Search Continues For Missing Griffith Woman
Area police departments have been searching for a mentally handicapped woman who is believed to have walked from her group home in the area of 35thAve and Cline Ave in Griffith just prior to 6:00 AM on Saturday, May 16th, according to Commander Keith Martin of The Griffith Police. The 48 year old woman, Dushawna, is a black female, approx 5’ tall, weighing approx 180 lbs, and was believed to be wearing blue jeans and what appears to be a denim shirt or jacket. She is reported to be soft spoken and is described as having the mental capacity of a young child.
Officers checked the area and a helicopter from the Lake County Sheriff’s Aviation Unit as well as a Griffith K-9 were initially utilized in the search of the area. A Silver Alert, social media postings, and press releases were issued by police on Saturday. An employee of a business, just blocks from the area the woman was reported to have been last seen, spoke with police on Sunday, May 17th. The employee stated that they believed they had seen the woman walking in the area of his nearby business around the time she was reported missing, Martin stated.
A Griffith officer utilizing an all terrain vehicle then checked the area northbound from the area of River Rd and Indiana Ave, just a couple of blocks from her group home, in a wooded lowland area. The ATV Officer located a white flip-flop sandal in the lowland area just a few hundred feet from where the woman was last seen. The sandal matched that of the shoes Dushawna was believed to have been wearing. Given this information, two Griffith Police K-9 units checked the area with no results. Air units were unavailable due to weather and the search had to be discontinued for the evening as conditions were making the area un-navigable.
Police were contacted on Monday morning, May 18th, by an employee in the area who had spoken with searching family members. He too had seen the woman in the area on the Saturday she went missing, Martin said. Video obtained by that employee’s nearby business, shows the woman walking northbound from the area of River Rd and Indiana Ave, just a couple of blocks from her group home, at about 6:00 AM, into the wooded lowland area, before going out of view of the camera.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Aviation Unit, the Hammond Police Department drone unit, members of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources utilizing a boat and all terrain vehicle, as well as Griffith officers and officers of the Canadian National Railroad searched the area again Monday morning and afternoon. The flooded area of the private property hampered search efforts and again had to be discontinued after several hours. Griffith officers as well as Department of Natural Resources officers are monitoring the weather and water levels of the area and will resume a check of the area again as soon as conditions allow, Martin stated. The area is still considered to be dangerous and citizens are prohibited from entering the property.
Although much effort has been put into checking the areas near where the woman was last seen, police are still working the possibility that Dushawna is not in that area; and detectives will continue to follow up on any leads developed or provided, Martin stated.
Citizens are reported to have been volunteering their assistance and any information gathered by anyone can be provided by calling 9-1-1 immediately or by contacting Griffith Police Detective Al Tharp at 219-924-7503 ext 252.
