WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office says they have received no significant leads in the search for 47-year-old Tara Sullivan and is once again asking the public to come forward with any information they can provide about the last few weeks leading up to her disappearance.
“It’s been incredibly difficult for our investigators to pinpoint the reason for Tara’s disappearance,” shared Captain of Investigations Jeff Stefonek in a press release. “It remains unclear if Tara was experiencing a mental health crisis, was abducted, or left under her own will. Regardless of the reason, we hope Tara returns home safely in the end.”
Officers have released more details regarding the suspicious circumstances that were found at her home when they tried to return her cell phone in late April. That includes damage to her garage door caused by a vehicle backing out of the structure while the door was still closed. Stefonek says they have confirmed that through matching damage on her vehicle, though they don’t know if she was in the vehicle at the time of the crash. Officers also found “scattered locations of her possessions” inside the home.
Sullivan’s vehicle was found abandoned along Highway 29 in Shawano County. Officers have conducted numerous searches in that area over the last few weeks with no success, and at this time they don’t have enough evidence to justify a wide-scale search with volunteers. Though Stefonek says they will put out a call for one if the evidence in the case calls for one.
Stefonek says they also plan to search her digital footprint including her cell phone for clues, but they will have to wait until they can unlock her phone. Getting into a locked phone involves what he calls a game of “forensic leap-frog” between the manufacturers of the forensic devices and Apple/Android. “They’ll come out with a [software] update, and then we can’t get into [the device] for a certain amount of time [until] the forensic companies come out with their latest update. That’s when we can get into the phones.”
Sullivan is described to be approximately 5’ 7” tall, 128 pounds, with green eyes. Her current hair color and clothing description are unknown. She is known to be without her vehicle, cell phone, and purse, including her identification, credit cards, and cash.
They are also continuing to ask those who know her well to come forward with any information regarding her disappearance. Those tips should be made to the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office at 715-261-1200, option 5, to speak with an investigator. If you see Tara or know of her whereabouts, please call 9-1-1 so that law enforcement can verify her safety.
