Still no sign of missing Romayor woman, authorities say

It is Day 3 in the search for a missing Romayor woman, Sheryl Siddall, 57. Cadaver dogs were brought in to help in the search on Tuesday, Sept. 19. They checked Siddall’s property on the 500 block of CR 2859 in Horseshoe Lake Estates and searched Horseshoe Lake, which borders Siddall’s backyard.

“Cadaver dogs alerted on a few areas we had concern over but found nothing conclusive,” said Capt. David Meyers, a spokesperson for the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office. “We are now in the process of organizing another cadaver dog search. We are just waiting for the date. It will probably be this weekend.”

Texas Search and Rescue was enlisted by LCSO to search the area with canines. Meyers said GPS tracking systems on the dogs will provide coordinates of all the areas searched by the dogs.

“It gives us something we can use. We have searched the water once and the land. We are doing what we can to find her,” Meyers said. “We are not going to leave any stone uncovered. There are several pieces to the puzzle we need answered.”

Preliminary tests have positively identified spots of blood in the home, though DNA testing will be required to determine whose blood it is. Investigators also have recovered a knife from the home that will be sent off to the Texas DPS lab for DNA testing.

When asked to describe the size of the blood spots found in the kitchen of the home, Meyers said, “It’s scattered throughout. Some are bigger than others. There were enough different spots that it raised red flags for our sheriff’s deputy right off the bat.”

In an article posted by Bluebonnet News on Monday, Meyers explained that LCSO Deputy Joel Davila was dispatched to Siddall’s house to do a welfare check after her family called with concerns. She had not been heard from since Sept. 12 and they were unable to find her. Her cell phone, which last pinged from a cell phone tower near her home on Sept. 12, has gone silent. Her purse, vehicle and other belongings are still at her house.

A man who lived at Siddall’s home with her – Donald Lee Hassler, 52 – remains in jail on a charge of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. He is being held without bail in the Liberty County Jail. Inside the home, investigators found an estimate 15 to 20 firearms.

“We haven’t done any registry checks but none of the firearms have been reported as stolen,” Meyers said.

Hassler has not been charged in Siddall’s disappearance, but Meyers said he is still considered a person of interest.

When asked if Hassler is cooperating with the investigation, Meyers said, “No, he pleaded the Fifth. He asked for an attorney, so we have quit talking to him.”

Meyers said investigators are hoping to find answers in Siddall’s disappearance for her family.

“I’ve been in close contact with her family. They are an awesome family, very close-knit. They have been cooperative throughout the investigation. One way or another, we want to resolve this case for Ms. Siddall and her family,” Meyers said.

Meyers issued a public plea to the residents of Horseshoe Lake Estates, particularly those whose homes border the lake.

“If you happen to live in Horseshoe Lake Estates have your house has video cameras that point toward the water, please contact us. We need to hear from you,” he said.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division at 936-336-4500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-392-STOP (7867). Any caller providing information to Crime Stoppers that leads to the arrest of a felony offender may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $1,000. The caller’s identity will remain anonymous.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

Search for missing woman leads to possible murder investigation