The sister of Madeline Kingsbury has vowed to continue searching for the missing Minnesota mother until she is found.
Ms Kingsbury, 26 was last seen on 31 March doing drop-off at her children’s daycare. The father of her two kids, who has not been named or described as her husband, told police that he and Ms Kingsbury drove back to her home together and he then borrowed Ms Kingsbury’s dark blue minivan to go to work.
When he returned to the residence later that day, he said Ms Kingsbury was nowhere to be found. She failed to show up for work and her cellphone, wallet, ID and jacket were all found inside the home, Winona police said.
Twelve days later, Ms Kingsbury’s whereabouts remain a mystery. Police said her disappearance appears to be “involuntary” and “suspicious” and continue searching vast wood areas in Winona and Filmore County in hopes of finding information that leads to Ms Kingsbury.
Ms Kingsbury’s sister Megan Kingsbury told Good Morning America on Tuesday that she was expecting her sister and niece to visit the following day, but knew before then that something was wrong when the mom-of-two wouldn’t answer the phone.
“I tried to call and nobody picked up,” Megan told the show about the morning her sister vanished. “And that’s kind of when alarm bells were going off ... We love [you] and Maddie, we are going to find you.”
Megan said that Ms Kingsbury’s children are being cared for by their family.
A GoFundMe page created to raise funds for Ms Kingsbury’s family has raised more than $16,000. In an emotional press conference last week, Ms Kingsbury’s sister sobbed as she announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to her sister’s whereabouts.
Two massive searches were organised over the weekend, with more than 2,600 volunteers helping comb through 120,000 acres.
Authorities have asked residents in the City of Winona, Wilson Township, and Hillsdale Township to search their acreage, wooded property, outbuildings, vehicles and trails for “anything suspicious”. Dive teams and police ATVs have also been used in the search, according to Fox News.
The Winona Police Department said on Saturday that massive search efforts will be scaled back but the investigation remains ongoing.
“As we develop new leads and new search areas, teams of law enforcement will do targeted searches,” a statement by the department on Sunday read. “We are not giving up and we want to thank everyone for their continued support for Maddi and her family. “
A Facebook group for updates on the search for Ms Kingsbury announced that civilian searches will continue. Though, these will be separate from law enforcement. Volunteers are asked to steer clear of investigators’ working areas.
Authorities in Winona and neighbouring Filmore County have yet to name a suspect. Police appear to be focused on the movements of Ms Kingsbury’s minivan and have asked for the public’s help in tracing its journeys.
Winona Police Chief Tom Williams confirmed last week that the vehicle is not missing and that both the van and Ms Kingsbury’s home have been searched.
Surveillance footage captured a vehicle matching the description of the van driving from the home along highways and through Winona County and Fillmore County before heading back to the house. Police refused to say who was driving the van.
After the vehicle returned home, it is not believed to have gone anywhere else.
“That is not information we can share at this time,” Mr Williams said during a press conference.
