Police, mother of missing Newport teen plead for clues and info

Police, mother of missing Newport teen plead for clues and info

By ANN KEIL
6 News Reporter

NEWPORT (WATE) -- It's been six months since Megan Maxwell, 19, of Newport, disappeared. She was last heard from in the early morning hours of April 26.

"That hit me like a brick. It's been six months that I hadn't seen my daughter, talked to her, hugged her or seen her face," says Megan's mother, Lisa Maxwell.

Her mother admits she's losing hope. "I've been fearful of the worst. I've been fearful of the worst."

"We're at a sort of impasse," says Newport Police Chief Maurice Shults.

Before Maxwell disappeared, she made a phone call to a friend around 4:30 a.m. A few hours later, a police officer found her car engulfed in flames in a parking lot east of Newport.

Her family has prayed for her safe return. They have released balloons in her honor and recruited volunteers to help them and the police search for the missing teen.

"We've been in the water, on riverbanks, in the woods and in abandoned homes. The community has really pulled behind us on this thing and helped us any way they can," Chief  Shults says.

The Newport Police Department has considered Jeffrey Stock, 41, a person of interest in the case. Maxwell's mother says Stock and Megan's father were friends.

Stock is currently in federal custody after failing to register as a sex offender.

"We would love to know what Jeffrey Stock could tell us from start to finish that night at Megan's daddy's house, but to call him a suspect, I'm not going to do that," Chief Shults says.

He also says they're still taking every call and following up on leads. The aim at this point is providing some closure for Maxwell's family.

"Please, if anyone knows anything, we're desperate for anything right now. I just miss her so bad," her mother says.

Maxwell has been featured on America's Most Wanted. She's also listed on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Web site.

A reward is being offered for any new information in Maxwell's disappearance. If you have any information, call the Newport Police Department at 423-623-5556.