Hazel Shockley, 47 MSG [REMAINS DISCOVERED] From Columbus, KS Since 12-31-07

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Published January 13, 2008 08:04 pm -
Foul play suspected in woman's disappearance

Investigators confirmed Sunday that they believe a Columbus, Kan., woman missing since New Year’s Eve may have met with foul play.

Hazel Shockley, 47, was last seen at a New Year’s Eve party at a friend’s residence in Weir, according to Columbus police Chief Chuck Sharp. She is believed to have left the party sometime around midnight, Sharp said.

The Columbus Police Department, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation spent a portion of Saturday searching a four-square-mile area around Weir for signs of the missing woman. Sharp said the search failed to turn up any sign of Shockley.

http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/local_story_013200403.html

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Published January 14, 2008 02:01 pm -
Police identify person of interest in case of missing Cherokee County woman

Investigators on Sunday located the car of Hazel Shockley, of Columbus, Kan. Shockley has been missing since a New Year’s Eve party at a friend’s house in Weir, said Columbus police Chief Chuck Sharp.

Sharp also said today that a person of interest in the 47-year-old woman’s disappearance has been interviewed.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department are helping Columbus police in the investigation.

http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/local_story_014140138.html

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Vehicle of missing Columbus woman recovered
Posted: Jan 14, 2008 05:23 PM CST

Police say a southeast Kansas woman missing for two weeks might be the victim of foul play. Columbus police say Hazel Shockley was last seen on New Years Eve in Weir, Kansas.

Columbus Police Chief Chuck Sharp believes foul play might be involved in Shockley's disappearance, mainly because noone has seen or heard from her since December 31.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is now assisting in the search along with the Cherokee County Sheriffs Department.

Police say Shockley went to a New Years Eve party in Weir. They say at one point during the night she went to the American Legion Bar in downtown Weir.

They are not sure if she left with anyone from those different locations.

This past Saturday police organized a search of the Weir area and nothing was found.

Hazel's daughter, Stephanie, says it is out of her mom's character to not call or to be in touch with her kids and grandkids, and she is very worried.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact them.

"At this point we suspect foul play has occurred," says Chief Sharp. "We are keeping in mind there could be a body out there, and that's why were are asking the public to be on the lookout for anything suspicious".

Police say they have person of interest in this case. They say it is Hazel's boyfriend.

Shockley's daughter tells us she was told police found Hazels' boyfriend driving her mom's car.
http://www.koamtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7623185&nav=menu657_2

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Daughter desperate for help
By Roger McKinney

COLUMBUS, Kan. — Stephanie Shockley was in tears Monday while talking on her cell phone outside her Joplin, Mo., home.

After ending the call, she said she’s worried about her mother, Hazel Shockley, of Columbus, who has been missing since last being seen at a New Year’s Eve party in Weir.

“I’m very worried,” Shockley said. “I’m sick. I don’t know where to start.”

Columbus police Chief Chuck Sharp on Monday said investigators had interviewed someone he is calling a person of interest in the woman’s disappearance. He said he suspects criminal activity.

Sharp said investigators on Sunday found Hazel Shockley’s car, but he declined to say where it had been found.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department are assisting his department in the investigation, Sharp said.

Sharp said the 47-year-old Shockley attended the New Year’s Eve party with a male friend and is thought to have left about midnight. He said the friend has told investigators that he didn’t leave with her.

Stephanie Shockley said her mother is not the type of person to go to parties. She said her mother is a member of the Columbus Assembly of God, and all her friends are churchgoers.

“It’s just out of my mom’s character” to be at a New Year’s Eve party, her daughter said.

She said her mother nearly died in early December, when her sister found her unconscious inside her house with a slow heart rate and low body temperature. She said her mother spent time on a ventilator to help her breathe while she was in a Joplin hospital.

Shockley said she was unclear about what caused her mother’s illness.

She said her mother is taking pain medication for severe back problems.

“She’s got major health problems,” Shockley said of her mother. “She takes a high dosage of pain medicine.”

Shockley said her mother was married to her father, Perry Perrin, for 23 years until his death about 2 1/2 years ago. She has a sister, Stacy Perrin, and a brother, Patrick Perrin.

She said the last time she spoke with her mother was Christmas Day. Calls to her mother’s cell phone go directly to voice mail, she said.

Shockley said she doesn’t want to consider that her mother could be dead.

“I don’t want to believe that she’s gone, because I just can’t,” she said. “Pray for her.”

Volunteer

Robin Jones, coordinator for the Free Store on the courthouse square in Columbus, said Hazel Shockley volunteered at the store for a time in 2001 and 2002.

“She was here every day,” Jones said. “She seemed pretty happy. She was always a positive person. She always truly believed that God was looking out for her.”

http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/local_story_015000942.html

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Jennifer Denman
Authorities searching for evidence that will lead to missing woman
Posted: Jan 16, 2008 09:06 PM CST

Law enforcement organizes a search for a missing southeast Kansas woman believed to be the victim of foul play.

Hazel Shockley of Columbus, Kansas has been missing for more than two weeks. Columbus police say she was last seen in Weir on New Years Eve.

Law enforcement from Cherokee County, Pittsburg, Crawford County and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation are spanning out over 300 miles of county roads looking for any sign of shockley.

They had about 20 officers driving all over the county Wednesday searching for anything they could find.

The Cherokee County Sheriffs Department says there are hundreds of county roads, and many strip pits and ditches, they will have to search.

Deputies say there is not any new evidence in her disappearance, which is why the search is hard.

"We're just checking roadways bridges, entrances and exits to farmer's fields, anywhere you can drive back into, we'll be checking pits", says Detective Jeff Fries of the Cherokee County Sheriff's Department.

The Cherokee County Sheriff's Departments says if you come across anything that could be connected to this case leave it in its place and contact law enforcement.

At this time any evidence would be crucial in determining her whereabouts.

http://www.koamtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7729266&nav=menu657_2

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Female Body Found In Weir, Kansas
Jordan Aubey

A body is found in a small Southeast Kansas town, police are keeping quiet, but the big question remains: is it the body of Hazel Shockley who has been missing since January.

Authorities blocked off a section of hills and chat piles known by locals as "The Black Hills." Officials were seen taking shovels, bags, and rubber boots to the area where was dead body was found.

Now, authorities declined any comment on what they were doing, but i spoke with a person who said his friend found the body.

According to this person, the man said he could tell it was a woman with no significant signs of decomposition.

This raises suspicion from residents, since Hazel Shockley has been missing for about 3 months now.

Also, this particular area of land is used every day by residents.

"The kids are back and forth over there every day," said Rick Jones, a resident of weir. "Riding their dirt bikes and four wheelers and all that stuff."

Steve Ubr, who lives in the area, agrees, "Every day, my son is 11 years old; he's on a four wheeler as we speak right now. They were riding over there earlier until one of my friends; they were having a four wheeler party over there. But she told them not to be over there today. But this is an every day thing where we have kids over in that area riding their four wheelers. And that's what so shocking to everyone I believe is the fact that this come today and like it is."

Residents are already saying the body was either killed somewhere else then moved to this location, or killed very recently.

We'll bring you more information as the story develops, we should reiterate the body found in Weir Kansas has not been identified.

http://www.koamtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8025215

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Woman's body found in Weir, Kansas
Posted: March 16, 2008 09:22 PM CDT

Law enforcement officials are not talking, but residents of Weir, Kansas are wondering who the woman is and how she died.

A woman's body was found Sunday afternoon, and the big question on everyone's minds is, is it Hazel Shockley? She is the woman who disappeared on New Year's Eve. Extensive searches turned up nothing.

But Sunday's discovery points to a recent death.

"I would say yes, it would've had to been moved," says resident, Steve Uber. "I would say as much riding that goes on back there. And we're talking extensive riding from ten, twelve kids at a time."

"The kids are back and forth over there every day riding their dirt bikes and four wheelers and all that stuff," Rick Jones says, another Weir resident.

The body was found by a friend of Jones who says it was a woman, and the body was not significantly decomposed.

The tragic discovery was made mid-afternoon Sunday near chat piles known by locals as the Black Hills.

Authorities blocked off the area and took shovels, bags and rubber boots to the scene.

Local police sheriffs deputies and even the Kansas Bureau of Investigation are on the scene processing the evidence and trying to determine if the woman died here or if the body was dumped here.

Investigators removed the woman's body at 7:00 p.m.

It is a shock to neighbors who say they suspect it is Hazel Shockley, who has been missing for three months.

While authorities are not saying anything, neighbors know whatever the cause of this woman's death, it is disturbing for them.

Most county deputies and the KBI left Weir by late Sunday evening, except for a few officers still guarding the scene so evidence is not disturbed.

http://www.koamtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8025124

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Body identified as missing woman
By Roger McKinney
rmckinney@joplinglobe.com

WEIR, Kan. — Since hearing Sunday that a body had been found in Weir, Steve Shockley had been expecting the news that it was that of his sister.

Shockley, of Joplin, Mo., said he didn’t think it could possibly be anyone else.

“I’m glad it’s over with,” he said.

The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department on Monday confirmed that the body found Sunday was that of 47-year-old Hazel Shockley, of Columbus. She had last been seen at a New Year’s Eve party in Weir.

An autopsy was performed Monday in Topeka. A news release from the Sheriff’s Department didn’t include any information about the cause or manner of death. Authorities said the body was found inside the Weir city limits in an area popular with riders of all-terrain vehicles, but they did not say by whom.

The Sheriff’s Department and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation are investigating Shockley’s death. No arrests had been made as of Monday afternoon.

Before the investigation was turned over to the KBI and the Sheriff’s Department, Columbus police Chief Chuck Sharp had said Shockley was last seen at the New Year’s Eve party in the company of a male friend. She was thought to have left the party about midnight. The friend told investigators that he didn’t leave with Shockley. Sharp said at the time that he thought criminal activity was involved in Shockley’s death.

A person of interest reportedly was questioned, but no arrest was made and no charges were filed.

Shockley’s younger brother on Monday said his sister was in a better place.

“Waiting and waiting was so hard on our family,” Steve Shockley said of the time that went by between his sister’s disappearance and the discovery of her body.

“God will forgive whoever put her there,” he said.

Shockley’s daughter, Stephanie Shockley, said on Jan. 15 that it was not in her mother’s character to go to a New Year’s Eve party. She said her mother was a member of the Columbus Assembly of God, and all her friends were churchgoers. She said at the time that her mother had serious health problems and was taking a high dosage of pain medication.

Authorities found Hazel Shockley’s car within a couple of weeks of her disappearance, but they declined to say where it was found.

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Christina Tipton
Missing Columbus woman's body found in high traffic area
Updated: March 17, 2008 05:03 PM CDT

http://i25.tinypic.com/mwumgk.jpg
Hazel Shockley

The female body found Sunday in Weir, Kansas now has a name. The Cherokee County Sheriffs Department says the body found Sunday has been identified.

The autopsy is complete and officials say they are certain the body is Hazel Shockley, who was last seen in Weir on New Years Eve.

Her body was found Sunday in Weir, Kansas. Officials taped off an area known to locals as "the black hills." This is an area that does see a large amount of traffic.

Officials would not comment on how long they believe Shockley has been dead, or the cause of death.

The Cherokee County sheriffs department searched for Shockley in mid-January, and last month more than a dozen people were subpoenaed to answer questions regarding Shockley's disappearance. Neither of these gave law enforcement any leads.

We will have more on this story as it becomes available.

http://www.koamtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7590738&nav=menu657_1

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Published June 18, 2008 08:31 pm - COLUMBUS, Kan. — No criminal charges will be filed in the death of 47-year-old Hazel Shockley, of Columbus, Cherokee County Attorney John Bullard said Wednesday in a news release.
No charges to be filed in Columbus woman’s death
By Roger McKinney
rmckinney@joplinglobe.com

COLUMBUS, Kan. — No criminal charges will be filed in the death of 47-year-old Hazel Shockley, of Columbus, Cherokee County Attorney John Bullard said Wednesday in a news release.

The decision was based on Shockley’s final autopsy report. The news release was issued jointly by Bullard and Undersheriff Kent Soucy.

Shockley’s body was found March 16 in Weir in an area popular with riders of all-terrain vehicles. She had been missing since New Year’s Eve, when she was seen at a party in Weir.

Columbus police Chief Chuck Sharp said in January that Shockley was seen in the company of a male friend at the party and was thought to have left the party around midnight. The friend told investigators that he didn’t leave with Shockley. Sharp said in January that he thought criminal activity was involved in Shockley’s death. A person of interest reportedly was questioned.

The investigation later was turned over to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

According to Bullard, the autopsy revealed no injury or disease that would explain Shockley’s death and determined that “drug overdose is the best explanation of the cause of death.”

Bullard wrote that the precise cause of Shockley’s death was not determined with certainty by the autopsy.

Bullard said by phone that, out of respect for the family, he would not disclose the drug or drugs found in Shockley’s system, other than to say it was not prescription medication.

The autopsy report on Wednesday was not yet on file in the court clerk’s office and therefore was not a public record. Bullard declined to provide a copy of the report.

Family responds

Shockley’s daughter, Stephanie Shockley, said in January that her mother took high dosages of medicine for back pain. She said her mother was found unconscious in her home in December with a slow heart rate and low body temperature, and was hospitalized in Joplin, Mo. The daughter was not clear about what caused her mother’s illness.

Hazel Shockley’s younger brother, Steve Shockley, on Wednesday said he was upset by the decision.

“Nobody gets in any trouble for just leaving somebody?” he said. “That doesn’t seem fair. They could have tipped off police to where the body was. It could have saved a lot of heartache. Somebody had to know she died. Somebody left her there.

“The people who did this, I would rather think this was an accident and (they) didn’t mean to hurt her. I’m sure somebody just got scared, but they could have called somebody.”

Steve Shockley, of Joplin, said his sister had severe back pain, for which she took medication, but he was unaware of what she was taking.

Bullard said by phone that all evidence in the case was examined, and that there was no direct evidence that anyone abandoned Hazel Shockley after she had died.

“It would only be speculation,” Bullard said of the scenario.

Steve Shockley said a raft of rumors in Columbus and Cherokee County followed his sister’s disappearance. The news release tried to dispel one of them.

“There have been several rumors circulating regarding the potential for foul play and the condition of Ms. Shockley when she was located,” the news release read. “We will not offer details, but will unequivocally state that the rumors regarding Ms. Shockley being kept somewhere and then placed in the location where she was found at a later date have no basis in fact.”

Steve Shockley said that aspect remains troubling.

“That seems awful strange that they couldn’t find that body in three months, and it don’t take a detective to know that,” he said.

Missing car

Hazel Shockley’s car was found near Oswego, Kan., a few weeks after her disappearance. Investigators previously had not said where the car was found, but Cherokee County Attorney John Bullard confirmed the information Wednesday.

http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/local_story_170203131.html?start:int=0