US

No Leads: Police Still Baffled by Illinois Woman’s Mysterious Disappearance

Police are still looking for any clues that might lead them to find the Illinois woman who walked away from a deadly car crash Saturday.  Tanya Shannon, 40, of Ransom, Ill., was last seen with her husband Dale after at a Christmas party Saturday evening.  But when police later arrived on the scene of a one-car auto accident that killed Dale, the only traces of Tanya were her footprints left in the snow, walking away from the accident.  No Leads: Police Still Baffled by Illinois Womans Mysterious Disappearance

Dale and Tanya Shannon had been married 20 years and have four daughters, ages 4 to 15.  On Tuesday, the search for Tanya entered its third day, according to the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office.

According to initial police reports, Tanya’s footprints were traced to a nearby road where they ended.

“There‘s nothing for us to believe there’s any issues other than exactly what happened, a traffic accident that claimed her husband’s life, that she was at least able for a period of time to walk away from and move up to the roadway,” the sheriff said. “And once she was on the roadway, that’s where we lost track of her.”

Police are unsure of how badly Tanya may have been injured in the crash and have not ruled out the possibility that a third party picked her up at the roadside.  In addition, the cold winter temperatures also would have posed a significant threat as Tanya ventured away from the remote crash site.  Investigators remain baffled as to why she has yet to contact any of her family members.

When she left the Christmas party with her husband Saturday evening, Tanya Shannon was wearing a floor-length red gown and a gray fleece hooded jacket, police say.  She is estimated to be 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighing 125 pounds, with shoulder-length strawberry-blond hair, green eyes and glasses, according to the Sheriff’s department.  Initial search and rescue operations have involved dogs and aircraft from the Illinois State Police and more than 50 volunteer searchers.

Anyone with information regarding Tanya Shannon’s whereabouts is asked to contact the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office.

Comments (37)

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  • Dotprince
    Posted on December 8, 2010 at 4:32pm

    My heart goes out to this family! I pray they find her alive and recovering from the shock this must have been. I do agree some of the details sound a little fishy, but — I know, too, strange things happen following a traumatic accident. Prayers for the children and her extended family.

    Report Post »  
  • inferno
    Posted on December 8, 2010 at 2:13pm

    Have the police considered she was picked up by someone who presented themselves as agood samaratin ? Or was she driving under the influence, since it was reported she and her husband had left a Christmas party ? If she had a cell phone, she could have called a firend or relative to pick her up. If she turns up alive this is probably what happened. If not, the first scenario is likely.

    Report Post »  
  • bigdaddybernie
    Posted on December 8, 2010 at 12:21pm

    Andy, have you seen my bullet? It was here just a minute ago.

    Report Post »  
  • TrueBlue
    Posted on December 8, 2010 at 12:02pm

    I hope they find her. But…they won’t if they are looking for a 125 lb. woman. I know. I know. You all can say mean things. I deserve it. But descriptions need to be accurate in order to be helpful, and she looks a lot heavier than 125 and her hair looks a lot darker than strawberry blonde.

    Report Post »  
  • Oil_Ranger
    Posted on December 8, 2010 at 9:54am

    There once was a young woman who was abducted off the street and raped in the back of a van, she finally escaped her abductor and a passing vehicle “stopped to help her”……. the 2 men in that car raped and beat her too, left her for dead on the side of the road….eventually she was found and “saved”.
    This story reminds me of that….when things go wrong, they really can get worse.

    I hope she is found safe somewhere with amnesia and makes a full recovery.

    Report Post » Oil_Ranger  
  • Vinval
    Posted on December 8, 2010 at 9:46am

    I agree, the ugly post/remarks only show the mentality of the one doing the posting! I not only pray for her and her family, I pray for the low lifes doing the ugly postings!

    Report Post »  
  • SlimnRanger
    Posted on December 8, 2010 at 8:01am

    i can only hope the children are safe and being taken care of and i do pray for a good outcome for the Mother,God help her,but it sure sounds bad for her

    Report Post »  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on December 8, 2010 at 7:31am

    Wow, That is bad.

    Report Post » Gonzo  
  • alwayssora
    Posted on December 8, 2010 at 6:31am

    Please stop the ugly remarks and pray for this woman and her children.

    Report Post »  
  • alwayssora
    Posted on December 8, 2010 at 6:18am

    Please stop the ugly posts and pray for this woman and her children.

    Report Post »  
  • BobParker2003
    Posted on December 8, 2010 at 6:16am

    If tis wasn‘t so tragic I’d make a joke like “beam me up Scotty” but actually I read this and think about her kids and Christmas ans I have to pray for this lady and her children.

    Report Post »  
  • Mr Sanders
    Posted on December 8, 2010 at 5:58am

    That’s just horible, father gone, mother missing, and 3 daughters left behind. Is there anyone watching over the children…. I hope not the state?! She may have a severe concussion and probably didn’t even know she was walking away or @Bryan – she may have blocked out the whole thing.

    This is where ‘community’ matters, when these things happen. Get to know your neighbors or just re-connect with them. Good or bad times….. we need eachother. We were not created to live an individualistic life.

    Report Post » Mr Sanders  
  • Bryan
    Posted on December 8, 2010 at 5:08am

    I can’t imagine surviving a crash only to be picked up by the one weirdo in the area. Hopefully at most she is in a hospital nearby with temp memory loss.

    Report Post »  
  • LDSmommy
    Posted on December 8, 2010 at 2:45am

    I agree something is fishy. Perhaps someone followed them from the party and caused the crash? I don’t know, it’s just weird with the footprints thing. No cellphone? Lots of snow around there, too.
    I’m praying for the children.

    Report Post » LDSmommy  
  • Conserving Ink
    Posted on December 8, 2010 at 12:49am

    The clock is ticking on this poor woman, the longer it takes to find her the more unpleasant the outcome is going to be.
    __________________________________________________________________
    http://conserving-ink.blogspot.com/2010/12/30-day-and-half-full-glass.html

    Report Post » Conserving Ink  
  • sailfished
    Posted on December 8, 2010 at 12:39am

    The cute smarmy replies on here make me want to puke . This was a nice couple, they have kids, I hope all of you with the cute posts can somehow get back in touch with your humanity

    Report Post » sailfished  
  • BurntHills
    Posted on December 8, 2010 at 12:12am

    We know this area well, and there’s the snow. She could have wandered for awhile on the road and aimed for a farmyard light.. too far away. lots of ditches that could be very deep and full of snow. then Bad news if she did not get picked up by a passing vehicle. More Bad luck if she got picked up by a creepy passing vehicle. God bless her and keep her safe, Lord. that flats of Illinois in the snow is no place to be.

    Report Post » BurntHills  
    • akw
      Posted on December 8, 2010 at 1:45am

      Do you know if the accident was on or near a major highway or a road that strangers might have been traveling on? I also don’t understand why he was found behind the wheel, but the footprints they found were from the driver’s door to the road! It seems like they should have been from the passenger side to the road. Maybe her door wouldn’t open and she had to crawl over and out the other side. Poor children.

      Report Post »  
  • mossbrain
    Posted on December 7, 2010 at 11:50pm

    Probably Sarah Palin mistook her for a caribou and shot her.

    mossbrain  
    • Gonzo
      Posted on December 8, 2010 at 7:33am

      Real funny, isn’t it joker?

      Report Post » Gonzo  
    • Taquoshi
      Posted on December 8, 2010 at 8:43am

      Well, your concern and caring for this missing woman is just so touching, Mossbrain. I‘m sure you’d feel the same if it was a member of your family or someone you cared about. Thanks for sharing.

      Report Post » Taquoshi  
    • Alaskangriz
      Posted on December 9, 2010 at 11:29pm

      You are an brainless squid….

      Report Post »  
  • dontbotherme
    Posted on December 7, 2010 at 11:44pm

    Oh, God, please help this woman & her family. Please let her be found alive & safe. Take care of her babies. I ask this in Jesus name. Amen!

    Report Post »  
  • KingArthurUp
    Posted on December 7, 2010 at 11:29pm

    I saw a report on MSNBC where Keith Olberwoman said: there had been UFO sitings around the nuclear plant earlier this fall.

    He went on to say that it is obviously a Republican UFO plot…. she will never vote for Odumba again.

    Report Post »  
  • Brandmz
    Posted on December 7, 2010 at 11:26pm

    How tragic! Those poor children. I wonder if, from the trauma of the crash and/or seeing her husband killed, caused amnesia??? And perhaps the wrong person picked her up. Any tire tracks noticed, I wonder, where her footprints end. Have they brought in a dog to “smell” search the area??? What a curious mystery. I pray she is okay and will be found soon.

    Report Post »  
    • grandmaof5
      Posted on December 8, 2010 at 6:20am

      I wonder if someone was chasing the car that it was a crash violent enough to break the back of the car seats. It seems, under those weather conditions, he would be driving a bit slower (unless under the influence), but not the less, a very sad story. Prayers go out to the family and hopefully mom is okay.

      Report Post »  
  • komponist-ZAH
    Posted on December 7, 2010 at 11:06pm

    Let’s all hope and pray she turns up alive and all right.

    Report Post »  
  • GeauxAlready
    Posted on December 7, 2010 at 11:05pm

    She was either taken by Aliens or a Big Foot………

    No really hope they find her

    Report Post » SpankDaMonkey  
  • americansfightingforcommonsense
    Posted on December 7, 2010 at 11:01pm

    I hope they find her soon.

    Report Post » americansfightingforcommonsense  
  • ADMIRAL747
    Posted on December 7, 2010 at 10:55pm

    Where’s Officer Peterson?

    Report Post »  
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