Elizabeth Ferguson,[BODY FOUND] 86, Missing Since 5/5/08, Memphis, TN

[Faith]

Family searches for missing woman

FAST FACTS:

* Elizabeth Ferguson, 86, disappeared Monday after leaving home for appointment.
* She was driving a 1993 bluish-green Mercury Sable.
* The car has Tennessee license plates 884-FLQ.

Theo.Travers@wreg.com

(Memphis - 5/8/2008) Cheryl Feeney has hardly slept in days. From sun up to sun down she's led a frantic search for her mother, Eighty six year old Elizabeth Ferguson. "We truly appreciate all of the tips, all of the support the community is giving us in getting my mom back home. She's well loved by many, many people."

Ferguson was last seen leaving her driveway in her four-door Mercury Sable around 8 a.m. Monday. She had a doctors appointment to which she never showed. When Ferguson didn't return by that afternoon, neighbors called her daughter.

"She's normally not gone for more than a couple hours at a time and she was concerned that the car hadn't been back home yet," says Feeney. Since alerting police, friends and family have aided around the clock in the search handing flyers to anyone whose willing to be on the lookout.

Norris Feeney, Ferguson's grandson, says, "She's very independent, so if she is lost or disoriented you know, maybe she feels bad asking for help or stopping somewhere." Ferguson's health could be a factor in her disappearance. Her family says she has high blood pressure and is borderline diabetic.

Colin Feeney, another of Ferguson's grandsons, says, "If she hadn't eaten, the she's going to be more susceptible to being confused with low blood sugar."

The search has gone on several days, but the family remains cautiously optimistic. "Anybody who thinks they might have seen her or might have seen her car, just please call in," Norris Feeney adds.

Elizabeth Ferguson, 86, was last seen Monday, driving a 1993 bluish-green Mercury Sable with Tennessee license plates 884-FLQ. Anyone with information about her whereabouts are asked to call Memphis Police.
http://www.wreg.com/Global/story.asp?S=8294191

[Faith]

Elderly Memphis woman reported missing

By Jody Callahan (Contact)
Wednesday, May 7, 2008

http://media.commercialappeal.com/mca/content/img/photos/2008/05/07/Elizabeth-Ferguson_t220.jpg

An elderly Memphis woman has been missing for several days after failing to show up for a doctor’s appointment.

Elizabeth Ferguson, 86, left her home at 1058 Maybelle just after 8 a.m. Monday morning, heading toward a routine medical appointment at 8:30 a.m. at Southwind Medical.

She never made it there, and hasn’t been seen since. Memphis police are searching for her, with no luck so far.

“I called her doctor’s office, and she was a no-show. I thought maybe she’d gone to lunch at her community center,” her daughter, Cheryl Ferguson-Feeney, said. “I started thinking of all the routine places she goes. No one had seen her.”

Elizabeth Ferguson has high blood pressure and is in the early stages of dementia, her daughter said. However, she believes her mother was still a capable driver, leading her to fear the worst.

“Personally, I don’t discount anything. I have felt that something has happened to her,” she said.

Family members have searched her route as well as other familiar places. They’ve also placed flyers around town with her picture.

Ferguson was driving a blue-green 1993 Mercury Sable with license plate 884-FLQ.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/may/07/elderly-memphis-woman-reported-missing/

[Faith]

Woman's Mission To Find Missing Seniors

Memphis, TN- A Mid-South woman is fighting to help find missing seniors.

Suzanne Ratliff's mother disappeared in Mississippi at the end of February 2008. Now, with news of another missing elderly woman in our area, Ratliff is doing what she can to help.

Ratliff’s 83 year old mother, Virginia, was last seen dropping her husband off at a doctor's office in her hometown of Brookhaven, Mississippi, a town about four hours south of Memphis.

"From what we can piece together she came back to the house, packed a bag with some of his things and drove off," says Ratliff.

Cheryl Feeney's elderly mother Elizabeth Ferguson disappeared Monday, May 5, 2008. She was on her way to a doctor's appointment, but never showed up.

When children go missing, an Amber Alert is put up on electronic reader boards on highways. Some wonder why the same can't be done for elderly people.

"It's just as critical. They're just as frail and vulnerable as a child and I don't know why more emphasis isn’t put on that," says Feeney.

Ratliff has made it her mission this year to get a law passed in Tennessee and Mississippi that would allow "Silver Alerts" to be posted for seniors with Alzheimer’s or dementia that go missing.

There are six states in the U.S. that have “Silver Alerts” right now: Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina and Texas. The state of Florida right now is considering passing legislation because of the high number of seniors who retire there.

86 year-old Elizabeth Ferguson was last seen at her home in the Berclair area on Monday, May 5, 2008. Neighbors say she left her house on Maybelle Place for a doctor’s appointment. Ferguson's car is also missing. It's a 1993 green Mercury Sable with Tennessee license plate number 884 FLQ. If you have any information that could help find her, call “Crime Stoppers” at 528-CASH.

http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=4c8a07ba-67a9-46c0-88ce-4f4624502a71

[Faith]

Search Continues for Missing Elderly Woman

MEMPHIS, TN - Family members of a missing 86 year-old woman are asking for help in finding their loved one.

Elizabeth Ferguson was last seen Monday morning, May 5, 2008. Neighbors say she left her Berclair-area home for a doctor's appointment, but never arrived at the office, located on Sanderlin. Ferguson's family says she is showing early signs of dementia and they are very worried about her. Memphis Police say they received a tip that Ferguson's car was seen Tuesday, near the Piggly Wiggly grocery store on Madison, behind The Home Depot - but not much else.

Family members spent the day Wednesday, passing out fliers and asking people to be on the lookout for Ferguson.

"Sometimes, it's more than I can bear to know she's out there," said Ferguson's daughter, Cheryl Feeney. "Last night it was raining and it's dark and she's not home with her family."

Feeney flew to Memphis from Seattle when she learned her mother was missing. She and her sons say although Ferguson was showing signs of dementia, she had never gotten lost.

"She does know her way around. We've been going places she goes around the city... the old defense depot, to Covington and Brighton where she grew up," said Ferguson's grandson, Collin Feeney.

"Not knowing where she is hurts a lot. She's smart and she's independent, so we're worried," said grandson Norris Feeney.

"My worst fear is she stopped and asked for directions from the wrong person," Cheryl added.

Ferguson's grandsons say she loves to paint, volunteers with her church and is a gentle woman who loves her family. Feeney says she is worried something bad may have happened.

"I want to know what's happened to her. Why would anyone want to hurt her?"

Feeney says she is upset about the police investigation into her mother's disappearance. She says she wishes there was some kind of Amber Alert system in place for the elderly.

"It's just as critical. She's just as frail and vulnerable as a child and I don't know why more emphasis isn't put on that."

"The detectives said they treat it like a stolen car."

"Why don't they interview people on her normal route. They haven't even talked to the doctor's office. Why aren't they doing more?"

"We want her found. We want her home."

Ferguson was driving a 1993 green Mercury Sable, with a Tennessee license plate: 888 FLQ.

The State of Texas recently passed a law, creating the "Silver Alert" system to help find missing elderly people. The Silver Alert is similar to an Amber Alert: when a senior citizen who suffers from dementia or Alzheimer's is reported missing, the public is informed. According to officials in Fort Worth, Texas, the new system has helped find all 30 seniors who were reported missing there.

Video so sad :(
http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=1ac16c02-8dfa-41e6-8564-c780a73e7d83

[Faith]

Missing Woman's Car

Neighbors say 86 year-old Elizabeth Ferguson was last seen driving her 1993 Mercury Sable on Monday, May 5, 2008. She has not been seen since then.

http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/media/news/2/6/0/260ac0ae-b6fe-4e85-9b12-6e56f6d10713/Original.jpg

http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/media/news/4/6/e/46ebb3f4-7351-4fa2-b4e4-c108e30c58cc/Original.jpg

[Roamer]

One more reason to enact the Silver Alert in every state.

I didn't see it mentioned if she had any money or credit cards with her, in case she is lost somewhere.

[Faith]

One more reason to enact the Silver Alert in every state.

I didn't see it mentioned if she had any money or credit cards with her, in case she is lost somewhere.

I agree, Roamer. If a Silver Alert was issued perhaps Ms Ferguson would have been located.

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll116/helpfindthemissing/location.jpg

[TeeOne]

I agree, Roamer. If a Silver Alert was issued perhaps Ms Ferguson would have been located.

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll116/helpfindthemissing/location.jpg

Is a Silver Alert like an Amber Alert, only for eldery?

[Roamer]

Elderly or anyone with dementia or anything like that, TeeOne. But, according to the article, only a few states are using it.

[TeeOne]

Elderly or anyone with dementia or anything like that, TeeOne. But, according to the article, only a few states are using it.



That would be great!

[Faith]

Elderly Memphis Woman Added to Nat'l Center for Missing Adults


MEMPHIS, TN - A missing 86 year-old woman has been added to the National Center for Missing Adults website.

Elizabeth Ferguson was last seen Monday, May 5, 2008 as she was leaving her Berclair home for a doctor's appointment. Family members say Ferguson never arrived at the doctor's officem which is located on Sanderlin.

Family members believe Ferguson was wearing a pastel pink or melon-colored sweater, light blue pants and tan shoes. The family says they have been contacted by people who think they have seen Ferguson in the Midtown area, also as far south as Tunica, Mississippi and as far north as Covington, Tennessee.

Family members say Ferguson was showing early signs of dementia, but says she has never gotten lost. On the day she disappeared, Ferguson was driving her green 1993 four-door Mercury Sable with a Tennessee license plate: 884 FLQ.

Anyone with information on Elizabeth Ferguson is urged to call the Memphis Police Department at (901) 545-2677.
http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=1a9583a9-291e-4c95-b1a9-5980599cdd60

[Faith]

Endangered Missing Adult



http://www.theyaremissed.org/gallery/photos/A200805583S_5950.jpg
If you believe you have any information regarding this case that will be helpful in this investigation please contact:
Memphis Police Department at (901) 545-2677


Name: Elizabeth Ferguson
Classification: Endangered Missing Adult
Alias / Nickname: Beth
Date of Birth: 1921-09-24
Date Missing: 2008-05-05
From City/State: Memphis, TN
Missing From (Country): USA
Age at Time of Disappearance: 86
Gender: Female
Race: White
Height: 66 inches
Weight: 105 pounds
Hair Color: Gray
Eye Color: Brown
Complexion: Light
Glasses/Contacts Description: Glasses with gold frames
Identifying Characteristics: Pierced ears.
Circumstances of Disappearance: Unknown. Elizabeth, also known as Beth, was last seen at approximately 8:00am leaving her residence in the vicinity of the 1000 block of Maybelle in Memphis, TN. She was enroute to a doctor's appointment but never showed. Her vehicle is also missing and is described as a green, 4-door, 1993 Mercury Sable with TN Lic# 884FLQ. Elizabeth suffers from dementia.
Investigative Agency: Memphis Police Department
Phone: (901) 545-2677
Investigative Case #: 0805002593
NCIC #: M-047382542

http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncma/gallery/ncmaprofile_all.php?A200805583S

[Faith]

City Watch Alert: Missing 86 Year-Old Woman

Contributor: Shane Myers
Email: smyers@myeyewitnessnews.com
Last Update: 5/06 6:42 am

86 year-old Elizabeth Ferguson MEMPHIS, TN – Memphis police have issued a City Watch Alert for 86 year-old Elizabeth Ferguson.

Investigators say Ferguson suffers from Dementia and has been missing since 8:00 a.m., Monday, May 5, 2008.

Ferguson may be driving a green 1993 Mercury Sable with Tennessee Tags: 884FLQ.

If anyone has any information that can help police find 86 year-old Elizabeth Ferguson, call the Memphis Police Department at (901) 545-2677 or the Missing Persons

http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=74503de3-7749-4843-ab8c-cc2ed0bb8ccf

[Faith]

Woman, 86, missing for week, reported seen in area
Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Sightings of a Memphis woman missing for more than a week have been reported on Highway 51 near Dyersburg.

Elizabeth Ferguson, 86, has been missing since May 5, when she failed to keep a doctor's appointment.

"The longer she's been gone, the more chance she's out of Memphis," said her grandson, Norris Feeney. "We're putting out information as far as we can."

Feeney, a Knoxville resident, was canvassing cities on Highway 51 and around the Highway 45 area north of Jackson on Monday with flyers depicting Ferguson's four-year-old driver's license photo and information on her blue 1993 Mercury Sable sedan with a Shelby County license plate.

Feeney said last week Ferguson was reported being seen on Highway 51 north of Millington, where she asked someone how to get to Memphis, said Feeney.

"We're pretty certain that was her," he said.

She was last seen wearing a peach-colored blouse, light blue pants and tan canvas sneaker.

Feeney said Ferguson is in the early stages of dementia, "but was cleared to drive. She tends to be pretty independent, too."

Her disappearance has been entered into a national database of missing persons and broadcast to Tennessee law enforcement agencies.

Anyone with information is asked to contact local law enforcement agencies or Sgt. C. Smith at the Memphis Police Department at (901) 545-2677.
http://www.stategazette.com/story/1402121.html

[Faith]

I pray for Ms Ferguson's safe return. :1222423:

[Faith]

I wish there were updates on this case.

[Faith]

I just talked to Sgt. Smith, he said, Mrs Ferguson hasn't been located and no tips have come in. The last they heard she was in Millington asking how to get back to Memphis.

I pray God watches over her and brings her home safe. :1187603408.CR.Mothe

[Roamer]

The poor lady. I hope she finds her way home safely, too.

[Faith]

Memphis woman missing, last seen headed toward Jackson


The Jackson Sun
• May 15, 2008

Memphis police are searching for Elizabeth Ferguson, 86, who left her home in East Memphis May 5 around 8 a.m. for an 8:30 doctor's appointment. She never arrived, according to a press release.

Daughter Cheryl Ferguson Feeney says police have received reports that Elizabeth Ferguson was seen driving along I-40 just past Arlington, headed towards Jackson last Saturday.

Feeney said her mother has high blood pressure, is a borderline diabetic, and suffers from early stages of dementia.


''It's critical that she receives treatment for her high blood pressure and we fear that she may have had a mini-stroke which has caused her to become more disoriented and confused,'' Feeney states in an e mail. ''Although she is 86 years old, she is quite active and may appear to be much younger.''


Feeney said police are hopeful because Ferguson's 1993 Mercury Sable has not been found, and no attempt has been made to use her credit cards or to cash a check.


Feeney said anyone with information about Elizabeth Ferguson should call Memphis police at 901-545-2677 or Cheryl Ferguson Feeney at 901-481-3283.
http://www.jacksonsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080515/NEWS01/80515019

[Faith]

Police seek missing woman
86-year-old reported driving toward Jackson from Memphis

May 16, 2008

Memphis police were searching Thursday for Elizabeth Ferguson, 86, who left her home in East Memphis May 5 at around 8 a.m. for an 8:30 doctor's appointment. She never arrived, according to a press release from her family.


Daughter Cheryl Ferguson Feeney on Thursday said police had received reports that Elizabeth Ferguson was seen driving along Interstate 40 just past Arlington, headed toward Jackson last Saturday.

Feeney said her mother has high blood pressure, is a borderline diabetic and suffers from early stages of dementia.

"It's critical that she receives treatment for her high blood pressure, and we fear that she may have had a mini-stroke which has caused her to become more disoriented and confused,'' Feeney stated in an e-mail. "Although she is 86 years old, she is quite active and may appear to be much younger.''

Feeney said police are hopeful because Ferguson's car had not been found Thursday and no attempt had been made to use her credit card or to cash a check in her name.

Anyone with information about Elizabeth Ferguson should call Memphis police at (901) 545-2677.
http://www.jacksonsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080516/NEWS01/805160314

[Faith]

New Clues In Search For Missing Berclair Woman

FAST FACTS:

* Police have received new tips in the search for Elizabeth Ferguson.
* So far, investigators haven't located her 4-door green `93 Mercury Sable.
* Ferguson's car has Tennessee plates 884FLQ.

Theo.Travers@wreg.com

It's been two weeks since Elizabeth Ferguson left her home in Berclair and hasn't returned, but family and investigators are hopeful new clues will lead them to her. Maps mark the ground Ferguson's family have covered. Since May 6, 2008, her grandsons have driven more than 3,400 miles searching hotels, shelters, and hospitals throughout the state. Cheryl Feeney, one of Ferguson's daughters, says she won't rest until she has some answers. "When I'm sitting back on the couch at night, watching television and she's not there with me to watch the reruns or a movie, it just doesn't seem right."

Police are still receiving leads in this case. At least one tip was received as recent as last Thursday. Feeney says the most plausible tip was called in from Millington the day after Ferguson disappeared. A woman says someone fitting Ferguson's description approached her, said she was hungry and a little confused. She asked for directions downtown and then drove away in the opposite direction. Feeney says she's considered every worst case scenario in her mother's disappearance, but her instincts tell her otherwise.

"We just feel that she's still okay, that she's still surviving," adds Feeney. "She is still doing whatever she can to get through each day." Since Ferguson vanished, there has been no activity on her bank account or credit card. Investigators say locating Ferguson's green Mercury Sable could be the breakthrough they need in this case. That her car hasn't turned up anywhere since her disappearance gives many hope.

Meanwhile, family members are handing out flyers to just about everyone they come into contact with, hoping that someone may provide the clue that will lead to Ferguson.

Elizabeth Ferguson, 86, was last seen driving her `93 Mercury Sable. It has Tennessee tag 884-FLQ. If you have any information on Ferguson's whereabouts, you're urged to call Memphis police.

http://www.wreg.com/Global/story.asp?S=8347031

[Faith]

Search Continues for Missing Mid-South Woman

Memphis, TN - Monday, May 19, 2008 marks two weeks since a Mid-south elderly woman went missing. 86 year-old Elizabeth Ferguson was last seen at her home in the Berclair area on Monday, May 5, 2008.

Neighbors told police that Ferguson left her house on Maybelle Place for a doctor's appointment that day. But the doctor says she never showed up.

Ferguson's car is also missing. Police tell us it's a 1993 green Mercury Sable, with Tennessee license plate number 884-FLQ.

If you have any information that could help police find Elizabeth Ferguson, call Memphis Crime Stoppers at 528-CASH.

http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=0add38f4-9d21-4583-a4fa-a36e8a85d2bc

[Faith]

I hope LE & the family are keeping check with the hospitals all around Memphis. If Ms Ferguson hasn't used her bank accounts either she had a lot of cash on hand for gas and food or she's stationary somewhere.

I pray she is safe.

[Faith]

Reward Offered To Help Find Missing Woman

http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/media/news/6/f/e/6fea8b8f-911d-46aa-b876-556dae8e57ed/Story.jpg

Memphis, TN - Elizabeth Ferguson’s family members hope cold hard cash will help them bring their loved one home. The 86 year-old was last heard from May 5. She had a doctor’s appointment that day, but did not make it to the doctor’s office. Her 1993 blue-green Mercury Sable still has not been located either. "I can't concentrate on anything but finding my mom," said Cheryl Ferguson Feeney, Ferguson’s daughter. Feeney lives in Seattle, but came to Memphis after she learned her mother vanished. "I will be in Memphis until my mom comes home," Feeney said.

Ferguson is a book writer and painter. Though she showed signs of dementia, Feeney said her doctor said it was okay for her to drive short distances. The 86 year-old also suffers from high blood pressure and borderline diabetes. “Nights are hard because I'm worried that she's out there somewhere and frightened. Just pray no harm has come to her," Feeney said.

Ferguson’s family has been handing out posters, with hopes someone recognizes her. “There's still hope. Anyone who knows my mom knows she knows how to take care of herself. Somebody knows where her car is. If someone has taken her, they know where her car is," Feeney said.

Family members hope a $2,000 reward gives folks more of a reason to help reunite them with their loved one. “We want her home. If she had a stroke, by now she might be impaired somewhat. And it might add to her confusion. She might not remember her name or our names or anything, so we're just hoping someone realizes she needs help," Feeney said.

You can contribute to a fund to increase the reward amount. Feeney said people can go to any Bank of America branch and donate to the “Find Elizabeth Ferguson” fund.
http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=8c1bfac3-4bb5-4e64-9020-7eb47fcbd099

[Roamer]

I certainly hope they're checking hospitals around the area. If she did have a stroke or something, someone may have taken her for medical help and they don't know who she is.

[Faith]

I certainly hope they're checking hospitals around the area. If she did have a stroke or something, someone may have taken her for medical help and they don't know who she is.

Me too Roamer, I would check all the hospitals daily.

Memphis and surrounding area is very confusing to drive sometimes, lots of traffic.

My son lives in Memphis, I have him looking for her and her car.

I pray she is safe and well. :1222423:

[Faith]

Missing woman's family offers reward
Disappeared 22 days ago on way to doctor

By Jody Callahan (Contact)
Tuesday, May 27, 2008

It's been 22 days since Elizabeth Ferguson disappeared, but her family is still hoping for a safe reunion.

Ferguson, 86, was last seen around 8 a.m. on May 5, heading to a scheduled doctor's appointment in East Memphis. She suffers from high blood pressure and is in the early stages of dementia.

She never showed for that appointment, and hasn't contacted her family since.

Now, the family is offering a $2,000 reward in hopes of stirring up information.

"Some friends of mine wanted to do something, so they established a reward fund. We set it up here so that members of her family and friends can donate," daughter Cheryl Feeney said.

Memphis police have received numerous tips, but most have been bad information.

One tip, however, was tantalizing.

A person called May 12 to report an unusual conversation with an elderly woman on May 6, the day after Ferguson disappeared. According to the caller, the woman stopped into Freedom Homes, a mobile home dealer on U.S. 51 in Millington.

"We received one call, and we're pretty sure that this person had a conversation with Miss Ferguson about directions," Memphis police spokesman Monique Martin said. "She also said she was hungry and asked where to get something to eat. We do believe that that may have been Miss Ferguson."

Police said they've found no recent activity on Ferguson's credit or bank accounts. Feeney said her mother had one credit card and a checkbook with her when she disappeared.

Ferguson was driving a blue-green 1993 Mercury Sable with license plate 884-FLQ.

Anyone with pertinent information should call 911 immediately, Martin said.

"It's not a crime at this point, it's a missing person," Martin said. "We don't have enough information at this point to say foul play has been involved."

Despite the lengthy disappearance, Feeney said the family remains hopeful their loved one will be found safe.

"The more that I talk to some law enforcement officers, the encouragement is still there," she said.

Contact Jody Callahan at 529-6531.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/may/27/missing-womans-family-offers-reward/

[Faith]

I emailed Theo at WREG in Memphis, he says there are no updates on Ms. Ferguson.

[Roamer]

She's been gone a month now. Unless she's in a hospital or someone has taken her in, I can't imagine how she's making it, unless, as you said earlier, she has a lot of cash with her that the family isn't aware of.

[Faith]

Several Mid-South Women Missing

Last Update: 6/12 11:17 pm

Near Tunica, MS - A Farmer discovered skeletal remains in a rural field about a mile outside Tunica. Tunica County investigators believe the remains belong to a woman, but they said they don't know for sure. There are several Mid-South women missing, including 44 year-old Doris Butler, who was last seen in Tunica February 3, 2008. “It’s too early to tell whether it’s her or not," said K.C. Hamp, Tunica County Sheriff. Butler was last seen going to a Tunica grocery store.

86 year-old Elizabeth Ferguson was last seen May 2. Her family said she was supposed to go to a doctor’s appointment from her Berclair home, but never made it to the doctor’s office. She drove a 1993 Mercury Sable. Police are still looking for Ferguson and her car.

Latoya Lusk was 22 years-old when she vanished on March 25, 2007, while leaving “Christie’s Cabaret” in South Memphis. Police found her car several days after her disappearance, but there is still no sign of her.

Ricarda Tillman-Lockett was 22 years-old when she disappeared. She was last seen February 19, 2007, leaving her job at “Jillian’s” in Downtown Memphis.

Dr. Cheryl Pearson was 37 years-old when she vanished January 5, 2002. A few days after she disappeared, police found her car at a nearby apartment complex, wiped clean of all fingerprints.

K.C. Hamp, Tunica County Sheriff said it is too soon to tell who the skeletal remains belong to. They plan to collect DNA samples from them, and may work with neighboring police departments about their missing persons cases.

The bones discovered will be sent to the Mississippi Crime Lab in Jackson. Investigators say they are not sure how long the bones were in the field, and cannot tell the woman’s age or race. Crews will continue searching the field for clues Friday.

If you have any information that could help officers locate any of these missing people, call police.

http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=3e42e17f-0c29-44a2-b45d-6dbed8aade51

[Faith]

Gruesome discovery in Tunica field

http://wreg.images.worldnow.com/images/8484037_BG1.jpg

http://wreg.images.worldnow.com/images/8484037_BG2.jpg

FAST FACTS:

* Human skull found near Mhoon Landing Road
* Authorities believe it belongs to a female
* Sent remains to Jackson for autopsy

(TUNICA COUNTY, MS 6/12/2008) Skeletal remains, most likely a woman's, were discovered on the side of a Tunica County road Thursday morning.

Around 11:00 a.m., a farmer found a human skull in a ditch off of Mhoon Landing Road. Search and rescue teams as well as cadaver dogs combed the scene and found human tissue and bones scattered not far away. Investigators believe animals may have dragged them across the field.

"At this point, it's too soon to say foul play, but we're not ruling out foul play," said Sheriff K.C. Hamp of the Tunica County Sheriff's Dept.

While we won't know the identity of the body until at least next week, one name keeps surfacing.

Doris Butler is the only unsolved missing person's case in Tunica County. The 44-year-old's mother reported her missing back in February. She told authorites her daughter got into a car with an unknown person and headed to a convenience store near Old Highway 61.

The store just happens to be in close proximity to the site of Thursday's gruesome discovery.

Authorites don't know how long the remains were there. Right now the person's torso is still missing. Hamp says they'll continue to search the river and surrounding area for the rest of the weekend.

In the meantime, they'll also meet with Butler's family, just in case the remains belong to her. Nearby counties are also looking at their missing persons cases.

The remains are being sent to Jackson for an autopsy. Stay tuned to News Channel3 for updates.

http://www.wreg.com/global/story.asp?s=8484037

[Faith]

After reading the above IMO it's not likely to be Mrs. Ferguson.

__________

This is the Doris Butler story

http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=b2d11314-008d-485a-9905-bfeabd94322d

______________

IIRC, there are more people missing after being at those casinos.

[Faith]

The discussion is here for the remains found:
http://helpfindthemissing.org/forum/showthread.php?p=243345#post243345

[Faith]

I contacted Shane Myers with Eyewitness News in Memphis about Mrs Ferguson. I was told there are no updates on this story, she is still missing.

Prayers for answers for the family. :1222423:

[Nut44x4]

The remains found in Tunica have been positivly ID'd as Doris Butler
http://helpfindthemissing.org/forum/showthread.php?p=325677#post325677

[Pauli]

Daughter puts life on pause in desperate search for elderly mother

By Jody Callahan (http://helpfindthemissing.org/staff/jody-callahan/) (Contact (http://helpfindthemissing.org/staff/jody-callahan/contact/)), Memphis Commercial Appeal
Thursday, August 21, 2008

Three months ago, Elizabeth Ferguson backed out of her driveway and vanished.

Neither the 86-year-old woman nor her car, a 1993 Mercury Sable, has been seen since. Memphis Police have no leads, no evidence to explain the mystery.
http://media.commercialappeal.com/mca/content/img/photos/2008/08/20/17missing1_t220.jpeg (http://media.commercialappeal.com/mca/content/img/photos/2008/08/20/17missing1.jpeg)
Cheryl Fenney has distributed thousands of fliers, in states as far away as Florida, in the search for her mother, Elizabeth Ferguson, 86, missing for three months. Clarence "Frenchy" Levesque, owner of Frenchy's Barber Shop on Navy Road in Millington, shows his support.

http://media.commercialappeal.com/mca/content/img/photos/2008/08/20/17missing3_t220.jpeg (http://media.commercialappeal.com/mca/content/img/photos/2008/08/20/17missing3.jpeg)
Elizabeth Ferguson

http://media.commercialappeal.com/mca/content/img/photos/2008/08/20/17missing2_t220.jpeg (http://media.commercialappeal.com/mca/content/img/photos/2008/08/20/17missing2.jpeg)
Cheryl Feeney posts a flier in the doorway at Rolands BP gas station on Navy Road in Millington. Since her mother disappeared, Feeney has spent all but three days in Memphis on the search, moving here from Seattle.

Every day that passes without a scrap of news is a struggle against despair for her daughter, Cheryl Feeney.

"It hurts," said Feeney, 55. "At my lowest point, someone will tell me of a success story, that they have a feeling she's safe somewhere."

Feeney was living outside Seattle when her mother, who everyone calls Beth, disappeared the morning of May 5.

Ferguson left her Berclair house at about 8 a.m., heading to a nearby doctor's appointment. She never made it. She didn't visit the bank, the drugstore or her community center. A painting she'd started, a background of clouds, was left behind on her desk.

Although she suffers from the early stages of dementia, the affliction is mild, her daughter said, not requiring medication.

A couple of tantalizing reports had her spotted near Millington, then in Covington. But despite endless searching by family members, friends and authorities, despite more than 3,000 miles Feeney has put on a minivan a stranger loaned her after hearing her plight, not a shred of evidence has been found.

"We burned a lot of jet fuel looking up and down (the Millington area)," said Memphis police Maj. Joe Scott, adding that they'll go looking for her car again when the leaves fall off the trees. "We'll keep working it. It's a sad, sad situation."

Since her mother disappeared, Feeney has spent all but three days in Memphis on the search, living in her mother's house, sleeping in her mother's bed, smelling her mother's indefinable scent that still lingers in the small house on Maybelle.

Her life, as she knew it, has been put on indefinite hold.

"If I don't do something every day to help her, then my day is wasted," Feeney said. "I obviously haven't done my best. There are places we haven't looked."

Just a few weeks before her mom disappeared, Feeney bought a new cottage in Gig Harbor, near Seattle. Most of the moving boxes haven't been opened yet. Her employer, FedEx, allows her to do what work she can from Memphis. Her 21-year-old cat Alex, not in the best of health, is now in the care of a neighbor she just met weeks ago.

"Just this morning, I woke up and reached down to pet him and he wasn't there," she said recently.

While here, Feeney doesn't go out to dinner with friends much. Some days, she barely eats at all. Her friends worry about her.

"I try to get her out as much as I can to make sure she's eating," lifelong friend Maggie George said. "I've kind of taken over her role as far as she was to her mom. She'd stock her fridge and leave her good things to eat. We just have to watch after her, make sure she stays healthy and takes care of her self."

She doesn't go to the movies or sink into the couch and enjoy a TV show. She can't get more than a few pages into a book before her thoughts are overwhelmed by questions.

Where is her mother?

What happened to her?

Is she still alive?

"Sometimes I hear a little desperation in her voice, a little exhaustion," said Feeney's son, Norris, 28. "It's amazing to me that she's been able to keep going, keep coming up with fresh ideas."

Among those ideas: driving the roads her mom might've taken, if she was lost; walking off the roads and searching for the car; distributing thousands of flyers, now in states as far away as Florida; going aloft in a small plane, on the chance she might spot the missing car.

But how long can Feeney keep going? Can she focus every waking moment on the search and maintain her health? Can she keep her life on indefinite pause?

Those aren't questions worth asking.

"Until I bring my mom home. Until I find her, I'll be here," she said, tears coming and going. "If I have to move back here, I'll move back here."

Many missing
According to the FBI, more than 50,000 adults have gone missing through 2007, although it's uncertain how many of those are senior citizens.

In Memphis last year, 4,228 people were reported missing, and police typically clear 99 percent of those cases. So far this year, that number stands at 2,566.

Memphis Police said that senior citizens comprise fewer than 2 percent of those missing, with most found within two days. Only three people older than 65, including Ferguson, remain missing here. The others are Josephine Kerr, 68, missing since March 19, and Lee Butler, 85, missing since Oct.30, 2001.

Anyone with information on Ferguson's disappearance -- or the whereabouts of her car, license plate 884FLQ -- should call Sgt. Charlie Smith in Missing Persons at 373-3883.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/aug/21/without-a-trace/

[PinkPony]

Daughter puts life on pause in desperate search for elderly mother

By Jody Callahan (http://helpfindthemissing.org/staff/jody-callahan/) (Contact (http://helpfindthemissing.org/staff/jody-callahan/contact/)), Memphis Commercial Appeal
Thursday, August 21, 2008

Three months ago, Elizabeth Ferguson backed out of her driveway and vanished.

Neither the 86-year-old woman nor her car, a 1993 Mercury Sable, has been seen since. Memphis Police have no leads, no evidence to explain the mystery.
http://media.commercialappeal.com/mca/content/img/photos/2008/08/20/17missing1_t220.jpeg (http://media.commercialappeal.com/mca/content/img/photos/2008/08/20/17missing1.jpeg)
Cheryl Fenney has distributed thousands of fliers, in states as far away as Florida, in the search for her mother, Elizabeth Ferguson, 86, missing for three months. Clarence "Frenchy" Levesque, owner of Frenchy's Barber Shop on Navy Road in Millington, shows his support.

http://media.commercialappeal.com/mca/content/img/photos/2008/08/20/17missing3_t220.jpeg (http://media.commercialappeal.com/mca/content/img/photos/2008/08/20/17missing3.jpeg)
Elizabeth Ferguson

http://media.commercialappeal.com/mca/content/img/photos/2008/08/20/17missing2_t220.jpeg (http://media.commercialappeal.com/mca/content/img/photos/2008/08/20/17missing2.jpeg)
Cheryl Feeney posts a flier in the doorway at Rolands BP gas station on Navy Road in Millington. Since her mother disappeared, Feeney has spent all but three days in Memphis on the search, moving here from Seattle.

Every day that passes without a scrap of news is a struggle against despair for her daughter, Cheryl Feeney.

"It hurts," said Feeney, 55. "At my lowest point, someone will tell me of a success story, that they have a feeling she's safe somewhere."

Feeney was living outside Seattle when her mother, who everyone calls Beth, disappeared the morning of May 5.

Ferguson left her Berclair house at about 8 a.m., heading to a nearby doctor's appointment. She never made it. She didn't visit the bank, the drugstore or her community center. A painting she'd started, a background of clouds, was left behind on her desk.

Although she suffers from the early stages of dementia, the affliction is mild, her daughter said, not requiring medication.

A couple of tantalizing reports had her spotted near Millington, then in Covington. But despite endless searching by family members, friends and authorities, despite more than 3,000 miles Feeney has put on a minivan a stranger loaned her after hearing her plight, not a shred of evidence has been found.

"We burned a lot of jet fuel looking up and down (the Millington area)," said Memphis police Maj. Joe Scott, adding that they'll go looking for her car again when the leaves fall off the trees. "We'll keep working it. It's a sad, sad situation."

Since her mother disappeared, Feeney has spent all but three days in Memphis on the search, living in her mother's house, sleeping in her mother's bed, smelling her mother's indefinable scent that still lingers in the small house on Maybelle.

Her life, as she knew it, has been put on indefinite hold.

"If I don't do something every day to help her, then my day is wasted," Feeney said. "I obviously haven't done my best. There are places we haven't looked."

Just a few weeks before her mom disappeared, Feeney bought a new cottage in Gig Harbor, near Seattle. Most of the moving boxes haven't been opened yet. Her employer, FedEx, allows her to do what work she can from Memphis. Her 21-year-old cat Alex, not in the best of health, is now in the care of a neighbor she just met weeks ago.

"Just this morning, I woke up and reached down to pet him and he wasn't there," she said recently.

While here, Feeney doesn't go out to dinner with friends much. Some days, she barely eats at all. Her friends worry about her.

"I try to get her out as much as I can to make sure she's eating," lifelong friend Maggie George said. "I've kind of taken over her role as far as she was to her mom. She'd stock her fridge and leave her good things to eat. We just have to watch after her, make sure she stays healthy and takes care of her self."

She doesn't go to the movies or sink into the couch and enjoy a TV show. She can't get more than a few pages into a book before her thoughts are overwhelmed by questions.

Where is her mother?

What happened to her?

Is she still alive?

"Sometimes I hear a little desperation in her voice, a little exhaustion," said Feeney's son, Norris, 28. "It's amazing to me that she's been able to keep going, keep coming up with fresh ideas."

Among those ideas: driving the roads her mom might've taken, if she was lost; walking off the roads and searching for the car; distributing thousands of flyers, now in states as far away as Florida; going aloft in a small plane, on the chance she might spot the missing car.

But how long can Feeney keep going? Can she focus every waking moment on the search and maintain her health? Can she keep her life on indefinite pause?

Those aren't questions worth asking.

"Until I bring my mom home. Until I find her, I'll be here," she said, tears coming and going. "If I have to move back here, I'll move back here."

Many missing
According to the FBI, more than 50,000 adults have gone missing through 2007, although it's uncertain how many of those are senior citizens.

In Memphis last year, 4,228 people were reported missing, and police typically clear 99 percent of those cases. So far this year, that number stands at 2,566.

Memphis Police said that senior citizens comprise fewer than 2 percent of those missing, with most found within two days. Only three people older than 65, including Ferguson, remain missing here. The others are Josephine Kerr, 68, missing since March 19, and Lee Butler, 85, missing since Oct.30, 2001.

Anyone with information on Ferguson's disappearance -- or the whereabouts of her car, license plate 884FLQ -- should call Sgt. Charlie Smith in Missing Persons at 373-3883.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/aug/21/without-a-trace/

Wow, thanks Pauli

This is really a powerful article. My eyes were tearing up as I read it.

I just cannot imagine being in the shoes of a missing person's loved ones.

PP

[nanabillie]

I will print out fliers and put them up. Maybe she came toward South Carolina. To me, when they can't find their car, I always think body of water. I hope not.

[Faith]

Search still on for Memphis woman
86-year-old went missing in May from home

By JODY CALLAHAN, The Commercial
Appeal
Tuesday, September 2, 2008

http://media.knoxnews.com/kns/content/img/photos/2008/09/01/090208search1e_t220.jpg


MEMPHIS - Three months ago, Elizabeth Ferguson backed out of her driveway and vanished.

Neither the 86-year-old woman nor her car, a 1993 Mercury Sable, has been seen since. Memphis police have no leads, and no evidence to explain the mystery.

Every day that passes without a scrap of news is a struggle against despair for Ferguson's daughter, Cheryl Feeney.

"It hurts," said Feeney, 55. "At my lowest point, someone will tell me of a success story, that they have a feeling she's safe somewhere."

Feeney was living outside Seattle when her mother, who everyone calls Beth, disappeared the morning of May 5.

Ferguson left her Berclair house at about 8 a.m., heading to a nearby doctor's appointment. She never made it. She didn't visit the bank, the drugstore or her community center.

A painting she'd started, a background of clouds, was left behind on her desk.

Although she suffers from the early stages of dementia, the affliction is mild, her daughter said, not requiring medication.

A couple of reports had her spotted near Millington, then in Covington.

But, despite endless searching by family members, friends and authorities, despite more than 3,000 miles Feeney has put on a minivan a stranger loaned her after hearing her plight, not a shred of evidence has been found.

"We burned a lot of jet fuel looking up and down (the Millington area)," said Memphis police Maj. Joe Scott, adding that they'll go looking for her car again when the leaves fall off the trees.

"We'll keep working it," he said. "It's a sad, sad situation."

Since her mother disappeared, Feeney has spent all but three days in Memphis on the search, living in her mother's house, sleeping in her mother's bed, smelling her mother's indefinable scent that still lingers in the small house on Maybelle.

Her life, as she knew it, has been put on indefinite hold.

"If I don't do something every day to help her, then my day is wasted," Feeney said. "I obviously haven't done my best. There are places we haven't looked."

Just a few weeks before her mom disappeared, Feeney bought a new cottage in Gig Harbor, near Seattle. Most of the moving boxes haven't been opened yet. Her employer, FedEx, allows her to do what work she can from Memphis. Her 21-year-old cat Alex, not in the best of health, is now in the care of a neighbor she just met weeks ago.

"Just this morning, I woke up and reached down to pet him and he wasn't there," she said recently.

While here, Feeney doesn't go out to dinner with friends much. Some days, she barely eats at all. Her friends worry about her.

"I try to get her out as much as I can to make sure she's eating," lifelong friend Maggie George said. "I've kind of taken over her role as far as she was to her mom. She'd stock her fridge and leave her good things to eat. We just have to watch after her, make sure she stays healthy and takes care of herself."

She doesn't go to the movies or sink into the couch and enjoy a TV show. She can't get more than a few pages into a book before her thoughts are overwhelmed by questions.

Where is her mother?

What happened to her?

Is she still alive?

"Sometimes I hear a little desperation in her voice, a little exhaustion," said Feeney's son, Norris, 28. "It's amazing to me that she's been able to keep going, keep coming up with fresh ideas."

Among those ideas: driving the roads her mom might have taken if she was lost; walking off the roads and searching for the car; distributing thousands of flyers, going aloft in a small plane on the chance she might spot the missing car.

But how long can Feeney keep going?

"Until I bring my mom home. Until I find her, I'll be here," she said, tears coming and going.

"If I have to move back here, I'll move back here."

According to the FBI, more than 50,000 adults have gone missing through 2007, although it's uncertain how many of those are senior citizens.

Anyone with information on Ferguson's disappearance - or the whereabouts of her car, license plate 884FLQ - should call Sgt. Charlie Smith in Missing Persons at 901-373-3883.

[helpfindher]

I read this in our morning paper. My heart broke for her daughter. She is trying so hard to find her mom. At least her employer (Fed Ex) is working with her to let her do her job from Memphis. I hope that they find her mom.

[Faith]

Search For Missing Eldery Woman Enters 4th Month

Memphis, TN -- It has been exactly four months since an elderly woman from Berclair disappeared on her way to a doctor's appointment and despite hundreds of leads and possible sightings, her family is no closer to finding her.

Elizabeth Ferguson, 86, left her home for a doctor's appointment on the morning of May 5, 2008, but she never made it. The search for the woman and her missing car entered the fourth month on Friday, September 5, 2008.

Ferguson's daughter, Cheryl Feeney, who lives outside Seattle, Washington, has been taking up temporary residence in Memphis while she heads up the search effort.

"It's not easy but I have to work on the assumption that she is safe and being cared for somewhere and I have to look at the reality of what if she isn't. So you go through every scenario possible and you just try to stay focused and do the best you can to get through the day," says Feeney.

With fliers still hanging in store windows across Shelby County, Feeney works furiously to find her mother. She keeps detailed notes of all the people she's called and the things she still has to do. Friday, she was building a list of towing companies and junkyards in rural areas to see if any has her mother's car.

"We've got to find her car. That's the thing. That car has to be somewhere and someone knows where that is," she says.

Feeney hopes enough exposure about her mother's case will jog the memory of that one person who may hold a clue to her disappearance. She says there have been hundreds of possible sightings around the Mid-South, even one from a trucker as far away as Utah. She says the outpouring of help from family and total strangers has been overwhelming.

"It really is remarkable that people care that much about my mother that they want to help find her. As I said early on, everybody's got a mom and this touches a lot of people and I'm just very grateful for the public support."

If you've seen Elizabeth Ferguson, try to take a photograph of her and call the Memphis Police Department immediately.

http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=fbf08e99-9233-431c-bd12-71510e3c9a2f

[Faith]

Lawmaker, Citizens Pursue 'Silver Alert'
Last Edited: Friday, 31 Oct 2008, 8:58 PM CDT
Created: Friday, 31 Oct 2008, 8:58 PM CDT

http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/myfox/photo_servlet?contentId=2430691&version=1&locale=EN-US&subtype=MIMG&siteId=1022&isP16=true

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WHBQ FOX13 myfoxmemphis.com) --
By the year 2010 there could be 120,000 elderly Tennesseans living with Alzheimer's. And if they get lost or disoriented and disappear how can families get help to find them? FOX13 I-Team Reporter Tealy Devereaux found out, there's no statewide system to find the endangered elderly, but lawmakers say in a matter of months that could change.

State Sen. Beverly Marrero said she's working with attorneys to draft a bill creating a Silver Alert for seniors who wander away.

States With Initiatives (http://www.nasua.org/pdf/Silver%20Alert%20Initiatives%20in%20the%20states.p df)


Alzheimer's Association (http://www.alz.org/news_and_events_14004.asp)


For More Information (http://www.naag.org/when-granddad-goes-missing-the-silver-alert-program.php)




That bill could be in the hands of the General Assembly this January. The quick action is partially the result of a Memphis woman's hope her tragedy saves lives.

Cheryl Ferguson Feeney's pain is written all over her face.

For six long months she's scoured Memphis and most of the surrounding area looking for her mother Elizabeth Ferguson.

"I'm still going around reminding people that her car has not been located," she said. "Still no bank activity, absolutely no sign of my mother."

Elizabeth Ferguson disappeared while driving herself to a doctor's appointment May 6. She turned 87 in September and her missing person's case with Memphis police is still open.

"I'm just baffled as to why her car has not turned up," said Feeney "Perhaps it flipped upside down and it's not easy to spot that way."

Ferguson suffers from dementia.

Cheryl isn't sure if memory loss is was what drove her mother away, but she thinks finding her may have been easier if more people knew right when she went missing.

"Texas has a great success rate. Georgia, North Carolina. It's proven very effective," she said.

Cheryl's talking about the Silver Alerts in each of those states.


Like the Amber Alert, the Silver Alert helps police track down endangered seniors with memory loss.

It also informs the public by broadcasting the description of the missing senior on electronic billboards throughout the state.

"I think so much of Mrs. Ferguson and I think about if that were my mom, how horrible it would be for me every night wondering where she was and if she was okay," said Marrero.

Sen. Beverly Marrero, of Memphis, and Cheryl share a connection.

"My mother had Alzheimer's," said the state senator. "Having lived with the disease over a period of time, I realize how debilitating it is and how frightening it is for families."

After being contacted by Cheryl and at least one other concerned citizen, Marrero said she gladly committed to sponsoring Silver Alert legislation in Tennessee.

She said the ball is rolling in Nashville right now.

"We are talking to the people in our legal department with the state of Tennessee to try and figure out what kind of legislation we can write that won't be prohibitively expensive," said Marrero.

She said the best way to get the Silver Alert passed during this economic downturn is to cut costs.

She hopes to convince lawmakers that a Silver Alert can run alongside the state's Amber Alert - the national bulletin used in child abduction cases.

"To get the same people that work on those issues to be able to help us with this because we are talking about vulnerable people," she said. "An elderly person with problems with their memory is just as vulnerable as a small child."

Sheryl Ludeke-Smith, with the Alzheimer's Association in Memphis, said her group supports the Silver Alert and is working alongside others to help pass legislation.

"People I've talked to are very excited and I think this will get through very quickly," she said.

With the way the disease is growing and the high numbers of those that wander away, Ludeke-Smith said a Silver Alert could end up saving someone you love.

"By the time a person is 85, you've got a 50/50 chance that you're going to have some dementia or memory loss," she said.

Realizing others could be in her shoes someday motivates Cheryl Ferguson Feeney.

In between her daily trips of handing out flyers and visiting area police departments, she's still making calls to lawmakers and organizations. She hopes her nightmare doesn't become someone else's.

"It's the best way I know to honor her is to help other people who might be in her situation," she said. "My mother was in her vehicle. If an alert had been broadcast more widely and quickly, her car would have been found much sooner. I am certain of that."

Cheryl Ferguson Feeney said she's now encouraging lawmakers to broaden the Silver Alert to help all adults with mental disabilities such as autism or Down's syndrome.

She's also been successful drafting a bill for an endangered missing person advisory in Washington State where she was living before her mother disappeared and she moved back to Memphis.

Silver Alert Data:

Texas - established in 2007
In 2008 the Silver Alert was used 64 times
-18 out of 59 safe recoveries can be attributed to help from the Silver Alert
Source: Texas Department of Public Safety

North Carolina - established in 2007
In 2008 the Silver Alert has been used 79 times
- All recovered but 7
Source: North Carolina Department of Crime Control and Public Safety
http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=7768618&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1

[TigressPen]

God Bless, TN for the efforts to get the bill passed. I think all states should.

[TigressPen]

Missing woman's car possibly located

MEMPHIS, TN (WMC-TV) - Officials believe they have located a car belonging to a missing Mid-South woman.

Tuesday morning, a Tennessee wildlife officer located a car owned by Elizabeth Ferguson, 86. The car, a 1993 Mercury Sable, was found near Riverport and Buoy.

Ferguson was last seen leaving her Berclair home in the car on May 5, 2008 on her way to a routine doctor's appointment.

Ferguson's mother, Cheryl Feeney, said she suffered from high blood pressure, and was in the early stages of dementia.

http://www.wmctv.com/

[TigressPen]

MEMPHIS, TN (WMC-TV) - Officials have located a car belonging to a missing Mid-South woman.

Tuesday morning, police located a car owned by Elizabeth Ferguson, 86. The car, a 1993 Mercury Sable, was found in remote area near Riverport and Buoy.

Police said Ferguson has not been located. Her purse and some other personal belongings were found inside the car.

Police removed the car from the location where it was found shortly before 2:00pm.

Ferguson was last seen leaving her Berclair home in the car on May 5, 2008 on her way to a routine doctor's appointment.

Ferguson's mother, Cheryl Feeney, said she suffered from high blood pressure, and was in the early stages of dementia.

http://www.wmctv.com/global/story.asp?s=9330079

[TigressPen]

Missing woman's car located

Posted: Nov 11, 2008 11:27 AM CST

Updated: Nov 11, 2008 04:43 PM CST




MEMPHIS, TN (WMC-TV) - Officials have located a car belonging to a missing Mid-South woman.

On a crisp and windy Tuesday morning, a Tennessee Wildlife officer came upon the object of a six month search: 86-year-old Elizabeth Ferguson's car. The car, a 1993 Mercury Sable, was found on a dirt road in the remote woods of Ensley Bottom.

Chopper 5 was there even before Memphis police arrived, and when investigators learned Ferguson was not inside the car, a massive search began. The car was located in an area so remote, searchers could only get there by foot.

Police sent up their chopper, while down below, a blood hound led the search with the Memphis Police Missing Person's Unit, homicide detectives, and Wild Life officers in tow.

At one point, a searcher opened the car's door and the high winds blew the evidence around. On top of the high winds, a light drizzle fell upon the scene. Finally, investigators decided to move the car to a more secure place.

"We want to preserve what we have and in doing so, it's going to take us some time to get that car out," Memphis police spokesperson Monique Martin said.

The rough terrain surrounding the car - including cotton fields, farmland, and wooded areas - didn't help.

"We have to treat this as suspicious," Martin said. "We have a car. We have a report of a missing person dated back to May of 2008."

A tow truck eventually hauled the Mercury Sable to the MPD's Crime Scene Processing Tunnel so investigators could get a more secure and closer look inside the vehicle.

Ferguson was last seen leaving her Berclair home in the car on May 5, 2008 on her way to a routine doctor's appointment.

Ferguson's daughter, Cheryl Feeney, said she suffered from high blood pressure, and was in the early stages of dementia.


http://www.wmctv.com/global/story.asp?s=9330079

[Nut44x4]

photos

[Faith]

Oh No!! I just recently talked to a reporter in Memphis and she told me there was no news.

I pray they find her. :1222423:

[Faith]

I would like to know if she had cash in her purse.

[Faith]

UPDATED: Missing 86 Year-Old Woman’s Car Found

Last Update: 5:58 pm

MEMPHIS, TN -- Memphis police say the car belonging to an elderly woman, who has been missing for six months, has been found in a wooded area.

Elizabeth Ferguson has been missing since May 5, 2008. She was last seen leaving her home to go to a doctor’s appointment, but never made it there.

Memphis Police Detective Monique Martin says Ferguson’s car was found in a wooded area of Ensley Bottoms, just west of T.O. Fuller State Park and south of McKellar Lake. Martin says a Tennessee Wildlife Resource Officer found the car around 9:00 a.m., Tuesday, November 11, 2008.

Police used dogs and a helicopter to conduct a preliminary search the area, but were unable to find Ferguson. Investigators say her car has been taken to the crime lab for further investigation.

It appears, police say, Ferguson’s 1993 green Mercury Sable was stuck in the mud on a trail three miles from the nearest paved road. Investigators found her purse and other personal belongings inside the car. According to detectives, there were no signs of foul play at the scene, but say the investigation is ongoing.

Family members tell Eyewitness News Ferguson has high blood pressure and may have had a stroke. They also say she suffers from dementia.

Memphis police are still searching for Ferguson and are asking anyone who may have seen her to call the Missing Persons Bureau at (901) 373-3883.

Stay with Eyewitness News for more on this developing story.

Video
http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=2209eddf-2a7d-477a-8139-928ca2468aac

[TigressPen]

I hope they go back to where the car was found and do a more thorough search for her.

[TigressPen]

Updated: Nov 11, 2008 10:12 PM CST



MEMPHIS, TN (WMC-TV) - Officials have located a car belonging to a missing Mid-South woman.

On a crisp and windy Tuesday morning, a Tennessee Wildlife officer came upon the object of a six month search: 86-year-old Elizabeth Ferguson's car. The car, a 1993 Mercury Sable, was found on a dirt road in the remote woods of Ensley Bottom.

Chopper 5 was there even before Memphis police arrived, and when investigators learned Ferguson was not inside the car, a massive search began. The car was located in an area so remote, searchers could only get there by foot.

Police sent up their chopper, while down below, a blood hound led the search with the Memphis Police Missing Person's Unit, homicide detectives, and Wild Life officers in tow.

At one point, a searcher opened the car's door and the high winds blew the evidence around. On top of the high winds, a light drizzle fell upon the scene. Finally, investigators decided to move the car to a more secure place.

"We want to preserve what we have and in doing so, it's going to take us some time to get that car out," Memphis police spokesperson Monique Martin said.

The rough terrain surrounding the car - including cotton fields, farmland, and wooded areas - didn't help.

"We have to treat this as suspicious," Martin said. "We have a car. We have a report of a missing person dated back to May of 2008."

A tow truck eventually hauled the Mercury Sable to the MPD's Crime Scene Processing Tunnel so investigators could get a more secure and closer look inside the vehicle.

Ferguson was last seen leaving her Berclair home in the car on May 5, 2008 on her way to a routine doctor's appointment.

Ferguson's daughter, Cheryl Feeney, said she suffered from high blood pressure, and was in the early stages of dementia.

"I was driving to my office in Seattle when the police called. They said they have some new developments. Her car had been found," Feeney said.

Cheryl Ferguson Feeney just left Memphis Sunday headed back to Seattle. She had been in Memphis for the past 6 months searching for her mother.

"I just have to be here until I can find my Mom. That's all that is important. When I got the call the call today it was frustration I wasn't here," Feeney said.

Elizabeth Ferguson's purse was still in her car but her cash was missing. Her daughter wants to get a look inside the car.

"Anything I might see that is out of the ordinary. What is in the car, what might be in the car that was not hers. I know my mother very well. I know her clothing. I know what she wears," Feeney said.

One thing investigators will be looking at is whether Elizabeth Ferguson's car has been in the field the entire six months she has been missing.

http://www.wmctv.com/global/story.asp?s=9330079

[Faith]

Missing Berclair woman’s car found in remote area

By Jody Callahan (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal
Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Andy Tweed was looking for poachers when he walked into a clearing Tuesday morning and helped solve part of a six-month-old mystery.

Working in a remote area near T.O. Fuller State Park, about 10 miles southwest of Downtown Memphis, Tweed found a 1993 Mercury Sable, stuck in the ruts of a rarely used dirt road.

Police confirmed that the car belongs to 86-year-old Elizabeth Ferguson, the Berclair woman who disappeared May 5.

However, despite using dogs and searchers to comb the area surrounding the car, police were unable to find Ferguson on Tuesday. The search is expected to resume this morning.

“We searched the area around the car,” Memphis police Maj. Joe Scott said. “It’s a very thick, wooded area. The search dogs will be back out (today).”

Ferguson’s daughter had just flown back to Seattle, where she was living until her mother disappeared, Sunday night. When she got the call, she caught a flight back to Memphis.

Now, Cheryl Feeney isn’t sure how she feels about the news.

“Before, I was thinking there was a remote chance she might’ve been in a facility somewhere,” Feeney said. “I don’t think I can really draw any kind of conclusion until I can see the car, the condition it was found and the area it was in.”

Feeney couldn’t understand why her mother would have driven down that dirt road, which intersects with Riverport near Buoy.

“It sounds to me like it was in a remote area,” said Feeney, who plans to be at the search area this morning. “To me, it just doesn’t make sense that she could’ve driven off the road that far. I don’t care how confused she was.”

When Tweed, a Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency officer, spotted the car, he approached it warily, fearing that it could belong to armed poachers.

“I could tell that it had been there for a period of time. There were no tracks going down there,” he said.

Although the passenger’s side mirror was damaged and the car was covered in a smattering of leaves, it was otherwise in good shape, Tweed said.

He walked to the passenger’s side, opened the door and saw a black purse in the driver’s seat, with a black umbrella atop it.

“I looked in the purse to see who the vehicle belonged to,” said Tweed, who was unaware of Ferguson’s disappearance. “I picked up the purse and it had quite a bit of cash in it. A pretty good amount of money. ... Her keys were in her purse.”

Although foul play has not been ruled out, police have long wondered if Ferguson may have simply gotten lost and never been found, since her bank accounts and credit cards had shown no activity since she disappeared.

Tweed said the more than 3,000 acres, is closed to the public, except for a few weeks in December. The TWRA randomly chooses 30 to 40 people who are then allowed to hunt deer there, but only with bows. The area can be dangerous, he said, and is also home to bobcats, snakes, coyotes and even alligators.

And in May, when Ferguson went missing, the mosquitoes “are almost unbearable,” he said.

“It’s one of the more remote parts of the management area,” Tweed said. “It can be pretty rough. Lots of poison ivy. There is a pretty good concentration of cottonmouth snakes.”

Ferguson, who suffered from a mild form of dementia, disappeared after leaving her Berclair home about 8 a.m. May 5, heading to a doctor’s appointment. The Memphis Police Department and Ferguson’s family conducted an extensive search.

Feeney has said her mother did not carry a cell phone.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/nov/12/missing-womans-car-found/

[Faith]

Breaking News Alert: Search Resumes for Missing 86 Year-Old Elizabeth Ferguson (http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=7bedc601-0e80-45f6-a7f3-093b6491304c)

Last Update: 1:18 pm

MEMPHIS, TN -- Memphis police resume the search for 86 year-old Elizabeth Ferguson, who has been missing for six months.

According to investigators, the search was to start at 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, November 12, 2008. Police say crews will look in a half mile to one mile radius of the location where Ferguson's car was found.

A FEMA dog will aid in the attempt to find Ferguson. Detectives say the length of today's search will be determined by what the dog finds. Investigators are using as few people on foot as possible in an attempt to preserve the scene. Police say ATVs will also be used.

Elizabeth Ferguson has been missing since May 5th. Ferguson's family reported her missing after she missed a doctor's appointment.

A Tennessee Wildlife Resource Officer found Ferguson's car while on a routine patrol Tuesday morning. Investigators say her 1993 green Mercury Sable was discovered in a wooded area in the Ensley Bottoms, just west of T.O. Fuller Park and south of McKellar Lake.

Memphis Police Detective Monique Martin told Eyewitness News that Ferguson's purse and other personal items were found in the car. The vehicle, Martin says, appears to have been stuck in the mud. The car was taken to the Memphis Police Department's crime lab for further investigation.

Family members say Ferguson suffers from dementia. They also say she has high blood pressure and may have had a stroke.

Police are asking anyone who may have seen Elizabeth Ferguson to call the Memphis Police Department's Missing Persons Bureau at (901) 373-3883.

[Faith]

Police Look for Clues in Area Where Missing Woman's Car Was Discovered

Elizabeth Ferguson, 86, has been missing since May.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Despite the clouds, rain and cool weather, search crews returned to Ensley Bottoms in southwest Memphis Wednesday. They are looking for clues into the disappearance of Elizabeth Ferguson.

Her car, a 1993 Mercury Sable, was discoverd earlier this week. It was abandoned down a secluded dirt road with no signs of Ferguson.

Ferguson, 86, was last seen May 5 when she left her Berclair home for a doctor's appointment in east Memphis. According to family members, she was in the early stages of dementia.

Searchers are expected to continue combing through the area Thursday.

http://www.wrecradio.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=185284&article=4575340

[Faith]

Police to resume search for missing woman Thursday morning

By Jody Callahan (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal
Wednesday, November 12, 2008

After a second day of searching today, police did not found any trace of Elizabeth Ferguson, an 86-year-old woman who went missing six months ago.

Ferguson’s car was found in a remote area near Riverport and Buoy roads in Southwest Memphis Tuesday morning.

Ferguson’s purse and an umbrella were recovered from the car.

Despite broadcast media reports saying no money was found in the purse, police said today that the purse did contain money, confirming a report in The Commercial Appeal.

“We can confirm cash and identification was found in the purse,” police spokesman Monique Martin said in a statement. “No further details will be released at this time. We are processing and maintaining everything as evidence.”

The search will resume again Thursday morning.

Ferguson disappeared May 5 en route to a doctor’s appointment.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/nov/12/police-continue-search-wooded-area-missing-woman/

[Nut44x4]

The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
November 14, 2008 Friday

Still no clues on missing woman

Another day of searching Thursday has failed to turn up a trace of Elizabeth Ferguson, the 86-year-old woman who went missing six months ago.

Ferguson's car was discovered in a remote area near Riverport and Buoy roads in Southwest Memphis Tuesday morning. She went missing May 5 on her way to a doctor's appointment.

Police said they have found no evidence that a crime has occurred. Nothing was found in the car that suggested foul play.

"It's a good thing to find her car and it's a start, but we need to find her. That's the goal. This is a big area to search," said her daughter, Cheryl Feeney. "I really love my mom. I miss her and I don't know what's happened to her."

Feeney said searchers with dogs and others on horseback combed the area Thursday with no luck.

The search will continue Friday, although poor weather may hamper the effort.
http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=574&topicId=100020825&docId=l:884564611&start=2

[Faith]

Prayers Mrs Ferguson is found soon. :1222423:

[grammybears]

I had been wondering if there were any updates on this case. This has really got to be very hard for her family. No matter what happened she needs to be found.
My prayers and thoughts are with Elizabeth and her family.

[Faith]

Skeletal remains found during search for missing woman

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Authorities searching for Elizabeth Ferguson, the 86-year-old woman who went missing six months ago, discovered skeletal remains in the woods in the Ensley Bottom area of Southwest Memphis this morning.

A skull and several other bones, along with possibly a woman's shoe and clothing, were discovered about 9:25 a.m. by search volunteers about 200 yards from where Ferguson's car was found earlier this week.

Memphis Police Homicide and Crime Scene investigators along with 48 Shelby County Emergency Services' reserve deputies and volunteers are on the scene.

The Shelby County Medical Examiner and her team were on the scene to collect and transport the skeletal remains to the forensic lab for further examination.

The initial discovery of the skeletal bones was made by reserve deputies Chuck Averwater and Barry Stroud during a four-wheeler ground search.

Following the removal of the remains, MPD investigators and SCSO emergency services units cleared the scene.

Ferguson, who suffered from slight dementia, disappeared May 5 en route from her Berclair home to a doctor's appointment.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/nov/15/skeletal-remains-found-during-search-missing-woman/

[Faith]

Bones Found near Area Where Missing Woman’s Car Found
Reported by: Pansy Hall
Email: phall@MyEyewitnessNews.com
Last Update: 2:33 pm

Memphis, TN – Search crews found a skull, several bones and a woman’s shoe and clothing in Ensley Bottoms this morning. That’s where the car of Elizabeth Ferguson was found earlier this week. Reserve deputies found the remains about 200 yards from where the car was located Tuesday.

The Shelby County Medical Examiner was called to the scene and took the bones to the lab, where they will try to make a positive identification and determine cause of death.

Ferguson, 86, has been missing since May. She left her Berclair home for a doctor’s appointment and hasn’t been heard from since.

We’ll have more tonight on ABC24 Eyewitness News at 6.

http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=473d61d8-0b4c-4b35-8bf9-2da4d3e12261

[TigressPen]

I hope these remains are Mrs. Ferguson so her family can finally have some closure and give her a proper burial.

[grammybears]

My prayers are with her family. She has been missing for so many months. When I read the other night that her car had been found I figured it would not be long before she was found. How very sad.

[Roamer]

:1222423:

[PinkPony]

Bones Found near Area Where Missing Woman’s Car Found
Reported by: Pansy Hall
Email: phall@MyEyewitnessNews.com
Last Update: 2:33 pm

Memphis, TN – Search crews found a skull, several bones and a woman’s shoe and clothing in Ensley Bottoms this morning. That’s where the car of Elizabeth Ferguson was found earlier this week. Reserve deputies found the remains about 200 yards from where the car was located Tuesday.

The Shelby County Medical Examiner was called to the scene and took the bones to the lab, where they will try to make a positive identification and determine cause of death.

Ferguson, 86, has been missing since May. She left her Berclair home for a doctor’s appointment and hasn’t been heard from since.

We’ll have more tonight on ABC24 Eyewitness News at 6.

http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=473d61d8-0b4c-4b35-8bf9-2da4d3e12261
Praying for Mrs. Ferguson's family.

PP

[Faith]

Associated Press - November 16, 2008 2:05 PM ET

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Human remains found in the woods about 10 miles southwest of Memphis may be those of a woman missing since May.

The Shelby County Medical Examiner is attempting to determine if the remains found are those of 86-year-old Elizabeth Ferguson. Ferguson disappeared May 5 after leaving for a doctor's appointment. She never arrived at the office and wasn't heard from again.

Her car was found last week T.O. Fuller State Park. Shelby County Sheriff's deputies searched the woods on Saturday and found the remains.

Ferguson's daughter, Cheryl Feeney, says she's sure the remains are those of Ferguson and has been making plans for funeral arrangements.

Information from: The Memphis Daily News, http://www.memphisdailynews.com

http://www.wrcbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9358970

[sarahhod]

Remains may end search

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/nov/17/remains-may-end-search/


Associated Press
Monday, November 17, 2008


MEMPHIS - Chuck Averwater decided to climb into the woods about 10 miles southwest of downtown Memphis, figuring that if a lost elderly woman went there, any evidence of her would be tough to see from the air.

The decision by the reserve Shelby County Sheriff's deputy paid off. Averwater spotted skeletal remains in a clearing off a bumpy dirt path early Saturday morning. The discovery may close a six-month search for missing Elizabeth Ferguson.

Ferguson, 86, disappeared May 5 after leaving her home for a doctor's appointment. She never made it to the doctor's office, and there was no sign of her until last week, when a Tennessee wildlife officer found her 1993 Mercury Sable near T.O. Fuller State Park.

The Shelby County Medical examiner is attempting to confirm that the remains found are those of Ferguson.

Ferguson's daughter, Cheryl Feeney, said closure won't come until the Medical Examiner's Office provides confirmation.

Feeney moved from Seattle to help Memphis police find her mother, who had a mild form of dementia.

Although the area is 24 miles from her mother's home, Feeney said she can visualize how her mom wound up in that remote forest. The paved road, surrounded by an old railroad and cotton fields, ended, giving way to a bumpy, dirty path, which led into the forest.

Feeney said Ferguson's car was facing out of the woods, indicating that she had tried to turn around and leave. Apparently her car had gotten stuck in the mud.

[Faith]

Medical Records Confirm Ferguson Found
Last Edited: Tuesday, 18 Nov 2008, 8:53 AM CST
Created: Tuesday, 18 Nov 2008, 8:53 AM CST

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WHBQ FOX13 myfoxmemphis.com) -- -- Dental records have helped identify the skeletal remains found on Saturday in the Ensley Bottoms as those of 86-year old Elizabeth Ferguson, who was reported missing on May 5, 2008.

Ferguson left home for a doctor's appointment in May, but never made it. Tuesday November 11, Ferguson's car was discovered abandoned near President's Island. Search teams worked through the mid-week rain to look for any traces of the missing woman.

This past Saturday, search teams uncovered skeletal remains near the missing woman's car.

Police are continuing their investigation into this case.

http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=7889596&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1

[Faith]

:1222423::1222423::1222423:

[Roamer]

My condolences to her family. It's been a long wait to find her.

[sarahhod]

RIP Elizabeth.:1222423:

For your family and friends.:1222423::1222423:

[Faith]

Daughter's crusade aids missing elderly
Death of Elizabeth Ferguson prompts 'Silver Alert' campaign

* By Hank Dudding
* Posted November 28, 2009 at 12:05 a.m.

http://media.commercialappeal.com/media/img/photos/2009/11/27/28feeney1_t607.jpeg
Cheryl Feeney is packing up the home of her late mother, Elizabeth Ferguson. In the foreground are "missing person" fliers she printed when her mother vanished last year.

Questions that can never be answered haunt Cheryl Feeney.

Feeney's mother, Elizabeth Ferguson, 86, disappeared while driving to a doctor's appointment in May 2008. Six months later, her skeletal remains were found near her 1993 Mercury Sable off a remote dirt road in Southwest Memphis.

Although foul play was ruled out, Feeney doesn't know how her mother got there, how long she survived and whether her life could have been saved had an alert gone out sooner.

"It's been hard to deal with, not knowing what happened to her," said Feeney, 57. "From day one, it's always been my position that if the information about my mother had been made public earlier, she would most likely be home today."

For the past year, Feeney has been trying to reshape the way law enforcement agencies deal with endangered adults, not just the elderly but also those with impairments such as autism and Down syndrome.

With help from County Commissioner Mike Carpenter, Feeney has urged the Tennessee General Assembly to approve a program that would emulate the state's Amber Alert for missing children.

She got a taste of success this past summer, when Gov. Phil Bredesen signed legislation that requires police to add cases of missing endangered people age 60 or over to the National Crime Information Center database within four hours, but that falls short of what she's looking for.

Locally, she has had more success.

This month, the Shelby County Sheriff's Office and police departments in Memphis, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown and Millington adopted a uniform policy for endangered missing adults.

For each case:

An officer will take a report in person.

The case will be assigned to an investigator.

Details about the disappearance will be posted immediately on the NCIC database.

A description of the person, a photo and a vehicle description, if applicable, will be released to the news media.

DNA samples will be obtained from a family member, if warranted, and sent to a master database.

"Had we had this in place when (Cheryl's) mother was missing, within two hours there would have been a massive alert across the county, and chances are she wouldn't have strayed too far," said Shelby County Sheriff Mark Luttrell.

Instead, bulletins about her mother's disappearance didn't appear in the media for 48 hours, Feeney said, a lifetime for a woman who suffered from the early stages of dementia.

Carpenter said local officials hope to use the program to set an example for the legislature, which flinched last summer in the face of evidence that the tab for a statewide program overseen by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation would cost $219,000 a year.

"Part of what we wanted to do by creating this local model is to be able to say that it takes very few resources, at least in terms of cash, to make this work," he said.

In the meantime, Feeney is trying to decide what to do with the next chapter of her life.

She flew to Memphis the day after her mother's disappearance, then spent so much time here that she lost her job of 25 years with FedEx in Seattle.

She has been living in her childhood home in Berclair -- her mother's home -- where Ferguson's art supplies remain where she left them, her water glass still sits on the nightstand, same as when she pulled out of her driveway May 5, 2008.

"Every time I open the door, it smells like my mom," Feeney said. "People have said, 'Oh, you've got to get out of that house. How can you stand to be in there?' But it's been a great comfort to me."

Now she's getting the house ready to sell, and she planned to go home to Seattle this week for the first time in a year.

Once her mother was found -- Ferguson's funeral drew 400 people -- Feeney turned her focus from the search to doing something to help others in the same situation. She carries a folder filled with e-mail correspondence from legislative officials, copies of bills and statistics on missing adults.

"The only sense I can make of any of this is that maybe I can help keep this from happening to one more person," she said. "I just don't want anyone else to have to go through what she must have had to go through."

The "Silver Alert" proposal will remain on the county's legislative agenda next year, Carpenter said.

Luttrell, whose department worked with Feeney on the local guidelines, praised her passion and resolve.

"She's very emotionally involved in this in a very positive way," he said. "She's trying to do the best she can in her mother's memory to make some good out of this."

-- Hank Dudding: 529-2565

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/nov/28/silver-alert/