May 22, 2012

FBI identifies bodies found at Lake Manawa, Iowa

Charlotte Shilling

The FBI identified the two bodies found in a wooded area near Lake Manawa Sunday evening as 41 year old Charlotte Schilling of Plattsmouth and her 10 year old son, Owen.

The two were last seen on May 10th when Schilling picked up her son from a school in Bellevue. Security video shows them visiting a convenience store near Lake Manawa that day as well as a Kohl’s Department Store in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

The following day, Schillings vehicle was found parked at Lake Manawa. Her cell phone and wallet were located inside.

Authorities have not released a cause of death but are not looking for suspects. The investigation continues.

Owen Schilling

Owen Schilling

Special Olympics – Nebraska summer games start Wednesday

Opening ceremonies for the annual Special Olympics – Nebraska Summer Games are set to start Wednesday night. Special Olympics CEO Carolyn Chamberlin says there are seven categories in this year’s competition that include volleyball, tennis, roller skating, aquatics, power lifting, gymnastics and track. She says athletes from across the state will travel to Omaha for the annual event. Athletes range in age from 8 years to 80 and all of them are going for the gold.

Chamberlin says sometimes people misunderstand the games and think the athletes are competing just for fun. She says it can get very hard core but it is also very inspiring. Each athlete is also competing for a spot in the national or world games. Chamberlin says we do have a floor hockey team going to South Korea to compete.

Opening ceremonies will be held at T-D Ameritrade Ballpark, downtown Omaha Wednesday night. Chamberlin says participants range in age from 8 to 80 and events wil be held ad different locations throughout the city through Saturday.

Plattsmouth woman & son update

Update: Plattsmouth Police Chief Steve Rathman has called a news conference at 4 pm Monday afternoon regarding the disappearance of Charlotte Schilling and her 11 year old son, Owen.

The FBI, Bellevue, Nebraska and Council Bluffs, Iowa police departments have joined in the investigation of a missing Plattsmouth woman, Charlotte Schilling and her 11 year old son, Owen Schilling.

Authorities say Schilling picked up her son from school Thursday morning and neither have been heard or seen from since. Her vehicle was found at Lake Manawa just south of Council Bluffs, Iowa last Friday. Her cell phone and purse were inside the vehicle.

Plattsmouth Police Chief Steve Rathman says Council Bluffs police searched land area around Lake Manawa Monday morning and Plattsmouth Water Rescue searched the lake by boat using sonar equipment. Both investigations came back negative.

Chief Rathman says investigators are conducting follow-up interviews and reviewing surveillance video from gas stations and restaurants the two may have visited. He says there is no evidence of foul play but that has not been ruled out.

Family of Nebraska man killed in Mississippi are looking for answers

Thomas Schlender

Thomas Schlender of Raymond, killed in Mississippi/Family photo

The family of Thomas Schlender of Raymond, Nebraska want answers after the 74 year old was shot and killed earlier this week while driving on an interstate in north Mississippi.

Schlender’s son-in-law Matt Anderson tells us he was on his way to Pensacola, Florida to pick up his grandson from college and bring him back to Nebraska. At 1:40 Tuesday morning, Schlender’s vehicle was found by the Mississippi Highway Patrol on Interstate 55 in the median. Anderson says Schlender had been hit four times by gunfire. Authorities have found shell casings along the interstate. They do have fingerprints and those shell casings are being processed.

Anderson says his wife, Tracy, Schlender’s daughter received a phone call early Tuesday. Schlender had talked to Tracy the night before so that is how the Mississippi Highway Patrol was able to contact family.

Tracy Anderson says her father retired many years ago and enjoyed these types of road trips to get his grandchildren. It was not his first trip. She says her father’s main concern was always family.

Matt Anderson says there was a similar incident in northern Mississippi this morning where a 47 year old woman was shot on a state highway around 2:30 this morning. He says authorities in Mississippi are saying the two shootings are not related but says the circumstances are “painfully close”.

Vets Town partnership comes to an end

It was just last week an announcement was made regarding a housing project in Omaha, Vets Town, for homeless veterans. This week the partnership between the Homeless Veterans Project and Project Homeless Connect Omaha has ended. Ed Shada is the head of Project Homeless Connect Omaha and won’t specifically comment on what severed the partnership but did say, “due to the occurrences of the last week and the re-evaluation of what needed to be done, we are getting the team back together if not this week it will be early next week.”

Shada says even with the setback the goal remains in sight and they will keep moving forward. He says there have been several people offering to work with the group and raise funds and the support has been overwhelming.

The Homeless Veterans Project is also moving forward with the project and looking at locations outside of Omaha.

Both organizations are claiming name of Vets Town for their project.