By Robert Tomlinson
News Director
LEONIDAS TWP. — St. Joseph County sheriff’s deputies and the FBI are searching an area of Leonidas Township that could have a connection to an ongoing missing person’s case.
According to the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office, deputies said Tuesday they were following up on information received as part of an ongoing investigation, and added the information may have a possible connection to the disappearance of Brittany Wallace Shank.
As part of the follow-up, deputies say they are working alongside other law enforcement partners to conduct the search in an undisclosed area of the township. The Sheriff’s Office said they are being assisted by the FBI’s Detroit field office with the search. Deputies said in a release the search is part of the investigative process to “thoroughly investigate the information received and rule out any possibilities,” and “should not be interpreted as confirmation of any new findings in the case.”
“When someone is missing, every available resource matters. FBI Detroit personnel, including members of our Evidence Response Team, are on scene supporting the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office as they continue their search efforts,” Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, said in a statement. “We are proud to stand alongside our local partners and provide the technical expertise and resources needed to support this important work and the families awaiting answers.”
Deputies say that to protect the integrity of the investigation, no additional details about the search are expected to be released at this time, and any additional information will be provided when appropriate.
The investigation into Shank’s disappearance has been ongoing since she went missing on the night of Nov. 30, 2018. She reportedly left her grandmother’s house that night accompanied by an unknown male. Her car was found in a ditch a few miles away, and Shank showed up at a nearby house in the 33000 block of Fawn River Road in Sturgis to call for help. Witnesses said she was not wearing a coat or shoes at the time, and her feet and arms were scratched and bleeding.
A resident helped her call 911, but before the call ended, she had left that residence and went to another home. The identity of the man she was with is still unknown to this day. She has not been seen since.
Anyone with information related to Shank’s disappearance is asked to contact the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office.
Robert Tomlinson can be reached at 279-7488 or robert@wilcoxnewspapers.com.
