WHITE CO., Ill. - Persistence on the part of a concerned sister, and knowledge of cell phone ping capability on the part of White County Sheriff’s Department officials, resolved a potential missing persons case during the Friday night snowstorm last week.
The situation emerged Sunday morning, January 13, when at approximately 1:55 a.m., an officer spoke with one Abby L. Meenach, 19, of South Lebanon, Ohio, by phone. The conversation was in regards to Meenach’s brother, Mathew B. Lyons, 34, of Washington, Pennsylvania, being a possible missing person.
Meenach advised that Lykins had been traveling on Interstate 64 from Oklahoma to Pennsylvania, and that his last known location was in the Grayville area of White County. She stated that her brother was last heard from at approximately 10 p.m. on Friday night, Jan. 11, when Lykins had told his family that he’d met an “oilfield worker” in the area around Grayville, and had then traveled to this subject’s residence. Meenach hadn’t been told the name of the subject, but her brother had described him as a “Vietnam vet.” Then, she said, at approximately 10 p.m., Lykins had sent a message to a family friend, explaining that he had woken up in his vehicle in a field; the friend told Meenach that Lykins said he had eaten with the unknown oil worker and consumed alcohol…which was of concern to Meenach because, she said, he does have a drinking problem and can pass out after consuming too much alcohol.
Meenach stated that no one had spoken with her brother after this. She’d attempted to contact him a number of times, but his cell phone was now turned off. So she gave the cell number to the deputy, who attempted to contact Lykins, but the phone was not functioning.
Meenach stated that her brother had sent a number of photographs and videos of the area he was last in, which were forwarded to the sheriff’s department. There, the responding officer was able to verify at least two of the photographs were taken on County Road 2140E, south of the I-64 bridge on the Wabash River. Meenach stated that Lykins would be driving a black Ford F150, which she described as being “banged up.”
Meenach further advised that her aunt had contacted the Grayville Police Department on the 11th shortly after Lykins had sent the 10 p.m. message, a fact that White County hadn’t been informed of. Meenach went on to say that she was afraid that because of Lykins’ drinking problems, he may have been involved in a traffic crash or become lost in the snow storm that had passed through the area on the night of the 11th. Meenach stated she was afraid for Lykins’ safety and advised she would like to file a missing person report.
The white County deputy advised Meenach that he was going to make an attempt to have Lykins’ cell phone located. Meenach stated she believed Lykins’ phone was a TracFone, but possibly through Verizon Wireless. She added that no one had attempted to locate the phone because the Grayville PD had told the family it couldn’t be located if it was turned off.
The White County deputy, however, advised he would attempt it anyway, to try and determine at least the phone’s last known location. He contacted Verizon at approximately 2:46 a.m. and spoke with someone about the situation, providing the number and confirming that it was indeed a Verizon number. Verizon then faxed the deputy an Emergency Situation Disclosure form, which the deputy completed and returned at 2:55 a.m. At approximately 3:13 a.m., Verizon contacted the sheriff’s department and provided the deputy with the last known location of Lykins’ cell phone: Approximately .68 of a mile south of a cell tower located at 8106 Oak Park Road, New Salisbury, Indiana. Verizon said that the phone had been at that location from 2:16 a.m. on January 12 until approximately 5:44 a.m. on that same day, and it now appeared to be turned off.
The White County deputy performed a Google search for the location of this tower and discovered it to be in an unincorporated area in Harrison County, Indiana. So the deputy contacted Harrison County Sheriff’s Department at approximately 3:17 a.m. and inquired as to whether they had any info concerning Lykins. He was informed that Lykins was currently incarcerated in the Harrison County Jail. White County’s deputy spoke with jail staff and was advised that Lykins was currently being held for Operating a Motor Vehicle While Intoxicated (equivalent of Illinois’ DUI), OWI with Prior, and Refusing a Chemical Test.
Meenach was contacted and advised of the situation; she stated she would pass the info on to her mother so she could contact Harrison County, and ostensibly, Lykins might be on his way back home…as soon as someone springs him with bond (if anyone cares enough to do so after what he put them through.)