One hundred eighty-nine (189) weeks ago Beth Bentley, then 41, vanished. When she didn't show up on Monday, May 24, 2010, in Woodstock to meet her traveling companion, Jenn Wyatt, and pick up her car from Jenn's garage, Beth's family reported her missing to the Woodstock Police Department. That was on Monday night, May 24, 2010.
Her friend, Jenn Wyatt, says that Beth and she drove to Mt. Vernon, Ill. on the evening of Thursday, May 20th. Beth's husband may have thought they were going to Wisconsin.
The Woodstock (Ill.) Police Department claimed the lead in the investigation, but it has never classified the case as other than a Missing Person case. There was little solicitation of help from the public and little information released about her disappearance. It just dropped off the radar quickly. Other agencies believed to be involved are the Mt. Vernon (Ill.) Police Department, the Centralia (Ill.) Police Department, the Jefferson County (Ill.) Sheriff's Department and the Illinois State Police (Zone 7 Investigations).
Supposedly, Beth and Jenn were headed to a house in rural Mt. Vernon to visit Ryan and Nathan Ridge. No statements about Beth's activities on the week-end have ever been attributed to anyone but Jenn Wyatt.
The Woodstock Police Department has omitted any reference to Beth's missing status from its monthly report to the City Manager for many months.
Even now I believe a thorough private investigation could be commenced that would lead to finding her. I believe certain of Beth's friends will provide information that could be useful to finding her.
I invite them and concerned family members to contact me and help organize a concerted effort to find her.
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6 comments:
Some believe she never left Woodstock. After a facebook page was started, many were discouraged from searching, made to feel unwelcome for asking tough questions ... and there are MANY questions in this case.
When Beth's husband got a shot on national news, he repeated Jenn Wyatts "story" when at that time, she had already changed,and admitted Beth "never intended to get on the train". Why did he do that? Makes one wonder ...
There is a handful of people that know exactly what happened to Beth, more than one for sure, as her body is too well hidden or buried.
Again, it would be awesome if a dedicated investigator looked into this with a fresh set of eyes and a hunger for justice in this case.
Gus, a Missing Person Report is the correct classification for this investigation absent any evidence of foul play. A Police Department cannot and should not launch a homicide investigation when there is no evidence of a homicide if that's what you are suggesting. It will and should remain a Missing Person case until either she returns from wherever she is or her body is discovered.
Big Daddy, I agree - somewhat. The Woodstock Police elevated her missing status to Endangered, but it never said in what way she was to be considered endangered.
Was there evidence of a crime? Was there suspicion of foul play that, if investigated, might have resulted in changing her disappearance from a missing-person status?
Several sets of eyes outside the Woodstock PD are still looking at information related to her disappearance.
An endangered is when the missing is suffering from some sort of physical or mental disability or a tender age (child). When one of my cars was assigned to an endangered missing, I used as many resources as I needed to locate him/her. In one case I had five cars,a wagon,two Sgts. and a Captain out with us trying to locate the missing.
Woodstock PD would only provide me with the textbook definition of "endangered".
I wondered whether Beth needed medications, medical care, was thought to be in harm's way (maybe threatened?), etc., but Woodstock PD stayed mum and did not seem to want the public's help.
We usually wanted know what meds if any the missing was taking.
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