Matt & Rowena Schade & 2 children 3-20-09 [IN CUSTODY]

[annalyzer]

Authorities ask for help in finding missing Nebraska family

http://ktiv.images.worldnow.com/images/10098068_BG1.jpg

March 30, 2009 07:27 PM EDT

CREIGHTON, Neb. (KTIV) - Ten days ago a Northeast Nebraska family vanished, Monday night relatives and authorities are asking for your help to find them.

Knox County has recently issued a missing persons alert for Matt Schade, his wife Rowena and their two children.

The family was last seen by Matt's father, on March 20th.

"We were contacted by family members who were worried because they hadn't had any contact with them in a couple of days," explained Knox County Sheriff Jim Janecek.

The family left their home in Creighton, Nebraska in a black Ford Taurus under what the sheriff says is allegations of possible family violence.

"We had had a report of family violence, and that is why we started the investigation. At the time the Deputy returned on the 20th, we had no grounds at that time to continue the investigation," Janecek said.

Two days later, when the family couldn't be located, the Knox County Sheriff started an investigation into their disapperance.

"We would just like to find out that they are all right and the family is tremendously worried," said Janecek.

KTIV did speak to Chet Schade, Matt's father and he said, off camera, that he hopes to see his son and his family back as soon as possible, safe and sound.

The license plate number 12-G997. If you have any information on the whereabouts of the Schade family, contact the Knox County Sheriff at (402) 288-4261.

http://www.ktiv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10098068

[Pauli]

Authorities searching for missing Creighton, Neb. family
March 30, 2009 11:35 AM
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http://ktiv.images.worldnow.com/images/static/gfx/pxl_trans.gif

CREIGHTON, Neb. (KTIV) - Authorities are looking for a Creighton, Nebraska family that has been missing for ten days.

Matt and Rowena Schade and their two children were last seen leaving their home March 20th by Matt's Father.

Since then, no one has been in contact with the family and their house has been empty.

The Knox County Sheriff's Office has issued a missing persons alert for the family.

They left in a 2000 black Ford Taurus with license number 12-G997.
Anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to contact the Knox County Sheriff's Office at 402-288-4261.

http://www.ktiv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10095007

[Pauli]

Investigators Search For Missing Neb. Family

Investigators Say Violence May Be Factor

POSTED: 9:40 am CDT March 31, 2009
UPDATED: 10:03 am CDT March 31, 2009


OMAHA, Neb. -- A northeast Nebraska family has disappeared and investigators are worried that violence may be involved, according to KTIV in Creighton, Neb.

Knox County officials issued a missing persons alert for Rowena Schade, her husband, Matt, and their two children. The family was last seen by Matt's father on March 20, investigators said.

"We had had a report of family violence, and that is why we started the investigation," said Knox County Sheriff Jim Janecek.

Deputies said they had no grounds to continue the investigation when they contacted the family on March 20. Two days later, the family was gone, prompting the start of the disappearance investigation, according to KTIV.

"We would just like to find out that they are all right and the family is tremendously worried," Janecek said.

Chet Schade, Matt's father, told KTIV that he hopes to see his family return safe as soon as possible.

http://www.ketv.com/news/19053725/detail.html

[annalyzer]

Search Underway for Missing Nebraska Family

March 31, 2009 04:28 PM EDT
March 31, 2009 04:34 PM EDT

Matt and Rowena Schade and their two children, of Creighton, Nebraska left home and were last seen by Mr. Schade's Father on March 20th.

Since that time no one has had contact with the family and the house has been empty. The Knox County Sheriff's Office has been requested to investigate this as a missing persons case. The family has been entered as missing in the NCIC data base and missing flyers have been issued.

The family left the area in a 2000black Ford Taurus License number 12G997.

If anyone has heard from the family or has any reason to believe they know where the family is please call the Sheriff's Office at 402-288-4261.

http://www.kcautv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10104620&nav=1kgl

[sarahhod]

Creighton Family Reported Missing



Published: Tuesday, March 31, 2009 11:03 PM CDT
From P&D Staff Reports

CREIGHTON, Neb. — A Creighton, Neb., family that has not been seen for nearly two weeks has been declared as missing persons.

On March 20, Matt and Rowena Schade and their two children left home and were last seen by Matt Schade’s father. Since that time, no one has had contact with the family, and the house has been empty.

The Knox County sheriff’s office has been requested to investigate the disappearance as a missing persons case. The family has been entered as missing in the NCIC data base, and flyers have been issued.

The family left the area in a 2000 black Ford Taurus with the Nebraska license number 12G997.

If anyone has heard from the family or has any reason to believe they know the family’s location, please call the Knox County sheriff’s office at (402) 288-4261.

http://www.yankton.net/articles/2009/04/01/community/doc49d2e5b5e3a77401662779.txt

[SavannahStar]

Oh what a nice looking family! I pray they are found and there is no foul play. I wonder if LE is thinking murder/suicide?

[Grande]

Authorities search Hills for missing Nebraska family
By Journal staff | Wednesday, April 01, 2009

The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office is asking for help in locating a Nebraska family missing since March 20.

According to a news release from the sheriff’s office, a black Ford Taurus registered to Matthew Schade, 26, was found in the Pactola/Silver City area Tuesday afternoon. There was no sign of Schade, his wife Rowena Schade, 29, and two children, ages 11 and 8, who were also reported missing.

According to the news release, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office in northeastern Nebraska contacted local authorities Tuesday, asking that they check that part of the Black Hills. Matthew Schade had apparently visited that area in the past.

The Rapid City Police Department and Pennington County Search and Rescue resumed their search this morning. Anyone with any information is asked to call the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office at 394-2151.

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2009/04/01/news/top/doc49d3a16492369907767483.txt

[Grande]

Missing Family
Created: 4/1/2009 1:16:14 PM

There’s a family missing and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office and the Rapid City Police as well as Pennington County Search and Rescue are searching for them in the Pactola, Silver City Area.

According to information received on Tuesday from sheriff’s in Nebraska, 26-year-old Matthew Schade, his 29-year-old wife Rowena and their two children ages 11 and 8 were last seen on March 20th.

A Black Ford Taurus registered to Schade was found in the area on Tuesday.

A more extensive search continued Wednesday morning.

http://www.kotaradio.com/news.asp?eid=5002&ID=2684

[packy]

They may not be far if they found the car. Hope the search turns something up soon.

[grammybears]

I was hoping that this family had been found. I would think that they would not be far from where the car was. How do a family of four just disappear? I hope nothing bad has happened to any of them.

jmoo

[MOM of 2+]

MISSING FAMILY IN CREIGHTON, NE


3/30/09

The Matthew Schade family left their home in rural Creighton, Nebraska, on March 20 during the night. They left their home with freshly baked cookies still on the table, homework in the living room, and took very few clothes. They have not been heard from since. They did take a lot of camping supplies for cold weather, so they could be headed for Canada. Those missing are:
Sean - Age 8
Devon - Age 11
Rowena - Age 29
Matthew (Matt) - In mid to late 20's- May have a full red beard

The above picture is from 2005. Matthew is known to display mood swings from passive to serious anger episodes and is very abusive. They left their home driving a 2000 Black Ford Taurus with the Nebraska license plate # of 12-G997. If you see them, please contact the Knox County Sheriff at (402) 288-4261 or the Nebraska State Patrol at (402) 471-4545.



http://kbrx.com/NEWSCENTER.html

[Grande]

04/01/2009
Search For Missing Family Underway In Hills

A massive search is underway in the Black Hills for a family that's been missing for 12 days. Officials are looking for the Knox County, Nebraska couple and their two kids in the Pactola and Silver City area, where they found the family's car.

The Pennington County Sheriff's Department says 26-year-old Matthew Schade, his wife, 29-year-old Rowena, and their two kids, 11-year-old Devon and 8-year-old Sean, have a history of camping in the Pactola area. That's what led the search in Nebraska to cross state lines. Now that they've found the family's vehicle, the search has stretched into the depths of the Black Hills.

The last time someone heard from the family was on March 20.

"We were just told that this was an area that one of the members of the family had often frequented and as a matter of fact, it was in that area that we located the car," Pennington County Sheriff's Lieutenant Corey Brubakken said.

The family vehicle, found nearly three miles from the nearest paved road deep in the Black Hills Forest, is the only evidence investigators have found in the search for the family.

"We came across the abandoned vehicle yesterday. We searched that area and we intensified the search this morning," Brubakken said.

That includes around 20 members of local law enforcement who are scouring the Hills by foot. They've also called in the Highway patrol to search by air. Over the past 12 days, the area's seen two major blizzards, making the terrain tough to navigate and impossible for dogs to scent. Still, authorities have reason to believe the family was ready for cold weather.

"We're hoping to find that everyone is fine. We do believe they have appropriate gear for the circumstances that we're in right now," Brubakken said.

http://www.keloland.com/News/NewsDetail6371.cfm?Id=0,82759

[grammybears]

I keep checking hoping that there has been good news about this family. I pray they are found soon and safe.
It doesn't sound good with all the snow so I hope they are all warm.

[sarahhod]

Search for missing NE family to continue Thursday

By Molly Montag
mmontag@siouxcityjournal.com | Posted: Wednesday, April 01, 2009


RAPID CITY, S.D. -- South Dakota authorities searched several miles of the Black Hills on Wednesday for a missing northeast Nebraska family after finding the family's car.

Pennington County Sheriff Lt. Marty Graves said the search for Matthew Schade, Rowena Schade and their 11-and 8-year-old children will resume Thursday in the Pactola/Silver City area of the central Black Hills.

Nebraska police have been searching for the Schades, of Creighton, who family members last saw on March 20. Their disappearance is being investigated as a missing-persons case.

South Dakota authorities found the family's black Ford Taurus on Tuesday after Knox County (Neb.) sheriff's deputies told them Matthew Schade was known to camp in the Black Hills, a popular wilderness area west of Rapid City.

Sheriff deputies, Rapid City police and a helicopter crew conducted a more detailed search of the area on Wednesday, but did not find the family.

"We have every reason to believe, at this point, they are up in that area," Graves said.

http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2009/04/01/news/latest_news/af8233575f0852aa8625758c000b071e.txt

[sarahhod]

I pray this family are found before Daddy has a "serious anger episode".

Thanks for the update Mom of 2+

Welcome to HFTM.:0012:

[sarahhod]

Nebraska family missing nearly two weeks




Story Highlights
Search will continue Thursday in the Black Hills of South Dakota
Investigators think Schade family of Creighton, Nebraska, may have gone camping
Family's Ford Taurus found in Silver City, South Dakota, on Tuesday
Two blizzards have hit area since the family has gone missing


http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/images/1.gif
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http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/img/2.0/mosaic/base_skins/baseplate/corner_dg_TL.gif
(CNN) -- A search will continue Thursday in the Black Hills of South Dakota for a Nebraska family that has been missing since March 20.

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/US/04/02/missing.family.nebraska/art.black.hills.gi.jpg
Officials are concentrating their search for the Schade family in the Black Hills of South Dakota.


Investigators think Matthew Schade of Creighton, Nebraska; his wife, Rowena; and their two children -- a daughter, 11, and a son, 8 -- might have gone camping on U.S. Forest Service property in the Black Hills.
Schade had visited the area in the past, and the family's Ford Taurus was found nearby in Silver City, South Dakota (http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/south_dakota), on Tuesday, March 31, by the Pennington County Sheriff's Office.
"The Forest Service property is a popular camping area, although, you usually don't see people camping out there this time of year," said Maj. Brian Mueller of the sheriff's office.
Two major blizzards have hit western South Dakota in the past two weeks.
"The last blizzard on Monday of this week rolled in real fast," Mueller said.
The family was last seen in Knox County, Nebraska (http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/nebraska), which includes the family's hometown of Creighton.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/US/04/02/missing.family.nebraska/?iref=hpmostpop
(http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:cnnShowOverlay%28%27cnnShareThisStory124%27%2 9;)

[sarahhod]

Missing Family’s Vehicle Found In Black Hills

Published: Thursday, April 2, 2009 12:01 AM CDT
From P&D Staff Reports

RAPID CITY — The search for a missing Creighton, Neb., family has shifted to the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Twenty-six-year-old Matthew Schade, his 29-year-old wife Rowena and their two children, ages 11 and 8, were last seen March 20.

The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Rapid City Police Department and Pennington County Search and Rescue, are currently searching for the family in the Pactola, Silver City area of the Black Hills.

Pennington County authorities became involved in the search after receiving information Tuesday from the Knox County (Neb.) sheriff’s office. Knox County authorities consider the family members as missing persons and are seeking assistance in finding them.

Based on Matthew Schade’s previous visits to the Black Hills, Pennington County deputies were sent out to check that particular area.

A black Ford Taurus registered to Matthew Schade was located in the area Tuesday afternoon. A search of the immediate area was unsuccessful in locating anyone. A more extensive search resumed at approximately 9 a.m. Wednesday.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office at (605) 394-2151.

http://www.yankton.net/articles/2009/04/02/community/doc49d444836dcd8606250031.txt

[sarahhod]

Car found; search continues for family

By Molly Montag | Posted: Thursday, April 02, 2009


RAPID CITY, S.D. -- South Dakota authorities searched several miles of the Black Hills on Wednesday for a missing northeast Nebraska family after finding the family's car.

Pennington County Sheriff's Lt. Marty Graves said the search for Matthew Schade, Rowena Schade and their 11-and 8-year-old children will resume today in the Pactola/Silver City area of the central Black Hills.

Nebraska officials have been searching for the Schades, of Creighton, who family members last saw on March 20. Their disappearance is being investigated as a missing-persons case.

South Dakota authorities found the family's black Ford Taurus on Tuesday after Knox County (Neb.) sheriff's deputies told them Matthew Schade was known to camp in the Black Hills.

The vehicle was found on a rural service road, but there was no sign of the family.

Sheriff's deputies, Rapid City police and a helicopter crew conducted a more detailed search of the area on Wednesday, but did not find the family.

"We have every reason to believe, at this point, they are up in that area," Graves said.

Searchers have not found anything to indicate the family was harmed. However, parts of the Black Hills were buried in snow this week after a strong storm.

National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Fuhs of the agency's Sioux Falls office said 10-25 inches of snow fell Monday and Tuesday in the central Black Hills.

The storm wasn't extremely cold, Fuhs said, but did involve strong winds and blizzard conditions.

Graves said 6-8 inches of snow was still on the ground Wednesday in the Pactola/Silver City area, but said the weather is "very survivable" if campers have the right equipment.

http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2009/04/02/news/local/6bc31a29a5f460fe8625758c0013c93d.txt

[Roamer]

Praying this family is found safe.

[Amusedtdth]

Hoping the search goes well and this family is found soon. I can't imagine anyone wanting to camp in the kind of weather described above....burrrrrrrrrrrr!

[annalyzer]

They should have stayed with the car. It has been found.

[sarahhod]

Authorities: Missing Neb. couple asked about abuse


By CARSON WALKER


SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Members of a missing Nebraska family whose car was found in the Black Hills of South Dakota were interviewed about allegations of abuse on the day they were last seen nearly two weeks ago, authorities said Thursday.
The black Ford Taurus was found Tuesday, and authorities were searching for Matthew and Rowena Schade and their children, Devon, 11, and Sean, 8, in rugged terrain near the Pactola Reservoir and the village of Silver City.
They were last seen March 20 at their home 400 miles away in Creighton, Neb. All four were interviewed that day by a Knox County deputy sheriff about allegations of abuse, according to statements from Nebraska and South Dakota law enforcement agencies.
The deputy "made an offer of help and counseling. No arrests were made and no injuries were observed," Knox County Sheriff Jim Janecek said in a release. He did not comment further.
Matthew Schade, 26, is on probation in Nebraska for burglary, and an arrest warrant was issued after he failed to notify a probation officer of his whereabouts, the statement said. Rowena Schade, 29, was also on probation but authorities did say why.
Investigators said the Schades, who spent their honeymoon in the Black Hills, had talked about relocating. It also appeared they left the house in a hurry with more than $1,000 worth of "camping survival type gear" they had recently purchased.
"We believe their intention is not to be found so we have to structure our search teams differently to make sure we have law enforcement on them. It's pretty rugged terrain in there," Maj. Brian Mueller of the Pennington County Sheriff's office told The Associated Press.
For six years in a row, Matthew Schade attended a survival camp in the search area through his church and "expressed he would like to live like a hermit in the mountains," Mueller said in news release.
A ground and air search resumed Thursday and focused on the numerous abandoned mines, cabins and other buildings in the isolated Pactola Reservoir area, as well as meadows and creek beds that would serve well as a camp, Mueller said.
About 2 feet of new snow covered the area since the car was abandoned, Mueller said.


http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hIKhzTan4kwL0euupJYe4sMJjf9AD97AGBQG1

[sarahhod]

That article puts a slightly different perspective on things.

Praying those children are still safe, and of course their parents.

[sarahhod]

Published Thursday April 2, 2009

Nebraska family missing after abuse allegation

BY NANCY GAARDER
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER


Authorities are searching the South Dakota Black Hills for a Nebraska family that left home hastily after the local sheriff's office inquired about allegations of abuse.

The Matthew Schade family car was found Tuesday in the Lake Pactola area of the Black Hills, which is near Silver City, S.D.

Matthew Schade, 26, his wife Rowena, 29, and two children, ages 11 and 8, were last seen in their town of Creighton, Neb., on March 20. That was the day that the Knox County Sheriff's Office stopped by their home to investigate claims of abuse.

According to the sheriff's office, a deputy interviewed all of the family members, saw no injuries and made no arrests.

Matthew and Rowena Schade are both on probation. Matthew is on probation for a 2006 burglary. A warrant has been issued for his arrest on charges of failing to report a change of address and failing to report to his probation officer.

Two days after the sheriff's visit, Rowena Schade's relatives reported that they had not seen the family and asked for help locating them. Deputies searched the Schade home and concluded that the family had left in a hurry. Food was still on the kitchen counters and drawers of clothing were pulled out. More than $1,000 in recently purchased camping gear was missing from the home. It appears as if the family is well-supplied, according to the sheriff's office.

Authorities say they don't know if Rowena and the children left home willingly.

The couple had honeymooned and hiked in the Black Hills about three years ago. Matthew Schade had attended a survival camp in the Lake Pactola area through his church for six years in a row. He also had expressed an interest in living as a hermit in the mountains, according to the Knox County, Neb., sheriff's office.

Authoritiies are asking for the public's help. They want to know if anyone saw the family or their car, a black Ford Taurus with Nebraska license plates.

Those searching include: Pennington County Search and Rescue Team, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the Pennington County Emergency Manager, the Rapid City Police Department, the U.S. Forrest Service, the South Dakota Game and Parks Department and the South Dakota State Patrol.

http://omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10601308

[sarahhod]

Missing Neb. family asked about abuse allegations

http://www.kmeg14.com/Global/story.asp?S=10118896&nav=menu609_2_4

More of the same.

[sarahhod]

Missing Neb. family asked about abuse allegations

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2009/04/02/news/top/doc49d4ed42e5ad4786256833.txt

Same Story.

[packy]

This puts a different slant to their disappearance. I hope they are safe.

[Amusedtdth]

This puts a different slant to their disappearance. I hope they are safe.

It certainly does..but..they'll need food sooner or later. I just don't see the kids living off of deer, rabbit and whatnot.

[Porchlight]

Authorities say missing man contacted his father email to a friend
Apr 2 2009 5:37PM
Associated Press
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) Authorities in Rapid City say a missing Nebraska family contacted a relative and said they're doing fine.

Matt and Rowena Schade (SHAYD) and their two children, ages 11 and 8, were last seen March 20 at Creighton, Nebraska.

Their abandoned car was found Tuesday in the Black Hills west of Rapid City. A search for them has been going on since then.

Authorities say Matt Schade spoke by phone with his father and said the family wants to be left alone.

As a result, authorities say for now they've scaled back their search.

http://www.kxmb.com/getArticle.asp?ArticleId=354405

[nanabillie]

http://www.kotaradio.com/news.asp?eid=5002&ID=2692AP News


Dr Dean Edell


Medical advice, Saturdays from 4p until 9p on Radio 1380 KOTA http://www.kotaradio.com/images/spacer.gif
UPDATED - Missing Family Makes Contact, Asks To Be Left Alone

Created: 4/2/2009 11:26:37 AM A missing Nebraska family appears to be fine, holed up in the Black Hills. The husband says they just want to be left alone, but it may not be that simple if the church-trained survivalist committed crimes while hiding in the hills. 26-year-old Matthew Schade; His 29-year-old wife Rowena; and their two children, ages 8 and 11, were last seen March 20 at their Creighton, Neb., home.
The family left abruptly after Knox County sheriff deputies talked with them about domestic abuse allegations. Two days later, Matthew Schade's family called the sheriff's office to help find them.
The search zeroed in on the Black Hills because Matthew went to survivalist training at a church camp near Pactola every year for six years, and he and his wife honeymooned in the hills. The family also had recently bought $1,000 worth of survival camping gear which was gone from their home.
Tuesday, Pennington County deputies found the family's car near Silver City, prompting a massive air and ground search.
Thursday afternoon, that search was suspended when Matthew's father, Chet Schade, called the Knox County Sheriff's Office to say he had phone contact with the family and that they were fine; they just wanted to be left alone at this time.
While the search has been suspended, the situation is far from resolved. Police still don't know if Rowena and the children are with Matthew voluntarily. Police say the husband is known to have mood swings from passive to serious anger, and is very abusive.
Matthew Schade is on probation for burglary; and a warrant has been issued for probation violations. Police are also investigating the theft of a Silver City Fire Department brush truck and the burglary of at least one Silver City home, but they are not able to confirm if these crimes are connected to Schade.
Anyone with information regarding these crimes or the Schade family should call the Pennington County Sheriff's Office at (605) 394-2151.

[nanabillie]

http://www.kxmb.com/getArticle.asp?ArticleId=354405
Authorities say missing man contacted his father

Apr 2 2009 5:37PM
Associated Press
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) Authorities in Rapid City say a missing Nebraska (http://www.kxmb.com/t/nebraska) family contacted a relative and said they're doing fine.

Matt and Rowena Schade (SHAYD) and their two children, ages 11 and 8, were last seen March 20 at Creighton, Nebraska.

Their abandoned car was found Tuesday in the Black Hills west of Rapid City. A search for them has been going on since then.

Authorities say Matt Schade spoke by phone with his father and said the family wants to be left alone.

As a result, authorities say for now they've scaled back their search.



(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 04-02-09 1727CDT

[SavannahStar]

Grandfather Says Missing Nebraska Family Called Home, Just Wants to Be Left Alone
Thursday, April 02, 2009

Ground crews searching in South Dakota for a Nebraska man who vanished with is family nearly two weeks ago have scaled down their efforts after he called his father saying they are all doing well and want to be left alone.

Matthew Schade's father told the The Knox County Sheriff's Office that he spoke with his son, his daughter-in-law, Rowena Schade, and their children, Devon, 11, and Sean, 8, on Thursday.

He said they were doing well and were well prepared to wait out the next storm coming through the Black Hills.

The family's car was found in the Black Hills on Tuesday prompting authorities to search for the family in rugged terrain near Pactola Reservoir and the village of Silver City.

They were last seen March 20 at their home 400 miles away in Creighton, Neb., the day each was interviewed by a Knox County deputy sheriff on allegations of abuse, according to statements from Nebraska and South Dakota law enforcement agencies.

The deputy "made an offer of help and counseling. No arrests were made and no injuries were observed," Knox County Sheriff Jim Janecek said in a release. He did not comment further.

Matthew Schade, 26, is on probation in Nebraska for burglary, and an arrest warrant was issued after he failed to notify a probation officer of his whereabouts, the statement said. Rowena Schade, 29, was also on probation but authorities did say why.

Investigators said the Schades, who spent their honeymoon in the Black Hills, had talked about relocating. It also appeared they left the house in a hurry and recently purchased more than $1,000 worth of "camping survival type gear" that was missing.

Matthew Schade had also attended a survival camp through his church six years in a row in the search area and "expressed he would like to live like a hermit in the mountains," wrote Maj. Brian Mueller of the Pennington County Sheriff's Office in South Dakota.

A ground and air search had resumed Thursday and focused on the numerous abandoned mines, cabins and other buildings in the isolated Pactola Reservoir area, as well as meadows and creek beds that would serve well as a camp, Mueller told The Associated Press.

After hearing about the phone call, ground search crews scaled down the search operations until the situation can be further assessed.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,512197,00.html

[sarahhod]

Report: Father of missing Nebraska family claims they are OK

Staff and wire reports • April 2, 2009


Law officers have received some positive news about members of a missing Nebraska family whose car was found in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
The black Ford Taurus was found Tuesday, and authorities are searching for Matthew and Rowena Schade and their children, Devon, 11, and Sean, 8, in rugged terrain near Pactola Reservoir and the village of Silver City.
Today, Nebraska sheriff’s officials said Matthew Schade made telephone contact with his father this afternoon.
“The father confirmed he spoke with Matthew and the rest of the family on the telephone and stated they were doing well and were well prepared to wait out the next storm coming through the Black Hills,” according to a statement released late today by the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. “Matthew stated they wanted to be left alone and that everyone was doing well.”
Because of the new information, the search has been “scaled down,” but authorities are still urging anyone having any information about the Schade family to call the Pennington County Sheriff's Office at (605) 394-2151 immediately.
The Schades were last seen March 20 at their home 400 miles away in Creighton, Neb., the day each family member was interviewed by a Knox County deputy sheriff on abuse allegations, according to statements from Nebraska and South Dakota law enforcement agencies.
The deputy “made an offer of help and counseling. No arrests were made and no injuries were observed,” Janecek said in a release.
He said he could not elaborate.
“That’s all we’ve got at this point,” Janecek told The Associated Press.
Matthew Schade, 26, and Rowena Schade, 29, were both on probation in Nebraska for burglary, and an arrest warrant was issued for him for failing to notify a probation officer of his whereabouts, Janecek said.
The investigators said the Schades, who spent their honeymoon three years ago camping and hiking in that part of the Black Hills, had talked about relocating.
It also appeared they left the house in a hurry, taking with them more than $1,000 worth of recently purchased “camping survival type gear,” Janecek said.
“Food was still on the kitchen counters and drawers of clothing were pulled out. Camping and survival gear were missing from the house and it appears as if the family is well supplied,” he said in the statement.
Matthew Schade had also attended a survival camp through his church six years in a row in the search area and “expressed he would like to live like a hermit in the mountains,” Mueller said.
Authorities are asking anyone who might have seen the car, the family or had any break-ins or other unusual activity in the search area to contact them.


http://www.argusleader.com/article/20090402/UPDATES/90402043/-1/argusleader.com

[Roamer]

I've edited the title, but don't think I'm moving the thread just yet. We just don't know what's going on.

[SavannahStar]

Police Hunt for Missing Family
Police Unsure Whether Missing Wife, Children Are With Husband Willingly
By SARAH NETTER
April 3, 2009—


Police in two states are trying to piece together what led to the disappearance of a family of four and whether the husband is holding his wife and two children hostage in the snow-covered wilderness of South Dakota.

Matt and Rowena Schade, both of whom are on probation, and their two young children were last seen March 20, the day police say they responded to a domestic violence call at their Creighton, Neb., home.

Acting on a tip from someone in the family, police in Pennington County, S.D., began searching the Black Hills National Forest, where Matt Schade, 26, had attended a church-sponsored survival camp six years in a row, and where the couple had camped during their honeymoon. Creighton is about 350 miles from the forest.

Sheriff's deputies found Schade's black Ford Taurus Tuesday near the forest, but there has been no sign of the family and there's a possibility they may not even be in the area anymore, authorities say.

Authorities in Nebraska said they received a call Thursday afternoon from the husband's father, Chet Schade, who told them he had made phone contact with all four members of the family. Matthew Schade told his father the family was prepared to wait out the next storm and asked to be left alone, the father told Nebraska authorities.

But that wasn't enough to satisfy the Pennington County Sheriff's Department in South Dakota, where officials say they want to see the wife and kids before deciding whether to call off the search. "We're relieved that Matthew made that call," Maj. Brian Mueller said. "Now, we need to confirm that they're all there on their own free will."

Meanwhile, family relatives are distraught. "I just want them to come home," said Sandy Epstein, Rowena Schade's mother, who lives near the Schades. "I hope they're OK."

Epstein said that it's unusual for her daughter not to check in regularly. Her cell phone goes directly to voice mail, she added.

Also suspicious, she said, is the batch of cookies that were left on a cookie sheet in the Schade's house. "They just dumped everything and left," she said.

A news release issued by the Pennington County Sheriff's Department indicated that the couple were both on probation stemming from a 2006 burglary. A warrant has been issued for Matt Schade for failure to report a change of address and for failure to report to his probation officer.

So far, Mueller told ABCNews.com, the couple is not facing other charges, although that could change if and when they are found, depending on the circumstances.

"At this point, it is unclear whether the wife and kids are with him willingly," Mueller said. "We believe that when Matthew came out here, his intention was not to be located."

The county sheriff's office said it is also investigating whether recent burglaries in the area and the theft of a pickup truck from a volunteer fire department are related to the search for the Schade family. "It is possible that they did steal the vehicle and left the area," Mueller said.

In Nebraska, Knox County Sheriff Jim Janecek said that there was no cause for arrest when his deputies responded to the domestic violence call March 20. He said his office was investigating abuse allegations, but declined to identify the source of those claims.

Epstein said she doesn't know if her son-in-law has or would hurt her daughter, 29, and grandchildren. "I don't want to speculate on that," she said. "All I want is my kids home."

Members of Schade's family could not be reached for comment.



Concern for the Schade Children
Epstein said she last saw her daughter, the middle of three children, at a family birthday party in Creighton March 20. They were not, she said, planning a trip.

But the Pennington County Sheriff's office said the family had recently purchased more than $1,000 worth of survival-type camping gear that was missing from the house.

And, according to the Knox County Sheriff's office in Nebraska, it appeared the family left in a hurry. The couple, according to the office, had reportedly talked about relocating.

Mueller said their main concern is for the welfare of the Schade's children, Devon, who is either 11 or 12, and Sean, 8.

Among their biggest worries, Mueller said, is "how long they can maintain living in elements like that."

Since the family disappeared, the area has been slammed with two major storms, each dumping about a foot of snow. A similar storm is forecast for tonight into Saturday.

Mueller said police had no idea how much food or water the Schades are carrying.

The children are Rowena Schade's from a previous relationship, Epstein said, although Matt Schade adopted them after the couple married about three years ago.

Epstein said that Matt Schade had pulled the kids out of school a couple of months ago to home school them, saying he wasn't happy about what they were being taught. Epstein described her son-in-law and her daughter as being devout Christians, but wasn't sure exactly what upset Matt Schade about the kids' previous school.

Her daughter, Epstein said, worked for a local insurance marketing company and enjoyed outdoor activities, such as gardening and fishing.

"She's usually a very positive, very happy-go-lucky girl," Epstein said. "The waiting is the hardest part."

Mueller said the search is focused on specific "high probability" areas, including mines and cabins. Most of the searching has had to be done on foot because of the rugged terrain, although a state helicopter was called in to help. The area where the Schade's car was found, he said, is about 15 to 20 miles away from Mount Rushmore.

Police are looking for anyone who might have seen the Schades or their black Ford Taurus. Anyone with information about the family or the stolen truck (white Ford F-350, South Dakota plate FD522) is asked to call the Pennington County Sheriff's office at (605) 394-2151.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=7238820&page=1

[Nut44x4]

I've edited the title, but don't think I'm moving the thread just yet. We just don't know what's going on.

I soooooo agree. Something is very wrong. Not good in my opinion.

[foxfarmboxers]

I'm glad to hear that the authorities are not satisfied with the phone call from the husband, and continue to be concerned. Seems to me, if your "planning" a trip, the house wouldn't have been left in such disarray and the baked cookies would have been packaged up and taken. IMO.....things just aren't adding up. I hope LE continues to search until they SEE these children and the wife, safe and sound, and hear from their own mouths that they indeed want to be where they are.

[sarahhod]

Search for missing family shifts to Nebraska

By ERIC OLSON –


OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A search for a family of four in the rugged Black Hills area of South Dakota ended Friday after authorities found a stolen truck that they believe the family used to return to their home state of Nebraska.
Matthew and Rowena Schade and their children, ages 8 and 11, have not been seen since March 20, when a Knox County deputy sheriff interviewed them in their Creighton home about allegations of abuse. Matthew Schade, 26, has attended a survival camp in Black Hills for several years through his church.
Knox County Sheriff Jim Janecek declined to comment Friday on whether he believed Rowena Schade and the children were with Matthew Schade willingly. He also declined to discuss the search strategy in Nebraska.
"The best thing they can do is contact us and end this before we have more problems arise," Janecek said.
The deputy who interviewed the family "made an offer of help and counseling. No arrests were made and no injuries were observed," Janecek said. The Schades are believed to have left Creighton the same day.
The family's car had been found Tuesday about 400 miles from Creighton, near Silver City, S.D. The vehicle found Friday in Antelope County, next to Knox County in northeastern Nebraska, belongs to the Silver City volunteer fire department and typically is used in fighting brush fires.
As many as 25 people searched for the Schades in the Black Hills, but the search was scaled back Thursday after Matthew Schade called his father and said the family was OK and wanted to be left alone. The search stopped at nightfall because it became too difficult to navigate the loose rock and melting snow at nearly 5,000 feet in elevation.
Authorities had speculated that Schades could have ridden out an expected snowstorm by taking shelter in one of the many abandoned mining tunnels through the area and hunt for their food.
Matthew and Rowena Schade are on probation in Nebraska for burglary. An arrest warrant was issued for Matthew after he failed to notify a probation officer of his whereabouts.
Investigators said the Schades, who spent their honeymoon in the Black Hills, had talked about relocating. It also appeared they left the house in a hurry with more than $1,000 worth of what authorities described as "camping survival-type gear" the Schades had recently purchased.
Matthew Schade attended a survival camp in the search area through his church and "expressed he would like to live like a hermit in the mountains," Maj. Brian Mueller of the Pennington County (S.D.) Sheriff's Office told The Associated Press.


http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hIKhzTan4kwL0euupJYe4sMJjf9AD97B4MJO0

[sarahhod]

Search for missing family shifts to Nebraska

Apr 3 2009 11:12AM
KXNewsTeam


OMAHA, Neb. (AP) A sheriff looking for members of a missing family says a fire truck they likely stole in South Dakota has been found in Nebraska.

The Knox County Sheriff's Office says that means Matthew and Rowena Schade (SHAYD) and their two children are probably back in their home state.

According to a news release, investigators want them to call the sheriff's office and resolve the situation.

A Knox County deputy talked to the family March 20 about allegations of abuse. The Schades left their Creighton, Neb., home that day and a search for them started 400 miles away in the Black Hills after their car was found Tuesday.

The search was scaled back Thursday after Matthew Schade called his father and said the family was OK and wanted to be left alone.

http://www.kxmc.com/News/354808.asp

[sarahhod]

04/03/2009 10:41 AM

SD Officials Call Off Search For Family

http://www.keloland.com/ClassLibrary/Page/Images/Data/25664.jpg


UPDATE: 11:10 a.m.

Pennington County officials have called off the search for the missing Schade family in the Black Hills after getting new details from Nebraska authorities.

The Knox County, Nebraska, Sheriff's Office received information that the stolen Silver City brush truck was abandoned in Antelope County, Nebraska.

Authorities in that area are actively searching for the stolen truck. The Knox County Sheriff's Office believes the Schade family used the truck to return to the Knox County area.

Officials believe the Shade family is no longer in the Black Hills area and all search efforts in the Black Hills have been canceled at this time.

http://www.keloland.com/News/NewsDetail6371.cfm?Id=0,82835

[SavannahStar]

Now this is getting just plain weird!!!!!!!!!!!

So they abandoned their car, stole a fire truck :waitasec:, now abandoned THAT vehicle......wonder what is going on! So now maybe they stole another vehicle? This is all just toooooooo strange....

[Nut44x4]

Published Friday April 3, 2009
Missing Nebraska family may have returned; stolen truck found

Authorities have located the stolen pickup truck that a northeast Nebraska family is believed to have used to return to the state after fleeing amid allegations of abuse.

The truck was found in Antelope County, about 35 miles from Knox County seat. The fire truck, stolen from a fire department in Pennington County, S.D., was found about 11:30 a.m., according to authorities.

Missing are Matthew and Rowena Schade and her two children, Devon, 11, (left) and Sean, 8, whom Matthew had adopted.A search of the Black Hills for the Schade family has been cancelled as a result, according to the Pennington County Sheriff's Office.

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office has issued a call for Matthew and Rowena Schade to call the Sheriff’s Office so that the situation can be resolved.

The missing family was thought to be hiding in hiding in the rugged Black Hills of South Dakota after hastily leaving home amid allegations of child abuse, authorities say. They have been gone about two weeks.

On Thursday, as news of their flight flashed across the Internet and local and national news shows, they called a relative to say they are alive and want to be left alone, according to Maj. Brian Mueller of the Pennington County, S.D., Sheriff's Office.

Matthew Schade, his wife, Rowena, and her two children, Devon, 11, and Sean, 8, whom Matthew adopted, appeared to have taken precious few articles of clothing when they left their home, authorities say. However, they packed up more than $1,000 in camping gear.

They were known to have driven at least the 400 miles from their Creighton, Neb., home to the Silver City, S.D., area. Their car was found at a trailhead near that small village. A search for them remains under way.

Matthew Schade's father told authorities that he spoke to each family member at about 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Mueller said.

"They said they're OK, to leave them alone and to quit looking for them," Mueller said he was told.

Schade told his father that the family was well-prepared to wait out a storm forecast to go through the Black Hills.

Investigators have been trying to determine if Rowena Schade and the children left home willingly.

Mueller said his office also is investigating the theft of a pickup truck owned by the Silver City Fire Department and another burglary that occurred in the area in recent weeks. The pickup was taken from near Pactola Reservoir, a popular recreational lake outside of Rapid City, S.D., where the Schade family's snow-covered black Taurus was found Tuesday.

It is not known whether the truck's theft and the recent burglary are related to the family's disappearance, he said.

Rowena Schade's mother, Sandy Epstein, told The World-Herald shortly after noon Thursday that she had been calling her daughter's cell phone but had been unable to get through.

Authorities have no indication that Epstein has been contacted by her daughter.

Matthew, 26, and Rowena Schade, 29, may have been under tremendous stress.

On March 20, the day they disappeared, Knox County, Neb., sheriff's deputies interviewed the parents and two children about allegations of abuse.

Also, unless a judge steps in to waive their jail time, court records indicate that both parents faced the possibility of jail sentences in the coming weeks for a burglary they committed before getting married.

Epstein said she saw her daughter on the day she disappeared. Rowena had stopped by Epstein's home and talked with her mom for three or four hours before going to her brother's home to wish him a happy birthday and then heading into an insurance sales office where she worked.

There was no indication, Epstein said, that the family was about to leave town.

"We're all just rather shocked," she said. "I just want them to be safe."

The couple had honeymooned in the Pactola Reservoir area, and for six summers while he was growing up, Matthew had done primitive camping in the area with a church group.

Court documents filed March 24 by the Knox County Sheriff's Office indicate that Rowena had told family members that her husband was abusive and controlling and that she wanted to leave. Matthew Schade had taken the children out of school in January and had been home-schooling them. He also had talked of "taking the whole family and live off the land," according to the records.

Knox County Sheriff Jim Janecek said in a statement that his office had interviewed the family on March 19 and 20. There were no signs of injuries, according to a statement. The family was offered counseling and other help.

Rowena and Matthew Schade married about three years ago. They were convicted of burglarizing Mitch's Food Center in Plainview, Neb., in 2004.

Mitch Wragge, owner of the store, said Matthew Schade had worked for him as a teenager and then worked there full time after graduating from Plainview High School.

"He was always polite, and he was a good kid," Wragge said Thursday. "He was just a likable, good guy."

Matthew left on good terms in search of better-paying work.

Wragge said it was "very disappointing" to learn that Schade had burglarized his store sometime after he quit working there. Rowena's role in the burglary isn't made clear in court documents, though Wragge said she drove the getaway vehicle.

Schade had broken into the store late at night, trying to open the store's safe, but he cut himself on a glass door and did not get any money, the owner said. After pleading guilty, Schade wrote his former boss an apology letter and paid about $600 in restitution for damaging the door, Wragge said.

Schade's probation was to end Monday, with the possibility of jail time beginning then, court records indicate. His wife's probation was scheduled to end May 31.

The couple had overcome some problems to establish a normal family life, said the Rev. Casey Nelson of Faith Hope Love Fellowship Church in Creighton. The Schades married in his church, and he counseled them before their wedding.

They attended church regularly for about two years, he said, but eventually stopped coming.

He said he worked so closely with them that he considers them almost like his own children.

Nelson said he thought that both parents were employed.

A neighbor, who spoke on condition that his name not be used, said the Schades seemed to be happy in their rental home outside of Creighton.

He said he was surprised at their sudden departure because they'd been building the children hutches for rabbits. He often saw the children riding their bikes along the country road, he said, and the family liked to go on motorcycle rides together in the evenings.

While authorities described Matthew Schade as being prone to mood swings, his mother-in-law said her grandchildren doted on Matthew.

"The kids loved him," she said. "They loved him."

After the Schades disappeared, the Knox County Sheriff's Office issued a warrant for Schade, charging him with failure to report a change of address and failure to report to his probation officer. No such warrant appears to have been issued against Rowena Schade.
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10601308

[nanabillie]

Friday 4/03/09
News Alerts

Missing Family Search Shifts to Nebraska

By CARSON WALKER
, AP
posted: 2 HOURS 26 MINUTES AGO
comments: 790 (http://news.aol.com/article/missing-nebraska-family/410507#Comments)
filed under: National News (http://news.aol.com/nation)

OMAHA, Neb. (April 4) - A search for a family of four in the rugged Black Hills area of South Dakota ended Friday after authorities found a stolen truck that they believe the family used to return to their home state of Nebraska.

Family of Four Vanishes (http://javascript<b></b>:soKe.pgPopUp('news-news_popup_missingfamily'))
http://www.aolcdn.com/_media/kegallerypub/blank.gif (http://javascript<b></b>:soKe.pgPopUp('news-news_popup_missingfamily'))

Police now believe this missing family has fled the Black Hills of South Dakota and returned to their home state of Nebraska. The family disappeared March 20 -- the very same day officials interviewed them about abuse allegations. Matt and Rowena Schade, who are both on probation in Nebraska, are shown here with their children, Sean, 8, and Devon, 11.

Matthew and Rowena Schade and their children, ages 8 and 11, have not been seen since March 20, when a Knox County deputy sheriff interviewed them in their Creighton home about allegations of abuse. Matthew Schade, 26, has attended a survival camp in Black Hills for several years.
Complete story and photo at link

[sarahhod]

Nebraska Family Remain "Persons of Interest" In Burglaries

Created: 4/4/2009 6:47:14 AM

A Nebraska couple fled the state with their children out of fear that social services workers would take the kids away from them.

Authorities say that's the reason Rowena Schade gave her mother Friday during a phone call.

Matthew and Rowena Schade and their children, ages 8 and 11,have not been seen since March 20, when a Knox County deputysheriff interviewed them in their Creighton home about allegationsof abuse.

Rowena Schade told her mother that the family returned from theBlack Hills area of South Dakota and retrieved one of theirvehicles.

According to a Knox County Sheriff's Office, Rowena Schade toldSandra Epstein that they had "another plan" and that if thingsdidn't work out, they would go "where no one would ever findthem."

The Pennington County Sheriff's Office says Matthew and Rowena remain "persons of interest" in burglaries in the Silver City area.



http://www.kotaradio.com/news.asp?eid=5002&ID=2715

[packy]

It does seem they are safe, but I wish their families could at least see them to erase any doubts.

[sarahhod]

Serenity returns, but search questions linger
Silver City: Town fire rig found in Nebraska, family still in hiding.

By Kevin Woster, Journal Staff | Friday, April 03, 2009

SILVER CITY -- Todd Tobin has taken some unusual safety precautions the last few nights.

He actually locked his doors.

Such citified security measures tend to get overlooked in this secluded mountain town of 26 year-round residents on Rapid Creek, just upstream from Pactola Reservoir. That was before the strange tracks in the snow, the abandoned car, the stolen fire truck and the two-state search for a missing family that suddenly centered on Silver City.

And the tiny, close-knit community known for its post-card scenery and comfortable calm found itself on edge.

"Everybody's been locking their doors," Tobin said Friday afternoon from his home on a snowy Main Street without stores. "It has created an air of insecurity in our secure little town."

For the previous two days, it brought a storm of attention to a community that rarely sees the spotlight, as reporters showed up and law enforcement officers and search-and-rescue experts scoured the town and rugged forest and canyons nearby in the hunt for Matthew Schade and his family.

Schade, 26, his wife, Rowena, 29, daughter Devon, 11, and son Sean, 8, went missing almost two weeks earlier from their home near Creighton, Neb., shortly after being interviewed about child abuse. Because they had camped in the Pactola area before, local authorities were asked to check the Silver City area. Officers found the family's black Taurus nearby on Tuesday and intensified the hunt on Wednesday.

And the town was abuzz with questions and concerns.

"It was the most excitement we've had around here in a long time," said 73-year-old John Clark, who retired 14 years ago to find solitude with his wife, Marian, in a family cabin built in 1935. "I guess it was kind of a break from the blizzards."

Clark was frustrated that law enforcement officers didn't provide more information sooner about the search and any potential danger to the community.

"They don't tell you nothing," Clark said. "That guy must have spent a day in town. There's footprints all around there, and houses that were broken into. And, of course, we lost a fire truck, too."

The brush truck belonging to the volunteer fire department was in the garage on Tuesday and gone Wednesday, Clark said. Silver City residents learned Friday morning that the truck had been found in Antelope County, Neb.

Authorities there believe the Schades took the truck and drove back to Nebraska, left it and took off in another vehicle that they own. Matthew Schade could face charges for not reporting to his parole officer before leaving Nebraska.

Maj. Brian Mueller of the Pennington County Sheriff's Office said Friday that he understands the frustration residents might have felt in not knowing exactly what authorities were doing early on. But when officers began the search near Pactola they were primarily trying to make sure the family, especially the children, were safe.

"We really weren't sure what we had when we received this call," Mueller said. "Initially, we were asked to look for their car and do more of a welfare check. Our main concern with weather coming in and children involved was to make sure they were safe."

Authorities haven't received any reports from people who saw the Schades in the Silver City area. They got one report from someone who "might have seen a car with Nebraska plates driving around in the area a couple of weeks earlier," Mueller said.

Mueller confirmed there were footprints in the snow around some homes and outbuildings, as well as the fire station. Officers also are investigating another burglary report in Silver City, he said.

"And we've encouraged anyone who has had property tampered with or homes or building broken into, or anything suspicious, to contact us," he said.

Mueller also recommended that Silver City residents continue to lock their homes and cars, despite the generally safe nature of their community.

Tobin admits that's good advice and complimented authorities on their handling of the search. He said he and his wife, Judy, and most residents were uneasy about the search, but especially worried about the Schade children.

"We were most concerned for the family, and that the children were safe," he said.

The Shades contacted a family member Thursday to say they were well. But their whereabouts remained unknown Friday. Mueller said it's almost certain they won't come back to Silver City.

Which is just fine with Dave Myers, a 53-year-old disabled veteran who has lived in Silver City for 26 years. He was on a walk near his home Friday afternoon in a gentle snow that seemed to inspire chatter from juncos and chickadees in nearby pine trees.

It was clear the town was getting back to normal.

"This is the best place on earth," Myers said. "It's just totally quiet."

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2009/04/03/news/top/doc49d6c486e8cf4411847142.txt

[sarahhod]

Missing Neb. family turns up; mom, dad in custody


OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Knox County, Neb., sheriff says a couple missing with their children for more than two weeks has turned themselves in.
Knox County Sheriff Jim Janecek says he met with Matthew and Rowena Schade (SHADE) and their children on Monday.
A news release says he was arrested on a warrant for probation violation and she was being held. Both are on probation for burglary.
The news release does not give the children's condition. The family went missing March 20 after the Schades were interviewed in their Creighton home about allegations of abuse.


http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hIKhzTan4kwL0euupJYe4sMJjf9AD97D4BE80

[sarahhod]

Breaking News:Schade Family Turns Themselves in To Knox County Sherriff


http://media.ksfy.com/images/baschade.jpg The Matthew Schade family of Creighton, Nebraska turned themselves in.

By Video KSFY


Story Created: Apr 6, 2009 at 1:02 PM CDT
Story Updated: Apr 6, 2009 at 1:02 PM CDT

In a news release from Knox County Sheriff’s Office: This morning at 10:50 AM Matt, Rowena, Devon and Sean Schade met with Sheriff Jim Janecek in rural Knox County.

The family turned themselves over to Law Enforcement Officers from The Knox County Sheriff’s Office and the Nebraska State Patrol. Matthew Schade was arrested on an Antelope County warrant for violation of probation and Rowena is being held on a detainer from the Nebraska Department of Probation.
A placement will be made on the children after interviews with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.



http://www.ksfy.com/news/local/42534617.html

[sarahhod]

Missing Neb. Family Turns Up; Mom, Dad In Custody

http://www.chadrad.com/newsstory.cfm?story=13821

[Roamer]

Thanks, Sarah!

[foxfarmboxers]

Neb. family that had been missing now in custody
By ERIC OLSON Associated Press Writer © 2009 The Associated Press
April 6, 2009, 3:10PM

OMAHA, Neb. — A couple who disappeared with their children, leading to a search of the South Dakota wilderness, turned themselves in to authorities near their Nebraska home on Monday, a sheriff said.

Matthew and Rowena Schade turned themselves in to the Knox County sheriff's officials, Sheriff Jim Janecek said in a news release. Matthew Schade was arrested on a warrant for a probation violation in neighboring Antelope County, and his wife was being held by order of the Nebraska Department of Probation, he said.

State health officials planned to speak to the children, ages 8 and 11, before determining where to place them, the release said.

Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman Jeanne Atkinson said she could not discuss the children's conditions, citing privacy laws.

Calls seeking comment from Janecek and prosecutors from Knox and Antelope counties were not immediately returned Monday.

Rowena Schade's mother, Sandra Epstein, hung up on a reporter who called her home seeking comment.

The family from Creighton, 128 miles northwest of Omaha, disappeared March 20 after being interviewed about allegations of abuse.

Their car was found on a remote road in South Dakota's Black Hills on March 31, leading to a search of the area, where authorities believe the family had spent several days. Matthew Schade called his father and said the family was fine and wanted to be left alone.

That search ended after authorities in Nebraska found a stolen truck in Antelope County they believe the family used to return to the state. No one has been charged with the theft.

Epstein told authorities she last spoke to her daughter on Friday, when she said her daughter told her she and Matthew Schade fled Nebraska fearing social services workers would take the kids away from them, according to a Knox County sheriff's department news release.

Epstein said her daughter told her they returned to Nebraska to retrieve their red Jeep. Her daughter said they had "another plan," and that if things didn't work out, they would go "where no one would ever find them."

Investigators said the Schades spent their honeymoon in the Black Hills and had talked about relocating there. They said it appeared the family left their house in a hurry with more than $1,000 worth of recently purchased "camping survival-type gear."

Matthew Schade attended a survival camp in the search area through his church and had expressed a desire to live in solitude in the mountains, Maj. Brian Mueller of the Pennington County (S.D.) Sheriff's Office said last week.

Matthew and Rowena Schade were convicted of burglarizing Mitch's Food Center in Plainview, Neb., in 2004, where Matthew previously had worked, owner Mitch Wragge told the Omaha World-Herald.

Wragge said Matthew did not get away with any money during the burglary. Wragge told the newspaper that Rowena drove the getaway car.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/top/national/6361261.html

[grammybears]

I am so glad that this family has been found. If the allegations of dv were not true why were they worried about losing their children?

[sarahhod]

Neb. family that had been missing now in custody

Apr 6, 6:01 PM EDT
By ERIC OLSON
Associated Press Writer

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- A couple who disappeared with their children, leading to a search of the South Dakota wilderness, turned themselves in to authorities near their Nebraska home on Monday, a sheriff said.

Matthew and Rowena Schade turned themselves in to the Knox County sheriff's officials, Sheriff Jim Janecek said in a news release. Matthew Schade was arrested on a warrant for a probation violation in neighboring Antelope County, and his wife was being held by order of the Nebraska Department of Probation, he said.

State health officials planned to speak to the children, ages 8 and 11, before determining where to place them, the release said.

Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman Jeanne Atkinson said she could not discuss the children's conditions, citing privacy laws.

Calls seeking comment from Janecek and prosecutors from Knox and Antelope counties were not immediately returned Monday.

Rowena Schade's mother, Sandra Epstein, hung up on a reporter who called her home seeking comment. Later, a woman who answered Epstein's phone and identified herself only as Epstein's mother said the children were fine.

"I can practically guarantee that," the woman said.

The family from Creighton, 128 miles northwest of Omaha, disappeared March 20 after being interviewed about allegations of abuse.

Their car was found on a remote road in South Dakota's Black Hills on March 31, leading to a search of the area, where authorities believe the family had spent several days. Matthew Schade called his father and said the family was fine and wanted to be left alone.

That search ended after authorities in Nebraska found a stolen truck in Antelope County they believe the family used to return to the state. No one has been charged with the theft.

Epstein told authorities she last spoke to her daughter on Friday, when she said her daughter told her she and Matthew Schade fled Nebraska fearing social services workers would take the kids away from them, according to a Knox County sheriff's department news release.

Epstein said her daughter told her they returned to Nebraska to retrieve their red Jeep. Her daughter said they had "another plan," and that if things didn't work out, they would go "where no one would ever find them."

Investigators said the Schades spent their honeymoon in the Black Hills and had talked about relocating there. They said it appeared the family left their house in a hurry with more than $1,000 worth of recently purchased "camping survival-type gear."

Matthew Schade attended a survival camp in the search area through his church and had expressed a desire to live in solitude in the mountains, Maj. Brian Mueller of the Pennington County (S.D.) Sheriff's Office said last week.

Matthew and Rowena Schade were convicted of burglarizing Mitch's Food Center in Plainview, Neb., in 2004, where Matthew previously had worked, owner Mitch Wragge told the Omaha World-Herald.

Wragge said Matthew did not get away with any money during the burglary. Wragge told the newspaper that Rowena drove the getaway car.

http://herald-zeitung.com/wire.lasso?report=/dynamic/stories/M/MISSING_NEBRASKA_FAMILY&-session=HeraldZeitung:42F949F709ea129CD9HiG3D926A7

[sarahhod]

Schades Found In Nebraska


http://media.ksfy.com/images/baschade.jpg
Matt Schade is being held in the Knox County, Nebraska jail. His wife Rowena is also being detained while state officials determine what to do with the Schade's two children.

By Brian Allen


Story Created: Apr 6, 2009 at 8:28 PM CDT
Story Updated: Apr 6, 2009 at 10:22 PM CDT

The missing Schade family of Creighton, Nebraska had been on the run for 17 days until today when they were found at an abandoned cabin northwest of Creighton.



http://media.ksfy.com/designimages/ksfy_video_icon.jpg Watch The Video (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:openPopup%28%27%2Fr%3F19%3D950%2632%3D3837%26 7%3D164762%2640%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.ksfy.com% 252Fnews%252Flocal%252F42561497.html%253Fvideo%253 DYHI%2526t%253Da%2641%3DVideo%2BSchades%2BFound%2B In%2BNebraska%2618%3D0.6587656121041325%27,%27vide o%27,%27scrollbars=yes,width=800,height=700,screen x=15,screeny=15%27%29;)



Tonight, Matthew Schade is in custody for violating his probation on a burglary conviction.
His wife, Rowena, is being "detained" by Knox County authorities, though they aren't saying why tonight.
Their two kids, Devon and Sean, met with Nebraska Health and Human Services agents today and their maternal grandparents.
The question of where the Schades have been for the last two and a half weeks has been top of mind for everyone in Creighton, Nebraska.
At Knox County Sheriff's headquarters in Center, Nebraska, investigators are not saying much about the case.
But we do know investigators found the family this morning at a cabin in a rural wooded area northwest of the rural Creighton home the family left on March 20th.
And while investigators had been worried about the family's well being because of the weekend blizzard, it was actually the snowfall from that blizzard which allowed investigators to find the family.
Investigators saw truck tracks in the snow in the remote area, they followed the tracks which led them to the cabin and the Schade family.
In the town of Creighton itself: a sense of relief.
I asked several people to appear on camera and they all declined but all of them told me they're glad it's over and that everyone is o-k.
We know Matt Schade is being held in the Knox County Jail for violating his probation for a 2006 robbery conviction.
Rowena Schade also has a 2006 robbery conviction: we're told she is being "detained".
As for the two Schade children, Devon and Sean, Rowena's mother Sandra Epstein has spent the day talking with authorities and trying to determine what plans authorities have for the kids.


http://www.ksfy.com/news/local/42561497.html

[LiveLaughLuv]

updated 4:09 p.m. EDT, Mon April 6, 2009


Missing Nebraska family surrenders; parents held

Matthew and Rowena Schade, children, met with Knox County Sheriff Monday

Both parents were on probation in different counties

Placement of kids, 11 and 8, will be made after child welfare interviews

Search began after family disappeared after domestic abuse complaint

(CNN) -- A Nebraska couple missing along with their children since last month surrendered to police and were taken into custody Monday, authorities said in a statement.


The Schade family of Creighton, Nebraska, had last been seen on March 20 in Knox County.

Matthew and Rowena Schade, along with their children, met with Knox County Sheriff Jim Janecek Monday about 10:50 a.m. according to the written statement from Janecek's office.

"The family turned themselves over to law enforcement officers from the Knox County Sheriff's Office and the Nebraska State Patrol," the statement said. "Matthew Schade was arrested on an Antelope County warrant for violation of probation and Rowena is being held on a detainer from the Nebraska Department of Probation."

A determination on the placement of the children, a daughter, 11, and a son, 8, will be made after interviews with child welfare workers from the state Department of Health and Human Services, the sheriff's statement said.

Both Matthew and Rowena Schade were on probation -- he in Antelope County, and she in Pierce County, officials in both counties told CNN. Antelope County Attorney Michael Long told CNN Matthew Schade was wanted for violation of probation and failure to report a change of address.

The Schade family was last seen on March 20 in Knox County. Janecek said they disappeared after an officer went to their home on a domestic abuse complaint.

Knox County is near the Nebraska-South Dakota border. Authorities in both states on Friday suspended a search for the family after a relative told authorities he had spoken with them and they were unharmed.


Authorities thought they might be in Nebraska, after a brush truck they believed the couple stole from a South Dakota volunteer fire department was found abandoned in Antelope County on Friday. A brush truck is a type of small fire truck.

Schade's father, Chet Schade, contacted the Knox sheriff's office on Thursday afternoon. He confirmed he had spoken with all four family members and said they were alive and well.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/06/neb.missing.family/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

[sarahhod]

Sheriff: No abductions in missing Neb. family case

Associated Press - April 7, 2009 1:45 PM ET


OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Knox County Sheriff Jim Janecek says no members of a northeast Nebraska family missing for 18 days was taken away against his or her will.
Matthew and Rowena Schade (SHADE) turned themselves in to authorities with their two children on Monday. They fled their Creighton home on a trek that extended to western South Dakota and back to Nebraska.
Janecek said in an e-mail response to reporter questions on Tuesday that the 11- and 8-year-old boys did not appear to be harmed. In interviews with officers, they seemed happy and talked about their camping trip.
Janecek says Matthew and Rowena Schade told authorities they left out of fear that social services would take away their children.
A deputy had interviewed the couple March 20 about abuse allegations.


http://www.nebraska.tv/Global/story.asp?S=10144356&nav=menu605_1

[sarahhod]

04/07/2009 11:51 AM

Missing NE Family In Custody

http://www.keloland.com/ClassLibrary/Page/Images/Data/25783.jpg


We are learning more about the Nebraska family missing for more than two weeks.

Matthew and Rowena Schade after they were taken into custody Monday. The couple is scheduled to be in court next week. Rowenda Schade is being held on a $10,000 bond. Matt Schade's bond will be set later on Tuesday.

Knox County officials say the couple and their two children are in good shape and it doesn't appear any of the family members were taken to the Black Hills against their will. The couple had told family members they were afraid their children would be taken away following an abuse investigation.

http://www.keloland.com/News/NewsDetail6371.cfm?Id=0,82973

[sarahhod]

Missing Nebraska Parents Facing Charges in Family Disappearance


Police Allege That Matt and Rowena Schade Stole a Fire Truck, Lived Off Land With Kids


By SARAH NETTER
April 7, 2009
http://a.abcnews.com/images/Site/byline_abcnews.gif

It was a long, strange journey for a missing Nebraska couple (http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=7238820&page=1) who surrendered with their children Monday after leading police on a massive search (http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=4031986&page=1) in two states.

http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/ht_matt_schade_family_090402_mn.jpg

Police are searching the South Dakota wilderness for the Schade family, missing for two weeks. They are unsure whether Rowena Schade and her children are staying with Matt Schade willingly.
(Courtesy Knox County Sheriff's Office/Pennington County Sheriff's Office)

Police say Matt and Rowena Schade are being held in Nebraska on probation-related offenses as police in South Dakota try to determine whether they were involved in a string of burglaries that occurred near where the family stayed for about two weeks.
"We are waiting for reports from [Nebraska police] before we make charges," Pennington County [S.D.] Sheriff's Office Maj. Brian Mueller told ABCNews.com today. "They're definitely people of interest in these burglaries."
The Schades are also likely to face charges in connection with the theft of an area Fire Department vehicle police believe they used to leave South Dakota, Mueller said.
Police in Knox County, Neb., from where the family disappeared (http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=7151744&page=1) March 20 and where they surrendered Monday, said in a statement released today that Rowena Schade and her children left willingly with Matthew Schade.
"The family told officers that they left because they were scared by social services," the statement read.
The family, using $1,000 worth of survival-style camping gear, disappeared into the wildnerness (http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=4256695&page=1) of South Dakota's Black Hills National Park, where Matt Schade had taken survival camping trips with his church and where the couple had honeymooned about three years ago.
"They were in good shape and there is no evidence that the children had been harmed in any way," the statement read. "The children were happy and talked about their camping trip and were more worried about having to leave their baked potatoes in camp than anything else."
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services will interview the children, an 8-year-old and a boy of 11 or 12, before deciding where to place them, according to the police statement.
Police in Knox County said the parents kept up the children's home-schooling lessons while they lived in the woods, surviving two major snow storms that dumped up to a foot of snow each time.
Mueller said the family is believed to have made their way back to Nebraska in a stolen fire truck used to fight brush fires. The truck, later found in Antelope County, Neb., about 35 miles away from Knox County, was stolen from the Silver City Volunteer Fire Department, which had a storage building near where the Schades were believed to have camped out.
Rowena Schade is being held on a $10,000 bond. The bond for Matt Schade has not yet been set. The couple were both on probation for a 2006 burglary.
In the statement, the Knox County Sheriff's Office said there are no plans to charge the Schades for the cost of the search, which is ample, figuring in the cost of overtime and the $500-an-hour helicopter searches.

Hastily Planned Trip Left Many Questions

The Schade family was last seen March 20, the day police say they responded to a domestic violence call at their Creighton, Neb., home.
Acting on a tip from someone in the family, police in Pennington County, S.D., began searching the Black Hills National Forest, where Matt Schade, 26, had attended a church-sponsored survival camp six years in a row. Creighton is about 350 miles from the forest.
Sheriff's deputies found Schade's black Ford Taurus last week near the forest.
Authorities in Nebraska said they received a call Thursday afternoon from the husband's father, Chet Schade, who told them he had made phone contact with all four members of the family. Matthew Schade told his father the family was prepared to wait out the next storm and asked to be left alone, the father told Nebraska authorities.
But that wasn't enough at first to satisfy the police in Nebraska and South Dakota, where officials said they want to see the wife and kids before deciding whether to call off the search.
Family relatives were distraught during the family's disappearance.
"I just want them to come home," said Sandy Epstein last week, Rowena Schade's mother, who lives near the Schades. "I hope they're OK."
Epstein said that it was unusual for her daughter not to check in regularly. Her cell phone goes directly to voice mail, she added.
Also suspicious, she said, was the batch of cookies that were left on a cookie sheet in the Schade's house. "They just dumped everything and left," she said.
Knox County Sheriff Jim Janecek Thursday said that there was no cause for arrest when his deputies responded to the domestic violence call March 20. He said his office was investigating abuse allegations, but declined to identify the source of those claims.
At the time, Epstein said she didn't know if her son-in-law would hurt her daughter, 29, and grandchildren. "I don't want to speculate on that," she said. "All I want is my kids home."

Concern for the Schade Children

Epstein said she last saw her daughter, the middle of three children, at a family birthday party in Creighton March 20. They were not, she said, planning a trip.
But the Pennington County Sheriff's office said the family had recently purchased more than $1,000 worth of survival-style camping gear that was missing from the house.

And, according to the Knox County Sheriff's office in Nebraska, it appeared the family left in a hurry. The couple, according to the office, had reportedly talked about relocating.
Mueller said police had no idea how much food or water the Schades were carrying.
The children are Rowena Schade's from a previous relationship, Epstein said, although Matt Schade adopted them after the couple married about three years ago.
Epstein said that Matt Schade had pulled the kids out of school a couple of months ago to home school them, saying he wasn't happy about what they were being taught. Epstein described her son-in-law and her daughter as being devout Christians, but wasn't sure exactly what upset Matt Schade about the kids' previous school.
Her daughter, Epstein said, worked for a local insurance marketing company and enjoyed outdoor activities, such as gardening and fishing.
"She's usually a very positive, very happy-go-lucky girl," Epstein said. "The waiting is the hardest part."

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=7279218&page=1

[emmeblu]

Just read through this entire thread.

The picture looks like the "All American Family". You sure cannot judge a book by the cover!

There is a reason why they ran from Family/Children's Services. I hope if these kids are abused they are removed from the home. Maybe one of the grandparents will be in a position to take the kids so they will not have to go into foster care.

Tragic.

[SavannahStar]

Just read through this entire thread.

The picture looks like the "All American Family". You sure cannot judge a book by the cover!

There is a reason why they ran from Family/Children's Services. I hope if these kids are abused they are removed from the home. Maybe one of the grandparents will be in a position to take the kids so they will not have to go into foster care.

Tragic.


Maybe I got this all wrong, but I got the feeling the reason they fled and were worried about losing custody, was due to the fact that the father had violated probation and had a warrant out for him? And the mom had been in trouble too, with the robbery. :shrug1: I'm just not thinking any abuse, right now, until I hear differently.

I agree with you that I hope the grandparents get the kids. I hope the parents can straighten out their lives. They do sorta look like the "all American family" albeit into wilderness stuff, camping etc. From what I've read, the kids loved it.

I dunno about the possible robberies though......the recent ones, near where they were, and LE are looking into. Seems like these parents want to raise their kids the right way, and it's a decent family, but what in the world makes the mom and dad do the robberies?

Strange case!

[emmeblu]

Maybe I got this all wrong, but I got the feeling the reason they fled and were worried about losing custody, was due to the fact that the father had violated probation and had a warrant out for him? And the mom had been in trouble too, with the robbery. :shrug1: I'm just not thinking any abuse, right now, until I hear differently.

I agree with you that I hope the grandparents get the kids. I hope the parents can straighten out their lives. They do sorta look like the "all American family" albeit into wilderness stuff, camping etc. From what I've read, the kids loved it.

I dunno about the possible robberies though......the recent ones, near where they were, and LE are looking into. Seems like these parents want to raise their kids the right way, and it's a decent family, but what in the world makes the mom and dad do the robberies?

Strange case!

In FFB post #51, it mentions questioned about alleged abuse. The father also took the daughter out of school and said he was going to home school the child. (My eyeballs are tired tonight but I did read the home school part in a link.)

IA regarding the parents and the robberies. Maybe they are small time crooks just to make ends meet if both do not hold regular jobs. It is a strange case to say the least.
Must be guilty of something to run and try to hide out like that on the lamb with 2 children. Glad the guy had taken survival classes and went into the wilderness with the right supplies.

[sarahhod]

04/07/2009 6:00 PM

Schades May Have Hid Next To Command Post

http://www.keloland.com/ClassLibrary/Page/Images/Data/25812.jpg



The Schade children, Devon and Sean, are in protective custody tonight as officials determine whether their parents should care for them. Matthew and Rowena Schade of Creighton, Nebraska left home with their kids for two weeks and hid in the Black Hills. They told officials they feared social services was going to take them away because of an abuse allegation.

It could be the end of the week before before Pennington County decides whether to charge the Schades with stealing a brush fire truck and breaking in to Silver City homes. Major Brian Mueller with the Pennington County Sheriff's Department couldn't confirm whether the Schades were responsible for the break-ins that happened in Silver City while the family was missing, or what items were taken, but Silver City's Fire Chief says a stolen item left a clear trail to where the family was likely hiding.

Days before his department's brush fire truck disappeared, Silver City Fire Chief Tally Chapman started noticing things out of the ordinary in his tiny town.

"First we noticed that there were tracks in the area after the snow that we thought was unusual though we didn't suspect anything of the nature of a break in, it was just unusual," Chapman said.

Later, the same foot prints led to several homes that were damaged during apparent break-ins, but nothing was missing from the cabins except one. Bicycle tracks led away from a boarded up door. Chapman and his wife followed them to the door of another cabin.

"She told the Sheriff and they came over and investigated but they never went in because supposedly the doors were locked," Chapman said.

Without a padlock, the cabin only locks from the inside and is only used in the summer, but Chapman says when the owner came to Silver City to help investigators, he found his cabin disheveled. Someone put fresh food in the fridge, cooked on the stove and used an electric blanket.

"We found out after the fact that the windows had been covered with blankets and some of their possessions were found in the cabin later, and so we came to the conclusion that they were probably there the whole time," Chapmain said.

There, just yards from Pennington County's command post as crews searched for the missing family.

Chapman showed us at least five homes broken into.

Pennington County officials are headed to Knox County, Nebraska to work with investigators to determine the charges, if any, the Schades could face.


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http://www.keloland.com/News/NewsDetail6371.cfm?Id=0,82995

[sarahhod]

Published Wednesday April 8, 2009


Knox County husband, wife detail family's 18 days on the run
BY DAVID HENDEE
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER


CREIGHTON, Neb. — It was over.

http://www.omaha.com/neo-images/photos/medium/Schade.jpg (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:enlargePhoto%28396600%29)

The Schade Family

Matthew Schade emerged from hiding with his family huddled under trees with his hands in the air.

A State Patrol helicopter hovered overhead. Heavily armed law enforcement officers dashed down a snowy hillside toward the family's final hideout.

"My wife and kids were crying," Schade said. "It was scary. We ran out the front door of the cabin, and we hid underneath the trees and we waited for them to come get us."

Matthew and Rowena Schades' 18 days on the run, eluding law enforcement officers in two states, ended minutes later on Monday, when Knox County Sheriff Jim Janecek approached Schade alone and took him into custody.

• Exclusive World-Herald Video: Interview with Matthew Schade (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:playLocalMultimedia%28%20%2714809%27,%20%2711 55%27%20%29;) (Approximately 22 minutes long)

It was a peaceful end to a chain of events — a puzzling tale of allegations of abuse, concern about the welfare of the couple's children and their flight to South Dakota's Black Hills and back to run away from it all.

Now the Schades sit in separate jails in adjoining northeast Nebraska counties with new legal troubles complicating their futures.

The couple told their stories this week — Matthew through a window smeared by the finger and palm prints at the Antelope County Jail in Neligh; and Rowena through six iron bars in her basement cell door at the Knox County Jail in Center.

Both said they regretted their panicked decision to leave the neat farmhouse they rented west of Creighton and flee a perceived threat that state authorities were on the verge of breaking up their family.

"We were running to keep our family together," Rowena, 29, said Wednesday. "It feels like the whole world is against us."

"We really had no choice," Matthew, 26, said Tuesday.

The family disappeared March 20 about two days, they say, after a state social worker interviewed the couple's two young children about possible abuse in the family. Authorities were uncertain whether Rowena and the children went willingly.

The Schades said their past reputations, criminal records and a recent decision to home-school their children — daughter Devon 11, and son Sean, 8 — were obstacles to resolving the abuse allegations.

Matthew and Rowena were convicted of burglarizing Mitch's Food Center in nearby Plainview in 2004.

"Alcohol got us into trouble," Rowena said.

They had a reputation for loud fighting and pushing, Rowena said.

Both said they turned their lives around. Matthew quit drinking. They married in 2006. Matthew worked as a herdsman at a hog confinement operation. Rowena got a job in Creighton selling insurance products to carriers, such as Mutual of Omaha.

Still, they sometimes argued, Rowena said.

Last November, she pushed Matthew down a couple of stairs at home.

"He ran back up the stairs and pushed me back. I fell into the corner of the kitchen table and got a black eye," she said.

Rowena said family, friends and coworkers pressured her to leave Matthew. She rejected the advice at first, but decided on about March 12 to leave Matthew.

Matthew said there's never been abuse in the family.

Rowena confided in her grandmother, who then alerted a local office of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services "to see if they could get us some help," Rowena said.

Then, in mid-March, a social worker and sheriff's deputy visited the Schade home.

Rowena said that when she was alone with the social worker, she acknowledged recent reports of abuse and said she planned to leave Matthew.

"She told me that if I did not follow through they would be back," Rowena said.

Rowena said it was March 20 when she told Matthew her options were taking the children and leaving him or staying and having the state possibly take custody of the children.

Matthew said Rowena told him they had to leave. The family — children included — agreed.

"We were terrified," Matthew said.

Matthew borrowed $600 or $700 from his father in nearby Brunswick. The family packed their Ford Taurus with camping gear, clothing and food and headed for the Black Hills.

"We left everything behind," Matthew said. "We left our house. We left our pets. We made sure our pets were going to get taken care of."

They drove all night 400 miles to a place in the Black Hills, where they had a camping honeymoon in 2006 and where Matthew camped as a boy.

They stopped in a national forest parking lot near Silver City, S.D., and Lake Pactola, shuttling their gear — including a four-season tent and warm sleeping bags — from the car to a campsite a mile or two away.

"We were having quite a bit of fun and staying busy," Matthew said. "There's a lot to do when you don't have modern appliances."

Rowena said the family ate well. Meals of oatmeal and rice were common.

"We weren't eating big meals, but we were eating at least twice a day," she said. "We'd snack on popcorn."

Temperatures at Silver City hit record highs in the upper 70s the first days in the Black Hills. Then two blizzards walloped the region, miring their car in snowdrifts.

Search helicopters started circling overhead.

"The chase was on," Matthew said.

The family retreated from the camp site for a day and hid in a Silver City cabin they entered through an open window, Matthew said. They tried to telephone family members to tell them they were OK and to stop looking for them, but their cell phone couldn't get a strong signal.

Rowena said Matthew traded his wet shoes for dry boots he took from the town's volunteer fire department. She said the fire barn's door was secured with an unlatched padlock.

They returned to camp for a day and then decided they needed to return to Nebraska to get their Jeep Cherokee Sport because their sedan was stuck in snow. Matthew returned to the fire barn, opened the unlocked door and drove away with a pickup truck used to fight brush fires.

"We borrowed it," Rowena said.

In South Dakota, the Pennington County Sheriff's Office sees it differently. Maj. Brian Mueller has said he expects the Schades to face charges in connection with the stolen fire truck, as well as perhaps burglaries in the area.

Matthew said they had no choice but to take the truck. Matthew and Rowena said they spent about two weeks in the mountains — they aren't sure exactly how long — before deciding to head back to Nebraska.

"I just knew there was no way we were going to be able to eat or live out there. We decided this is the only place we could go because we had family here," Matthew said.

They put fuel in the truck's tank, parked it near Brunswick, about 12 miles from their home in Creighton, and called a family member to have them tell authorities where to find it.

Their next stop was a friend's house in Norfolk for a few days, Matthew said. He declined to name that friend.

"So we were really out of options," Matthew said. "We had really nowhere to go."

So Monday morning, they set out for a small cabin they had seen once when tubing down Verdigre Creek west of Creighton.

"We no longer got in that cabin and we got a fire going and we had a helicopter flying over again," Matthew said.

The couple's children were taken into protective custody and put in the temporary care of Rowena's brother and sister-in-law in nearby Verdigre.

Knox County Attorney John Thomas said Wednesday that he would not seek to take the children away from the Schades.

The Schades both face hearings next week in Pierce County for violating conditions of their probations. They are seeking a lawyer.

"We just want the family back," Matthew said. "We all want to be together."

Rowena said they left everything to stay together.

"We had everything going for us. It's not fair," she said. "I feel like I'm in a corner."

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10606035

[sarahhod]

Authorities Answer Questions About Missing Family Case

March 31, 2009 09:28 AM
April 7, 2009 05:55 PM


Knox County Sheriff's Office News Release 4-7-09 09:00AM
The following questions have been put forward during this investigation and now that the family is safe I will attempt to answer these questions a completely as possible.
#1. Why was the search continued after the family had telephoned and asked to be let alone?
The fact that the family had talked on the phone did not assure us that one or more of the family members was not being held against their will. Until we could separate the family members and talk to them individually we could not rule out a possible abduction.
#2 Was any family member actually abducted?
It appears at this time that the family came to the decision to leave together and there is no evidence of abduction.
#3 What was the condition of the family?
They were in good shape and there is no evidence that the children had been harmed in any way. The children were happy and talked about their CAMPING TRIP, and were more worried about having to leave their baked potatoes in camp than anything else.
#4 Who was involved in the search in Knox County?
All local Law Enforcement in Knox County were actively searching for the family. In addition the Antelope County Sheriff's Office , The Nebraska State Patrol and the Creighton Police Department helped with the actual return of the family.
#5 Who pays for the search and what will it cost?
We are still trying to figure the cost of the searches in these cases. To give you an idea it cost $500 an hour to operate the State patrol Helicopter alone. Add to this overtime costs and extra man power added to this are towing of the stolen and abandoned vehicles.
At this time there are no plans to charge these costs back to the Schade family.
#6 Was the Family assisted by local residents?
No.
#7 Why was a warrant issued for Matthew and not for Rowena?
Rowena is being held on a probation hold as by the time the paperwork was filed the family had returned to Nebraska and a warrant was not necessary.
#8 What is the exact location of the cabin where the family was located and can we go there for photographs.
The cabin is N/W of Creighton Nebraska and is on private property. The owner has requested that the exact location not be given and that no one be allowed on the property.
#9 Was the family with Matthew willingly?
At this time there is no evidence of abduction. The family told officers that they left because they were scared by social services.
# 10 How did they survive the storms?
The family was well prepared with tents, sleeping bags and food and were able to sit out the storms in comfort. They were experienced winter campers. The children were in no danger and continued their home school lessons while camping.
#11 Addition charges and court dates...
The incident is still under investigation. Matt and Rowena are scheduled for a court appearance in Pierce County on April 14th, 2009 A court Date on Antelope County charges will be set this week. Bond of $10,00 has been set on Rowena Schade at this time and bond will be set on Matt today.
The investigation seemed to many people to be lengthy. The immediate family members were in constant communication with the investigators. They were kept advised of all progress made and they have told us that they are very satisfied as to the outcome of the investigation. Although technology played an important part in the safe return of the family one of the most important factor were the tracking skills of the investigators in the case.
Update 4/6/09
The mom and dad of a Nebraska family missing for more than two weeks have turned themselves in.
Knox County Sheriff Jim Janecek said he met with Matthew and Rowena Schade and their children on Monday. A news release says Matthew Schade was arrested on an Antelope County warrant for probation violation. Rowena Schade is being held on a detainer from the Nebraska Department of Probation.
Placement of their 11- and 8-year-old children will be made after interviews with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services officials.
The family went missing March 20 after the Schades were interviewed in their Creighton home about allegations of abuse. A search extended to remote areas of South Dakota before winding back to Nebraska last week.
New Details from Knox Co. Sheriff's Department 4/3/09 -
The Knoox County Sheriff Office has received a report that fire truck from Pennington County South Dakota has been abandoned in Antelope County Nebraska. The Antelope County Sheriff's Office is assisting in the search for the truck.
The Knox County Sheriff's Office has reason to believe that the truck was used by the Schade Family to return to Knox County. We are urging Matt and Rowena to call the Sheriff's Office so we can end this search and resolve the situation.
New Details from Knox Co. Sheriff's Department -
At 2:40 PM 4-2-09 The Knox County Sheriff's Office was contacted by Matt Schade's father, Chet Schade. He told us that he had phone contact with all 4 members of the missing Schade family at about 2:30 PM. They stated they are alive and well and just want to be left alone at this time.
As a result of this new information, the ground search crews have suspended search operations until the situation can be further assessed.
New Information from Knox Co. Sheriff's Department -
The search for the missing Schade family from Knox County, Nebraska continues in western Pennington County Thursday morning. A search team comprised of Pennington County Search and Rescue, Pennington County Emergency Management, the Pennington County Sheriff's Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Highway Patrol, South Dakota Game Fish and Parks, and the US Forest Service has just finished their morning brief and will be beginning search efforts in the area west of Silver City through Thursday.
Investigators from the Pennington County Sheriff's Office , the Rapid City Police Department, and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation continue to coordinate investigative efforts with the Knox County Sheriff's Office and are looking for any help the public may be able to offer. We are specifically interested in anyone who may have seen the Schade family or their vehicle, a black Ford Taurus with Nebraska license plates, between March 21, 2009 to present. Color photographs of the family are attached to this news release and are being distributed to businesses in western Pennington County.
The Knox County Sheriff's Office has released the following information through a news release Thursday:


On 3-20-09 a Knox County Deputy Sheriff interviewed the entire Schade family reference allegations of abuse. No arrests were made and no injuries were reported.
On 3-22-09 relatives of Rowena Schade reported they had not had contact with the Schade family and the Knox County SO was asked to assist with locating them.
The Knox County Sheriff's Office learned the Schades had not been seen since the night of 3-20-09 and they had talked about relocating. Deputies searched the Schade residence and it appeared the family had left in a hurry.
Over $1,000 worth of camping survival type gear had recently been purchased and was missing from the residence.
Deputies learned that Schade has expressed he would like to live like a hermit in the mountains and that he had attended a survival type camp through his church in the area of Pactola Lake in the Black Hills for six years in a row. Mathew and Rowena had also spent their honeymoon camping and hiking in the same area approximately three years ago.
Knox County Sheriff's Office is unsure at this time if Rowena and the children are with Mathew voluntarily.
Mathew Schade is on probation in Nebraska for a burglary that occurred in 2006 in Nebraska and a warrant for him has been issued for failure to report a change of address and failure to report to his probation officer.
Rowena Schade is also on probation.

Further press releases will be sent out later today as more information becomes available.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Pennington County Sheriff's Office at 394-2151.
Brian Mueller
Major
Pennington County Sheriff's Office
Update-
Members of a missing Nebraska family whose car was found in the Black Hills of South Dakota were interviewed about allegations of abuse the day they disappeared.
Authorities also said Thursday that Matt and Rowena Schade are on probation in Nebraska and an arrest warrant was issued for him. Investigators said the couple had spent time in the forest that's about 400 miles from their Creighton, Neb., home.
The Schades and their two children, ages 11 and 8, were last seen March 20. Their abandoned car was found Tuesday on an isolated forest road near Silver City and Pactola Reservoir. A ground and air search started Wednesday and resumed Thursday.
The Knox County sheriff said the couple had talked about relocating, and camping equipment was missing.
4/1/09 Information-
A vehicle linked to a missing Nebraska family was found in the central Black Hills, where authorities resumed a search.
The Pennington County sheriff's office said a car registered to Matt Schade, of Creighton, Neb., was found Tuesday in the Pactola Lake/Silver City area west of Rapid City. Schade, his wife Rowena and two children ages 11 and 8 were last seen March 20.
Rapid City police and Pennington County Search and Rescue joined the sheriff's department in the search on Wednesday. The family has been entered as missing in the NCIC data base and missing flyers have been issued.
If anyone has heard from the family or has any reason to believe they know where the family is please call the Sheriff's Office at 402-288-4261.



http://www.kcautv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10104620&nav=menu110_2menu110_2_9

[sarahhod]

Kids in missing family case staying with relatives

By The Associated Press | Wednesday, April 08, 2009

[/URL]
(http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:history.go%28-1%29;) CENTER, Neb. -— The children in a northeast Nebraska family that went missing for 18 days will be allowed to remain with relatives.

In a news release issued Wednesday by Knox County Sheriff Jim Janecek, the county attorney's office announced it would allow Matthew and Rowena's children to continue living with a "close family member." The county attorney will not seek to make them wards of the state.

The Schades turned themselves in to authorities Monday. The family left their Creighton home after being questioned March 20 about abuse allegations.

The Schades are suspected of using a stolen vehicle while traveling to western South Dakota and back to Nebraska.

The parents are jailed in Knox County for violating terms of their probation.


[URL]http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2009/04/08/news/top/doc49dd27fa602f0021806965.txt

[sarahhod]

Missing Neb. couple to face charges in SD
http://kmeg.images.worldnow.com/images/static/gfx/pxl_trans.gif

Associated Press - April 15, 2009 10:35 AM ET


OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - South Dakota authorities are expected to issue arrest warrants soon for a northeast Nebraska couple who fled with their children out of fear they'd lose custody.
Lt. Marty Graves of the Pennington County, S.D., sheriff's department said Wednesday that paperwork has been submitted to charge Matthew and Rowena (RO-WEE-nuh) Schade (SHADE) in the theft of a truck from the Silver City fire department.
Graves says both are accused of grand theft, and Matthew is also suspected of burglary.
The Schades left their Creighton, Neb., home after being questioned March 20 about domestic-abuse allegations. A search extended to remote areas of South Dakota before winding back to Nebraska.
The couple turned themselves in on April 6.

http://www.kmeg14.com/Global/story.asp?S=10187274&nav=menu609_2_4