THE TIMES-BULLETIN
REWARD MONEY HIKED IN
By THE TIMES-BULLETIN ELGIN - The 100 residents of this farming village are not used to excitement, but there's been plenty here since the postmistress disappeared. Monday in what law enforcement say was a kidnapping at the post office. Sheriff Jerry B. Brittsan and his department, the FBI and the Postal Inspection Service continued its investigation today into the robbery of the Elgin Post Office and the apparent abduction of the 48-year-old postmistress Betty Jane Mottinger without success. A search and police bulletins in two states have produced no leads, no traces. The only clue was a car spotted by a witness with a small-town eye. He noticed the vehicle because it was new in town. Hope began to fade after a number of concerned citizens and volunteers combed the area Tuesday for clues leading to the whereabouts of Mrs. Mottinger and the man believed to be her abductor. It was reported that some searchers crawled on their hands and knees in tall corn and beanfields in a fruitless effort to find Mrs. Mottinger or the suspect. About a 5 mile radius of Elgin was searched. Aircraft was used to help comb the area as far as the Indiana border. All in vain. After the search was called off, Sheriff Brittsan said it will take a real break in the case now. "We don't even have a witness who saw her get into the car. Just the car and a description of the driver," sheriff's Detective Ralph Eversole said Tuesday. "All we know is, she's disappeared and we're treating it like a kidnapping." The suspect in the case is described as a white male, age 45-50, 6 foot 3 inches tall, weighing approximately 240 pounds with graying dark hair. The suspect wore glasses, a long sleeved blue work shirt and blue pants. He was driving a two-toned brown full-sized coupe believed to be a Monte Carlo or a Buick. Authorities have revised their description of the suspect and have indicated that he may have reddish hair, a husky build, wire glasses and a light colored mustache.
The description concerning the suspect was given authorities by Mrs. Elmer (Opal) Seibert who lives across the street from the post office and by Mark Lewis of Rt. 1, Venedocia, a truck driver for Elgin Grain Co. Mrs. Mottinger, 48, the Elgin postmistress since 1978, is described as a cheerful, talkative, petite woman who lived in nearby Ohio City. She disappeared shortly after opening the door to the post office at 8:17 a.m. on Monday. PERSONS IN ELGIN became curious Monday morning when the normal routine of the small post office was disturbed. Mrs. Mottinger apparently arrived for work at about 8:17 to 8:20 a.m. but by 8:30 the mail was still not up.
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