Search for missing mother of four turns up no clues Friday
Katy Nicholson Herald Staff Writer
Friday's search for a missing woman didn't produce any evidence, but the Halifax County Sheriff's Office considered it a worthwhile effort.
Shonda Stansbury, a 24-year-old mother of four, was reported missing by her mother Dec. 9. At the time, the Roanoke Rapids Police Department had no reason to suspect she was in danger.
On Dec. 14 around 11:28 p.m., a woman called 911 and reported seeing Stansbury near Information Grocery at the intersection of Thelma Road and U.S. Highway 158.
The woman opened the passenger door of her car, but left the area when she saw two men chasing Stansbury. The incident led to the police department classifying Stansbury as an endangered person.
The first major search for Stansbury took place Friday from about 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and the police department had already entered her into a national computer system.
Nearly 30 volunteers combed the wooded area where Stansbury was last seen, but found no signs of foul play.
Authorities used the Gaston Dam as a staging area for the search and concentrated on the woods around Information Grocery, the last place Stansbury was seen.
The Search Oriented Recovery Team, consisting of county volunteer firefighters, and the Roanoke Valley Rescue Squad aided the Roanoke Rapids Police Department and sheriff's office in the search.
The volunteers just don't get the pat on the back they deserve, said Sheriff's Office Maj. Wes Tripp, noting they'd taken time off from their jobs to help out.
The SORT team has performed similar searches before, and is particularly helpful because members use four-wheelers and other equipment the sheriff's office and police department do not have at their disposal, said Andy Jackson, Roanoke Rapids Police Department administrative officer.
Volunteers split up into search parties and used maps and information from the family and the 911 call to do a grid search of the area.
The North Carolina Highway Patrol had agreed to send a helicopter to the area for air support, but fog prevented it.
We recovered no significant evidence in the case, but let's face it - that's not necessarily a bad thing, said Sheriff's Office Lt. Bruce Temple, adding he thinks the search will help to put the minds of Stansbury's family at ease a bit.
While the Roanoke Rapids Police Department originally was in charge of the investigation, the location where Stansbury was last seen has broadened the area of the search. Now, the Halifax County Sheriff's Department is assisting.
It led out of the city and into the county, so together, we're coordinating our investigations jointly and sharing our information and hoping we can find her, said Roanoke Rapids Police Chief Greg Lawson.
The search, while helpful in eliminating some theories, did not uncover any clues, so it's not yet clear what will happen next.
The police department is hoping for some new leads to help determine the next step in the investigation, Lawson said, and according to Temple, the departments will continue to try and separate hearsay from fact.
In the meantime, both the sheriff's office and police department are hoping Stansbury will contact her family if she is able to.
She's not in trouble, Jackson said. We just want to know that she's living, breathing.
Stansbury is Caucasian, stands about 5'5 and weighs 110 to 120 pounds, with brownish-blonde hair and blue eyes, and is missing her four front teeth.
She was last seen wearing blue jeans, a black leather jacket and white tennis shoes.
She has a tattoo of a rose on her chest and a heart tattoo on her ankle with her daughter's name.
Anyone with information on her whereabouts is encouraged to call the police department at 533-2810 or Halifax County Crimestoppers at 583-4444