Police: Search ‘productive’ for missing woman

Springfield police and state investigators searched a home for about six hours on Thursday, looking for evidence related to the disappearance of a local woman who has been missing for nearly two years.

Chief Stephen Moody said police and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation searched the property at 937 Avondale Ave. from about 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for information about Amanda Ward-Romine. Ward-Romine was last seen July 7, 2013, in the 300 block of Buxton Avenue.

He described the search as “productive,” but declined to say what, if any, evidence was collected.

“We’re one step closer today to determining what happened to (Amanda). There’s still a lot to be done and we’re not going to give up,” Moody said.

Ward-Romine was staying in her Indian Lake home but left July 5 to go back to live with her husband at their Avondale Avenue home, her sister Aliya Lindsey told the Springfield News-Sun in December 2013.

On July 6, Lindsey said Ward-Romine called her and asked if she could pick her up on Sunday. That was their last conversation, Lindsey previously told the News-Sun.

Ward-Romine wasn’t reported missing until Aug. 7 because family members didn’t realize they hadn’t been in contact with her until then. Her disappearance hasn’t been classified as a homicide by the Springfield Police Division.

“It’s really hard to describe the turmoil that her sisters, her family, her mom, her dad are going through,” Moody said. “There’s so many people that know her in this community, that know the family. It’s troubling that someone doesn’t step up and do the right thing.”

Anyone with information about Ward-Romine should contact Springfield police, Moody said.

“Clearly there are people in this community that know what happened to (Amanda). The right thing to do would be to work with us,” he said.

Investigators had searched the Avondale property before, but Moody said they conducted a more extensive search on Thursday.

“We just continue to pound away at this case and we’re not going to let up. You would certainly hope that people that care about Amanda and her family would have some moral courage to step forward with any piece of information. Because even that slightest piece of information could push us over the top,” Moody said.