Police have looked at every lead searching for a missing Chelmsford mother. But they’re not giving up.
Susan Willand, 54, was last seen on Dec. 20.
Susan Willand.
Susan Willand has been missing for two-and-a-half weeks.
The 54-year-old Chelmsford mother of a grown daughter was last seen on Kennedy Drive around 7:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 20, when she left her home, leaving behind her wallet, keys, and cellphone, her family says.
“She left her dog and her daughter alone in the house, which is very uncharacteristic,” her family said in a statement shared Jan. 2.
“Sue has not been seen or heard from since,” it says.
‘A little bit at a loss’
Willand, who stands 5 feet, 7 inches tall and is described as having blond hair, green eyes, and a thin build weighing about 125 pounds, was wearing “a non-descript black jacket, green shirt, and dark pants,” Chelmsford police say.
According to authorities, Willand may “appear confused or disoriented.”
In the weeks since her family reported her missing, authorities have searched throughout North Chelmsford, particularly around the area where she was seen on a surveillance video later that day she disappeared, over near the Southwell Softball Fields near the banks of the Merrimack River off Wotton Street, Deputy Police Chief Daniel Ahern told Boston.com Tuesday.
Searches by foot, drone, K-9, and by boat have all proved fruitless. Officers continue to look daily.
Police have investigated every lead they’ve had and have used “pretty much every resource available to us,” Ahern said.
“Unless we develop new and further information, we’re a little bit at a loss,” he said in an interview. “(We’re) frustrated by that, but we continue to look.”
Local authorities will now coordinate with Massachusetts State Police to search the river with a team of divers given the chance that Willand could have fallen through the ice and into the water, Ahern said
Police, however, do not have specific information that Willand entered the river, according to Ahern, who said it’s “a guess at this point.”
“We’ll continue to work it until we find her,” he said. “We hope that we do that soon so we can bring some relief to Susan’s family.”
‘We’re holding out hope we can find her and get her help’
So far, investigators do not believe foul play was involved in Willand’s disappearance, Ahern said, adding that there is no threat to the community.
Susan Teal, Willand’s niece, told The Lowell Sun last week that Willand’s longtime boyfriend suffered a stroke one night a few weeks before she was last seen.
“She woke up and realized it was happening and called 911 and saved his life,” she said. “He’s the love of her life and she wanted to take care of him 24/7.”
Teal told the newspaper the family thinks Willand, although it’s out of character for her, may have disappeared over the stress of taking care of her boyfriend, the holidays, and her job. Her family does not believe she was taken, Teal said.
“She always puts other people before herself,” she said. “We’re holding out hope that we can find her and get her help and bring her home safely.”
In last week’s statement, Willand’s family called on the public for help, asking people to search their cars, sheds, homes, and any other place they can for evidence of Willand.
“Susan Willand is extremely athletic, an avid walker who can go quite far, so we are asking the surrounding communities to look for her as well,” her family said.
A “Find Sue Willand” Facebook page has also been created to bolster efforts.
And on Monday, Teal launched a GoFundMe campaign that seeks to raise money to cover the expenses of Willand’s bills until she returns home. The fundraiser has a goal of $25,000 and had raised over $2,200 as of Tuesday afternoon.
“We are also asking the community to share her information and picture with your friends, family, and extended community from our Facebook page @findsuew in the hopes that the more people who see her and know about her the faster we can bring her home safe,” the campaign page says.
Willand’s family, in its statement, described her as a hardworking but fun-loving person who raised her daughter on her own.
“Her family and friends love her, and her community has come together to ensure she comes home safely,” the statement says. “Sue, if you can hear this, please come home. We just want to know you are safe and we want you to know that we love you unconditionally. Your family is always here for you.”
Anyone who has information about Willand’s location or her condition is asked to contact Chelmsford police at 978-256-2521.
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