searching the area where the vehicle was located northeast of Leota by the use of K9s, Drones, and Canvassing. Additional Search and Rescue Crews are also going to be assisting as the search continues, the release from the CCSO said.

[...]

 

[Erutan]

Thanks @ifindedout for the map. Very helpful visual.

We know Sara's van was found somewhere in a wooded area along Muskegon Road, but we don't have an exact location as of yet. We also do not know for certain that Sara was driving the van at the time it was 'abandoned', or the reason for it being parked along the road. So far nothing from LE or MSM indicating whether the van was in running condition when it was left there, if it was damaged, flat tire, out of fuel, etc. Also nothing from LE about what evidence, if any, may have been found inside the van.

Sara is short (4-foot-9 per MSM reports) so logically the driver's seat would be in a forward position if Sara was driving the van. A larger/taller person would likely need to move the seat back to drive it. MOO

Do we know if Sara's children were living with her in Prescott or in the van at the time it was abandoned? All that I've seen so far is that she was staying in Prescott, but no mention so far in MSM whether her children were with her.

Clare County Mounted Divsion joins search for woman missing for more than two weeks

[...]
"They did tow the car and they have found some evidence that she was in this area of some sort," Loudenslager said.
[...]

BBM above. I'm curious to know more about this statement. What type of evidence, and where was it found?

Agreed with the bolded.

Phone pings ?

 

[DragonEyeGrl]

I'm new to this platform so forgive if I post anything in an incorrect format.

Agreed with the bolded.

Phone pings ?

She left her phone at the place she was staying (Prescott) when she left on the 9th around 6-630 in the morning.

Thanks @ifindedout for the map. Very helpful visual.

We know Sara's van was found somewhere in a wooded area along Muskegon Road, but we don't have an exact location as of yet. We also do not know for certain that Sara was driving the van at the time it was 'abandoned', or the reason for it being parked along the road. So far nothing from LE or MSM indicating whether the van was in running condition when it was left there, if it was damaged, flat tire, out of fuel, etc. Also nothing from LE about what evidence, if any, may have been found inside the van.

Sara is short (4-foot-9 per MSM reports) so logically the driver's seat would be in a forward position if Sara was driving the van. A larger/taller person would likely need to move the seat back to drive it. MOO

Do we know if Sara's children were living with her in Prescott or in the van at the time it was abandoned? All that I've seen so far is that she was staying in Prescott, but no mention so far in MSM whether her children were with her.

Clare County Mounted Divsion joins search for woman missing for more than two weeks

[...]
"They did tow the car and they have found some evidence that she was in this area of some sort," Loudenslager said.
[...]

BBM above. I'm curious to know more about this statement. What type of evidence, and where was it found?

The van was found on the northeast end of Leota on Muskegon Rd, out of fuel. The MSM nor LE are giving any other information as to whether the seat position was changed, if there was any other damage to the van, or if any DNA was found in, on, or around the van.

Her children are safe; they were never missing or in danger.

As for the evidence, it was not made known by the MSM or LE to the public but some family does know. One of those family members used their 1st amendment right to post it to a public forum. MOO this should not have been done as it could have compromised the search / investigation.

[...]
She was last seen in the Prescott area, where she had been staying after leaving her previous residence in the Houghton Lake area, on Jan. 9, the sheriff’s office said.
[...]

Police searching for woman reported missing from Ogemaw Co.

So Sara was living (or had lived previously) in the 'Houghton Lake area'. The wording in the MSM report suggests that she was possibly staying with someone in Prescott, or perhaps recently moved there from Houghton Lake.

Please check me on this, but my understanding is:

- Sara lived in the the Houghton Lake area, but may have moved away from there.
- She was staying in the Prescott area, and last seen there (Prescott) on 9 January.
- Sara's van was found by the Clare County Sheriff’s Office in the Leota area and towed away on 11 January.
- The Ogemaw County Sheriff’s Office received a report that Sara was missing on 17 January.

If this information reported by MSM is accurate, then we have a number of questions and some significant missing information here.

I'm wondering about the following:

- Who was Sara 'staying' with in Prescott, and how long had she been living there?
- Did Sara have her children with her while in Prescott?
- Who actually saw her in Prescott on 9 January, and where was she at the time?
- Who reported her missing?
- Where specifically did the Clare County Sheriff’s Office find her 'abandoned' van?
- Were there any signs of foul play inside or around the van when it was found?
- Does Sara have any known previous involvement with substance abuse or MH issues?

In addition, do we have any indication that Sara was actually the person driving her vehicle at the time it was abandoned?

The facts you listed above is correct. I can't answer all of your questions but I can answer some.
- Who was Sara 'staying' with in Prescott, and how long had she been living there?
A friend, identity will say confidential at this time.
- Did Sara have her children with her while in Prescott?
All I can comment is that her children were never missing or not in danger.
- Who actually saw her in Prescott on 9 January, and where was she at the time?
Her sister was the last to see her.
- Who reported her missing?
Her sister.
- Where specifically did the Clare County Sheriff’s Office find her 'abandoned' van?
Muskegon Rd in northeast Leota
- Were there any signs of foul play inside or around the van when it was found?
That information is not known or repored at this time.
- Does Sara have any known previous involvement with substance abuse or MH issues?
No substance abuse or MH issues.

No one knows who was driving the van when it was 'abandoned'.

JAN 24, 2023

Michigan police search for missing woman in Clare County

Police officers for the Ogemaw County Sheriff's Office ask for help locating a missing...

www.ourmidland.com

[...]

34-year-old Sara Elizabeth Burns of Prescott was reported as missing on Jan. 17. She was last seen on Jan. 9 in the Prescott area where she had been staying after leaving her previous residence in the Houghton Lake area, according to the Ogemaw County Sheriff's Office in a recent press release.

[...]

"Information has been obtained that indicates Burns was in the Harrison area, Clare County on Jan. 11," the release read.

Clare County Central Dispatch posted to Facebook on Sunday asking those in the Harrison area to look out for her.

[...]

On Jan. 11 the Clare County Sheriff's Office towed her abandoned vehicle in the Leota area before she was reported missing, according to the release. ...

[...]

Police searching for woman reported missing from Ogemaw Co.

The Clare County and Ogemaw County sheriff’s departments are requesting information regarding a missing person from Ogemaw County.

www.wnem.com

The Clare County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by the Ogemaw County Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 23 for assistance with the case.

The two departments have since been searching the area where the vehicle was located northeast of Leota by the use of K9s, drones, and canvassing, detectives said.

There are now 3 counties involved in the search / investigation: Ogemaw (where she went missing from (Prescott)), Clare (where the van was found (Leota)), and Roscommon where she lived originally (Houghton Lake)).

 

[KJ's Mamu]

Seeing sad update on FB...so far unable to substantiate with MSN.