SHEFFIELD, Vt. (AP) — After moving to northern Vermont, Pat O’Hagan immersed herself in crafts, kayaking, and volunteering at a local food bank and the historical society. The 78-year-old widow, who lives alone, was so hardy she would go camping by herself, sleeping in a tent.
So when she missed out on a rug-hooking meeting Saturday — no one was home when a friend came to pick her up — it was out of character. Investigators believe she was probably abducted Friday night, and the FBI and State Police are scouring fields, barns and woods in and around Sheffield.
Shaken, people in the sleepy hamlet have taken the unusual step of locking houses and cars, fearing a criminal is on the loose. O‘Hagan’s family, meanwhile, is pleading for anyone with information to come forward.
“Pat was well known in the community; she was very active. If you knew where she was, what she was doing, what she may not have been doing, please come forward; it’s going to help us,” son Terry O’Hagan, of Groton, Mass., said at a news conference this week, surrounded by his three brothers and three aunts. “We know that somebody’s out there that knows, whether you’re involved, whether you’re not involved, whether you know, please come forward and help us.”
State Police asked the FBI for help and have offered a $5,000 reward. Authorities aren‘t saying who they think might have abducted O’Hagan, originally from Chelmsford, Mass., or why. But they say there’s no reason to believe she just wandered off.
Terry O’Hagan, 47, said his parents moved to Vermont 15 years ago and renovated the house before his father died in 2001. Pat O’Hagan is not rich, according to her son, who says she is “very prudent, frugal.”
A Vermont National Guard helicopter on a search buzzed overhead Thursday while police continued their work from a command post set up at the village municipal building. Meanwhile, plans continued for a 5 p.m. chicken pie supper for which O’Hagan had signed up to provide some of the trimmings.
A dozen State Police detectives and two FBI agents were on the scene.
“Detectives are following up on leads, doing interviews, trying to develop any sort of information that would lead us in a direction,” said Sgt. Tara Thomas, a State Police spokeswoman.
The disappearance and resulting search are beyond rare for Sheffield, a town of 727 people with no stores and no stoplights.
“It‘s one of those towns where the sign says ’Entering Sheffield‘ on one side and ’Leaving Sheffield’ on the other,” said Vincent Illuzzi, prosecutor in a neighboring county.
Illuzzi, who is not involved in the case, theorizes that if she was abducted it was not random, but by someone who had contact with her in some way.
“It’s real scary,” said Tammy Jacoby, 47, who lives at the edge of town.
Jacoby said her 12-year-old niece now comes to her house after school instead of going home alone since O‘Hagan’s disappearance.
Nanette Moreau, 43, who has lived in Sheffield since 1997, said she never locked the doors until now.
“Everybody’s scared,” she said.
Submitting your tip... please wait!
DanniDee
Posted on September 17, 2010 at 12:36pmThis is very sad. I will keep Ms. Pat O’Hagan in my thoughts and prayers and wish she return home safely. There are just too many kooks out there doing the devil’s work.
Report Post »abq767
Posted on September 17, 2010 at 12:13pmSeparated at birth ??
That lady looks just like Mrs. George Bush Senior (41) !!
Report Post »sweetlaraine
Posted on September 17, 2010 at 10:35amI am a hardy active senior about 10 years younger than Pat. I pray she is ok, but you must face the facts that she has gone missing. She will be in my prayers.
Report Post »Laraine
elkslayer43
Posted on September 16, 2010 at 11:09pmThe local police have a reason to suspect foul play. There was a report of a confrontation with a neighbor a few days earlier. Lockedloadedsenior, You should check out VT. gun laws and regs..We`aren’t as dumb as you might think.
Report Post »HTuttle
Posted on September 16, 2010 at 9:59pmI don’t get it, she would go camping all by herself and yet they‘re sure it’s an abduction? Why are they so quick to rule out stuck in the woods?
Report Post »LockedLoadedSenior
Posted on September 16, 2010 at 8:39pmWhy is this on theblaze? What am I missing? Because she is a “hardy woman who sleeps in a tent”? ………..without protection?
And Vermont has villages? “SHEFFIELD” is a village?
I think she will be fine and I hope she is smarter than most Vermonters.
REVEL
Posted on September 16, 2010 at 7:28pmTragic. We will pray for her.
Report Post »Rickfromillinois
Posted on September 16, 2010 at 6:26pmI hope that it turns out that she went camping and was having such a good time she decided to stay for a couple of extra days.
Report Post »hopester55
Posted on September 16, 2010 at 5:19pmWe are just not safe any where. Obviously, the police suspect something amis….they would not have called it an abduction. I pray for her safe return home. She sounds like an involved individual who loves life
Report Post »Cerita
Posted on September 16, 2010 at 3:39pmDitto.
Report Post »tcotiger
Posted on September 16, 2010 at 3:29pmGod bless her. I am praying for Mrs.O‘Hagan’s safe return.
Report Post »Lori
Posted on September 16, 2010 at 2:51pmSome reports note suspicious circumstances, but don’t say what. A mild stroke could have left her stumbling and confused enough to head to the wilderness. I pray they find her soon.
Report Post »thereisbeauty
Posted on September 17, 2010 at 10:02amI was thinking that too. This same thing happened with my grandpa’s second cousin about five years ago. He wandered around for probably a couple weeks with no idea who or where he was before someone finally recognized him from news reports and he was brought home. Unfortunately, he was only home for a week before he killed himself. Hopefully this story will end much differently.
Report Post »Independent Tess
Posted on September 16, 2010 at 2:12pmI will be praying for her safe return.
Report Post »MissouriGandplainolMamma
Posted on September 16, 2010 at 2:39pmAs will I
Report Post »