No evidence was found as about 100 law enforcement officers searched for a missing Massachusetts woman in a heavily wooded area in Salem Wednesday, as police say difficult terrain and weather conditions made efforts difficult.
Jaimee Mendez, 25, of Swampscott was last seen with a convicted level III sex offender before she vanished Thursday.
Meanwhile, police have placed billboards in high traffic areas, including near Boston’s Logan Airport, to hopefully generate tips in the continuing search.
http://liarcatchers.com/missing_persons_investigations.html
Her family says she was last heard from when she called two friends last Thursday to say she was with the sex offender and that she felt uncomfortable. That was the last anyone heard from her, according to her family.
Salem Police say they plan to look at maps and speak with investigators Wednesday evening to plan for continued searches.
“There were certain things that led us to believe that this area may have some importance,” Salem Police Chief Paul Tucker said in the afternoon. He would not comment on the investigation.
In a press conference Wednesday morning, Salem Police said they would not comment on any suspect wanted in connection with the search and that they were just there to find a missing person.
They added that the search has been a coordinated effort and that sending all resources at once would make the search more difficult in ways.
Police did tow a minivan with a mattress in the back away from the home in Lynn, where neighbors say the man they described as a sex offender was staying. A nearby dumpster and a neighbor’s garage was also search Tuesday.
Mendez’s family says the young, diabetic mother’s sneakers were found in a dumpster behind a CVS on Eastern Avenue in Lynn, along with a piece of rug they say came from that man’s minivan. Police have not confirmed that. The Mendez family says someone matching Jamiee’s description was seen at that CVS, but there are still questions.
Jaimee’s family says the mother would have never left her 5-year-old son.
“He doesn’t know what’s going on. He’s doing fine, he’s with the father, going to school, trying to stay to his routine,” cousin Olivia Ayotte said.
The mother of Jaimee Mendez says she doesn’t expect they will find her daughter alive.
Massachusetts State police are working with the Swampscott, Lynn, and Salem police departments to investigate this case.
The family is also involved in their own private search.
