Found Deceased MI - Venus Stewart, 32, Colon, 28 April 2010 - # 7 *D. Stewart guilty*

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There was only a short blurb of the VS case during the local noon news stating that DS is going to court today to try for custody of his 2 daughters.
(I 'heard or read' that there is suppose to be a group protesting the courthouse today against him getting custody, but don't remember where I heard/read it) I'll see if I can locate where that info came from...
 
There was only a short blurb of the VS case during the local noon news stating that DS is going to court today to try for custody of his 2 daughters.
(I 'heard or read' that there is suppose to be a group protesting the courthouse today against him getting custody, but don't remember where I heard/read it) I'll see if I can locate where that info came from...

Someone posted on the Facebook group "Where Is Venus Stewart" they were going to be at the courthouse today in full force to support Venus's family.
 
Where will Venus' children live?
Custody hearing set for Friday afternoon

Updated: Friday, 28 May 2010, 1:41 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 28 May 2010, 1:41 PM EDT

* By Jessica Leffler

CENTREVILLE, Mich. (WOOD) - A custody hearing over where the children of Venus and Doug Stewart live is set for Friday afternoon in this St. Joseph County town.

Venus Stewart's estranged husband is attempting to gain custody of the couple's children, despite being named the only "person of interest" in the case of his wife's disappearance.

Venus vanished April 26 from her parents' Colon Township home when she went outside around 7:30 a.m. in her pajamas.
http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/sw_mich/Where-will-Venus-children-live
 
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http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/sw_mich/Where-will-Venus-children-live
 
VENUS ROSE STEWART TIMELINE

2002: Venus Rose McComb and Douglas Harrie Stewart marry.

2007 through 2009: Venus Stewart and Douglas Harrie Stewart's marriage is marred by mutual allegations of violence and multiple divorce filings as detailed below.

Orders of Protection, Domestic Violence, and Divorce Filings:

  • September 2007 - Doug Stewart files for divorce from Venus Stewart but does not follow through.
  • June 2008 - An incident at the Schoolcraft house results in Venus being arrested for domestic violence. According to Doug's statement in divorce papers that he would file a month later, Venus gave him a bloody nose and hit him five times in the face. However, records from that incident are no longer public, and St. Joseph County prosecutor says Venus likely completed a diversion course for the first domestic violence offense, thus having her record cleared.
  • July 2008 - Venus Stewartfiles for an order of protection against Douglas Stewart. Venus wrote that Douglas Stewart abused her, made threats to take the couple’s two children and constantly badgered her for sex. “I am scared to death and every day I live in constant fear and I am constantly looking over my shoulder wondering when he will appear again,” she wrote. Douglas Stewart filed an objection to Venus's request for the order of protection. His objection was dismissed and Venus' protective order was granted.
  • July 2008 - Douglas Stewart files for divorce, but does not follow through. Case dismissed in 2009.
  • August 2008 - Douglas Stewart answers Venus' protection order with a request for one of his own. He stated that in June 2008 she attacked him “with approximately nine blows to the face and also caused harm to my 3 1/2 year old’s head.” (Versus his earlier statement that she had hit him five times in the head.) “She has informed me on a daily basis that she will kill me for taking the kids away from her...I cannot live my life in constant fear that my kids and I are under attack ... I live my life in fear now and I fear the outcome of my children. Please help me. Please help her.” Granted.
  • October 2008 - Both protective orders by the Stewarts are dismissed.
  • November 2008 - Venus is charged with domestic violence, but several months later pleads no contest to disturbing the peace.
  • March 2009 - Venus Stewart files a second petition for a personal-protection order against her husband in March 2009, alleging that he threatened her and made a false criminal accusation against her father. “Once Doug loses all control over me he is going to hunt me down and kill me.... Now that I don’t have my parents to protect me and if he finds out where I am at he is going to kill me. It’s only a matter of time.” Welty denies the request for the protection order in 2009, saying the type of protection order requested by Stewart is "only for emergency situations, where there is clearly a danger of harm happening within the next few days. Your case does not seem to fit the urgent emergency criteria,” the denial said.
  • February 2010 - Venus again files for an order of protection--again stating that she feared that he would kill her--which is granted; and for temporary custody of the Stewarts' daughters, which is granted. Friends of Venus' recall her telling them, "If I come up missing, Doug’s killed me."
  • March 2009 - Douglas Stewart again files for divorce from Venus, this time in Newport News Circuit Court. Divorce is currently pending.

2009: Venus and Douglas Stewart move from 300 Walnut street, Schoolcraft, Michigan, to an apartment in Newport News, Virginia. The Schoolcraft house is in foreclosure.

February 2010: Venus Stewart and her two daughters, age 3 and 5, move back to Michigan, where they live with her parents, Therese and Larry McComb, in Colon Township. Back in Michigan, Venus Stewart files for a protective order in St. Joseph County. Court documents reveal that this latest move was sparked by an investigation into the alleged sexual abuse of their 5-year-old daughter, which concluded that at the time there was insufficient evidence to charge Douglas Stewart with sexual molestation of the couple's daughter.

February - April 2010: Venus Stewart writes notes detailing the alleged sexual abuse of her daughter by her husband. Also, according to her father, Venus wrote out a will days before she disappeared, because she was concerned that her husband would harm her.

Monday - 19 April 2010: Venus Stewart is granted temporary legal and physical custody of the couple’s two daughters by Judge William Welty in St. Joseph County District Court. Doug Stewart is only allowed contact with the children through telephonic visitation between the hours of 9AM and 9PM.

Friday - 23 April 2010: Doug Stewart last talked to his older daughter through telephonic visitation on this date. No mention as to whether or not he talked to the younger daughter after this date.

Monday - 7:10 AM - 8:30 AM- 26 April 2010: Venus Stewart is abducted between 7:10 and 8:3a.m. Monday outside her parent’s home in the 55000 block of Driftwood Drive in Colon Township while walking to her parents' mailbox to post a letter. Police immediately name her estranged husband, Douglas Harrie Stewart, as the person of interest in the abduction and begin a multi-state manhunt to find him. According to Lt. Mike Risko of the MSP, "There is evidence that there was a struggle. We do not believe she left of her own free will."

Monday - "late night" - 26 April 2010: Douglas Harrie Stewart, Venus's estranged husband, is located at his residence in Newport News, Virginia. Police continue to attempt to locate two vehicles associated with Doug Stewart: a 1998 silver Mercury sedan and a 2005 silver Dodge Ram extended-cab pick-up. Despite locating Douglas Stewart, police have yet to find the car or pickup truck.

Wednesday - 28 April 2010: Douglas Stewart refuses to answer questions by investigators or the media and refers all contact to his attorney, Jeffrey M. Schroder of Portage, Michigan. Lt. Mike Risko says all investigators' contact with Doug Stewart is through his lawyer. Newport News police locate the Dodge Ram truck at Doug Stewart's apartment building's parking lot.

Friday - 30 April 2010: Michigan State Police troopers and sheriff’s deputies began searching near Adams Lake and Oak Leaf Trail, approximately a mile from the McCombs' residence from which Venus Stewart was abducted, after receiving a tip, State Police Lt. Mike Risko said. Risko said the tip that police acted on Friday was information that a person saw a man near the shoreline of Adams Lake within the time frame that Venus Stewart is believed to have been taken. “It’s one of the few tips we’ve got so we’re going to act on it,” Risko said. “At this stage of the game, I don’t think we can let anything slide." The Michigan State Police and the Sheriff's Department canvassed the area on foot but didn't find anything.

Monday - 3 May 2010: Media report that the two vehicles associated with Douglas Stewart for which police have been searching have been located in Virginia.

Tuesday - 4 May 2010: A neighbor of the McCombs says that she spotted a pick-up truck in the area at the time of her disappearance, about 7AM. She said that five minutes later, the truck was gone. The Michigan State Police crime lab compared photos of the tread on her husband’s trucks’ tires to the tire marks left at the scene in Michigan, and advised that the “general tread pattern” was in agreement, but they needed the actual tires from Stewart’s truck for “more thorough, further analysis.”

Wednesday - 5 May 2010: Using side-scan sonar and divers, investigators search Adams Lake but find no clues to Venus Stewart's disappearance. Investigators continue to state that Doug Stewart is the sole person of interest in Venus Stewart's disappearance, despite having what investigators say is a solid alibi. While the dive team conducted its search Wednesday, Lt. Mike Risko said that MSP crime lab personnel were flying to Virginia to conduct searches of a Mercury sedan and Dodge Ram pickup truck that are both registered to Douglas Stewart. Police obtained search warrants for the vehicles, which were seized today by Newport News police.

Contacted by the media on Wednesday, Doug Stewart makes the following statement: "I still care about her very much, and to be told that you could be involved of something of this nature, it's repulsive. It makes me feel horrible, and now, that the timeline has gone so far ... I'm getting very worried and very concerned."

Thursday - 6 May 2010: 24 Hour News 8 obtained a copy of the handwritten notes by Venus detailing her daughter's story. According to the documents, her daughter told Venus about the incident in February 2010 in which Doug Stewart allegedly had his eldest daughter touch him inappropriately. The notes were provided by Larry McComb, Venus' father, who said he stumbled across the papers in a drawer. February is when Venus left her husband, Douglas Stewart, and moved in with the McCombs in Colon Township, Larry McComb added.

Also on Thursday, police released a sketch of a person with whom they would like to speak. Police state that the man is not a suspect. The sketch is based on several reports of a man near Adam's lake who approached people. Two people say they encountered the man the night before Stewart disappeared. The witnesses said it was unusual, and the man was disheveled and wet, as if he had been swimming. He asked the witnesses for a cigarette. “Some guy came out of the woods, out of nowhere,” said Leana Powell, “came up behind me and asked, 'do you know where I am?'”

On Thursday, State Police Forensics Teams from Michigan continue to inspect the two vehicles in the possession of Douglas Stewart. A copy of the search warrant says they want to test the Dodge Ram, which is owned by Venus Stewart but has been in the possession of Doug Stewart, for dirt, plant material, or any other evidence that shows the truck was driven to Michigan recently. They are also looking for blood, hair, a tarp, or other signs it may have been used for an abduction. They also want to compare tire treads on the Dodge Ram with plaster casts of tracks left in a field near the Colon Township home where Venus Stewart was staying with her parents. A woman who lives in the neighborhood says she saw a pickup, roughly matching the description of Stewart’s crew cab, parked in that field that morning, with a man crouching down behind it.

MSP Lt. Mike Risko says that Doug Stewart continues to be uncooperative with investigators as of Thursday.

Friday - 8 May 2010: Police continue to state that they believe that Venus Stewart's husband Douglas Stewart abducted her from her parents Colon Township home.

On Nancy Grace Friday night, Larry McComb, Venus' father, states that investigators took into their possession a plastic tarp wrapper that was found in the driveway on the morning of Venus' disappearance. McComb is certain that the wrapper is not his and states that he believes that it fell out of the vehicle of the person who abducted his daughter. McComb and his wife Therese also claim that Doug Stewart will not tell them whether or not he was at work on the day that Venus disappeared, instead claiming that he has told police all details of his whereabouts on Monday, April 26. Police continue to assert that Doug Stewart is not cooperating with the investigation.

Dana Jones, who lives at River Park Apartments, tells Newport News media that, earlier in the investigation of Venus Stewart's disappearance, Michigan State Police had visited the high-rise apartment building where Doug Stewart lives, causing a commotion unusual for the apartment residents. Kiara Roundtree, whose boyfriend lives in the apartment building, said, "I saw, like, cops lined up, and people were just staring, like, wondering what's going on. People that live on the ninth floor were saying they saw the cops on the ninth floor, like, kind of knocking on someone's door."

Monday - 10 May 2010: An apparent blood stain was found in Douglas Stewart's truck, the Michigan State Police reported Monday afternoon. Police executed search warrants at Stewart's Newport News, Va. home, where he once lived with Venus Stewart, who has been missing since April 26. The chemical the Michigan State Police Department uses to detect blood read positive on a portion of the truck's interior. The material is now at a lab, being tested. Police also found a Wal-Mart receipt for a shovel, tarp, cap and gloves, they confirm. The receipt was from April 25 -- the day before Venus disappeared -- from a Wal-Mart in Ohio. Douglas Stewart's truck was parked on the street a few blocks from his complex, the Newport News police reported -- despite Stewart having two reserved parking spots in the structure at his apartment complex.

Tuesday - 11 May 2010: Doug Stewart may have left Virginia and may be headed to Michigan. He has relatives in Michigan who live near Venus Stewart's parents. Fulton, MI, is Doug's home town where he was raised. Police continue to stay that Doug Stewart is the only person of interest in the disappearance of his wife.

Wednesday - 12 May 2010: MSP renews its search effort for Venus Stewart. Lt. Mike Risko refuses to say where in St. Joseph County the search is being conducted--later reported that nothing found during the search. Risko says that Doug Stewart may be back in Michigan, perhaps to transfer to the Detroit area for a job with US Food Services, with whom he is currently employed. Lt. Risko states that he does not expect blood test results from the stains in the vehicles to be back today. Risko also states that MSP is still working on tire tread comparisons and MSP is bringing the Dodge Ram back to Michigan for further testing. Risko says they are planning to review surveillance video to see if Stewart shows up. Stewart claims that he was in Virginia at the time of the abduction.

Thursday - 13 May 2010: MSP continues to wait for blood analysis results. Denny Olson, a former leader in Michigan for the Guardian Angels, is organizing a search for Venus that will begin at 9 a.m. Friday at a park on West Colon Road near Sturgeon Lake. Volunteers will search from Colon north to Leonidas and Fulton and as far east as Interstate 69. Contact Denny at diehard1054@yahoo.com for more information.

Friday - 14 May 2010 - More people come forward to say that they saw Doug's silver Mercury Sable "cruising" around their former home in Schoolcraft, MI, on April 25. MSP awaits all test results on evidence from the car and truck. The tire imprint specialist is waiting on the arrival of the Dodge Ram from NNPD, in whose possession it has been since it was seized.

Also, 130 people turn out for a search for Venus organized by Denny Olson. Many of the searchers are friends, neighbors, or acquaintances of Venus and her family. “She was a very nice lady, she loved her girls, they were her top priority,” said Stephanie Thomas of Portage, who had worked with Venus in 2007 at National City Bank. Another former co-worker, Alicia Wallbridge, added, “She used to tell us, ‘If I come up missing, Doug’s killed me.’”

Wednesday - 19 May 2010: Michigan State Police officials say “progress is being made” in the investigation of the April 26 disappearance of a 32-year-old Colon mother. Detectives are still awaiting the results on forensic evidence obtained from vehicles owned by the woman’s estranged husband, Douglas Stewart. Larry McComb tells WWMT that investigators told him that it won't be long before test results obtained in recent search warrants executed on the vehicles comes back--that it can take up to 3 weeks for results to come back. He holds out hope that his daughter is alive and being held hostage, and will return to the family.

Wednesday - 19 May 2010: Doug Stewart files for custody of the two children and for supervised visitation rights. In separate filings, Doug has asked for a telephone number to contact his daughters as well as weekly supervised visits at the Department of Human Services Office. He claims that he has not talked to his older daughter since April 23, and Venus' parents began denying him phone contact on April 27, the day after Venus disappeared. Larry McComb says that he cut all contact with Doug after Doug was named the only person of interest in Venus' disappearance. Doug has also requested joint legal custody as well as physical care and custody, either temporarily or permanently. A judge in St. Joseph County has scheduled a hearing on the custody issue for May 24th. The State of Michigan is representing Venus and the children in the upcoming hearing, according to Venus' father. They're going to get both the girls one lawyer, and it's my understanding that they're going to have a lawyer appointed to represent Venus," Larry McComb said.

Friday, 22 May 2010: MSP obtains a search warrant for the Leonidas-area property of the father of Douglas Harrie Stewart. Doug has been staying with his father since relocating back to Michigan. The warrant included the house, outbuildings, and property, and cadaver dogs were brought in to search. Items were removed from the property.

Monday - 24 May 2010: A hearing scheduled for today on a petition by Douglas Harrie Stewart for supervised visitation with his two daughters has been adjourned until sometime in June.

Friday - 28 May 2010: Hearing in the matter of custody of B and R Stewart: St. Joseph County DHS has initiated action to take control of custody of Venus' daughters. In a legal maneuver to move custody under the authority of DHS, St. Joseph County Child Protection Services (a branch of DHS) filed a child neglect petition. St. Joseph County prosecutor John McDonough is representing DHS in the hearing. A juvenile court referee is scheduled to determine if a child neglect petition should be authorized. If the petition is approved, it begins the process for DHS, under the court’s jurisdiction, to assume legal responsibility for the children and decide who will have at least temporary custody. McDonough said Monday that he will recommend Douglas Stewart not be granted custody of the two girls “for pretty obvious reasons.”


SEARCH WARRANTS SERVED ON DOUGLAS HARRIE STEWART:

Search warrant for Douglas Stewart (pdf)
Search warrant for Douglas Stewart's apartment (pdf)
Search warrant for Douglas Stewart's Dodge (pdf)
Search warrant for Douglas Stewart's Mercury (pdf)
Transcription of Search Warrants


WHO'S WHO IN THE VENUS STEWART CASE:

VS - Venus Rose McComb Stewart, 32, who disappeared from her parents home in Colon, MI, on 4-16-10.
DS - Douglas Harrie Stewart, 29, estranged husband of Venus Stewart; former Marine, currently a delivery truck driver.
LM - father of Venus Stewart, in whose home Venus and her children have lived since Feb. 2010.
TM - mother of Venus Stewart, in whose home Venus and children have lived since Feb. 2010.
BS - daughter, 5, of Venus and Doug Stewart.
RS - daughter, 3, of Venus and Doug Stewart.
DJ - Venus's older brother.
DES - Douglas Stewart's father, who lives seven miles from the McCombs' Driftwood Drive residence.
JS - Douglas Stewart's attorney.
MR - Lieutenant Mike Risko, MSP spokesman throughout the Venus Stewart case.
JM - John McDonough, St. Joeseph County prosecutor who is also representing DHS in custody matters concerning the two Stewart daughters.
MS - Mike Scott, MSP Detective Sergeant, leading the investigation into Venus' disappearance.


PLACES OF INTEREST:

DD - Driftwood Drive, where Venus was abducted.
NN - Newport News, where Doug Stewart currently lives.
SJC - St. Joseph's County, from which Venus was abducted.
Colon Township - Driftwood Drive is located on the very northern edge of Colon Twp.
Leonidas - community in which Doug's father's farm is located.


LOCAL MEDIA:

MLIVE - Kalamazoo (MI) Gazette newspaper and local media site.
WTVB Radio - AM radio in Branch County, MI.
WOODTV - NBC TV station in Grand Rapids, MI.
WZZM13 - CBS TV station in Western Michigan.
WWMT - CBS station for Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, and Grand Rapids, MI.
WNDU - NBC TV in South Bend, MI.
Daily Reporter - Coldwater, MI, newspaper.
Battle Creek Enquirer - newspaper in Battle Creek, MI.
Sturgis Jornal - Sturgis, MI, newspaper.
Three Rivers News - Three Rivers, MI, newspaper.
WAVY - Newport News, VA, NBC TV station.
WVEC - Hampton Roads, VA, ABC TV station.
DailyPress - Newport News, VA, daily newspaper's website.



LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT NEWS:

MSP Twitter - official twitter account for Michigan State Police, frequently updated.
MSP News Releases - official press releases by Michigan State Police.



CASE-RELATED LINKS:

Douglas Stewart's Myspace - see family videos.
Case Archive Album - a must-see link of case-related photos compiled by WSer AmandaReckonwith (thanks!)
Map of case-related locations
Sierra1947 Youtube - archive of all Nancy Grace shows.



PREVIOUS THREADS AT WEBSLEUTHS ON VENUS'CASE

Thread 1 - 4/27/2010 to 5/07/2010
Thread 2 - 5/07/2010 to 5/10/2010
Thread 3 - 5/10/10 to 5/13/10
Thread 4 - 5/13/10 to 5/17/10
Thread 5 - 5/17-10 to 5/19/10
Thread 6 - 5/19/10 to 5/28/10

THE VICTIM - VENUS ROSE MCCOMB STEWART:

Venus Stewart is described as a white female, 5-feet, 4-inches tall and weighing 130 pounds. She has brown eyes and dark hair.

Click the image below to go to a slideshow of photos of Venus Stewart.



IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION:

Police ask anyone with information about Venus Stewart’s whereabouts to call the State Police post in White Pigeon at 269-483-7611, or the MSP Rockford Regional Dispatch Center at (616) 866-6666 or 911.[/QUOTE]
 
Holy guacamole but that timeline has grown! I apologize for the sheer bulk of it and will try to whittle it down some before the next thread.
 
Does anyone think that perhaps Michigan LE released the sketch of a man who never really existed just to see if DS let his guard down at all?

ETA: I say this because wasn't it very very unusual the circumstances around the man appearing and what he did after he got out of the lake on such a cold day?
 
I dunno, Lindsay... one video had a woman who was interviewed and gave a description of him. Even quoted him as saying something like "Do you know where I am?" Someone else said he asked for a cigarette. Crazy. But I guess if the lady down at the dollar store says he's local... haha.
 
LLLindsayy said:
Does anyone think that perhaps Michigan LE released the sketch of a man who never really existed just to see if DS let his guard down at all?

ETA: I say this because wasn't it very very unusual the circumstances around the man appearing and what he did after he got out of the lake on such a cold day?

Stranger things have happened IMO.
 
I think the Thing That Came From the Swamp is very real and is quite possibly an accomplice.
 
Anyone else have a sense of dread over this hearing? This is the first time the parents and Doug have been in the same room since Venus disappeared. I hope it goes smoothly; I bet LE is thick around that building today.
 
Doug Stewart denied visitation rights
Custody hearing held Friday afternoon

Updated: Friday, 28 May 2010, 3:20 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 28 May 2010, 1:41 PM EDT

* By Jessica Leffler

CENTREVILLE, Mich. (WOOD) - A custody hearing over where the children of Venus and Doug Stewart live was held Friday afternoon in a St. Joseph County town.

Venus Stewart's estranged husband is attempting to gain custody of the couple's children, despite being named the only "person of interest" in the case of his wife's disappearance. Venus vanished April 26 from her parents' Colon Township home when she went outside around 7:30 a.m. in her pajamas.

A judge denied Doug visitation rights during the Friday hearing. And a petition was granted for a future hearing, which will be held June 17.

The Stewarts' two girls are currently staying with Therese and Larry McComb, Venus' parents.
http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/sw_mich/Where-will-Venus-children-live
 
Thanks for posting Spamelope, I was praying that he wouldn't get those kids. Prayer answered.
 
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