Found Deceased MO - Michele Bell, 36, Caruthersville, 9 Dec 2019 *car found*

[PommyMommy]

DEC 19, 2019
Family of Missing Woman Expanding Search
The family of a missing Caruthersville, Missouri woman have branch out to other states to help find her. Residents from far and wide have been given flyers and traveling to farther areas to inform others about 36-year-old Michele Bell.

[…]

Her family members have expanded their search into Tennessee and Mississippi and have continued to search in both Arkansas and Missouri. Police said a reward is being offered for the safe return of Bell.

[...]

 

[Darling136]

Still missing... Missouri State Police listing

Active Missing Persons

 

[sloane7777]

My brother lives in NE Arkansas and says there are multiple gas stations owned by a man and his family who are involved in trafficking. He says he believes the man who owns them is in jail, but his family is still operating them. She’s a beautiful woman, and as much as I hope for a positive outcome in this, we can’t rule out trafficking as a possible theory.

What I have family in NE Ark that own gas stations /conv stores Wow , I know its not them but wonder if they are aware now I'm dying to know to whom you are referring and I might have a slight clue.....wow but actually not at all surprised

 

[sloane7777]

. delete I did not do that 2x

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 3, 2020

Family Still Searching for Missing Caruthersville Woman

• The family of a missing Caruthersville, Missouri woman is asking for more help from the public.
• Members of her family continue to hand out flyers to residents of other states to let others know about 36-year-old Michele Bell.
• As of Thursday, she is still missing.

Police still searching for missing Caruthersville woman

• Law enforcement officers are continuing to ask for the public’s help.
• According to a FB post by the CPD, MB still has not been located and they are encouraging the public to keep looking for her.
• Police are asking anyone who saw MB near her car or anywhere on Dec. 8 or Dec. 9 to contact authorities.

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 8, 2020
https://www.semissourian.com/story/2659994.html

Michele's maroon Chevrolet HHR sits in the driveway at 405 Ferguson Ave. on Dec. 20 in Caruthersville MO.

It has been one month since Michele Bell has been home.

Michele Bell

Police respond to Bell’s residence

• Officers were dispatched to 405 Ferguson Ave. on Dec 8 at 11:43 p.m. in reference to a threat and made contact with Bell upon their arrival.
• Bell told the officers people were trying to harm her with unknown weapons. After checking the area and the residence, the officers assured Bell nobody was trying to harm her.
• The responding officers stated in their report Bell was “extremely mentally unstable, paranoid and hallucinating” but she refused medical attention and told officers she was going to her mother’s house about 2 miles away.
• At her mother's house, her mother provided officers with a phone number for Bell, but attempts at calling her went directly to voicemail.

The overpass

• Officers took posts at the Caruthersville city limits in the hope of making contact with Bell, but neither she nor her vehicle returned.
• About an hour later, an off-duty Hayti, Missouri, police officer came across Bell’s vehicle parked on an overpass at Interstate 55 mile marker 24, with the driver’s door open and no one inside.
• Hill informed the PCSO of the vehicle at 1:28 a.m. Dec. 9.
• After speaking to a deputy, Hill said a woman he later learned was Bell came running toward him. He identified himself as an off-duty officer and told Bell a deputy was on the way to check on her.
• Hill asked Bell whether she needed medical assistance but she said she was fine and did not need a deputy to respond.
• Hill returned to his vehicle, called the deputy again to relay the info, and was instructed to let her go if she didn’t want an ambulance.
• After following Bell in his vehicle and ensuring she was able to drive, Hill said Bell continued to an overpass at the Interstate 55 exit to Wardell, Missouri, where she began traveling south on Interstate 55.
• It was the last time Bell was seen in Missouri.

Last known sightings

• Several witnesses reported seeing a woman who matched Bell’s description standing by herself about an hour’s drive south from the Wardell exit.
• The first sighting came from a man whose son hunts in the area. The son said he saw Bell near her vehicle about 5:30 a.m. at the I55 southbound exit to Joiner.​
• Other witnesses saw her at the location until about 4:30 p.m., when the last sighting occurred shortly before sundown.​
• Bell’s vehicle was found at the exit around 7:15 p.m. by her uncle, a former Caruthersville police officer, who notified authorities.​
• He described the nearby terrain as “barren” with nothing nearby other than fields and farmhouses.​

Michele Bell's car is seen Dec. 9 where it was located near the Interstate 55 exit to Joiner, Arkansas.

Search efforts continue

• In the days and weeks that followed, he searched relentlessly for his niece.
• The MCSD flew a drone in the area Dec. 10, but per MB's uncle, the agency has been somewhat unresponsive as the investigation continued.​
• He organized a Dec. 14 search party of about 45 people, and covered about 15 miles of land between Bassett and Turrell, AR.​
• After that search, family offered a reward for information leading to the location of Bell and enlisted help from Search Dogs South.​
• The team of bloodhound experts volunteered their services, and a Dec. 19 K-9 search led through the yard of an unfinished home and continued westbound on Hwy 118 before dissipating past a bridge.​
• MB's uncle has continued to use Facebook to post updates with information about Bell’s disappearance and share which areas have been searched.​

Members of Search Dogs South, a canine search and rescue team of volunteers based in the State of Mississippi, search for Michele Bell on Dec. 19 in Arkansas.

 

[mrz]

Scary. What a great uncle to be doing all this. My best wishes for him, his niece and family!

 

[Steph8angels]

UPDATED ARTICLE

Endangered Caruthersville, Mo. woman still missing; family expands search to other states

Bell is described as 5-feet, 4-inches tall and 105 pounds with blonde hair and green eyes. She was wearing a pink shirt and pink leggings.

Anyone with information about Bell’s whereabouts is asked to immediately call 911, your local law enforcement agency or the Caruthersville Police Department at 573-333-4101.

 

[Chattie]

The link above shows she is 36, not 30. The bit about "snakes" in her car is bizarre. Did she speak to that person? Was she talking to someone else on the phone? Very strange detail. Where this person saw her, is this where her car was found? All MOO. Strange one, not much info to go on.

Hi, I’m a friend of some of her family members. Michele has been experiencing psychosis, paranoia and hallucinations. That’s where the “snakes” come in. She was not on any type of drugs nor did she have a history of drug use. She is a good mother from a good family. Also, she left without a phone, purse or any personal belongings. She told the officer she was going to her moms house across town. From what I understand, the people that reported seeing her, saw her by her car and to my knowledge, no one made any contact or spoke with her.

 

[joejs89]

Hoping for the best. Hopefully someone will find her.

 

[CluelessWonder]

We have had other women her age who suffered from hallucinations and breaks from reality. One woman drove from Michigan to Indiana in the winter via the interstate. She was found weeks later in a pond near the interstate. It is believed that she left her car, which had a flat tire, and walked off into a field and accidentally fell into the pond.

A few things to consider are that the path she took may not be what is expected. She likely walked in a straight line and may not have followed roads or sidewalks. Especially true if she was focused on getting away from something more than on where she was going. Also, she must have been very tired. Lastly, she may have followed the direction of the setting sun and may have become desperate when the sun began to set.

Many searches have been conducted where people simply overlooked a person who was right there in the search area. It happens a lot. My guess is that continued searches will bear fruit.

 

[mrz]

My guess is that continued searches will bear fruit.

Great points! And I sure hope you are right!

 

[PunkCake]

The more I read about how some LE agencies protocols are for mental health related incidents, the more confused I am.

From personal experience, since it’s relatively anonymous on here, my mother called 911 wanting to talk to “someone” with a house full of people. I got out of the shower to the police at the door. I was confused, they made contact with dispatch who was still on the phone with her, and I had to let them in. Another officer also showed up to speak with her & inquired to me if she had any history of being medicated for mental health (tbh, I have no idea). She begged them to leave, that this isn’t what she meant, I tried to assure them. The refused to leave for an hour, speaking to her while we were instructed to stay in another room. 3 options, they leave because they deem her okay, they take her unwillingly, or she voluntarily goes.

The fact that LE NOTED her paranoia and hallucinations during MULTIPLE encounters is insane to me. Completely INSANE she wasn’t detained. Is this a state by state regulation ?
Im just curious on some inside from locals, city or state?

If this kind of casual rant is unacceptable via TOS or Mods, I apologize and accept repercussions.

 

[PommyMommy]

Hi, I’m a friend of some of her family members. Michele has been experiencing psychosis, paranoia and hallucinations. That’s where the “snakes” come in. She was not on any type of drugs nor did she have a history of drug use. She is a good mother from a good family. Also, she left without a phone, purse or any personal belongings. She told the officer she was going to her moms house across town. From what I understand, the people that reported seeing her, saw her by her car and to my knowledge, no one made any contact or spoke with her.

Welcome to Websleuths, Chattie. Thank you for sharing.

 

[PommyMommy]

Michele is 37 as of January 22.
Active Missing Persons

We're rooting for you, Michele. Please come home safe and sound!

 

[sallye818]

This story makes me so sad. How is the weather in this area of MO right now? Are there any further searches going on? I feel such heartache for her family.

 

[PommyMommy]

This story makes me so sad. How is the weather in this area of MO right now? Are there any further searches going on? I feel such heartache for her family.

Me too. I have really been hoping that she would be found and get every bit of help she needs, whatever that may be. It's been a month and a half now though...

It's 41 degrees and raining in Joiner, AR where her vehicle was found.

I haven't heard of any searches but her uncle kept an awful lot on the down-low prior to that last article. I am still in awe of everything he's done to try to find her. I wish all these missing people here had someone like that. MOO

 

[TruckersWife]

Bumping for you Michele. You're family is looking for answers and I hope they get them soon!

 

[gabrecan]

This story makes me so sad. How is the weather in this area of MO right now? Are there any further searches going on? I feel such heartache for her family.

Cold and snowy.

 

[Chattie]

Remains were found today near the area the car was found. Also a purse with her id was found near the remains. Please pray for her family as everything has been sent off to be analyzed and a positive id can be made.