Authorities investigating the disappearance of an 84-year-old woman have confirmed that a critical piece of potential evidence is permanently lost. Investigators revealed that a doorbell camera at the woman’s home, which detected motion in the early hours of the morning she was reported missing, did not retain any video footage.
According to law enforcement officials, the camera’s software registered a person at the residence at 2:12 a.m. However, because the homeowner did not have an active subscription plan for the device’s cloud storage service, the system automatically overwrites old data. No video from that night can be recovered.
“The system essentially loops and records over itself,” a sheriff explained during a recent briefing. “We cannot confirm if the motion was the resident, another person, or even an animal. We simply have no visual record from that camera.”
The woman was reported missing after she failed to attend her regular Sunday church service. Shortly after initiating the search, police announced they were treating her disappearance as a criminal investigation after discovering what they described as “concerning evidence” inside her home, including signs that led them to believe she was taken against her will.
The sheriff stated that the woman, while having some mobility limitations, did not have cognitive issues, further supporting the theory of an abduction from her residence.
In a public appeal, the woman’s daughter, a well-known television journalist, made a direct plea in an emotional video posted online. “She is 84. Her health is fragile, and she lives with constant pain. She is without her necessary medication,” she stated. Addressing unconfirmed media reports of a ransom demand, she added, “We are ready to talk. We are doing everything we can.”
Law enforcement is now urging the public for any information that could assist in the case, emphasizing the community’s role in helping to solve complex investigations.