Today, October 24, is Megan Lancaster's 33rd birthday. She likely won't be attending a local celebration. She won't be meeting family and friends. In truth, she cannot.
I never knew Megan Lancaster. In fact, I never even met her.
I found out about Megan when Kadie Lancaster, Megan's sister-in-law, came to the SOLACE office, where I was helping fight the opioid epidemic, one day in 2013 and told us of her disappearance. I was so affected by Kadie's words that I made a promise to Kadie and her brother Jeremy Lancaster. I told them I would never give up helping search for the missing woman. It is a promise that haunts me to this day.
Since I met Kadie, I have participated in many events to raise awareness of Megan's plight and numerous searches to bring Megan home. Through blog entries and Facebook posts, I have tried to inform the public about developments. Every time I drive through New Boston and see the signs begging the public to report any pertinent information, I can't help but feeling sad. I have not given up on Megan, but now, over seven years later, I don't think I have done enough. I struggle to find new ways to help find Megan.
Megan Lancaster's family vowed never to stop their relenting search for Megan. Their monumental, tireless efforts continue today. And, they have actually opened their arms to help in searches for other missing locals. The family has been very active in raising awareness of human trafficking and local corruption – problems journalists have labeled Portsmouth's “little secret.”
(James Pilcher, Liz Dufour, Kate Murphy. “Trapped and trafficked: One town's dark secretRumors about sex trafficking and local corruption have been something of an open secret in Portsmouth for years.” Cincinnati Enquirer. Updated October 23, 2020.)
Megan Lancaster has been missing – her disappearance an integral part of the obscure secrets of Scioto County – since April 3, 2013. Consider her family and all the hundreds of false hopes that have arisen during that time. They have endured countless "ups and downs" of elation and depression. In 2015, they were part of a scam by a so-called “Jenna McLain" and a male associate.
"And then out of nowhere, he pops up," Kadie Lancaster told ABC's "20/20." "He says I know where Megan is. And I can get her back. [He] tells me how she was tortured and that she was in sex trafficking. And he told me that they kept her on chains in a room."
Then, the situation became even more ominous. The family received a nearly identical, highly bizarre proposition: Each missing woman could be brought home alive, but it would take money – lots of it. The emailer told Kadie Lancaster to bring $25,000 dollars in cash to a Vancouver, Washington, McDonald's and deliver it to a man named "Marcus," who would be wearing a red hat.
"The exchange was that if I would come to Washington [that] I could have Megan and we could just leave and go on our way," said Kadie Lancaster.
(Gerry Wagschal, Joseph Rhee, Miguel Sancho, and Eric Johnson. “Megan Lancaster and Kelsie Schelling's families were asked for thousands.” ABC News. May 13, 2016.)
Kadie agreed to work with "20/20" to set up a sting operation that yielded little, if any, positive results.
All of this would be enough for most people to say, "We just have to move on and let the past be." Not the Lancasters. They persevere.
Finding Megan Lancaster is so vital – not only for her loved ones, her son, and her many friends – but for us all. You see, all of us desire and deserve the truth. For a young woman to go missing and never to be found is inexcusable. We should never let this pass as just another tragic story in the sex-for-drugs trade. Our outrage should compel every citizen to dig so deep into the corruption that we expose answers … and, discover the precious truth.
Fear, corruption, collusion – all of these factors point toward reasons new evidence about Megan has not surfaced. Other victims of abuse exist as do other people who know more about the details of Megan's disappearance. People know more about her than they are willing to share.
Kadie Lancaster, said she understands why women in Portsmouth are afraid to talk.
“You could be the next Megan Lancaster if they think that you know something that you could tell,” she said.
Kadie continues to dig into what happened to Megan. She keeps one of Megan’s bras in the freezer, just in case it has DNA evidence, and she compiled a 5-inch thick binder filled with documents that she considers potential clues.
Speculation, theory, conjecture – it's time for all of this supposition to end and time for real, dogged investigation to begin. An all-out search for the truth by seasoned professionals should be initiated immediately. Whether state or national investigators are employed, the search must find answers and bring Megan home. In doing so, I believe many other discoveries made by these detectives will benefit our community.
Ivy Potter of the Portsmouth Daily Times wrote in April 2019 …
“Behind every image of those who have been murdered or have disappeared from Scioto County, stands family members and friends that are still searching for answers; some even after decades.
“Individuals who have often been written off by members of their own community for their struggles with addiction, and some for venturing into the dark world of selling sex, have taken with them irreplaceable pieces of those that call them daughter, sister, mother, and friend.”
(Ivy Potter. “Still searching: Families of Megan Lancaster, and Scioto County’s other missing women speak out.” Portsmouth Daily Times. April 16, 2019.)
I, for one, believe drugs, prostitution, and human trafficking are married in Scioto County, in Ohio, and in the nation in a large, coordinated system fueled by financial interests and by personal gratification. The perfect feeder component of the system includes officers and employees of enforcement and court communities. I do not mean to make false accusations against these trusted institutions; however, I strongly believe existing evidence is sufficient for strong internal investigation.
Megan Lancaster – a beautiful young woman who graduated Votech with honors, adored her son, and was in daily contact with her relatives prior to her disappearance – is still missing. Sex, drugs, personal contact lists, informants: all of these things may be clues to Megan's whereabouts.
Solving the case will give much needed closure to a wonderful local family. Solving the case may also reveal connections that threaten the future of our own closest loved ones. And, solving the case may save countless lives of those currently trapped in a corrupt system of use and abuse. Megan is not just "somebody's daughter." She is my daughter. She is your daughter. The strong relationship is evident.
God, please help us all to better know Megan. I never knew her before she vanished; however, I now feel as if she is a confidant. I feel as if I hear her begging me to help uncover the truth. I only hope I can assist and keep my promise to her and to her family.
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