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  • Melissa Best missing from Round Lake Park Illinois
  • April 23, 2011
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Melissa Best: Stay-at-home mom goes missing, husband waits a day to call police

Isabelle Zehnder's photo
Missing Persons Examiner
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Melissa Ann Best missing Round Lake Park mother's husband Clint

 ROUND LAKE PARK, Illinois (Isabelle Zehnder reporting) -- Police said Saturday that a northern Illinois stay-at-home mom and wife left to take her teenage daughter to a friend's house on Friday, April 15, and that her husband didn't call to report her missing until Saturday.

Early in the afternoon 34-year-old Melissa Ann Best, the married mother of two teens and a stay-at-home mom from Round Lake Park, was preparing to go shopping for groceries for dinner that evening.

View slideshow: Melissa Best: Stay-at-home mom goes missing, husband waits a day to call police
She and her 15-year-old daughter went to Woodman's in Kenosha, purchased groceries, then returned home and started putting the groceries away. It was then that her daughter asked Melissa to take her to a friend's house nearby.
 
Melissa drove her daughter to the Rosewood Apartments located at 216 W Forest Avenue, Round Lake Park, in her green 1993 Pontiac minivan. She left ingredients for dinner out on the counter.
 
At 1 p.m. Friday, Melissa's van was last seen on surveillance video driving away from a pizza parlor located near the Rosewood Apartments. 
 
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Melissa has never been seen or heard from since.
 
What is concerning to police, though they do not consider him a suspect at this time, is that her husband Clint did not call to report his wife missing until the following day.
 
Clint claims it's not unusual that his wife would go spend the night with friends or relatives, but that she would normally call him.
 
The Sun Times reports Clint claims he fell asleep Friday night and when he realized the next day that she hadn't called, he notified police. 
 
Police are concerned, though Round Lake Park Police Chief George Filenko says at this point it's early in their investigation. He said he spoke to Clinton Best Friday morning and that he was making more fliers to pass around the area. 
 
Clint said it's like his wife "fell off the face of the earth." Clint is a Round Lake Park machinist.
 
"We've been checking Facebook, and there's been no activity. We're into a week now. That's the unusual part," Filenko said.
 
There has been no sign of the van since it was seen on surveillance video, which is very concerning to police. Round Lake Park Police Chief George Filenko said she was driving a green 1993 Pontiac minivan with Illinois license plate number A 770-40. 

Authorities continue searching for clues into her disappearance. On Friday they were combing over surveillance videos that might provide answers.

Another problem police are running into, Filenko said, is that Melissa's cell phone minutes had expired days earlier and she didn't have credit cards. She left no electronic trail. 

Police have put her information into state and national data bases. "We're following leads, we're going back to high school acquaintances," Filenko said.

Melissa has had no contact with friends or family members for over a week. "We know she is a dedicated mom to both kids, but hasn't contacted them. This is completely out of character for her," Filenko said.

Melissa has been married to her husband for 18 years, stays home with her children, and takes classes at the Grayslake campus of College of Lake County.

She was last seen wearing a grey hooded pullover with "Chicago" printed on the front and blue jeans.

Melissa has brownish blond hair and hazel eyes. She is 5'4" tall.

If you have any information on Melissa's whereabouts or if you have seen her since she vanished please call Round Lake Police at (847) 546-7275.

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Sources: Chicago Tribune, Sun Times, New Sun, New Sun Sun Times

Melissa Ann Best missing Round Lake Park mother
Melissa Ann Best missing Round Lake Park mother
Photo credit: 
Round Lake Park Police

, Missing Persons Examiner

Isabelle Zehnder, columnist and newsperson, reports on missing persons, top news, and family issues. Isabelle has worked as an investigative reporter for over six years extensively reporting on missing persons, children and teens abused in boot-camp type programs, and other pressing issues. She...

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