Trish Bennett, Editor
CIRCLEVILLE – The Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office recently joined in the effort to help locate a group of missing Chillicothe women and bring justice for the victims in what is now being considered a string of homicides in the Ross County area.
Sheriff Robert Radcliff said he has assigned two detectives to assist however they can with the ongoing investigation in Chillicothe.
“I reached out to Sheriff (George) Lavender and offered our assistance,” Radcliff said. “We’re so close to Chillicothe, it only makes sense to work together on this. Sometimes it just helps to have a fresh set of eyes, and maybe our guys will recognize names or know people they might not be aware of. They’re not assigned full-time and still have duties here in Pickaway County, but we’ll do whatever we can to help.”
Although the arrangement was already in place, the announcement came following a rally held Monday in Chillicothe in which Ross County law enforcement agencies reached out to the community for help.
The rally, called the “Take It Back, Make It Ours” initiative, was aimed at bringing the community together to help eradicate drugs and keep Chillicothe a safe place to live.
Investigators believe the missing and deceased women all knew each other and shared a common history of drug usage. Radcliff said that thread makes it even more important for law enforcement agencies to work together in the investigation since they are already connected through the U.S. Route 23 Major Crimes Task Force.
At least one of the victims also has local ties to Pickaway County, he said.
Tiffany D. Sayre, the most recent victim, has relatives in the Circleville and Ashville area. Sayre was laid to rest in Forest Cemetery last week after her body was discovered wrapped in a sheet in a culvert near the Ross-Highland county border.
The cases have focused national attention on Chillicothe and its victims, including a recent feature on Sayre by The Huffington Post.
Sayre is one of four victims whose deaths are believed to be connected. The others are:
- Tameka Lynch, who was reported missing in May 2014. Her body was recovered in Paint Creek.
- Shasta Himelrick, who was reported missing in December 2014. Her body was recovered in the Scioto River.
- Timberly Claytor, who was found shot to death in Massieville in May of this year.
Two women are still reported missing from Chillicothe:
- Charlotte E. Trego, 28, was last seen on May 3, 2014.
- Wanda J. Lemons, 38, was last seen Oct. 3, 2014.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Task Force Hotline at 740-774-FIND (3463) or email [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Pickaway News Journal
