Beth Bentley - Week 66 - why bother?

Beth Bentley, age 41 when she vanished on the week-end of May 20-23, 2010, has now been missing 66 weeks.

Ten days ago I spoke with the deputy chief of the McHenry Police Department about a request I had made to a McHenry business for permission to walk through (some might say "search:) its brushy property near a largest car dealership. That business denied my request and and had informed the police of my unusual (to them) request.

After the deputy chief and I spoke by phone, he asked me to inform the Woodstock Police Department Detective Division of my hunch and our conversation. I sent a detailed email on August 18th to the Woodstock PD and copied the deputy chief of the McHenry P.D.

Somewhere in the Emily Post book of manners and in professional training manners, there is probably a suggestion and recommendation that some acknowledgement of a hunch (tip?) should be made. Perhaps the Woodstock PD is so busy cleaning up murders, armed robberies, kidnappings and other heinous crimes that no one thought, or took time, to say Thanks. In fact, they don't even need to say "Thanks" (they can thank me if a body is found), but professional operations ought to dictate at least an acknowledgement.

Maybe it's just me. Is there anyone in town who has ever received a thank-you for anything from anyone at the Woodstock P.D.? (Not counting traffic tickets, which some officers might consider expressions of appreciation for the opportunity to serve the public, by reminding a person to drive more safely in the future, thereby saving his live.) I can think of one; several years ago a family gave some money for a bullet-proof vest for Brinx. I'll bet that family got a thank-you. At least, I hope so.

Even a nicely-worded form letter from a secretary, on behalf of a detective, might help to maintain good relations with the public. As I say, maybe it's just me that they don't thank. If that's the case, I can live with it.

If they thank no one, then that's something that needs to be fixed.

I wonder whether anyone went to take a look. It wasn't that they needed to form a search team to walk shoulder-to-shoulder through the weeds back there. But maybe one cop or one detective might spend an hour back there. Of course, it would have been better to do that a year ago, but better now than a year from now.

Former co-workers of the recently-downsized Bentley Law Firm will be scattering to the winds now. Were they all interviewed? In depth? Did their stories all make sense? Were discrepancies investigated and resolved?

I know of one person who likely has valuable information - that he doesn't even realize is valuable. And he doesn't want to talk. He says that he doesn't know anything. His information, though, would help complete the puzzle called "Where's Beth?"

Nobody has been "cleared", although one Facebook user stated unequivocally a year ago that that person had been cleared. Police are not going to stick their necks out and very early on say that they have cleared someone. They will not want mud on their faces later on, if that person becomes a suspect.

For now, police have not named anyone as a person-of-interest or a suspect. What that really means is that anyone could be. How many unnamed suspects will read this week's article? Three? Five? More?