A desperate search is underway for a Florida mother-of-three who ‘vanished into thin air’ nearly two weeks ago – as police offer a $5,000 reward for any information that helps to locate her.
Stephanie Chitwood Hollingsworth, 50, was last seen by family members leaving her home on Monet Avenue, in Belle Isle, at around noon on September 25.
The mother then took off in her 2000 silver Chevrolet Tahoe, taking her purse with her but leaving behind her cellphone.
A surveillance camera captured her withdrawing $20 from a nearby Bank of America on Hoffner Avenue and Goldenrod Road at 2pm. Hollingsworth has not been heard from or seen since.
Investigators say they’re concerned for her well-being as she suffers from unspecified mental health conditions and requires care.
Stephanie Chitwood Hollingsworth, 50, was last seen by family members leaving her home on Monet Avenue, in Belle Isle, at around noon on September 25
Her husband Scott Hollingsworth said it was unlike his wife, the mother of his three sons (above), to take off without her phone, a change of clothes, or word of where she was heading. He said she’d never abandon her children
Police said that their search for Hollingsworth has so-far proved fruitless, with ‘Nothing. No leads at all,’ in her disappearance, now 10 days on.
‘What’s odd about this case is that there’s only been one sighting or one transaction at the Bank of America Friday. Outside of that, we’ve taken just about every avenue that we can to locate her or the vehicle,’ said Sergeant Detective Jeremy Millis to Click Orlando. ‘There has been absolutely no sightings of the vehicle since the Bank of America transaction.’
Belle Isle Chief of Police Laura Houston said her department is not ruling out the fact Hollingsworth could’ve simply left on her own volition; but they aren’t ruling out foul play either.
Crimeline is now offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information on Hollingsworth’s whereabouts. Her husband, Scott Hollingsworth, is also appealing to the public for help.
Scott Hollingsworth said it was unlike his wife, the mother of his three sons, to take off without her phone, a change of clothes, or word of where she was heading. He said she’d never abandon her children.
‘The fact that she just vanished in thin air just doesn’t make sense. We can say with a certain degree of certainty that she is endangered at this point,’ Scott said.
He added the family has to ‘suspect the worst’ at this stage, but he vowed never to stop looking for Stephanie until the circumstances around her vanishing are made clear.
‘I’m asking for everybody’s help to do everything they can to find her,’ said Scott. ‘Understand that this woman… Stephanie, my wife of 25 years is in trouble and we need to get her back to her family, her children.
‘Stephanie… we are looking for you, your family loves you more than ever. We don’t know what’s going on but we’re going to find you…. just know that,’ he continued.
She was last seen driving a silver Chevrolet Tahoe with the Florida license plate: Y50XUR (above)
Investigators say they’re concerned for her well-being as she suffers from unspecified mental health conditions and requires care
On Friday, Scott held a vigil to raise awareness of his wife’s disappearance that was attended by dozens in the local community, a testament to how loved his wife was, Scott said.
‘She’s an amazing person, an amazing mother. She’s a beautiful soul and just gave everything she had to everyone in her life,’ he told the Orlando Sentinel. ‘A lot of people loved her, and anyone could always count on her.’
The key to the search, Scott said, is finding the SUV Hollingsworth was driving when she went missing.
‘What we’re asking for is people to check all their immediate surroundings — parking lots, apartment complexes, remote areas,’ Scott Hollingsworth said. ‘Anywhere a truck like that can be parked and unnoticed for a long time. It can’t just disappear.’
Since Thursday, an RV has been parked outside of a Walmart on South Goldenrod Road as a ‘command post’ where the family have coordinated searches for her.
Friends and neighbors of the 50-year-old have also been volunteering to search wherever they can while the Belle Isle Police Department carries out its own investigation.
Taped to the sides of the RV are missing person posters bearing Hollingworth’s face, in addition to printouts of maps of the Orlando area, highlighting landmarks and neighborhoods that have already been searched.
‘We’ve had so many people searching all week,’ Scott told the Sentinel. ‘What this allows us to do is to do it in an organized fashion so we can not backtrack and cover a bigger area.’
Since Thursday, an RV has been parked outside of a Walmart on South Goldenrod Road as a ‘command post’ where the family of Stephanie Hollingsworth have coordinated searches for her
Taped to the sides of the RV are missing person posters bearing Hollingworth’s face, in addition to printouts of maps of the Orlando area, highlighting landmarks and neighborhoods that have already been searched
He added the family has to ‘suspect the worst’ at this stage, but he vowed never to stop looking for Stephanie until the circumstances around her vanishing are made clear
Her brother, Chad Chitwood, drove up from Boca Raton to help in the emotional search.
‘She’s got three boys. Everyone says what a loving person she is,’ Chad said. ‘My sister’s lived in this community for over 10 years. All her friends are here for her.’
Volunteer searches continued throughout the area across the weekend from 8am to 8pm but yielded no new discoveries.
‘Right now, it’s all about finding her,’ Scott Hollingsworth said.
Hollingsworth is described as five-feet, four-inches tall, has brown hair and eyes. She last seen wearing a black shirt and black pants, and driving a silver Chevrolet Tahoe with the Florida license plate: Y50XUR.
Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to call the Belle Isle Police Department via the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch line at 407-836-4357 or call 911.
You can report any tips to Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS anonymously. Any information leading to the whereabouts of Stephanie Hollingsworth can get up to a $5,000 reward.
The Belle Isle Police Department has not yet returned a DailyMail.com request for comment.