MISSOURI MISSING: $1,000 reward for information leading to Joplin woman missing since 2005

The man police believe was involved in the disappearance of a Joplin woman more than two years ago has died. Police are now asking the public for help.

Sandra Spoon was reported missing by her family in August of 2005. Since that time, her family has spent countless hours searching for her and continually come up empty handed.

However, new information brought to light by a Jefferson City-based group has given the family and the police hope in the solving the case and the police are now asking for the public’s assistance.

According to Det. Mike Hobson, Edward G. Monroe had been a suspect in the case but police were unable to gather enough evidence to take the investigation to the next level. On Friday, detectives discovered Monroe died in August of 2007 in Duncan, Okla.

Hobson said this information has caused the case to take a new direction and anyone who might have seen Monroe or Sandra Spoon within a few days of her disappearance are encouraged to come forward with the information. A $1,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the whereabouts of Sandra Spoon.

“When Missouri Missing contacted us about Sandra Spoon’s case, it gave us a reason to take a closer look,” Hobson said. “Although the case was never closed, we have been able to rejuvenate it and we are hopes of obtaining some new leads.”

Missouri Missing is a newly formed organization geared to assist families of missing adults, educate the public about missing adult cases and offer as much assistance to law enforcement as possible.

“It has been so long since my mother went missing and we have searched and searched for something to help with the investigation,” said Charyl Copher. “When Missouri Missing contacted me a few weeks ago and offered to help with my mother’s case, I was ecstatic.”

Copher is Spoon’s oldest daughter. She said the loss of her mother and the continuous search for her has played an extremely hard role on her family.

“Not knowing what happened to my mother is a loss that cannot be described,” Copher said. “I cannot describe what it is like to finally have help from an organization who really cares. These people have done all of this out of the kindness of their hearts. They aren’t getting paid for anything they have done for my family and for my mother’s case.”

Peggy Florence, Jefferson City, is a co-founder of Missouri Missing. In June of 2007, Florence’s adult daughter, Jasmine Haslag, was reported missing when she did not pick her children up as scheduled.

“When Jasmine went missing I looked for an organization to help me. I didn’t know what to do or how to cope or even where to turn,” Florence said. “When I was unable to find any help I found that to be unacceptable and I wanted to do something to make sure nobody has to go through this alone again.”

Florence teamed up with Marianne Asher-Chapman, the mother of missing Michelle “Angie” Yarnell, and together the two have worked with a board of directors to build the organization.

“What we are doing is a wonderful thing,” Chapman said. “I wish this type of organization had been around when my daughter went missing more than four years ago. It is an ambiguous loss that no family should have to face alone.”

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Sandra Spoon is asked to contact Det. Mike Hobson at 417-623-3131 ext. 451 or Det. Mike Gayman at ext. 452.