Almost 50 days ago, Kerry Messer, president of the Missouri Family Network, reported his wife missing. Messer is well-known in the state capital as the head of a pro-life group and he’s often speaking out about pro-life issues as they relate to Show Me State politics.
But now there is just silence as the are no leads and no answers as to what has happened with his wife, Lynn Marie Messer, who disappeared in early July.
Messer woke up at 4 a.m. Tuesday morning and couldn’t find his wife anywhere. She had left her cell phone, purse and house keys behind and also had left the home without a walking boot she had been using to help her get around due to a broken toe.
Law enforcement found no indication at Messer’s home that there was a break-in or that she may have been abducted and she has no history of mental problems like dementia that may have caused her to leave the house unexpectedly.
An update on Messer’s situation reveals very little new information.
The Ste. Genevieve County Sheriff’s Department spearheaded searches for several days. In the weeks since the initial effort groups of friends, family and neighbors have performed ongoing searches in the area around the family’s home. Now the decision has been made to scale back those efforts.
After the authorities were done with their searches, volunteers took over and combed over the area once more. Since then volunteers have expanded the search area to encompass a wider swath. They’ve also asked everyone to share a missing person flyer about Lynn and keep a look out, no matter what area they are in.
Kerry Messer, Lynn’s husband, made a sad announcement on the “Find Lynn Messer” Facebook page. He said this was a painful message to post and the reality is almost too overwhelming to admit.
“I knew this day would come if Lynn were not to be found first,” wrote Kerry earlier this week. “Honestly I feared it would have come sooner – and I count it as a huge blessing to have had so many people helping us for so long! But with each passing week there has been a marked decline in the number of volunteers who have been available to brave the brush and thickets, the scratches and cuts. So many friends have invested themselves and paid their own way by the sweat of their brow. Most have spent hours only to return soaked in sweat.”
“I am unspeakably indebted to every one of you – for every ounce of effort you have labored – for every drop of sweat – for every scratch and tick bite – and for the love which has pushed you to help! I also owe deep gratitude to all of you who have been so remarkable in the way you have helped organize, manage, feed, and take care of everything from cleaning to caring for animals, and all the many details that you have stepped forward to do – all without ever being asked!”
He went on to say that as the numbers have dwindled and the pace has slowed, there was one day last week in which no one was able to come help. On that day he had to face the reality of what he already knew, but was not wishing to face.
Messer plans to still continue with the weekend ground searches of farms and forests in the region. He asked that the efforts to make the general public aware by posting flyers and keeping the information about Lynn before the public continue.
Anyone with any information concerning the disappearance of Lynn Messer is asked to contact the Ste. Genevieve County Sheriff’s Department’s tip line at 573-883-5820, ext 27463.
Last weekend, St. Agnes Catholic Church in Bloomsdale, Missouri held a special prayer service and leading pro-life advocates like Pam Fichter of Missouri Right to Life attended.
“All of us at Missouri Right to Life express out deep concern to the Messer family and pray that Lynn will be found soon,” she said.
