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Stiles, Tonia 11-18-10; Grass Lake Twp., MI - age 34
Topic Started: Dec 4 2010, 03:23 PM (758 Views)
tatertot
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http://www.wilx.com/news/headlines/Missing..._111293514.html

Missing Woman's Boyfriend Found Dead
Missing woman Tonia Stiles' boyfriend, in jail for an unrelated charge, was found dead Friday by police.
Posted: 6:24 PM Dec 3, 2010
Reporter: Jamie Edmonds

From the minute she was reported missing on November 18th, Tonia Stiles' family and friends have not given up hope -- or the search -- often going out on their own in Grass Lake Township to look for her.

But Friday, something changed.

"We're never going to find her now," Stiles' friend, Charity Golombek, said. "We're never going to find Tonia."

Tonia's live-in boyfriend Scott Steven Cassidy, in jail since November 24th for an unrelated charge, hanged himself Friday inside a jail bathroom.

"With his passing, Tonia's family believes so, too, did the information of her whereabouts.

"He held the key to finding her," Golombek said. "He knew something and now we'll never know where she is."

Cassidy was the last person to see Tonia Stiles police said, he's also the one who reported her missing.

"Detectives have talked to Scott Cassidy and gotten information from him," Lt. Jim Shaw of the Michigan State Police said. "Obviously it's disappointing. Our condolences go to the Cassidy family. Obviously we would have liked to interview him further."

Both police and the family of Tonia Stiles believe this is a major setback in the search for her, but both say they won't give up until they get some answers.

"Our investigation will continue," Lt. Shaw said.

"The family is not going to give up on her," Golombek said. "She is somewhere. If it takes 5 or 15 years, we'll find her."

Golombek said Stiles would never leave her two children without notice, which is why as time passes, it gets a little harder.

"If you're out there, please come home," Stiles' son said.

A candlelight vigil is being held in Stiles' honor Saturday night at 6 p.m. a Napoleon Township Park.

Tonia Stiles is 34 years old. She is 5'4", 140 lbs with blond hair and blue eyes. She has a full back tattoo of tribal art. She has a scar on her right leg that is about an inch long, and a birth mark on her upper lip.
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Vigil held for missing Grass Lake woman (with video)
Published: Saturday, December 04, 2010, 11:13 PM Updated: Sunday, December 05, 2010, 9:46 AM
Holly Klaft | Jackson Citizen Patriot
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Citizen Patriot | Lauren WoodCharity Golombek, a friend of Tonia Renee Stiles, and Patrick Whitehill, Stiles' brother, talk about Stiles, the Grass Lake Township woman who went missing on Nov. 18, at the vigil held for her in Napoleon on Saturday night. At the end of Golombek's speech, she played "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, a song she and Stiles used to listen to.


Praying for a woman they called bubbly and outgoing, friends and family of Tonia Renee Stiles gathered Saturday by candlelight to buoy spirits as hope for her safe return dims.

More than 50 people attended an evening vigil at Napoleon Township Park for Stiles, who has been missing since Nov. 18. They wiped away tears as prayers were read aloud.

“It’s not like her to just leave,” said her brother, Jim Whitehill, of Mosherville. “We miss her.”

Concern for Stiles’ well being grows as each day passes without a sign of her, said Lt. Jim Shaw, commander of the Michigan State Police post in Jackson. He attended the vigil and assured attendees that detectives are focused on finding the 34-year-old.

Authorities have not determined the circumstances that led to Stiles’ disappearance, but there is mounting speculation that it was involuntary, Shaw said.

“We want to be open to all possibilities,” he said.

Friends and family plan to scour the Wolf Lake Park area today to look for her.

They were rocked Friday by the suicide of Stiles’ boyfriend, Scott Steven Cassidy, and temporarily called off their search for her to grieve.

Police believe Cassidy, 30, hanged himself Friday morning in the Jackson County Jail on Wesley Street, where he was being held on a charge of vehicle theft. Police arrested Cassidy on Nov. 24 for allegedly stealing a van from the Comtronics parking lot in downtown Jackson. He was on probation at the time.



Vigil for Tonia Stiles

A vigil was held for Tonia Stiles on Saturday night in Napoleon Township.

Watch video


It has not been determined whether Cassidy, who lived with Stiles in Grass Lake Township, had anything to do with her disappearance. His death has not caused police to change the direction of the investigation, but it has had an impact on the case, Shaw said.

State police are investigating his death.

Cassidy, who reported Stiles missing and was among the last people to see her, had been interviewed by police, but no more than any boyfriend would be in such a situation, police said.

Friends and family said the pair had been arguing recently, but Stiles did not often talk about their relationship.

“They were good in the beginning, but then they turned to oil and water,” Stiles’ friend Kelly Campbell said. “They were really happy together, then they went downhill.”

Charity Golombek, another friend of Stiles, said the families of both Cassidy and Stiles should be included in prayers.

She said she was grateful for the community’s help in the hunt for Stiles. The search started with four people but has grown to include hundreds of volunteers, Golombek said.

Stiles’ mother, Betty Whitehill, said she would not join today’s effort to look for her daughter for fear of what she could find.

Whitehill said her co-workers are encouraging her to keep a positive outlook.

“In my heart, I’m worried to death,” Whitehill said.

Others said they have lost hope that Stiles is alive.

“We’ve accepted we’re not looking for Tonia anymore. We’re looking for a body,” Campbell said.

Friends and family said it would be unusual for Stiles to not contact her children before leaving. Her 15-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter are with their fathers.

Shaw said few clues to point to Stiles’ potential whereabouts.

“Investigators working on this case will not rest until we bring Tonia home,” he said.


http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ss...ng_grass_l.html


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http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ss...6/post_135.html

Family not giving up search for woman that's been missing for seven months
Published: Sunday, June 19, 2011, 3:30 PM Updated: Monday, June 20, 2011, 10:50 AM
Danielle Salisbury | Jackson Citizen Patriot By Danielle Salisbury | Jackson Citizen
Nathan Gorzen’s father threw him a surprise party to celebrate his recent 16th birthday.

Many were there, showering him with silly string, but one notable person was absent, the woman who rented Gorzen bounce houses, a magician and even a petting zoo on past birthdays.

His mother, Tonia Renee Stiles, whose presents and parties always were over the top, has been missing for seven months.

“I figured on my birthday, if she was out there, she’d get a hold of me,” Gorzen said last week, but he heard what he’s heard for 213 days — nothing.

“I miss her...” he said. “A lot.”

Michigan State Police suspect foul play, possibly by her boyfriend, but have found no trace of Stiles or her remains.

Today, she turned 35.

What might have been another day of celebration is another day of uncertainty.

“Every day, we just talk amongst us. Where in the world is she? How could this have happened?” Betty Whitehill of Jackson said. She is Stiles’ adopted mother and hopes to draw the public’s attention back to her daughter’s case. “After it gets a certain time, people just forget.”
How to help
If anyone has information about Tonia Renee Stiles, or about a white, Ford F-250 driven by her boyfriend, Scott Cassidy, they are encouraged to call the Michigan State Police at 780-4580. Stiles mother, Betty Whitehill, urges people to keep their eyes and ears open.

If residents were to find something they believe significant, Michigan State Police Lt. Jim Shaw advises them to leave it undisturbed and call 911. Detective Sgt. Lisa Gee-Cram is handling the case. Anyone who wishes to donate money for the search for Stiles or for a reward for information, may do so at trackmissing.org. Those making donations should designate their donation for the Stiles case.

Family members dread news of what they believe is true, and hope for what authorities say is unlikely — that Stiles is alive.

She was last seen on Nov. 18 in the home she shared with her boyfriend, Scott Cassidy, on Orban Road in Grass Lake Township.

On Dec. 3, Cassidy, 31, killed himself in the Jackson County Jail, where he was being held after he allegedly stole a Comtronics van on Nov. 24.

Police and family members fear with Cassidy they might have lost critical information about Stiles, mother of two.

State Police 1st Lt. Jim Shaw, commander of the Jackson post, said Cassidy was a “person of interest” in Stiles disappearance.

It is possible, as her boyfriend, the person who reported her missing and the last person that saw her, he was involved or had knowledge of what happened, Shaw said.

“I just think he had something to do with it,” said Gorzen, who lives with his father, Lee Gorzen, stepmother and others on the southeast outskirts of Jackson.

“It is just suspicious he would go to jail and randomly commit suicide,” Nathan Gorzen said.

Cassidy, who did tree and landscaping work, was having financial difficulties and was losing his house, Whitehill earlier said. He and Stiles had a fight before she disappeared, according to past reports.

Investigators did interview Cassidy before his death, but were unable to obtain any information, Shaw said. “It is my understanding he denied any involvement in her disappearance.”

Stiles is registered in a national law enforcement system as missing, and officers across the country would be alerted to her status if they encountered her or her name. “Nothing would please us more than if we got a phone call from California because she got a traffic ticket,” Shaw said.

Police say there have been no signs, such as ongoing financial transactions, that would show Stiles is voluntarily missing, Shaw said. She had no vehicle or driver’s license.

Family members argue she wouldn’t go so long without making contact. “She could have been mad at Scott, but she wasn’t mad at the world,” Whitehill said.

Ground and air searches were conducted, but netted no significant findings.

The case is “far from closed,” Shaw said. “We sure would like to bring some closure for the family.”

Heather Holland, director of TrackMissing, which aims to help law enforcement agencies and families locate missing people, is looking into the case.

She helped find the remains of Kristen Spires in April near Big Rapids, almost a year after Spires disappeared.

A blow to the head is believed to have killed the 20-year-old, according to news reports.

“I am really optimistic she is able to be found,” Holland said of Stiles, whom she does not believe is alive.

She began working on the case about three weeks ago.

Friends are planning a benefit concert this summer to raise money for a reward for information, said

Charity Golombek, Lee Gorzen’s sister. Golombek started a Facebook page, “Bring Tonia Stiles (aka Renee Whitehill) home safe,” which remains active.

She has known Stiles since Stiles was a teenager.

Stiles was born in the Detroit area, but Whitehill and her husband, James Whitehill Sr., adopted her when she was 9.

She had a troubled childhood and spent time in foster care, Lee Gorzen said. He never married Stiles but said he maintained a decent relationship with her because of their son. “She’s got a bum rap her whole life. She deserves better,” he said.

“All she wanted was to be was cared about.”

She went to Hanover-Horton High School and used to work at the Napoleon Cafe in Napoleon Township and Frank’s Shop Rite in Grass Lake.

Recently, she had been staying home with her daughter, Ayla Stiles, 8, whose father is Stiles’ former husband, Jason Stiles. Ayla is now with her dad.

Ayla lost her home, Cassidy, and her mother, and had to change schools, Whitehill said. “That is a lot for an 8-year-old to handle.”

She’s had trouble sleeping, Whitehill said.

Nathan Gorzen, a da Vinci Institute student, said he’s dreamt about his mom. Just recently, he dreamed she was in the den of the Gorzens’ house. “She was like, ‘I will see you soon,’” he said.

Back to reality, he said he feels a lot of emotions. Mad. Scared. Confused.

“I think about it constantly. It sucks,” he said. He lived with his mom until he was about 13. He was a bit “bad,” he said, and they had arguments, but always stayed close and in contact. They talked every week when he was living with his dad, an Iraq War veteran, near an Army base in Washington.

On Nov. 17, she messaged, “I love you” on Gorzen’s MySpace page. “And that was it,” he said. It was the last he heard from her.

He has some hope for good news. Maybe she flew somewhere far away and is living a new life, he said.

“Hopefully, they find her on a beach somewhere in Maui,” Lee Gorzen said.

Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
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Search for missing Grass Lake woman Tonia Stiles continues; investigation into boyfriend's suicide yields no surprises, police say
Published: Monday, December 06, 2010, 9:51 PM Updated: Tuesday, December 07, 2010, 6:21 AM
Aaron Aupperlee | Jackson Citizen Patriot By Aaron Aupperlee | Jackson Citizen Patriot The Jackson Citizen Patriot
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Tonia Stiles.jpgTonia Stiles

The search for Tonia Stiles continued Monday, three days after her boyfriend committed suicide inside the Jackson County Jail.

Michigan State Police detectives searched but found no new developments, state police said. Others combed Wolf Lake County Park on Sunday for signs of the Grass Lake woman missing since Nov. 18 but found nothing of significance, said Patrick Whitehill, Stiles’ brother.

Undersheriff Tom Finco said the Michigan State Police and sheriff detectives finished their investigation into the suicide of Stiles’ boyfriend, Scott Cassidy, who hanged himself Friday morning in a bathroom inside the Jackson County Jail facility downtown. Finco said the investigation yielded no surprises.

Investigators interviewed other inmates who shared a dormitory-style cell with Cassidy and inmates across the hall from his cell, Finco said. Cassidy was jailed Nov. 24 and later charged with vehicle theft and receiving and concealing a stolen motor vehicle. He allegedly stole a van from the Comtronics parking lot at Washington Avenue and Cooper Street.

Cassidy used a piece of cable from a jail TV to hang himself from a shower about 9:15 a.m. Friday at the Wesley Street jail facility downtown.

Finco said the investigation revealed no wrongdoing or inappropriate actions by the jail’s staff. The matter will be reviewed by the prosecutor’s office. Inmates were not able to tell investigators why Cassidy committed suicide.

Whitehill, who called Cassidy one of his better friends, does not think Cassidy had anything to do with Stiles’ disappearance.

“I don’t believe that he would set out to hurt my sister,” Whitehill said.

The two met through Stiles and knew each other for nearly three years.

“Nothing worse could have happened to a better individual,” Whitehill said.

He said Cassidy was a hardworking man and dedicated to Stiles. Cassidy worked, starting his own tree service, and Stiles stayed home to take care of her daughter.

Friends and family paused their search for Stiles on Saturday to mourn Cassidy’s death. When the search for Stiles resumed Sunday, Whitehill said the mood was particularly somber.

“My sister is lost, and I need help finding her,” he said. “And now I’m mourning the loss of one of my best friends.”

The search for Stiles in ongoing.
Related topics: Tonia Stiles


http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ss...grass_lake.html
Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
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Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


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http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ss..._grass_lak.html

Update: Friends of missing Grass Lake woman call off search for a day after boyfriend commits suicide in Jackson County Jail
Published: Friday, December 03, 2010, 11:01 PM Updated: Saturday, December 04, 2010, 9:18 AM
Fritz Klug | The Kalamazoo Gazette By Fritz Klug | The Kalamazoo Gazette The Jackson Citizen Patriot
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scott_cassidy_mug.jpgFile photoScott Steven Cassidy

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Mother of missing Grass Lake woman shocked after daughter's boyfriend commits suicide in Jackson County Jail

A missing woman’s boyfriend, jailed for vehicle theft, died Friday after police believe he hanged himself in the Jackson County Jail.

Scott Steven Cassidy, 30, used a piece of cable from a jail TV to suspend himself by the neck from a shower about 9:15 a.m. Friday at the Wesley Street facility downtown, Undersheriff Tom Finco said.

Cassidy shared a cell with 13 other inmates but was alone in a private bathroom, Finco said. Police are interviewing his cell mates and others.

The Michigan State Police will investigate.

Tonia Stiles.jpgTonia Stiles
RELATED CONTENT
• Police have few clues in disappearance of Grass Lake woman

• State police seeking help in locating missing Grass Lake woman

• Friends, family out searching for Grass Lake woman who has been missing for more than a week

Cassidy lived in Grass Lake Township with Tonia Renee Stiles, 34, who has been missing since Nov. 18.

Friends and family stopped their search for Stiles on Friday to deal with Cassidy’s death, said Stiles’ friend, Charity Golombek.

“We thought we would give it a day to get our emotions under control,” Golombek said. “We’re all disappointed and sad for his family.”

Authorities continue to search for Stiles and have not determined the reason for the disappearance or whether it was voluntary. An investigation is ongoing.

Efforts to reach Cassidy’s family were not successful. An aunt called what happened a “devastating situation” but said little more. As of Friday afternoon, police had not told Cassidy’s parents of his death, she claimed. Finco said “next of kin” had been notified before the sheriff’s office publicly released Cassidy’s name.

His mother lives on the state’s east side, outside Detroit, Stiles' mother, Betty Whitehill, said and records show. He grew up in that area, she said.

Police arrested Cassidy on Nov. 24, the day he allegedly stole a van from the Comtronics parking lot at Washington Avenue and Cooper Street. Police said they tracked the vehicle via a GPS-enabled cell phone left in the van.

On probation at the time, Cassidy was jailed and charged with vehicle theft and receiving and concealing a stolen motor vehicle.

It has not been determined whether he had anything to do with Stiles’ disappearance.

Police interviewed Cassidy, but no more than investigators would question any boyfriend in such a situation, said state police Lt. Jim Shaw, commander of the Jackson post.

“We don’t know if today’s activities will shed any information on her whereabouts,” Shaw said Friday.

Cassidy reported Stiles missing and was among the last people to see her, Shaw said.

The two had been living together on Orban Road for about a year and a half, Whitehill said.

He operated Cassidy Tree Service off his property, Whitehill and a friend of Stiles said, and Stiles was able to stay home with her young daughter.

“Scott always seemed like a very nice gentleman. He was a hard worker. He was always working,” Whitehill said.

On Nov. 18, Cassidy called Whitehill and asked if Stiles was at Whitehill’s home on Fourth Street, which she was not, Whitehill said. Cassidy said he and Stiles had been arguing.

“They had gotten into a big fight the day before,” said Golombek, whose brother is a father to one of Stiles’ two children, neither of whom belonged to Cassidy.

Cassidy and Stiles were having some money-related issues, Golombek said. Cassidy was losing his home, Whitehill said previously.

Earlier this year, he was given three years probation. He pleaded guilty to a firearm offense and a marijuana crime, according to court records.

Whitehill said he was a hunter who owned guns.

In 1997, he was convicted of home invasion in Wayne County, a felony. Felons generally are not allowed to possess firearms.

A Jackson County Jail inmate last committed suicide in 2006, Finco said. A 44-year-old man hanged himself in his cell with inmate clothing he attached to cell bars, according to Citizen Patriot records.

A candlelight vigil for Tonia Stiles is planned from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday at Napoleon Township Park at East Avenue and Austin Road.

— Staff writer Holly Klaft contributed to this story.
Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


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http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ss...s_in_disap.html

Police have few clues in disappearance of Grass Lake woman
Published: Tuesday, November 30, 2010, 11:49 PM Updated: Friday, December 03, 2010, 4:11 PM
Fritz Klug | The Kalamazoo Gazette By Fritz Klug | The Kalamazoo Gazette The Jackson Citizen Patriot
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Tonia Stiles.jpgTonia Stiles

It’s been nearly two weeks since Tonia Stiles was last seen at her Grass Lake home, and there is little indication where she might be.

Lt. Jim Shaw, commander of the Michigan State Police Jackson Post, said there is not enough evidence to determine why the 34-year-old woman disappeared or if her disappearance was voluntary.

There are three possibilities, Shaw said. Stiles could have left on her own and does not want to be found; she was alone and had some kind of medical emergency; or she is missing because of foul play.

Shaw said since police don’t have any strong evidence about what happened, they are looking at the case broadly.

“We assume nothing and explore all possibilities,” he said. “There is not one thing that points one way or the other.”

Stiles hasn’t been seen since Nov. 18. Shaw said the unusual circumstances surrounding her disappearance have led police to be concerned for her well-being. She did not contact any family or friends, which Shaw said is unusual for her.

Shaw said Stiles is registered in a national system that will alert police of any traffic stops or financial transactions she makes anywhere in the country.

Shaw said the investigation has proven even more difficult because Stiles doesn’t have a cell phone or car, two things that are helpful in locating a missing person.

Police worked the case over Thanksgiving weekend, Shaw said. On Monday night, they again searched the house and surrounding property on Orban Road that Stiles shared with her boyfriend, Scott Cassidy.

The Jackson County Major Crimes Task Force is assisting in the case, which will give police more resources, Shaw said.

Investigators are interviewing Cassidy, Shaw said. Cassidy was arrested last week for allegedly stealing a Comtronics van from the company’s location at Washington Avenue and Cooper Street in Jackson.

Police have found nothing to tie Cassidy to Stiles’ disappearance, Shaw said.

The investigation and search will continue, Shaw said. “Until she is found, we can’t do enough.”

Stiles’ friends are facing the same problems as state police, said Charity Golombek. Groups have searched nearby property for anything that can provide information about Stiles.

The groups have searched near the home on Orban Road as well property Stiles had recently purchased on Norvell Beach Drive in Brooklyn.

“We’re still pretty much in the dark, but we’re continuing to look every day,” Golombek said.

They are looking for anything that can be linked to her.

It’s been difficult on family and friends, Golombek said. “Her children are missing her terribly.”

How to help

Charity Golombek, a friend of Tonia Stiles, is asking anyone interested in helping to search for Stiles to call her at 416-0223.

Police are asking anyone with information to call Michigan State Police Lt. Jim Shaw at 780-4580, ext. 223, or Trooper Gordon Van Gelder at ext. 813.
Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
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State police seeking help in locating missing Grass Lake woman
Published: Tuesday, November 23, 2010, 3:07 PM Updated: Friday, December 03, 2010, 4:13 PM
Fritz Klug | The Kalamazoo Gazette By Fritz Klug | The Kalamazoo Gazette The Jackson Citizen Patriot
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web_toniaStiles2.jpgTonia Stiles

The Michigan State Police are seeking help in finding a 34-year-old Grass Lake woman who has been missing since Thursday.

Tonia Renee Stiles was last seen Thursday morning at her residence on Orban Road in Grass Lake Township, said Lt. Jim Shaw, commander of the Jackson post.

Stiles does not have a cell phone or a vehicle, Shaw said, and friends and family have not been able to contact her.

Stiles is white with blue eyes and blonde hair. She is 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds. Police do not know what she was wearing when she went missing.

Shaw said Stiles has left unannounced in the past, but did not take any personal items with her this time. He does not suspect foul play at this time.

Shaw asks anyone with information about Stiles to contact him at 780-4580 ext. 233, or Trooper Gordon Van Gelder at ext. 813.

http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ss..._help_in_l.html

Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


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Hope diminishing for friends, family searching for Tonia Stiles, Grass Lake woman missing since Nov. 18
Published: Friday, December 10, 2010, 8:28 PM Updated: Saturday, December 11, 2010, 7:29 PM
Fritz Klug | The Kalamazoo Gazette By Fritz Klug | The Kalamazoo Gazette The Jackson Citizen Patriot
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Tonia Stiles.jpgTonia Stiles

As snow covers the property around Tonia Stiles’ home in Grass Lake, her friends, family and the Michigan State Police have found little evidence pointing to where the 34-year-old woman has gone.

“Each day that goes by we become more concerned for her well-being,” said Lt. Jim Shaw, commander of the Jackson post.

Detectives are still interviewing and collecting evidence, Shaw said. On Monday, troopers searched most of the area around her home on Orban Road in Grass Lake and property she owned on Norvell Beach Drive in Brooklyn.

Shaw said they used a helicopter and searched on foot with dogs.

Stiles has been missing since Nov. 18. Investigators have nothing informing them if Stiles left on her own will, had a medical emergency or if there was foul play.

Last week Stiles’ boyfriend, Scott Cassidy, hanged himself in the Jackson County Jail, where he was in custody for stealing a van from Comtronics. Shaw said he was one of the last people to see her and called in that she was missing.

Elizabeth Carrol, who knows Stiles from when she worked at the Napoleon Cafe, said searchers were told to stop Monday. She said the lack of evidence is frustrating for everyone involved.

“It’s like she turned to dust and blew away,” she said.

Shaw said anyone with information on Stiles, whether they think it is relevant or not, should contact the post at 517-780-4580.

Stiles is 5 foot, 8 inches and weighs 140 pounds. She has brown hair and green eyes. She is also known as Renee Whitehill.
Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


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http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ss...6/post_135.html

Family not giving up search for woman who's been missing for seven months
Published: Sunday, June 19, 2011, 3:30 PM Updated: Tuesday, June 21, 2011, 10:04 AM
Danielle Salisbury | Jackson Citizen Patriot By Danielle Salisbury | Jackson Citizen Patriot The Jackson Citizen Patriot
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Nathan Gorzen’s father threw him a surprise party to celebrate his recent 16th birthday.

Many were there, showering him with silly string, but one notable person was absent, the woman who rented Gorzen bounce houses, a magician and even a petting zoo on past birthdays.

His mother, Tonia Renee Stiles, whose presents and parties always were over the top, has been missing for seven months.

“I figured on my birthday, if she was out there, she’d get a hold of me,” Gorzen said last week, but he heard what he’s heard for 213 days — nothing.

“I miss her...” he said. “A lot.”

Michigan State Police suspect foul play, possibly by her boyfriend, but have found no trace of Stiles or her remains.

Today, she turned 35.

What might have been another day of celebration is another day of uncertainty.

“Every day, we just talk amongst us. Where in the world is she? How could this have happened?” Betty Whitehill of Jackson said. She is Stiles’ adopted mother and hopes to draw the public’s attention back to her daughter’s case. “After it gets a certain time, people just forget.”
How to help
If anyone has information about Tonia Renee Stiles, or about a white, Ford F-250 driven by her boyfriend, Scott Cassidy, they are encouraged to call the Michigan State Police at 780-4580. Stiles mother, Betty Whitehill, urges people to keep their eyes and ears open.

If residents were to find something they believe significant, Michigan State Police Lt. Jim Shaw advises them to leave it undisturbed and call 911. Detective Sgt. Lisa Gee-Cram is handling the case. Anyone who wishes to donate money for the search for Stiles or for a reward for information, may do so at trackmissing.org. Those making donations should designate their donation for the Stiles case.

Family members dread news of what they believe is true, and hope for what authorities say is unlikely — that Stiles is alive.

She was last seen on Nov. 18 in the home she shared with her boyfriend, Scott Cassidy, on Orban Road in Grass Lake Township.

On Dec. 3, Cassidy, 31, killed himself in the Jackson County Jail, where he was being held after he allegedly stole a Comtronics van on Nov. 24.

Police and family members fear with Cassidy they might have lost critical information about Stiles, mother of two.

State Police 1st Lt. Jim Shaw, commander of the Jackson post, said Cassidy was a “person of interest” in Stiles disappearance.

It is possible, as her boyfriend, the person who reported her missing and the last person that saw her, he was involved or had knowledge of what happened, Shaw said.

“I just think he had something to do with it,” said Gorzen, who lives with his father, Lee Gorzen, stepmother and others on the southeast outskirts of Jackson.

“It is just suspicious he would go to jail and randomly commit suicide,” Nathan Gorzen said.

Cassidy, who did tree and landscaping work, was having financial difficulties and was losing his house, Whitehill earlier said. He and Stiles had a fight before she disappeared, according to past reports.

Investigators did interview Cassidy before his death, but were unable to obtain any information, Shaw said. “It is my understanding he denied any involvement in her disappearance.”

Stiles is registered in a national law enforcement system as missing, and officers across the country would be alerted to her status if they encountered her or her name. “Nothing would please us more than if we got a phone call from California because she got a traffic ticket,” Shaw said.

Police say there have been no signs, such as ongoing financial transactions, that would show Stiles is voluntarily missing, Shaw said. She had no vehicle or driver’s license.

Family members argue she wouldn’t go so long without making contact. “She could have been mad at Scott, but she wasn’t mad at the world,” Whitehill said.

Ground and air searches were conducted, but netted no significant findings.

The case is “far from closed,” Shaw said. “We sure would like to bring some closure for the family.”

Heather Holland, director of TrackMissing, which aims to help law enforcement agencies and families locate missing people, is looking into the case.

She helped find the remains of Kristen Spires in April near Big Rapids, almost a year after Spires disappeared. A blow to the head is believed to have killed the 20-year-old, according to news reports.

“I am really optimistic she is able to be found,” Holland said of Stiles, whom she does not believe is alive.

She began working on the case about three weeks ago.

There is a Facebook page, “Bring Tonia Stiles (aka Renee Whitehill) home safe” and friends are planning a benefit concert this summer to raise money for a reward for information, said Charity Golombek, Lee Gorzen’s sister. She has known Stiles since Stiles was a teenager.

Stiles was born in the Detroit area, but Whitehill and her husband, James Whitehill Sr., adopted her when she was 9.

She had a troubled childhood and spent time in foster care, Lee Gorzen said. He never married Stiles but said he maintained a decent relationship with her because of their son. “She’s got a bum rap her whole life. She deserves better,” he said.

“All she wanted was to be was cared about.”

She went to Hanover-Horton High School and used to work at the Napoleon Cafe in Napoleon Township and Frank’s Shop Rite in Grass Lake.

Recently, she had been staying home with her daughter, Ayla Stiles, 8, whose father is Stiles’ former husband, Jason Stiles. Ayla is now with her dad.

Ayla lost her home, Cassidy, and her mother, and had to change schools, Whitehill said. “That is a lot for an 8-year-old to handle.”

She’s had trouble sleeping, Whitehill said.

Nathan Gorzen, a da Vinci Institute student, said he’s dreamt about his mom. Just recently, he dreamed she was in the den of the Gorzens’ house. “She was like, ‘I will see you soon,’” he said.

Back to reality, he said he feels a lot of emotions. Mad. Scared. Confused.

“I think about it constantly. It sucks,” he said. He lived with his mom until he was about 13. He was a bit “bad,” he said, and they had arguments, but always stayed close and in contact. They talked every week when he was living with his dad, an Iraq War veteran, near an Army base in Washington.

On Nov. 17, she messaged, “I love you” on Gorzen’s MySpace page. “And that was it,” he said. It was the last he heard from her.

He has some hope for good news. Maybe she flew somewhere far away and is living a new life, he said.

“Hopefully, they find her on a beach somewhere in Maui,” Lee Gorzen said.
Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
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monkalup
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The Old Heifer! An oxymoron, of course.
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Nearly one year after disappearance of Tonia Stiles, police urge hunters to report anything suspicious
Published: Friday, October 28, 2011, 2:35 PM Updated: Friday, October 28, 2011, 8:02 PM
Aaron McMann By Aaron McMann The Jackson Citizen Patriot
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Vigil for Tonia Stilesfile photoShortly after Stiles' disappearance, friends and family held a vigil.
The one-year anniversary of the disappearance of Tonia Stiles is fast approaching and Michigan State Police are urging citizens to take another look around before the snow starts falling.

Stiles, 34, disappeared from her Grass Lake home in November 2010 and hasn't been seen since. While police have received a large number of tips from local citizens, search efforts have failed in finding the mother of two.

She was last seen on Nov. 18, 2010, at a residence she and her boyfriend Scott Cassidy shared on Orban Road in Norvell Township. Cassidy was jailed less than a week later for vehicle theft and hanged himself in his dormitory-style cell at the Jackson County Jail on Dec. 3.

Police say they have nothing new and few clues to go on, and have no reason to believe Cassidy had anything to do with Stiles' disappearance.

Police are now treating the case as a recovery effort and believe that Stiles is more than likely dead.

"She left two kids behind," said Sgt. Lisa Gee-Cram of the Michigan State Police Jackson post. "We don't believe she ran away and acquired a new identity. She didn't have the means and resources to do it."

Gee-Cram said family members are urging area hunters and outdoor enthusiasts to be aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious findings to the Michigan State Police at (517) 780-4580 or the Jackson County Tip Line at (517) 787-0212.
http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ss...r_after_di.html
Lauran

"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth." The late, great Roberto Clemente.


In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
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https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/9378/201
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