Post by gagal on Jun 29, 2007 8:46:25 GMT -5
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First volunteer search - More than 200 volunteers show up
Originally appeared in Walker County Messenger, 03/31/2007
Patricia Burrell held up a cherished photograph of herself and Theresa Parker taken 18 years earlier as she described the missing woman as “dependable and stable.”
On Saturday, 228 volunteers showed up in LaFayette to search for the 41-year-old Walker County E-911 dispatcher, who was last seen on Wednesday, March 21.
"A thirty-five square mile area was searched today utilizing 228 volunteers," Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson said at the end of the day. "No sufficient leads or evidence was obtained during the search."
The search was organized by Walker County Coordinator and Emergency Services Director David Ashburn and Walker County Fire Chief Randy Camp.
Burrell graduated high school with Parker and has been close friends with her for 22 years. She and 11 other members of her family joined Assistant Chief James Lively, center, and Walker County Fire Chief Randy Camp, right, work on the logistics of sending out teams Saturday. (Messenger photo/Matt Ledger)
other volunteers in Lafayette on Saturday to participate in the coordinated search and rescue mission to find Parker or any clues that might lead to her whereabouts.
At 9 a.m., more than 200 volunteers met at the Walker County Fire Station No. 15 at the intersection of Old Lee School Road and U.S. 27. The volunteers were split into 16 teams to search nearly three dozen search areas and almost another dozen designated K-9 search areas.
“The reason we chose this area is because this is south of the Parker home and because the last cell phone call received was from the cell tower in this area,
Deputy Director of EMS Steve Hudson gives a safety briefing to volunteers prior to their departure. (Messenger photo/Matt Ledger) 48; Sheriff Wilson said. Sheriff Wilson said the cell phone transmission was made sometime after midnight on Thursday, March 22, but he declined to give any further details.
Parker’s sister, Hilda Wilson, said, “She left my sister’s house about 9:30 or 10 p.m. Wednesday night.”
Wilson said her sister was moving into a new apartment in Fort Oglethorpe near her other sister and was going to clean it up. Parker was moving from her home near Lafayette, which she had shared with her estranged husband, Sam Parker. Her husband is a sergeant with the Lafayette Police Department.
“She is the most dependable person you’d find,” Wilson said. She said her sister would not just disappear without letting anyone know her whereabouts.
Burrell added, “It’s not like her. She wouldn’t want people to worry about her.”
As search teams were organized and briefed, Walker County EMS Capt. Allen Padgett told volunteers, “You are a clue finder. We are searching this area because it is the last signal footprint of her cell phone.”
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LATEST DEVELOPMENT: Late Saturday, Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson said a court-ordered search warrant was issued to search the Parker home on Cordell Road in the Corinth community, just north of the search area.
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Each volunteer was assigned a number and was instructed to sign out before leaving the search.
Padgett told the group, “You must check out in person when you leave. We’re going to leave here with everybody. Safety is a priority.”
He instructed the group to look for relevant clues, including clothes, jewelry, eyeglasses and shoes. Padgett also relayed that much of the search area could be hazardous with rough terrain.
The search teams covered a large area of the southern end of Walker County, with the search concentrating on an area south of Lafayette, north of the Chattooga County line, west of Taylor’s Ridge and east of Pigeon Mountain.
Although Walker County resident Kirsten Sebright had just moved to the area from Illinois within recent months, she said she joined the effort after hearing about it on Friday.
“I went to the courthouse yesterday and asked why there were so many people there,” Sebright said. A vigil was held for Parker on Friday at the Walker County Courthouse in downtown LaFayette.
“I feel for the family,” Sebright said. “If it was my kid, I would want somebody out to help look.” Sebright’s 19-year-old daughter Misty Sebright joined her in the search.
Lt. Ron Bennett of the Walker County EMS Fire Station No. 13 was team leader for a group searching along U.S. 27 on Saturday morning. Bennett hoped that nothing was found suspecting foul play.
“I hope this is a waste of time,” he said, implying the hope that Parker was found alive and well somewhere.
Elaine Gawthrop, who lives near the search area, said she felt compelled to join others in the search efforts.
“I just felt like it was something I should do. I even have a sister-in-law in Rhode Island with the same name, Theresa Parker, spelled the same way. I just had to come out here and help. I’ve never done anything like this before, though,” Gawthrop said.
Gawthrop’s husband Jim, who owns Trinity Construction and Demolition, was subcontracted by Tennessee Grading to work with construction crews working along U.S. 27, Gawthrop said. She added that her husband mans the waste pit where rubbish and animal carcasses are taken that are dumped along the highway.
“He’s checking the waste pit, because he’ll know if it’s been disturbed,” she said.
As any possible clues were found, the information was called into the command center at the fire station and police officers or investigators were sent out to investigate.
Around noon, Walker County Investigator Carolyn Cobb was sent out to Old Trion Road to investigate several items near a bridge including a purse similar to one belonging to Parker. Investigator Cobb determined the purse and items did not belong to Parker.
Search crews continued their efforts until around 6 p.m., but Ashburn said no relevant clues were found.
Sheriff Wilson said he would make a decision sometime this weekend after meeting with officials at the command center about whether or not to widening the search area.
First volunteer search - More than 200 volunteers show up
Originally appeared in Walker County Messenger, 03/31/2007
Patricia Burrell held up a cherished photograph of herself and Theresa Parker taken 18 years earlier as she described the missing woman as “dependable and stable.”
On Saturday, 228 volunteers showed up in LaFayette to search for the 41-year-old Walker County E-911 dispatcher, who was last seen on Wednesday, March 21.
"A thirty-five square mile area was searched today utilizing 228 volunteers," Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson said at the end of the day. "No sufficient leads or evidence was obtained during the search."
The search was organized by Walker County Coordinator and Emergency Services Director David Ashburn and Walker County Fire Chief Randy Camp.
Burrell graduated high school with Parker and has been close friends with her for 22 years. She and 11 other members of her family joined Assistant Chief James Lively, center, and Walker County Fire Chief Randy Camp, right, work on the logistics of sending out teams Saturday. (Messenger photo/Matt Ledger)
other volunteers in Lafayette on Saturday to participate in the coordinated search and rescue mission to find Parker or any clues that might lead to her whereabouts.
At 9 a.m., more than 200 volunteers met at the Walker County Fire Station No. 15 at the intersection of Old Lee School Road and U.S. 27. The volunteers were split into 16 teams to search nearly three dozen search areas and almost another dozen designated K-9 search areas.
“The reason we chose this area is because this is south of the Parker home and because the last cell phone call received was from the cell tower in this area,
Deputy Director of EMS Steve Hudson gives a safety briefing to volunteers prior to their departure. (Messenger photo/Matt Ledger) 48; Sheriff Wilson said. Sheriff Wilson said the cell phone transmission was made sometime after midnight on Thursday, March 22, but he declined to give any further details.
Parker’s sister, Hilda Wilson, said, “She left my sister’s house about 9:30 or 10 p.m. Wednesday night.”
Wilson said her sister was moving into a new apartment in Fort Oglethorpe near her other sister and was going to clean it up. Parker was moving from her home near Lafayette, which she had shared with her estranged husband, Sam Parker. Her husband is a sergeant with the Lafayette Police Department.
“She is the most dependable person you’d find,” Wilson said. She said her sister would not just disappear without letting anyone know her whereabouts.
Burrell added, “It’s not like her. She wouldn’t want people to worry about her.”
As search teams were organized and briefed, Walker County EMS Capt. Allen Padgett told volunteers, “You are a clue finder. We are searching this area because it is the last signal footprint of her cell phone.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LATEST DEVELOPMENT: Late Saturday, Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson said a court-ordered search warrant was issued to search the Parker home on Cordell Road in the Corinth community, just north of the search area.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Each volunteer was assigned a number and was instructed to sign out before leaving the search.
Padgett told the group, “You must check out in person when you leave. We’re going to leave here with everybody. Safety is a priority.”
He instructed the group to look for relevant clues, including clothes, jewelry, eyeglasses and shoes. Padgett also relayed that much of the search area could be hazardous with rough terrain.
The search teams covered a large area of the southern end of Walker County, with the search concentrating on an area south of Lafayette, north of the Chattooga County line, west of Taylor’s Ridge and east of Pigeon Mountain.
Although Walker County resident Kirsten Sebright had just moved to the area from Illinois within recent months, she said she joined the effort after hearing about it on Friday.
“I went to the courthouse yesterday and asked why there were so many people there,” Sebright said. A vigil was held for Parker on Friday at the Walker County Courthouse in downtown LaFayette.
“I feel for the family,” Sebright said. “If it was my kid, I would want somebody out to help look.” Sebright’s 19-year-old daughter Misty Sebright joined her in the search.
Lt. Ron Bennett of the Walker County EMS Fire Station No. 13 was team leader for a group searching along U.S. 27 on Saturday morning. Bennett hoped that nothing was found suspecting foul play.
“I hope this is a waste of time,” he said, implying the hope that Parker was found alive and well somewhere.
Elaine Gawthrop, who lives near the search area, said she felt compelled to join others in the search efforts.
“I just felt like it was something I should do. I even have a sister-in-law in Rhode Island with the same name, Theresa Parker, spelled the same way. I just had to come out here and help. I’ve never done anything like this before, though,” Gawthrop said.
Gawthrop’s husband Jim, who owns Trinity Construction and Demolition, was subcontracted by Tennessee Grading to work with construction crews working along U.S. 27, Gawthrop said. She added that her husband mans the waste pit where rubbish and animal carcasses are taken that are dumped along the highway.
“He’s checking the waste pit, because he’ll know if it’s been disturbed,” she said.
As any possible clues were found, the information was called into the command center at the fire station and police officers or investigators were sent out to investigate.
Around noon, Walker County Investigator Carolyn Cobb was sent out to Old Trion Road to investigate several items near a bridge including a purse similar to one belonging to Parker. Investigator Cobb determined the purse and items did not belong to Parker.
Search crews continued their efforts until around 6 p.m., but Ashburn said no relevant clues were found.
Sheriff Wilson said he would make a decision sometime this weekend after meeting with officials at the command center about whether or not to widening the search area.