Jessi Wilfong: Missouri woman’s REMAINS FOUND inside barn weeks after she went missing
MILLERSVILLE, MISSOURI: The remains of a woman, who was missing for weeks, has been found inside a barn. Investigators now believe that Jessi Wilfong may have been buried there by her uncle Lawrence Schanda and his girlfriend Teresa Baumgartner, 59, with whom she went to their home in Millersville, Missouri, on May 19, after being picked up from a Fredericktown house. The 21-year-old’s remains were discovered after a probe was launched on May 25 after her mother reported her missing.
According to surveillance footage, Wilfong was alive till 1 am on May 19. A press release by the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office stated: “The investigation led to the issuance of a search warrant on June 15, 2022, at a residence in Cape Girardeau County. From the evidence collected and other information obtained from the investigative process, it was suspected that foul play was involved in the disappearance of Ms Wilfong.”
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The cops then reportedly found “a recently dug portion of ground inside of a barn structure”; upon digging the area, they saw Wilfong’s body. The remains were sent for autopsy, and on June 20 it was confirmed that it was of the young woman. The examination also suggested that “Wilfong's cause of death was a homicide.”
The press release noted that Baumgartner has been charged “for Tampering with Physical Evidence in a Felony Investigation. The investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges are anticipated against one or more individuals.” The deceased's uncle’s girlfriend during questioning apparently told investigators that she along with Wilfong and Schanda had enjoyed “sitting around a bonfire at her residence drinking and talking” on May 19.
She also said that Wilfong wanted to be dropped back to the Fredericktown home but they declined. Baumgartner claimed she “must have left her home after she went to sleep,” The Sun reported. Besides, a June 8 probable-cause statement written by sheriff’s detective Jaime Holloway stated that Wilfong’s uncle was interrogated too regarding the missing woman, and he reportedly said he and his niece had a verbal fight in the early hours of May 19.
“Jessi was providing law enforcement with information implicating him in illegal drug activity, Schanda said. Investigators then searched his house and found parts of carpet had been removed from the living room and hallway, the statement says,” The Sun report added.
However, no one has been charged over Wilfong’s murder yet. It's yet to be clarified how and when she was killed. The Sheriff's office added: “The investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges are anticipated against one or more individuals.”
Meanwhile, Wilfong’s tragic death has gained a lot of attention as people flooded the comment section of the police’s Facebook press release. A user said, “This is why family needs to know where you are at all the time and who you are with... For your safety! The world has evil people in it.” Another user wrote: “SO heartbreaking and devastating. Yet so thankful to the Sheriff’s Dept for pursuing. Our deepest condolences and prayers to Jessi’s family. May God be with u.”
“My condolences to Jessi's family and friends. This has been a long time in waiting to find her, and potentially bring her justice. Now I'm hoping that Other agencies in the region start taking a much Stronger approach to solving similar cases. There are any number of families seeking answers, and they Deserve the same degree of action as well form their respective agencies,” a comment read.