Michelle Erickson, [BODY FOUND] 36, Missing Since 6/9/08, Salt Lake City, Utah

[Faith]

Police Search For Missing Single Mother

Last Update: 6/15 10:53 pm

http://www.kutv.com/media/news/5/d/c/5dcdcdfa-7589-4132-ac98-a52994689003/Story.jpg
Michelle Erickson, a 36-year-old single mother of two was last seen on Monday, June 9, 2008.


SALT LAKE CITY - Police began an investigation after friends and family members reported the mysterious dissapearance of a 36-year-old single mother.

Friends and family members frantically post “Missing Person” flyers across the Salt Lake County in hopes to find their friend Michelle Erickson, who hasn’t been seen in 6 days.

Erickson , a 36-year-old single mother of two was last heard from on Monday. Family members say Erickson is very responsible and would never leave without telling someone.

“She calls and tells people where she’s at. She’s not like one to just disappear,” said one of Erickson’s cousins.

The family says that Erickson has not had any banking or cell phone activity since Monday. They say groceries were found “left out” in her apartment and all of her belongings were left behind except her vehicle.

“We want to know were she’s at,” said Travis Godfrey. “She’s got two kids at home and a lot of family members are worried about her.”

Michelle Erickson is 5’3” and weighs 135 lbs. Her hair is Red/Blonde with highlights and is at chin length. She has hazel eyes.

Erickson’s car is a 2001 red Pontiac Grand Am with the license plate number 209 NKU.

If you have any information please contact your local authorities.
http://www.kutv.com/content/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=322cc7aa-a447-4ee2-b872-52fdf0569ae7

[Faith]

Holladay woman missing for a week
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 06/16/2008 09:59:59 AM MDT

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site297/2008/0616/20080616_095948_missingwoman_200.jpg
Michelle Erickson (Family photo)

A woman is missing from her Holladay home. Michelle Erickson, 36, last was seen June 9, said Salt Lake County sheriff's spokesman Paul Jaroscak. Relatives reported her missing four days later. Detectives suspect no foul play, Jaroscak said.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_9601916

The 2nd photo looks totally different than the 1st.

[Faith]

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http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll116/helpfindthemissing/flier-1.jpg
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http://media.bonnint.net/slc/537/53706/5370686.jpg?filter=ksl/img200

[Grande]

Missing woman's family stays optimistic
By Pat Reavy
Deseret News
Published: Tuesday, June 17, 2008 12:14 a.m. MDT

No one has heard from Michelle Erickson in a week. But family members remain optimistic, calling Monday the first real full day of searching for her.
And now that word of their missing loved one is spreading, they hope someone will provide them with information that will lead them to her.

Erickson was last heard from on June 9. A store receipt shows she bought groceries at a Wal-Mart in the Fort Union area about 7:20 p.m., said her cousin, Travis Godfrey. By 8 p.m., she was on the phone talking to her former stepson, making arrangements to cut his hair at a later date.

That was the last time anyone heard from Erickson. And according to family members, it was also the last time there has been any recorded use of her cell phone and credit cards.

When family members entered her apartment near the Cottonwood Mall a few days later, they found the perishable groceries in the refrigerator, but the dry goods were still in the grocery bags on the floor. Her receipts showed she had also gone to a Rite-Aid that day, Godfrey said. But she did not buy anything out of the ordinary.

Erickson was supposed to be taking care of her parents' dog and bird while

"It could be any number of things," he said of the reason for his cousin's disappearance. "She could be in a ditch somewhere, she could be on her way to Vegas, she could be locked up in somebody's basement, she could be taking her own life."

Jaroscak said there are several regions in which detectives would be looking for clues on Erickson's whereabouts, including Wendover and "places up north." Those are places she has gone in the past or likes to visit, he said.

"Right now, we're trying to put together a timeline (of her movements)," Jaroscak said.

Erickson is 5 feet 3 inches tall, 135 pounds with hazel eyes. Godfrey said she changed her hair color a lot, but was last seen with chin-length hair with red and blonde highlights.

Erickson's car has also been missing. She was driving a 2001 red Pontiac Grand Am 4-door with Utah license plate 209 NKU. There was a pink, sparkly Superman sticker on the rear window of the driver's side.

Anyone with information on Erickson or her car can call the sheriff's office at 743-7000.

"Even if you're 5 percent sure (about what you saw), call. I think anything at this point will be helpful," Godfrey said.

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700235424,00.html?pg=1

[Faith]

New clues surface in search for missing woman

MURRAY, Utah (ABC 4 News) - There are new developments in the disappearance of a Salt Lake County woman. Michelle Erickson has been missing now for more than 10 days. Erickson was last seen June 9 at the Wal-Mart on Ft. Union Boulevard. Investigators say someone using Erickson’s debit card bought gas at a service station Tuesday, June 10 in Downey, Idaho, 130 miles north of Salt Lake City.

However, detectives say they believe no foul play is involved here. Lt. Paul Jaroscak says, “There was evidence in the apartment that maybe she had put out more food for the animals that were there, her pets.”

Jaroscak says he means more food than usual. That leads them to believe the 36-year old knew she was going to be gone for some time.

No surveillance video is available from the Idaho gas station. The sheriff's office did confiscate Erickson's computer. But, so far, that's yielded few clues.

Erickson has hazel eyes; she is 5 ‘3, 135 pounds with chin length hair, with red and blonde highlights. She may be driving a 2001 red Pontiac Grand Am, Utah plate 209 NKU. That car is also missing.

http://www.abc4.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=1e9cf937-b733-47db-8c33-ddecb74cff5e

[Faith]

New lead in case of missing woman

Published: Friday, June 20, 2008 12:04 a.m. MDT

Officers have a possible new lead in the search for a missing Cottonwood Heights woman.

Michelle Erickson was last heard from on June 9. She was at the store that night and later was talking on the phone with her former stepson.

After Erickson failed to show up at an appointment later in the week, concerned family members went to her apartment near the Cottonwood Mall, where they found the grocery bags and some of the items she had purchased on the floor.

The family originally said there had been no activity on her cell phone or her credit cards since June 9.

Salt Lake County sheriff's investigators, who have been checking her records, now say a credit card of Erickson's was used at a gas station in Downey, Idaho, on June 10, said Salt Lake County Sheriff's Lt. Paul Jaroscak.

A $34 purchase was made just before 5 a.m., he said. It was unknown Thursday whether the purchase was for gas or something else.

The sheriff's office was still investigating Thursday whether Erickson was the one who used her card or if it was another person.

Erickson was reported missing June 12, but the family agreed to wait on a full investigation until after her parents returned from Lake Powell. Some wondered whether she had gone to meet them. When Erickson's parents and her two children returned from Lake Powell and other family members discovered she was not with them, a full investigation was launched.

Erickson is 5 feet 3 inches tall, weighs 135 pounds, and has hazel eyes and chin-length blondish hair. Her missing car is a 2001 red Pontiac Grand Am four-door with Utah license plate 209 NKU.

Anyone with information on Erickson is asked to call the sheriff's office at 743-7000.

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700236397,00.html

[TigressPen]

Police may not suspect foul play in this but I do. Why purchas groceries then leave them on the floor still in bags and leave, never to return. Suspicious.

For Michelle's safe return. :1222423:

[grammybears]

I agree with you TigressPen. This whole situation did not set well with me from the very begining. Why would she leave groceries out and why has no one heard from her. Nobody has had contact with her, I am afraid that something has happened to her. Do we have any information about a husband, boyfriend, ex of any kind? This just does sit well with me.

[Faith]

Greg Says:
June 20, 2008 at 7:19 pm

Michelle and I were in a relationship for quite a while. We both just went seperate ways but I still love her very much. I don’t understand why the media feels it is more important to talk about the lady getting ” injured by a thong ” or many of the other senseless stories than to bring moe attention to Michelles disapearance. She is a wonderful woman and needs to be located one way or the other. If she were a member of a rich family they’d damn sure talk about it more.

http://mylifeofcrime.wordpress.com/2008/06/17/missing-michelle-erickson-since-6092008-from-salt-lake-city-ut/

[Faith]

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[Faith]

Help Find Missing Cottonwood Heights, Utah Woman Michelle Erickson - Gone Since June 9th, But Foul Play Dismissed By Cops

Stories published by the Deseret News (HERE and HERE), the Salt Lake Tribune, and aired by KTVX Channel 4 with video. Michelle Erickson was last heard from on Monday June 9th. A store receipt shows she bought groceries at a Wal-Mart in the Ft. Union area about 7:20 P.M., said her cousin, Travis Godfrey. By 8 P.M., she was on the phone talking to her former stepson, making arrangements to cut her hair at a later date. And that is the last time anyone heard from Erickson. And according to family members, it was also the last time there has been any recorded use of her cell phone and credit cards.

When family members entered her apartment near the Cottonwood Mall a few days later, they found the perishable groceries in the refrigerator, but the dry goods were still in the grocery bags on the floor. Her receipts showed she had also gone to a Rite-Aid that day, Godfrey said. But she did not buy anything out of the ordinary.

Erickson was supposed to be taking care of her parents' dog and bird while they spent an annual week's vacation on Lake Powell. Erickson's son and daughter, ages 12 and 13, were staying with her parents.

Godfrey and other family members started to think that something was wrong when Erickson, who has her own home cleaning business, failed to show up to an appointment on June 11th. That was followed by a call from her ex-husband, whom she is still on good terms with, who said she failed to show up for his son's haircut appointment.

On June 12th, family members along with a landlord entered Erickson's Cottonwood Heights apartment and shortly after called the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office to file a missing person's report. But a full-blown investigation wasn't launched because family members weren't sure if Erickson decided at the last minute to go to Lake Powell to join her parents and children. But when her parents returned to Salt Lake City and Erickson wasn't with them, an investigation went into full swing.

There were no signs of forced entry into Erickson's apartment, said Salt Lake County Sheriff's Lt. Paul Jaroscak. As of Monday, there were no evidence to suggest Erickson's disappearance was the result of foul play, he said. Erickson battled with depression about seven years ago, according to Godfrey. But he was not aware of any problems recently, and noted that she lived for her children.

Erickson is 5 feet 3 inches tall, 135 pounds with hazel eyes. Godfrey said she changed her hair color a lot, but was last seen with chin-length hair with red and blonde highlights.

Erickson's car has also been missing. She was driving a 2001 red Pontiac Grand Am 4-door with Utah license plate 209 NKU. There was a pink sparkly Superman sticker on the rear window of the driver's side. Anyone with information on Erickson or her car can call the sheriff's office at 743-7000.

Update: On Thursday June 19th, the Deseret News reports that one of Michelle Erickson's credit cards was used at a gas station in Downey, Idaho, early on June 10th. A $34 purchase was made just before 5 a.m. It is unknown whether the purchase was for gas or something else. The gas station is not equipped with a surveillance camera, so the sheriff's office is still attempting to determine if Erickson was the one who used her card or if it was another person.

In addition, on June 18th, KUTV Channel 2 reported that just 48 hours prior to Erickson's disappearance, another resident of the same apartment complex noticed an unfamiliar man lurking in the entrance. It is the same complex from which Erickson vanished. The resident in question stated that the man attempted to grab the door handle of her vehicle, so she locked her doors and goosed her vehicle out of there.


Analysis: Although foul play is not suspected, I question whether a woman would just up and disappear like this, leaving non-perishable groceries on the floor.

While I wish everyone involved the best possible outcome, it smells like a carjacking and a possible kidnapping. Or it could be a tragic accident; perhaps she took a drive up one of the canyons and ran off the road in a thickly-wooded area difficult to see from the road (remember the Camille Cleverley case from 2007). The lack of cell phone and credit card activity also suggest the possibility of an accident. I'm surprised the cops are ruling out foul play or an accident so definitively and early in the process. Cottonwood Heights is not a bad neighborhood, but opportunistic crime can happen throughout much of the Salt Lake Valley, particularly once you get north of 9000 South.
http://voice-of-deseret.blogspot.com/2008/06/help-find-missing-cottonwood-heights.html

[Faith]

Body Identified as Missing Salt Lake City Woman Found

Posted: June 22, 2008 04:20 PM

Updated: June 22, 2008 05:10 PM

The Bannock County Sheriff's Office is telling Local News 8 that a car and body was found in Walker Creek Canyon, which is between Inkom and McCammon, around 11:30 a.m. Sunday morning.

Bannock County Sheriff Lorin Nielsen says the body of 36-year-old Michelle Erickson was found Sunday morning about 20 feet from her 2001 Red Pontiac Grand AM.

Sheriff Nielsen says a suicide note was found near the body and the body was possible in the Walker Creek area for the last 10 days.

Deputies say they received an attempt to locate out of Utah about 10 days ago about a possible suicidal woman from Salt Lake City.
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http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=8537989&nav=menu554_11_21_1

[Faith]

:1222423::1222423::1222423:

[Nut44x4]

I am so very sorry for this woman's family :(

[packy]

It is puzzling to me that she went to Idaho after shopping and putting perishables away and all.

My condolences to her family and friends. May she rest in peace now.

[Amusedtdth]

It is puzzling to me that she went to Idaho after shopping and putting perishables away and all.

My condolences to her family and friends. May she rest in peace now.

ITA- :waitasec:behavior does not sound suicidal.

May God be with the family at this trying time. My condolances to family & friends.

[Setira]

I knew this girl in school we spent a lot of time together in junior high school and later in High school.. My friends and I hung out at her house all of the time.. It was the place to be...

I would like to think it was homicide.. I would like to think that she loved her children so much that she could not or would not take her own life...

There is one peace that I would like to add to this story... It was about this time (first 2 weeks or so in June) 19 or 20 years ago her boyfriend in High school shot himself while talking to her on the phone.. I do not think she every quite got over it.. I know that she loved Brad with all of her heart and she did all that she could to help him, he was in counsuling... I am not sure what was said on the phone but it did not end well..

I want to think that it was murder but the timing of her death and his is to close to rule out..

Either way I continue to pray for her, her mother and her kids...

Dan

[Faith]

Hi Dan, welcome. Thank you for the information. How sad that she was on the phone with Brad as he shot himself. That would be very troublesome for me.

[Faith]

Out of State Woman's Death in Idaho May Be Suicide

The body of a Utah woman was found near her car in Bannock County. Authorities believe it was a suicide.
Michelle Erickson was reported missing by her family about 10 days ago, and police say she appeared to have been dead for that long. Family members told the Deseret News the 36-year-old divorced mother of two children, who operated her own cleaning business, had a history of depression. Bannock County Sheriff Lorin Nielsen says a letter, prescription drugs and photographs of Erickson's children were among items found inside the car. The Pontiac Grand Am was discovered Sunday on a dirt road 25 miles south of Pocatello. Information from: Deseret News, http://www.deseretnews.com

http://www.670kboi.com/Article.asp?id=759899&spid=18042

[nanabillie]

My brother-in-law did the same thing to my sister. He was fortunate that they got to him in time. Then my sister, not thinking, picked up the gun and moved it out of the way. I was very glad he pulled through that.
I feel so sorry for this lady's family...

[Grande]

Suicide likely the cause of Holladay mom's death
By Melinda Rogers
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 06/23/2008 12:23:24 AM MDT


The death of a missing Holladay woman found in a remote area of Idaho on Sunday appears to be a suicide.

Michelle Erickson, 36, was last seen June 9. Relatives reported four days later that the mother of two was missing.

Erickson was found around noon Sunday by campers who spotted her 2001 red Pontiac Grand Am parked on a dirt road in Bannock County, Idaho, said. Lt. Paul Jaroscak of the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Her body was about 15 feet from her car in Walker Creek Canyon, about 25 miles south of Pocatello, said Sheriff Lorin Nielsen of the Bannock County Sheriff's Office.

Campers who were four-wheeling in the area saw the car and contacted police after suspecting a body nearby, Nielsen said.

Evidence found at the scene, including a suicide note, has led investigators to handle the case as a suicide, said Sheriff Lorin Nielsen of the Bannock County Sheriff's Office.

Nielsen said that a coroner is examining Erickson's body to determine an official cause of death, and said that it's likely she died 10 to 12 days ago.

Funeral arrangements for Erickson are pending.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_9669966

[Brianne]

I still don't think it makes sence....unless she didn't drown....Who commits suicide by drowning themselves?