OH MADISON BELL: Missing from Greenfield, OH - 17 May 2020 - *Found Safe*

Madison “Maddie” Bell left her home in Greenfield, Ohio, around 10 a.m. Sunday morning to go tanning at Country Corner Market, Highland County Sheriff Donnie Barrera told Dateline. But there is no evidence that she made it to the salon, he said.


He added that she was never spotted in Highland County and that the last time she was seen was at her home.

“I was cleaning when she left and she yelled out, ‘Mom, I’m going to tan. I’ll be right back,’” Maddie’s mother, Melissa Bell, told Dateline as she struggled to hold back tears. “But she never came back.”

Melissa said she could always trust Maddie to go straight to the tanning salon and come right back. Sometimes Maddie would stop at McDonald’s for an iced coffee. But when she did, she would always call or text so her mother didn’t worry.

As the hours passed with no word from Maddie, Melissa said she began to panic.

“I tried not to panic - I know she just turned 18,” Melissa said. “But something felt wrong.”

Madison BellCourtesy of Bell family
Maddie’s boyfriend also attempted to reach her, but Melissa said he was unable to. Melissa tracked her daughter’scell phone and it pinged back and forth between the tanning salon and a church near the salon.

So Melissa and Maddie’s boyfriend drove toward the tanning salon keeping their eyes on the road and embankments, thinking she might have been in a car accident.

“Every possible scenario was playing through my head,” Melissa said. “But I never imagined this.”

When they pulled up to the Good Shepherd Church which is located on S.R. 28, just 100 yards from the tanning salon, they spotted Maddie’s car in the parking lot. It was unlocked and the keys were in the ignition. Maddie’s cell phone was on the driver’s seat.

“She would have never left her cell phone in the car,” Melissa said. “And we don’t know if she pulled into this parking lot on her own or if someone coerced her to stop. She was a very cautious girl. She wouldn’t have stopped for someone she didn’t know.”

Sheriff Barrera told Dateline they received a report from a church employee who had spotted a white car with California plates in the parking lot early that Sunday morning.
More at link:

Mother pleads for safe return of missing 18-year-old daughter Madison ‘Maddie’ Bell who disappeared Sunday from Highland County, Ohio

Madison “Maddie” Bell, 18, was last seen around 10 a.m. on Sunday, May 17, 2020, when she left her home in Greenfield, Ohio, to go tanning at the Country Corner Market over the county line in Highland County. But she never made it there. Her car was found nearby in the Good Shepherd Church...

www.nbcnews.com

MADISON BELL was headed to the tanning booth when she went missing. Her car was found in a church parking lot nearby. Greenfield #OHIO May 17, 2020

Police are looking for a white car, possibly a Nissan sedan, with California plates, that was seen in the area. Anyone with information on Maddie’s whereabouts is asked to call the Highland County Sheriff’s Office, 937-393-1421, the Ross Co...

www.crimewatchers.net

 

[Kimster]

Another case in a small community. I was watching this on "It's a Crime" and it gave me the chills. Her mom's pleas will break your heart. May God have mercy on this girl and her family!

 

[KareBear]

Oh no... this doesn't look good at all! Keeping my hopes up! Prayers and pleas for her safe return

 

[Kimster]

Oh no... this doesn't look good at all! Keeping my hopes up! Prayers and pleas for her safe return

Hopefully someone will have a lead on the white car that was seen in the area.

 

[Kimster]

Bell’s Phone & Car Were Found At A Nearby Church
When Bell did not return home, authorities tracked her phone to the parking lot of Good Shepherd Church, where her car was found unlocked with the keys in the ignition.

“She yelled, ‘I’m going to go tan. I’ll be right back.’ and I was like, ‘Okay, be careful,'” recalls Bell’s mom, Melissa Montavon. “She left and I haven’t heard from her since.”

Montavon has since been active on Facebook, urging anyone with information to get in touch with law enforcement. In a Facebook post, she wrote, “I cannot give a description of what she was wearing. I was cleaning when she changed clothes and left, and yelled mom, I’m going to tan and I’ll be right back.”

“She would NEVER be even a few minutes late from wherever she was going without calling or texting me,” insists Montavon in her post. “A couple people saw a tall white male approx late 20’s to early 30’s who was in the church parking lot before 10am with a white car… he had a polo shirt and the car had California license plates according to witnesses.”

Bell is described as 5’6″ or 5’7″ and weighs between 120 and 125 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes, and she is reported to have a cross tattooed on her neck and ghost tattooed on her side. The Wilmington News Journal reported that Bell was wearing a t-shirt and black leggings and/or Star Wars pants with brown sandals and a black North Face jacket. Authorities placed a white vehicle with California tags in the church parking lot and are pursuing leads that match the car’s description.

Search Efforts Are Underway in Greenfield
The Highland County and Ross County Sheriff’s Offices and the Greenfield Police Department have been actively investigating Bell’s disappearance. Authorities were tipped off about a white car, but further investigation found that it was not the car in question.

“When a parent’s child goes missing in this case it becomes a concern for everybody in the community,” said Highland County Sheriff Donnie Barrera in an interview with Fox19. “We’re a small community and the community is coming together strong and everybody is actively looking for Madison at this time. We hope that we hear from her soon and find out that she’s ok.”


On Sunday evening, the community organized a search party. The Scioto Valley Guardian published a video to Facebook of Bell’s mother pleading for her daughter to return safely. The Ohio Attorney General has classified Bell as “lost, injured, or missing.”

“Whoever has her, bring her home to her family,” Montavon says. “This is not right. You don’t take her and not bring her home. She needs to be back home where she’s safe. She needs to be here to finish her graduation week with her senior friends, so please return her.”

Bell is a senior at Edward Lee McClain High School. Her graduation is scheduled for May 22. Those with information are asked to call the Highland County Sheriff’s office at (937) 393-1421 or the Ross County Sheriff’s Office at (740) 773-1185.

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[Kimster]

I don't know how reliable this is, but here's a recent tweet:
@akcirrej42
Madison Bell went missing from Greenfield, OH on Sunday, May 17. This is suspected abduction. Police are looking for a white male age 20-30 with long brown/blond hair. He may be driving a white 4-door Nissan with California license plates.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Praying. This doesn't sound good. Hopefully the CA plates are unusual enough for someone to notice. I did not hear about this case until today but I would suspect they have bolos and information out in their state and neighboring ones. I hope we see some pictures coming, like how close this church is to the tanning salon, etc. I also hope one of the places in the area has video.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

She sounds like the type of girl to not make her mother worry and not run away.
But sometimes teens hide things very well. Was she planning on meeting someone at the church parking lot? Did she take anything else with her?
Maybe she did plan on meeting up with someone, but NOT plan on leaving?
Hope they're looking at those cell phone records very closely. Hope she's safe and away of her own choosing.

 

[Guess Who]

so the dude that was seen also had California plates?

 

[GrandmaBear]

She sounds like the type of girl to not make her mother worry and not run away.
But sometimes teens hide things very well. Was she planning on meeting someone at the church parking lot? Did she take anything else with her?
Maybe she did plan on meeting up with someone, but NOT plan on leaving?
Hope they're looking at those cell phone records very closely. Hope she's safe and away of her own choosing.

I do have some hope here myself. She did just turn 18 and was just a few days away from graduating. She sounds very responsible with regard to letting her mother know where she is/was. I do know of various 18 year olds that upon graduating, etc. or at 18 or both thought they were an adult and that's that and take off and just think kind of now they don't have to answer to anyone. I read though this girl here planned on spending the weekend with her boyfriend and he had come to visit I believe... Leaving the cell phone is worrisome and the car with the keys in it but I still have hope because perhaps both are traceable and she knew it? Or both in her parents' names? Just trying to have hope that she is okay.

 

[Kimster]

She sounds like the type of girl to not make her mother worry and not run away.
But sometimes teens hide things very well. Was she planning on meeting someone at the church parking lot? Did she take anything else with her?
Maybe she did plan on meeting up with someone, but NOT plan on leaving?
Hope they're looking at those cell phone records very closely. Hope she's safe and away of her own choosing.

They said that she was excited about graduation preparations. Sounds like the community had something going on. She has a boyfriend who's been helping since day one, too.

 

[kdg411]

 

[GrandmaBear]

Another case in a small community. I was watching this on "It's a Crime" and it gave me the chills. Her mom's pleas will break your heart. May God have mercy on this girl and her family!

I am watching It's a Crime on this right now. I am barely a few minutes in and already there is more info and a map of the businesses (looks fairly rural actually thus far) than I have seen anywhere else. I already have heard the tanning just reopened a few days before, etc., that the bf was at the house. Just want to recommend it to all and thanks for telling us she did one on this case.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I watched Linda when she began and she was all right but man I want to say right now she might be the best I have seen, she has really honed in and this podcast is about 10 minutes and packs more info in a short period of time than any podcaster I have seen or any article I have read. She clearly researches very well and puts some major time in before doing a short concise podcast. @Kimster mentioned this one and it is well worth watching.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

So she had cash in the "pull out thing"... presumably the center console or glove box. If she was going to intentionally go anywhere for an extended period (running away) I feel like she would have grabbed that money.

BUT the video later says she may have had her drivers license and bank card? Were those things missing from her car? Did she usually carry them in a pocket?

ALSO, what would have made her pull over into that church parking lot? This other vehicle was apparently already there. Where was the surveillance camera? At the church? Looking from a distance? The camera or a person was close enough to see a male driving? What else did it/they see?

 

[GrandmaBear]

So she had cash in the "pull out thing"... presumably the center console or glove box. If she was going to intentionally go anywhere for an extended period (running away) I feel like she would have grabbed that money.

BUT the video later says she may have had her drivers license and bank card? Were those things missing from her car? Did she usually carry them in a pocket?

ALSO, what would have made her pull over into that church parking lot? This other vehicle was apparently already there. Where was the surveillance camera? At the church? Looking from a distance? The camera or a person was close enough to see a male driving? What else did it/they see?

I would have to rewatch it but it sounded as if they had video from the church or something that covered that lot so hopefully they have more. I agree that cash, her phone, and keys in the ignition appear to indicate that no one got into her vehicle but that she got out. What did make her pull in there?

Linda/It's a Crime mentions more than once about wondering when her appointment was for tanning, etc. I wonder if she knows there was an appointment, did I miss something? Linda is from Canada. I have tanned on different packages, you can pay each time, walk in, schedule with some, etc. The first place I ever went was in a hair salon and they had one booth and you made an appointment. The last place I ever went I had a plan and could walk in and many booths. I had a card to scan like a rewards card almost, you can put one on your key chain or have one like a credit card.

Why did she pull off at the church? That seems to be key. If it was true even five minutes late, she would call her mom, I would not think she pulled over to get some fresh air and walk to the tanning place but perhaps she did with Covid and being housebound some like we all are to a point and intended to call her mom after. However, money and keys and her phone in the car unlocked?? Doesn't seem typical at all.

It seems like most likely she pulled over and perhaps thought broad daylight and a church parking lot it was safe? Either to help someone or to look at her vehicle or thinking anyone in a church lot would be safe and she stopped to help someone? OR it was a meeting and I imagine they are looking at her social media.

Her mom and bf say she was very cautious but it is there more than a usual reason that she was? Was there anyone to worry about that she stayed in such close contact?

Just giving first impressions and thoughts. I pictured this area as in town but the pictures from Linda make it look pretty rural or on an edge or outskirts of a small town...

 

[Kimster]

I'm starting to wonder if she did pull into the tanning place and that's where an issue occurred. Perhaps a perp had his car parked in the church parking lot and had her drive over there?

 

[GrandmaBear]

I'm starting to wonder if she did pull into the tanning place and that's where an issue occurred. Perhaps a perp had his car parked in the church parking lot and had her drive over there?

I have been reading comments under Linda's podcast. The church apparently has "dummy" cameras. The convenience store it sounds like had a camera and they have a picture from that though not a perfect or great one of the car with alleged CA plates (that is not certain either the way it sounds, the plates I mean). I gather the mother and bf did a podcast with Gray Hughes, I have not watched it yet. And from that I gather that this boyfriend had lived in their home for five years since Madison was 13, some are judging that and thinking she may have wanted her freedom. The corner store place was a small convenience store and had a bed or two and someone said even usually because of cost and electricity, usually has just one going. I doubt this helps with determining if she drove to the tanning place or into the church lot but someone may have known there were dummy cameras at the church? Most of expect real ones at convenience stores? Just some additional info that I think is probably fact as much of it comes from the mother's podcast with Gray allegedly.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Boyfriend of Maddie Bell makes tearful plea for her return

Madison Bell, 18, who goes by ‘Maddie,' left her house in Greenfield, Ohio, on Sunday and did not return. Investigators say they found her car abandoned in a church parking lot with her keys and cell phone left inside.

www.cincinnati.com

Boyfriend of Maddie Bell makes tearful plea for her return

As the search for Madison Bell continues, those who saw her last are dealing with grief and heartache.

Cody lives with Bell family. He says he and Maddie have been together for five years.

“She’s the most loving girl I’ve ever seen in my life. I mean, I can’t even explain it... I just want her to come home," he said.

Cody says his only sleep comes on the couch.

“I won’t sleep in bed,” he said. “I have to sleep on the couch because I know she’s not in bed. It’s just wrong.”

Boyfriend of missing Ohio teen pleads for her return: ‘Do anything you can’

GREENFIELD, Ohio (WJW) — The boyfriend of a missing Ohio teen is now speaking out, pleading for her safe return home. Cody Mann talked to FOX 19 Tuesday evening about his girlfr…

www.wtrf.com

Boyfriend of missing Ohio teen pleads for her return: ‘Do anything you can’

Cody Mann, through tears, told FOX 19 Madison is “the most loving girl.” “I just want her to come home,” he said.

Cody told the TV station he was at Madison’s home on Sunday when she told her mom she was going tanning. FOX 19 reports Cody lives with the family.

“Please come home. Do anything you can. I miss you,” Cody told the TV station.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Searchers are back out looking for signs of missing high school senior

GREENFIELD, Ohio (WKRC) - Searchers are back out searching for a missing high school senior. Madison Bell, 18, has been missing since Sunday. She told her mom she was going to tan but Madison never returned. It doesn't appear she made the appointment either. Her car was found in a church parking...

abc6onyourside.com

Searchers are back out looking for signs of missing high school senior

Searchers are back out searching for a missing high school senior. Madison Bell, 18, has been missing since Sunday.

The search for Madison Bell continues - Portsmouth Daily Times

GREENFIELD — On Tuesday morning, volunteers and professional search and rescue team members met at the Madison Township building to continue the search for

www.portsmouth-dailytimes.com

The search for Madison Bell continues

According to Andrew Surritt III, the founder of Rescue 101 Search and Rescue in South Salem, his team and volunteers have been searching local wooded areas, culverts and other places Bell could hide since Sunday night. Surritt said his team is working off the premise that Bell is still in the area.

“It’s hard to conduct search operations that are multi-county or multi-state for a missing person as far as ground search and rescue goes,” Surritt said. “The most important thing is to get Maddie’s information out to the public, not only locally but statewide and nationwide, in case it’s an abduction.”

Surritt added, “As far as search and rescue is concerned, it’s unknown if she was kidnapped.”