Search Teams Out Again Friday For A Missing Woman In Merrillville
Friday morning multiple search teams took to a four square mile area in Merrillville searching for Steffani Sanders for the fifth time extensively in recent weeks with no results.
Officials from multiple agencies scoured wooded areas, fields, vacant buildings, and waterways. The groups utilized drones, K9’s, ATV’s, and by trained search teams. Members from Illiana SAR, NWI K9 Search & Recovery, Merrillville Police, Indiana Conservation Officers, and Lake County Sheriff Department officers worked from 8-4 Friday. RNS was invited out to watch the extensive search with team members and we can positively say no detail or area was left untouched during the operation Friday.
Steffani Sanders was allegedly in a truck driven by Bobby Holland from Michigan City who fled from Merrillville Police after a suspicious vehicle call came in March 13th around 11:37 PM. Police believe the man was attempting to steal catalytic converters from vehicles. The pursuit started near the 1300 block of E. 86th St, according to Assistant Chief Kosta Nuses of The Merrillville Police. Merrillville Officers pursued the vehicle which left the roadway near Mississippi & E. 101st Ave and drove into a field in an attempt to evade officers.
The suspect vehicle eventually stopped and a foot pursuit and search of the surrounding areas was conducted utilizing K9 and drone deployments, during which a male party was apprehended. The driver, Bobby Holland, was found yelling for help in a near by creek suffering from Hypothermia from the cold water. A drone with FLIR confirmed the location of the driver of the truck screaming in the water as a dog was headed to him tracking his scent. Police body cam footage now released to RNS show the moments where the driver stated he had a passenger that was related to him in the vehicle as well. Police listened to Holland continuing to search for over two hours with no results from the drone and K9 on scene. The K9 never picked up a second scent from the vehicle as any time.
Two days later on March 15, 2021, a missing person report was filed at the Merrillville Police Department indicating that a female identified as Steffani Sanders had not been seen or heard from since March 13, 2021. Family of Steffani Sanders met with investigators and the Merrillville Chief of Police at the Merrillville Police Department on 3-17-2021 to discuss the investigation and to share information regarding Steffani’s disappearance. On that same day, drones were once again deployed to search the area where the pursuit had occurred with no results. Subsequently, a search for Steffani Sanders was coordinated to take place on 3-20-2021 utilizing search and rescue K9’s trained in human detection along with their handlers, in coordination with search and rescue professionals and volunteers on foot accompanied by law enforcement officers on ATV and UTV assisting in the search. This search was coordinated and executed in the areas both where the initial pursuit began as well as the location where the vehicle came to rest. After the plans had been organized for Sanders, investigators learned that the area to be searched coincided with the area that a male subject had been reported missing on 3-01-2021. To better utilize resources, the missing male subject was then added to the search area, police said. The search yielded no results for Steffani Sanders in either of the locations.
It was brought to the attention of investigators on 3-23-2021 that Steffani had possibly stopped at a gas station in the Michigan City area on 3-13-2021. Investigators were able to make contact with the business and confirm through video surveillance that Steffani and two males had been seen inside the gas station on the night of 3-13-2021. However she was in her own vehicle at that time. Since then the family received her vehicle back from one of the males seen at the gas station. It’s unclear how this happened in detail.
Steffani Sanders is described as an African American female, approximately 5’06 and 120 pounds, last seen wearing camouflage pants and jacket, dark boots with rubber soles, a black face covering, and a headscarf. The investigation is active and if anyone has any information regarding the whereabouts of Steffani Sanders, please contact the Merrillville Police Department at (219) 769-3722.
