Two years ago Tuesday, a Chester County nurse and mother who left a party at a former 76er’s house in Penn Valley vanished, leaving an unsettling dearth of clues.
Since then, the search for Toni Lee Sharpless, 31, of West Brandywine Township, has involved investigators in multiple venues, prompted a Schuylkill search, and generated national TV coverage.
Sharpless was last seen about 5 a.m. on Aug. 23, 2009, in her black 2002 four-door Pontiac Grand Prix in front of basketball player Willie Green’s home, where she had attended a small get-together.
“I just want to keep the public aware that she still has not been found and to please keep an eye out for her,” her mother, Donna Knebel, pleaded Monday.
West Brandywine Officer Kristin Menna, who is heading the probe, said Tuesday that she wished that she had more news to report.
“We are actively pursuing the case,” she said. “I don’t want the public to think it’s been closed.”
Menna said she had enlisted the assistance of several outside government agencies, which are looking at the case “in an unofficial capacity, to lend a new set of eyes.”
Eileen Auch Law, a Chester County private investigator who has been assisting Sharpless’ family, said that the investigation had been frustrating but that she remained optimistic that Sharpless would be found.
“There is absolutely no evidence to the contrary,” she said.
Crystal Johns, a longtime friend of Sharpless and the last person to see her, told investigators that the pair had been invited to Green’s Main Line house after meeting him at a Philadelphia nightclub. She said Sharpless apparently had too much to drink, and they were asked to leave.
Once outside, Johns suggested that Sharpless should not drive, the two argued, and Sharpless drove off alone. Johns called Sharpless’ behavior unusual.
Even more uncharacteristic was the fact that Sharpless had gone out for a night on the town, her mother said. She said her daughter had been working long hours as a nurse.
Knebel said she and her husband, Peter Knebel, were eager to give Sharpless some downtime and had offered to watch their granddaughter, who was 12.
Police said Sharpless’ cellphone has not been used since she sent a text message to her daughter a few hours before leaving the party, urging her to get a good night’s sleep. Her credit cards have also not been used. Her car, with Pennsylvania tag DND-7772, was spotted once, by a machine that records license-plate numbers on Sept. 8, 2009, in Camden.
Law, who has set up a Sharpless Facebook page and a website – www.MissingToniSharpless.com – to generate leads, has theorized that Sharpless’ impaired condition could have made her vulnerable to a drug or prostitution ring.
“Someone knows something more than what has been presented: I pray they will come forward,” Law said.
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