As the search for a missing 10th grade teacher nears its 12th day, family and friends say they are not giving up hope.
Peter Naple says it’s not unusual for his sister, 42-year-old Meghan Marohn, to go on short getaways by herself. Her love of hiking and the outdoors drew her to the Berkshires in Western Massachssetts for the last weekend in March.
“I texted with her Saturday night when she was staying at a hotel here in Stockbridge,” Naple said. “She was having a bowl of soup and reading her book. I said I’d speak with her tomorrow. And that was the last I heard from her.”
When her family didn’t hear from Marohn for several days, they got worried and called police. They found her car at Longcope Park. It’s a 46-acre area with hiking trails.
Police believe Marohn parked and went for a hike March 27. They say there was no sign of foul play in her car. They were able to track her cell activity for a short time, but the signal went dead.
Searchers have combed the area, even using dogs, drones and helicopters, for more than a week.
Based on the last ping from her phone, they have now shifted the search efforts to a private wooded area, about three-quarters of a mile west of the park.
“Some areas are extremely difficult and very thick and that has hampered search efforts,” Lee police Chief Craig DeSantis said.
Authorities have not released the name of the hotel where Marohn was staying, but say they have confirmed she was traveling alone.
Naple set up a website seeking information in the case, and the family is offering a $50,000 reward for her safe return.
“We are talking about one of my best friends,” Naple said. “We’re talking about someone who’s touched countless students.”
Anyone with information that could help is urged to call Lee police at 413-243-5530, Bethlehem, New York police at 518-439-9973, or 911.
