Stephanie Ehlers - Iowa - Missing & Pregnant

[PsychesKnot]

Saw this one on Greta last night. If there is already a thread somewhere else, I missed it, so please delete this if necessary.

On Greta, the husband spoke by phone. Said he went to a party at a friend's house. His wife Stephanie, due to deliver at anytime was to meet him there later. She never showed up. He came home at 3am, she was not there nor was the car.

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050510/NEWS08/505100378/1010

Stephanie Ehlers, 34, of rural Minden was last seen by her husband, Jason Ehlers, on Saturday. She told family members she had a doctor's appointment Monday in Council Bluffs, where labor was to be induced. But when family members contacted Stephanie Ehlers' doctor, they learned an appointment was never scheduled, Jason Ehlers said.


Stephanie Ehlers is 5 feet 2 inches tall with short brown hair. She weighs 130 pounds and may not appear pregnant if wearing loose clothing, her husband said.

Those two statements made me pause and ponder -- is it possible she was not pregnant at all?

Surely the doctor would have said so?

[PsychesKnot]

http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2005/05/10/news/breaking_news/5744e1f076eedec286256ffd00380932.txt

Foul play isn't suspected, but her family is worried because they haven't heard from her, Matthai said.

http://www.theiowachannel.com/news/4468493/detail.html

Ehlers is considered a missing person in Pottawattamie County. She is 5 feet 2 inches tall, about 130 pounds and nine months pregnant. Her family said she may not appear pregnant if she is wearing loose clothing. She has short, dark hair and green eyes. Investigators said no foul play is suspected in her disappearance.

If you know where to find her, call (712) 890-2200.

Family members said it's unlike Ehlers to simply vanish. Her sister, Tonya Owens, said Ehlers took her purse and 1989 Chevrolet Cavalier, but left everything else behind.

More at links

[Sudzi]

It's odd that they come right out and say they don't suspect foul play, then in the next bit say how unlike her it is to just vanish.

If it's unlike her then wouldn't you suspect foul play? I wonder what the deal is with this woman.
I hope she is ok, and...I wonder what else is going on here....hmmmmmm!

[Mabel]

There is an earlier thread on this. You can find it here (http://websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23163) ....if my link works.

[KatherineQ]

The obvious step to take it seems, would be for the cops to confirm with the doctor whether in fact she was actually pregnant.

If she was, she's in danger.

If she wasn't, I'd say put pregnant women and mothers with babies and maternity wards on HIGH ALERT in the area and surrounding states.

This doesn't have to be as big a mystery as the media is trumping it up to be - she was pregnant or she wasn't, and her doctor would know.

[mrs4point0]

The obvious step to take it seems, would be for the cops to confirm with the doctor whether in fact she was actually pregnant.

If she was, she's in danger.

If she wasn't, I'd say put pregnant women and mothers with babies and maternity wards on HIGH ALERT in the area and surrounding states.

This doesn't have to be as big a mystery as the media is trumping it up to be - she was pregnant or she wasn't, and her doctor would know.

Exactly. That would be the logical place to begin.

[PsychesKnot]

The obvious step to take it seems, would be for the cops to confirm with the doctor whether in fact she was actually pregnant.

If she was, she's in danger.

If she wasn't, I'd say put pregnant women and mothers with babies and maternity wards on HIGH ALERT in the area and surrounding states.

This doesn't have to be as big a mystery as the media is trumping it up to be - she was pregnant or she wasn't, and her doctor would know.

It is the husband who said she might not look pregnant and that she said she was having labor induced on Monday, not the media.

I do not think the woman's doctor can tell the media anything about the woman's medical state, yea or nay, not even if she was pregnant.

[mrs4point0]

It is the husband who said she might not look pregnant and that she said she was having labor induced on Monday, not the media.

I do not think the woman's doctor can tell the media anything about the woman's medical state, yea or nay, not even if she was pregnant.

Dr. can't tell the media, but investigators can find out if need be.

[PsychesKnot]

Dr. can't tell the media, but investigators can find out if need be.

Hopefully they have done that very early in this case. Surely. You would think if the doctor informed LE that she had no appt. for Monday., he/she would at the same time have mentioned she was not pregnant.

[KatherineQ]

Here's another article, more details but not more clarity. Apparently she had her tubes tied 14 years ago, and her husband found out she "hadn't been to her last two doctor appointments". It's unclear whether she had been to appointments prior to that, but I guess that's implied. Sort of.

http://www.whotv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3321755

[mrs4point0]

Here's another article, more details but not more clarity. Apparently she had her tubes tied 14 years ago, and her husband found out she "hadn't been to her last two doctor appointments". It's unclear whether she had been to appointments prior to that, but I guess that's implied. Sort of.

http://www.whotv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3321755

Uh Oh, I smell a rat.

Hopefully area hospitals and expectant mothers will be alerted.........

[Morag]

According to FauxNews.

[PsychesKnot]

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050510/NEWS01/505100412/1001&lead=1

A missing woman from Pottawattamie County has been found safe at a home in Omaha, Neb., and may not have been pregnant as she'd previously told others, relatives and authorities said.



Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jefferey Danker said he did not believe Ehlers is pregnant. He said she was safe and had gone there voluntarily.



"I'm just glad she's found. I don't have any more information," he said as he paced calmly in front of the home from which his wife refused to emerge. Stephanie Ehlers said she would only speak to authorities.



He had not accompanied his wife to any doctors' appointments but said she "had a little belly on her."

This isn't "PC" to say this, but I'm feeling crabby so I'm going to anyway--

Somehow I don't feel like we're dealing with the Doublemint Twins of the IQ Dept. here.

[OB RN]

Uh Oh, I smell a rat.

Hopefully area hospitals and expectant mothers will be alerted.........
You are so right on that comment. Perfect setup for an infant abduction - either from a hospital or from a family. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has some interesting information on Infant Abductions - statistics & profiles of abductions over the years.

[mrs4point0]

You are so right on that comment. Perfect setup for an infant abduction - either from a hospital or from a family. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has some interesting information on Infant Abductions - statistics & profiles of abductions over the years.

OT, here: All 3 of my kids were born early (1 month). My first was in intensive care for a couple of days, then moved to the intermediate care. There were 2 locked entrances you had to go through to get to the preemie babies. The only way to get in was to have the combinations to open the doors, and only a few people had them. You couldn't just look through the glass to see them. They said it was for security purposes to guard against abductions. That's kind of scary, but it's reality.

[PsychesKnot]

http://www.theiowachannel.com/news/4473571/detail.html

"The deputies confirmed Ms. Ehlers was OK and had left her Minden home under her own free will," Danker's news release stated. "Ms. Ehlers also advised that she found out in September that she was pregnant but miscarried approximately three weeks later. She advised that she continued to lie about being pregnant due to her unhappy home life. She advised that when the opportunity presented itself on (Saturday), she left home and went to Omaha. She advised that her long goal plan was to conceal her identity and start over in Texas."

Stephanie Ehlers refused to come out of the house, even when family arrived. Despite that, her family said they're simply relieved she's all right.

[madgallico]

I am so happy that she is okay. What I don't understand is if she had such an "unhappy home life" & couldn't tell her husband that she had miscarried or had never been pregnant, why didn't she tell her family or friends? Why keep this charade going? Didn't she realize that by going missing that the police would be involved & everyone would find out? :confused:

[PsychesKnot]

Maybe it was an abusive situation that she wanted to escape. I was struck by the details that she would not come out of the house where she was staying and that the husband paced up and down outside it.

[kgeaux]

I am so happy that she is okay. What I don't understand is if she had such an "unhappy home life" & couldn't tell her husband that she had miscarried or had never been pregnant, why didn't she tell her family or friends? Why keep this charade going? Didn't she realize that by going missing that the police would be involved & everyone would find out? :confused:

Maybe if she was having a high risk pregnancy, it relieved her of certain "duties" so to speak. Maybe she knew that if she admitted to a miscarriage, those "duties" would begin again and she did not want that.

The thing I find unbelievable is that she's saying this was the first opportunity she had to escape from the unhappy marriage.....it sounds more to me like she was backed against the wall, going to have to come up with a baby by Monday, and finally was FORCED by circumstances into making a move.

I am grateful that her move was to run away and not to go out and get a baby.

[englishleigh]

You are so right on that comment. Perfect setup for an infant abduction - either from a hospital or from a family. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has some interesting information on Infant Abductions - statistics & profiles of abductions over the years.


This woman sounds like the same mental state and situation as that of that monster who killed Bobbie Stinnett in December and cut out her baby. I agree.

[lady-eowyn]

Well, it's very clear that if she was able to fake a pregnancy for almost 9 months that her husband was not in touch with her at all...but I wonder about the doctor's appts. They stated that she had missed her last two....so certainly she had to be seeing the doctor for SOMETHING. Did she really miscarry at 3 weeks or is there more she isn't saying? I had wondered about late term abortion myself.

[PsychesKnot]

She may have turned out to be a baby thieving nut -- but I am getting the impression she really had a plan to run and still intends to carry it out.

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050511/NEWS01/505110333/1001

Stephanie Ehlers also told investigators that she had no plans to return home to her husband.


"She told investigators that her intent was to get a divorce and go to Texas and start her life again," said Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jefferey Danker. "She said she was going to notify her family when she got down there."


The idea that his wife wanted a divorce was news to him, Jason Ehlers said.

"Until I talk to her, I don't know what's going on," he said. "We hadn't talked about getting a divorce."

He said he had been convinced up until Tuesday that his wife was still pregnant and didn't know why she would lie about it. He acknowledged that he hadn't accompanied his wife to any doctors' appointments, but said "she had a little belly on her."




More at link. A friend says he saw her last week and she was "happy".

Who's the crazy one here? Both?

"The idea that his wife wanted a divorce was news to him, Jason Ehlers said."

:loser: Well, considering this guy didn't even realize his wife wasn't pregnant, just about anything was probably news to him! It was odd from the start that he claimed she was to meet him at a party and she didn't show up, yet he doesn't go home until around 3 am. ?? She's overdue and he doesn't have anymore concern than that when she doesn't show up?

The woman has two older kids being raised by her parents, there in Omaha where she ran.

Hard to tell with no more info than we have, but I don't give either of these people a pass.

[Sheromom]

At first I just felt sorry for her; thinking she just couldn't deal with the loss of her baby. Now that I see she has left her other two kids for her parents to raise, I think she's just another nut case!:loser:

[mrs4point0]

At first I just felt sorry for her; thinking she just couldn't deal with the loss of her baby. Now that I see she has left her other two kids for her parents to raise, I think she's just another nut case!:loser:

It seems that mental issues are present here too, much like JW.

:twocents: Maybe it's best there were no babies born to this couple. :twocents:

[Camper]

More at link. A friend says he saw her last week and she was "happy".

Who's the crazy one here? Both?

"The idea that his wife wanted a divorce was news to him, Jason Ehlers said."

:loser: Well, considering this guy didn't even realize his wife wasn't pregnant, just about anything was probably news to him! It was odd from the start that he claimed she was to meet him at a party and she didn't show up, yet he doesn't go home until around 3 am. ?? She's overdue and he doesn't have anymore concern than that when she doesn't show up?

The woman has two older kids being raised by her parents, there in Omaha where she ran.

Hard to tell with no more info than we have, but I don't give either of these people a pass.




------------->>>You made me laugh out loud, PK, thank you I had not laughed in two days. Your comment about news to the hubby.

:loser: Well, considering this guy didn't even realize his wife wasn't pregnant, just about anything was probably news to him!

Do you suppose there is a familial relation to JW family, hmmm, er maybe she conceived the idea from JW in the news. Probably the only way she could GET through to her husbands intellect, you should excuse the expression, er huh, hmmm.


.

[princessmer81]

http://www.theiowachannel.com/news/4503295/detail.html

[Camper]

So sad that a single human being can be so down and hurting that no one notices, particularly the poor excuse for a husband.

God bless her soul.



.

[lostfaith]

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050518/NEWS01/505180352/1001/RSS01

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1636&u_sid=1414504

This article has a little more info. than the above ones.
http://www.theiowachannel.com/news/4505287/detail.html?rss=des&psp=news

A sad ending :(

[jodierenee]

probably couldn't deal with all the media/press. So sad. And i've heard that dying from an acetomenaphin OD is one of the worst and slowest ways to die...it basically eats up your liver. If you read the links, she didn't die for a whole TWO days in the hospital...why would you do that to yourself?

[sharon25]

probably couldn't deal with all the media/press. So sad. And i've heard that dying from an acetomenaphin OD is one of the worst and slowest ways to die...it basically eats up your liver. If you read the links, she didn't die for a whole TWO days in the hospital...why would you do that to yourself?
:(

this is so sad.
maybe she wanted to try and have a family this time.
maybe she really wanted this baby, and was going to
do right by it.

who knows? but you're right.. it's not an easier or nice way
to die.
very painful.

[madgallico]

This is so sad that this person was hurting so much that she felt she had to do this. I guess now no one will ever know exactly what she was living through. It is terrible that she didn't feel like life was worth living anymore. So sad.