On Sunday, 09/20/2015 at 17:15 hours, I, Deputy Stacy Stark #1815 was dispatched to complete a welfare check on an elderly female named Dana J. Lewis (F/W, DOB: 03/15/1943) camping at Johnson Creek campground, Ava, IL in her van alone with her dog. The large van was described as a rusty maroon 1997 Chevrolet van. The reporting party, Andrea K. Rodda (F/W, DOB: 04/22/1956) had not spoken to Lewis since Friday 09/18/2015.
I arrived at Johnson Creek at 17:24 hours. I checked the entire Johnson Creek area for a vehicle matching the above description. I did not locate Lewis at Johnson Creek. I spoke to some horseback trail riders while in the Johnson Creek area. They stated there was a purplish colored van parked along Highway 151 in…show more content… Rodda stated she was Lewis’s legal power of attorney, including medical. Rodda was growing more concerned for the safety of Lewis because she had not made contact with her in a couple of days. Lewis was going to contact either Rodda or her friend Betty throughout her trip. Rodda tried to talk Lewis out of taking this road trip on her own, but Lewis wanted to go and enjoy one last camping /road trip in the Shawnee National Forest area. Rodda said Lewis left from her residence on Tuesday, 09/15/2015 in the a.m. hours. Lewis contacted her 83 year old friend, Betty on Thursday, 09/17/2015, evening sometime between 5:00p.m and 7:00p.m. letting her know she was fine. Rodda received a call from Lewis on Friday, 09/18/2015 sometime between 6:30p.m. and 7:00p.m. Lewis advised Rodda that she was in Murphysboro. Lewis told Rodda that she was staying at Johnson Creek campground that night. Rodda said Lewis has been calling every couple of days in the evening hours, but has not heard from her today. Rodda said Lewis is an insulin dependent diabetic and gets confused sometimes. Rodda has tried to contact Lewis via cell phone approximately 4 times and it goes straight to voicemail.
I advised Rodda that I submitted a local broadcast in attempt to locate Lewis. Sergeant Mark Wilson was at the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and requested dispatch to contact Lewis’s cell phone provider an attempt