MO MO - Betty Alexander, 69, Sullivan, 11 April 2019

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doodles1211

doodles1211

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The Sullivan Police Department is on the lookout for a missing woman with dementia. The department says 69-year-old Betty Alexander has not been seen since this past Thursday, April 11th around 3 pm.

Ms. Alexander is a white female, 5 foot 2 inches, 145 pounds, has brown hair and blue eyes. She wears her hair at shoulder length and may not be wearing shoes.

She takes medication but is not believed to be in possession of any at this time.

If you have seen or know of the whereabouts of Betty Alexander, please call 911 or the Sullivan Police Department at 573-468-8001.

Sullivan police on the lookout for missing woman with dementia
 
APR 18, 2019
Family of Missing Sullivan Woman Offering $1,000 Reward | KLPW
The family is also asking for volunteers who would like to help in searching for Alexander to meet at Sullivan Fire House One at 10 am on Saturday, April 20th. Alexander has been missing since last week.

$1,000 reward offered for information leading to missing Sullivan woman with dementia
Loved ones of Betty Alexander are offering the reward for any details or information that would help authorities locate her. She was last seen at her residence at 6 South Center, Apt. 2 in Sullivan on April 11.

$1,000 reward for help to find missing Sullivan woman
Volunteers joined first responders on Monday going block by block in search for Alexander. She lives near the fire station on S. Church Street. Her family says Alexander does not drive.
 
Last edited:
Betty's missing page: Bring Betty Home

APR 17, 2019
Sullivan Police Continue Search For Missing Woman With Dementia | MyMOinfo
There are three audio files in the article. In the first one, Betty's daughter says two witnesses talked to her mom at her house. One was a neighbor and one was a normal cleaning lady that comes in - she was bringing her food that day. There was also a report that a detective talked to two individuals who were coming out of work right down the road from her and they said that they had spotted her kind of standing on the side of the road, staring at the fire station. So, that is the last time she was seen - 5:00 on Thursday.

In the 2nd and 3rd audio clips, Betty's daughter talks about what people can do to help.
 
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The emphasis on tbe dementia is misleading. The statement that she is in tbe beginning stages and sometimes forgets a name does not indicate a confused 68 year old woman. (Some reports say 69) She was able to live alone and the reports say family had not visited her for several days. Another indicator she was ok to be at home alone.
 
PommyMommy said:
APR 20, 2019
Bring Betty Home
There were 110 people walking the streets and searching through a large portion of woods today. Nothing was found. The family is planning a candlelight vigil.
Click to expand...
I noticed in the comment section of the post, Betty’s daughter (TT, who has been quoted in various MSM article and the original poster of the shared content) says when she went to Betty’s apartment last Sunday, her door was closed, but when Meals and Wheels left her food on Friday, they had left it ajar, as it was when they got there.

So based on this, posts on Sullivan Police Department’s Facebook page, MSM reports (thank you so much, @doodles1211and @PommyMommyfor posting them), and Betty’s NamUs profile (thank you, @TatianaBarbie):

Thurs., Apr. 11:
•Time Unknown: A neighbor and a normal cleaning lady talk to Betty at her house. The cleaning lady also brought her food that day.
•3 PM: Seen in her garden.
•5 PM: (Not sure if confirmed as TT says, “We did have a report that detective talked to”) two people who work down the road from Betty. They said as they were getting off from work, they saw her kind of staying on the side of the road, staring at the fire station;

Fri., Apr. 12:
Time Unknown: Meals on Wheels leave Betty’s food. They leave Betty’s door ajar as it was when they arrived;

Sat., Apr. 13: Nothing that I can find;

Sun., Apr. 14:
Time Unknown: After having no contact with Betty for several days, family goes to her residence. Her door is locked. Also, “Alexander’s glasses were on her chair; her purse and all of its contents were in her closet.” Her shoes are also found at home. Betty doesn’t have a cell phone; her daughter calls LE. Sullivan PD opens an investigation. Ground searches begin. An Endangered SILVER Advisory is issued;

Mon., Apr. 15:
Ground searches begin. Sullivan PD and Sullivan Fire request volunteers immediately. K-9s are brought in. Case is entered into NamUs.

Evening: Searches are “wrapped up.” Fire turns the search over to PD;

Tues., Apr. 16: Nothing that I can find;

Wed., Apr. 17: Family starts a Facebook page and announces plans for a search for the upcoming Saturday. Volunteers are requested;

Thurs., Apr. 18: Family offers a $1,000 reward funded by an anonymous donor. Volunteers and family members conduct door-to-door and boots-on-the-ground searches. They also distribute posters;

Fri., Apr. 19: Award is increased to $2,000;

Sat., Apr. 20: Family and volunteers search streets and wooded areas. They did not find Betty or any clues that may lead to her whereabouts;

Sources:
Sullivan Police Department

Bring Betty Home

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Sullivan Police Continue Search For Missing Woman With Dementia | MyMOinfo

Family desperate to find missing mother

$1,000 reward offered for information leading to missing Sullivan woman with dementia

51F2C675-7F95-4C17-B38A-D6F4CEC31D85.jpeg

I would be interested to find out whether the sighting at 5 PM on the day of her disappearance has been confirmed.

I also wonder what led LE to conclude that Betty was in her garden at 3 PM on her date of last contact. IIRC, we know who all of the other witnesses are in relation to Betty but this person.

ETA: It really bothers me that Betty’s glasses and shoes were found at home.
 
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Thank you for posting such a good timeline. I am local and some of the facts do not add up yet. Why would meals on wheels enter without permission? Was there a history of leaving the door open or not being there when the food is delivered? Did the witness see her glasses on while she looked at the firehouse? Why would meals on wheels leave the door ajar without any signs of her? I am older as well, and I am forgetful with names but the focus on dementia is really being emphasized here. If it was just forgetting names and she was ok enough to live at home alone with only a weekly visit from daughter, why is this a huge concern?

inmyhumbleopinion said:
I noticed in the comment section of the post, Betty’s daughter (TT, who has been quoted in various MSM article and the original poster of the shared content) says when she went to Betty’s apartment last Sunday, her door was closed, but when Meals and Wheels left her food on Friday, they had left it ajar, as it was when they got there.

So based on this, posts on Sullivan Police Department’s Facebook page, MSM reports (thank you so much, @doodles1211and @PommyMommyfor posting them), and Betty’s NamUs profile (thank you, @TatianaBarbie):

Thurs., Apr. 11:
•Time Unknown: A neighbor and a normal cleaning lady talk to Betty at her house. The cleaning lady also brought her food that day.
•3 PM: Seen in her garden.
•5 PM: (Not sure if confirmed as TT says, “We did have a report that detective talked to”) two people who work down the road from Betty. They said as they were getting off from work, they saw her kind of staying on the side of the road, staring at the fire station;

Fri., Apr. 12:
Time Unknown: Meals on Wheels leave Betty’s food. They leave Betty’s door ajar as it was when they arrived;

Sat., Apr. 13: Nothing that I can find;

Sun., Apr. 14:
Time Unknown: After having no contact with Betty for several days, family goes to her residence. Her door is locked. Also, “Alexander’s glasses were on her chair; her purse and all of its contents were in her closet.” Her shoes are also found at home. Betty doesn’t have a cell phone; her daughter calls LE. Sullivan PD opens an investigation. Ground searches begin. An Endangered SILVER Advisory is issued;

Mon., Apr. 15:
Ground searches begin. Sullivan PD and Sullivan Fire request volunteers immediately. K-9s are brought in. Case is entered into NamUs.

Evening: Searches are “wrapped up.” Fire turns the search over to PD;

Tues., Apr. 16: Nothing that I can find;

Wed., Apr. 17: Family starts a Facebook page and announces plans for a search for the upcoming Saturday. Volunteers are requested;

Thurs., Apr. 18: Family offers a $1,000 reward funded by an anonymous donor. Volunteers and family members conduct door-to-door and boots-on-the-ground searches. They also distribute posters;

Fri., Apr. 19: Award is increased to $2,000;

Sat., Apr. 20: Family and volunteers search streets and wooded areas. They did not find Betty or any clues that may lead to her whereabouts;

Sources:
Sullivan Police Department

Bring Betty Home

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Sullivan Police Continue Search For Missing Woman With Dementia | MyMOinfo

Family desperate to find missing mother

$1,000 reward offered for information leading to missing Sullivan woman with dementia

View attachment 180406

I would be interested to find out whether the sighting at 5 PM on the day of her disappearance has been confirmed.

I also wonder what led LE to conclude that Betty was in her garden at 3 PM on her date of last contact. IIRC, we know who all of the other witnesses are in relation to Betty but this person.

ETA: It really bothers me that Betty’s glasses and shoes were found at home.
Click to expand...
 
Midmissourimom said:
Thank you for posting such a good timeline. I am local and some of the facts do not add up yet. Why would meals on wheels enter without permission? Was there a history of leaving the door open or not being there when the food is delivered? Did the witness see her glasses on while she looked at the firehouse? Why would meals on wheels leave the door ajar without any signs of her? I am older as well, and I am forgetful with names but the focus on dementia is really being emphasized here. If it was just forgetting names and she was ok enough to live at home alone with only a weekly visit from daughter, why is this a huge concern?
Click to expand...
You are welcome! Glad to have you join us :).

Personally, I don’t have a problem with Meals on Wheels entering without permission or leaving the door ajar unless this was not regular practice, or this was the first time that happened.

Perhaps Betty had told Meals and Wheels they were welcome to go inside and deliver food as long as her door was unlocked even it didn’t appear to them that she was home. And if she had locked herself out before, she might have asked them to leave the door ajar.

Would something like that be considered normal or common in the area? I would love to get a local’s perspective. Personally, I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving my door open even if for five minutes!

I’m just not sure about the legitimacy of the sighting at 5 PM on Friday.

And there seems to be less focus on dementia now than when Betty was first reported missing. In this interview from yesterday, the reporter asks her daughter how serious Betty’s dementia is. She answers (starts around 2’00”):

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=837694716585244
“It’s in beginning stages. She would just kind of confuse names or forget names every once in a while. It’s not anything where she just wanders off or gets lost or doesn’t know where she lives.”

Then the reporter says, “So that’s not the likely cause of this,” to which she says, “Right.”

You make a good point about the fact that Betty lives alone. She had a cleaning lady and the Meals on Wheels volunteers who would have seen her on a regular basis. She stayed with her daughter every weekend. If Betty had been deteriorating quickly, someone would have raised an alarm, IMO.
 
Thank you, its nice to be here!
Sullivan has less than 8000 people and is a smaller town but is split in the middle by a major highway which is hwy 44. Back where she lives is a quiet area and its very close to a large wooded area. I would say most leave doors unlocked and feel safe.

The main question I kept running into was whether she went out for walks often and it must have been a normal pattern for her or someone close by would have noticed. In a town this size everybody knows everybodys routines and business.

I am not sure if the fire station has a regular staff there but they are busy.

Her home is very close to the elementary school and that road is somewhat of a dead end or you can circle back out. City Hall is just 2 blocks away.

Searching the woods or area has been a good standard procedure to follow but if she cannot see without her glasses, (and I am the same way) I question that she would step outside without them. Most that require glasses (like myself) wear them from morning to night. There would be no reason to take them off during the day except to nap. Just my observation.



inmyhumbleopinion said:
You are welcome! Glad to have you join us :).

Personally, I don’t have a problem with Meals on Wheels entering without permission or leaving the door ajar unless this was not regular practice, or this was the first time that happened.

Perhaps Betty had told Meals and Wheels they were welcome to go inside and deliver food as long as her door was unlocked even it didn’t appear to them that she was home. And if she had locked herself out before, she might have asked them to leave the door ajar.

Would something like that be considered normal or common in the area? I would love to get a local’s perspective. Personally, I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving my door open even if for five minutes!

I’m just not sure about the legitimacy of the sighting at 5 PM on Friday.

And there seems to be less focus on dementia now than when Betty was first reported missing. In this interview from yesterday, the reporter asks her daughter how serious Betty’s dementia is. She answers (starts around 2’00”):

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=837694716585244
“It’s in beginning stages. She would just kind of confuse names or forget names every once in a while. It’s not anything where she just wanders off or gets lost or doesn’t know where she lives.”

Then the reporter says, “So that’s not the likely cause of this,” to which she says, “Right.”

You make a good point about the fact that Betty lives alone. She had a cleaning lady and the Meals on Wheels volunteers who would have seen her on a regular basis. She stayed with her daughter every weekend. If Betty had been deteriorating quickly, someone would have raised an alarm, IMO.
Click to expand...
 
One additional observation, in the video posted above, the daughter confirmed she had been missing since Thursday. That is one day before meals on wheels came. If she had gone missing Thursday, then how did the door get locked in between the food delivery on Friday and Sunday when the daughter visited.

Also daughter stated she has a landline phone and even though it hangs on the wall, she always answers on the first ring.

Prior to this she spent weekends at her daughters. This weekend she did not. So no calls to check on her from anyone from thursday to sunday?
 
Posted approximately eight hours ago:
“Unfortunately, the dogs did not come up with anything. We are still stuck with no clues. ”
Bring Betty Home

Comments from the admin. under the post:
“she was in the very early stages of dementia and her doctor said her dose of medicine was so low that you wouldn't notice much of a difference if she didnt have it. She would only mix names up once in awhile or forget a name every now and then but nothing serious.”

“They were going in the other apartments yesterday. They checked moms to see there was no other way out. The attic is sealed off and only one door out”

“I agree. With all the technology today hardly anyone has cameras around. Its frustrating we have nothing to go off of. The search dogs all went in different directions. There were 5 different teams brought out.“

“I just reached out to them [Texas EquuSearch]. Thank you so much!”

“yes, they were working on the lake at the golf course yesterday”

“they are checking into if they delivered [food] Thursday.”

Observations only:
•Betty’s NamUs profile (created on Apr. 15):
“Date of Last Contact: April 11, 2019
Circumstances of Disappearance:
Alexander was last seen in her garden at approximately 3 PM.”
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

•Reported on Apr. 17th:
“A 69-year old woman named Betty Alexander from the Sullivan area has been missing since Thursday, April 11th.

[SBM]

Tonya Tolliver is the daughter of Betty Alexander and she tells us where Alexander was last spotted. And then in one of the three audio files accompanying the article, TT says, ‘There were two witnesses that had actually talked to her at her house. One was a neighbor, and one was her normal cleaning lady that comes in. She was bringing her food that day.’”
Sullivan Police Continue Search For Missing Woman With Dementia | MyMOinfo

•Shared (originally posted on the We Help The Missing Facebook page) on the Bring Betty Home Facebook page on Apr. 21 (thanks for the heads-up, @Midmissourimom :)):
“MISSING - Betty Alexander is a 69-year-old Caucasian female who went missing from Sullivan, Missouri on April 11, 2019.

[SBM]

Betty has a lady that cleans her Mother’s [they mean Betty herself, IMO] apartment every Monday it is said that Betty was there when the lady came to clean. Betty was delivered food from the mission on Thursday.”
Bring Betty Home

1. So it sounds like they are still trying to confirm whether or not food was delivered on Thursday (and possibly by whom);

2. Was the cleaning lady there on Thursday or Monday? What had been reported in the past was that she was there on Thursday and that she also brought Betty food that day. Or are we not quite sure any more?

Betty will be missing two weeks as of tomorrow. I am so worried :(.

All BBM
 
I can feel the family's angst :( , having nothing concrete to go on. It's too bad the search dogs all went in different directions. I'm not sure how unusual that might be, or not be unusual at all, depending on the particulars. Bumping for Betty.
 
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