Beth Bentley - week 182

How quickly, for some, the weeks pass. One more week has rolled past in the missing person case of Beth Bentley, from Woodstock, Ill.

Calls and emails to me last week expressed wonder and outrage at the silence surrounding this case.

There was curiosity around the female body found on November 6 at 518 N. Country Club Drive, near McHenry. The identity has not yet been released by the McHenry County Sheriff's Department or the McHenry County Coroner's Office. Information varies as to whether the body hasn't yet been identified or if it has been identified, but next-of-kin hasn't been notified yet.

Tuesday's Northwest Herald reported that "Authorities could not verify her identity." Is it that, or is it the case that they "would" not verify it.

The owner of the vacant home is reported to be William J. Ross, 62, now residing in the Clark County (Nevada) Correctional Facility, in Las Vegas. A caretaker of the outside of the property apparently found reason to enter the structure and found the body. Supposedly, the house hasn't been lived in for more than 18 months.

Was there a relationship between the woman and Ross? Was the woman seen by anyone in the neighborhood before the house was closed down? Did she live there or visit? When was she last seen?

How difficult is extradition?

At this time, there is nothing to link that body to the Bentley missing person case.

So, what's the interest? Beth Bentley was reported missing on May 24, 2010. Woodstock Police took the report. Bentley's friend, Jenn Wyatt, said she dropped Beth off near the Amtrak Station in Centralia, Ill. about 6:00PM on May 23.

There is, however, a strong belief among some that Beth's cell phone "pinged" in McHenry County late on Sunday, May 23. And there was a rumor that the law office in which Beth had worked with and for her husband, Scott Bentley, was broken into on that same Sunday night and that computers or computer files were taken. McHenry Police have no report on file of any such break-in.