MANKATO (TEC News) – “Probably the worst feeling I’ve ever had…not knowing.”Nicole Schipper has been waiting for four days for her 15-year-old daughter Samantha Frericks (pictured left) to resurface.
The teenager walked away from a treatment facility in Eau Claire, Wisconsin on Saturday and hasn’t contacted family or friends since.
Since then Shipper, her husband Dustin and a slew or friends have been putting up missing posters in Mankato and everyplace they can think of to get Samantha's face in front of as many people as possible.
There is even a Facebook page dedicated to finding her.
“The sooner the better,” said Schipper. “The longer the time goes the harder it’s going to be (to find her).”
Schipper says her daughter has a host of issues including ADHD, ODD and depression with anxiety.
But in talking with staff at the Eau Claire Academy Treatment Facility, Schipper says indications were that Saturday was a good day for their daughter.
One of the things Samantha did daily was write down her feelings.
“She was happy that morning,” said Schipper. “We got to read that little note that she wrote.”“She wrote on a piece of paper that morning that she was going to have a great day…that she was going to listen to staff.”
It’s not the first time, according to Schipper, that her daughter has run away. She ran away from the St. Cloud Children’s Home, but called her mom within two hours.
“It just seemed like she almost needed to go cool off,” said Schipper. “And then she called me and told me where she was at.”
Schipper says family scoured Eau Clair on Sunday and Monday. They looked in parks, in park shelters. They put up and handed out flyers.”
“No one had seen her,” said Schipper.
There has been just one lead so far.
Schipper says she received a Facebook posting from a woman who claimed to have seen Samantha late Sunday night in a Sioux Falls, South Dakota WalMart parking lot.
“She wrote that a girl walked up to her and asked for money,” said Schipper. “She asked the girl if she was OK, if she needed any help. The girl said ‘no’, turned and walked to the back of the parking lot.”
According to Schipper, they spoke to Sioux Falls, South Dakota police and were told they were going to the location to investigate.
At this point the sighting remains unconfirmed.
Frericks grew up in Mankato and family hope this would be where she’d return to.
Frericks is described at 5-5, 115 pounds with light brown hair and hazel eyes. She also has a six inch scar on the back of her right upper arm. She was last seen wearing a yellow hoodie and dark sweat pants.
Mankato police encourage you to call 9-1-1 if you spot someone matching this description.
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Nicole Schipper talks about the search for her missing daughter -- Tuesday, July 26, 2011 by threeeaglesradionews
LISTEN TO OUR INTERVIEW
Nicole Schipper talks about the search for her missing daughter -- Tuesday, July 26, 2011 by threeeaglesradionews