So far, officers said there have been no indications of foul play, but police are also not ruling out the possibility.
According to a report filed with the Springfield Police Division, Ward-Romine is described as 5-foot, 2-inch woman who weighs about 130 pounds, with blond hair and blue eyes. The report shows she has a tattoo of a fish on the right side of her neck. She was last seen on July 7 in the 3oo block of Buxton Avenue, the report said.
Family members did not report her missing until Aug. 9 because of a miscommunication, said Aliya Lindsey, Ward-Romine’s sister. Family members believed Ward-Romine had been in contact with other relatives. They reported her missing when they discovered that was not the case, Lindsey said.
Family members became especially concerned when Ward-Romine’s mother died last week and she did not attend the funeral. Ward-Romine usually stayed in close contact with her family members, Lindsey said.
“My sister would not miss that,” Lindsey said.
Lindsey last saw her sister at Lindsey’s home near Indian Lake on July 5. Ward-Romine was on her way to her home on Avondale Avenue, and Lindsey has not seen her since.
Police are concerned because of how long Ward-Romine has been missing, said Sgt. Jeff Flores, of the Springfield Police Division.
“We’re looking at every possible angle,” he said.
Lindsay said she is hoping her sister is alive but fears the worst.
“I’m grasping for straws to keep that hope, but it’s getting harder every day,” Lindsey said.
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