Beth Bentley - Week 33

Beth Bentley, 41, mother of 3, was reported missing on Monday, May 24, 2010. This makes 33 weeks now, and police appear to be no closer to finding her than they were the next day. At that time, it was claimed that she was last seen or heard from on Sunday, May 23rd.

Although she was reported missing to the Woodstock Police Department on that Monday night, when did she actually disappear? And from where?

Rumors continue to abound.

Did she tell her husband that she was going to Wisconsin with her friend and co-worker, Jenn Wyatt?
Did her husband know she had parked her car in Jenn's garage in Woodstock and rented a car?
When did her husband learn that she had gone to Mt. Vernon, not to Wisconsin?
Was she seen after eating and drinking at the Frosty Mug in Mt. Vernon, Ill. on Friday evening, May 21?
Did she really go on a boat ride on Rend Lake on Saturday? If so, with whom?
Have all the people at the house in Mt. Vernon, where she may have stayed, been identified? Interviewed?
Did Beth talk to anyone (else) about 4:00PM on that Sunday?
When was the last time Beth talked or texted any of her sons?
Was she really driven to Centralia and dropped off near the Amtrak station on Sunday afternoon?
Why was a pizza supposedly ordered from a Mt. Vernon pizza shop (Pogue's) via her cell phone about the same time she was supposedly dropped off in Centralia?
Exactly what were the plans between Beth and Jenn to re-connect near Woodstock on Monday?

In addition to the Woodstock Police Department (previously acknowledged as the lead investigatory agency), also involved are the Mount Vernon and Centralia Police Departments, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department and, perhaps, the Illinois State Police.

No official information or updates are being released to the public. The Woodstock Police Department seems to consider this as "only" a missing-person report. Although it later labeled Beth as "endangered", it offered no explanation for the use of that term.

Two Crime Stoppers rewards have been offered. Each is "up to $1,000". A third reward ($3,000) was initially offered, but it is unknown who offered that reward, what its terms are (payable just for information regarding her whereabouts? or for information that leads to the arrest of a suspect?), whether the $3,000 was escrowed, or whether it is still being offered.

Any information about this case should be reported to CrimeStoppers at 800-762-STOP or directly to the Woodstock Police Department at 815-338-2131.

It is interesting that major changes in the first Beth-Bentley-Missing page on Facebook have recently taken place. The title line has changed, and the number of followers has dropped by more than half. Previously, there were over 7,500 followers. As of this morning, the count was 3,567.

NOTE: The Northwest Herald published a story this morning about Beth's being missing, complete with errors and red herrings. It says that the Illinois State Police will be involved. Hello? Wasn't it reported months ago that the State Police were involved??? You can read it at www.nwherald.com/2011/01/07/illinois-state-police-to-assist-in-bentley-investigation/adi0v9c/ If the paper has already archived it, which it will do in a week, use your Woodstock library card and the Woodstock Library to read the archived copy without charge.