SEARCH FOR BUTLER IN VAIN

Last Tuesday, December 5, Search crews from the New Madrid County Sheriff’s Department as well as surrounding agencies descended on a piece of property near the intersection of County Roads 262 and 253 in New Madrid County near Tallapoosa.

Police investigators used heavy equipment here Tuesday in their relentless search for a missing Risco woman.

However, New Madrid County Sheriff Terry Stevens said at approximately 6 p.m. Tuesday that officers' quest to locate Teresa Butler, who was 35 when she vanished from her Risco home in late January, was in vain.

"We had heard rumors that she was killed and buried out here," Stevens said Tuesday morning at Tallapoosa near Missouri 153. "The rumors spread like wildfire.

"So, I decided it was our responsibility to come here, dig around and either find Teresa, or not," he added. "We have about half my force out here, and investigators from the Missouri State Highway Patrol Division of Drug and Crime Control and the Sikeston Department of Public Safety."

Missouri Highway Patrol Public Information Officer Sgt. Dale Moreland said personnel staged the area Monday, and that 20 officers and detectives arrived at the location Tuesday.

The area resembled an archaeological excavation, complete with a front-end loader, sifting boxes, and scores of investigators wielding hand tools, chest-deep in open pits.

Stevens and the investigators targeted the area near the intersection of New Madrid County Road 541 and Missouri 153 in rural New Madrid County based on information that circulated throughout the community for more than a month, the sheriff said.

"We were told that she was placed in a trash pit, covered with tires and then the tires were set on fire," Stevens said Tuesday evening. "Some of what we were told disproved itself

New Madrid County Sheriff Terry Stevens would not confirm why the crews were gathered or why the search was initiated, nor would anyone comment on whether the search resulted in anything promising.

Many sources believe the search stemmed from an ongoing investigation of the missing Risco woman, Teresa Butler.

On January 25th of 2006, after a completing her shift at the Dexter Walmart photo lab, Butler returned home to her two small children. Sometime during the night Butler disappeared and has never been seen or heard from again. 

The family has continued to search and look for answers but no arrests have been made in connection with her disappearance yet.

Teresa Butler's father, Don Buchanan of Risco, said Tuesday that Christmas won't be the same for the family without Teresa there to share in the joy.

"Thanksgiving came and went without her," he said. "We got together and had dinner.

"I'm sure all the kids and our six grandkids will be here on Christmas Eve.

"But Christmas will be just another day for me," the bereaved father continued. "Of course, we're blessed with our family and with all our friends who have shown us so much kindness. We're thankful for all of them. We all just miss Teresa so much. Her kids miss her. We just really want to find out what happened to her. Somebody out there knows. We want to know, too."

Buchanan added that his life has progressed, but not as he'd like.

"Some people take life a day at a time," he said. "I take it minute by minute."

Stevens noted Teresa Butler's disappearance has preyed on his own emotions.

"It's affected me," he said. "It's affected you.

"It's affected this whole community," the sheriff added. "What do you do when someone just disappears? What do you do?"