Megan Lancaster -- The Spike Investigation

 

Shortly after her disappearance over four years ago, I made a promise to Kadie and Jeremy Lancaster, sister-in-law and brother of Megan 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.

I have been on searches, candlelight vigils, and many other events held to facilitate bringing Megan home. I have never seen a family so dedicated to this task. They have been relentless in their search. Yet, Megan remains missing, and I wish I could help provide answers for her disappearance. I wish I could better fulfill my promise.

About a week ago, a segment of Spike TV's “The Forgotten Women of Ohio” featured Megan and uncovered information most of the public had never seen. The revealing investigation poked many accusatory fingers at figures involved in the dark underbelly of Portsmouth, Ohio. It raised many questions about who may be responsible for Megan's disappearance, and it created a beehive of new interest in the case.

I am happy that Spike aired this show – happy for many reasons.

Megan Lancaster, by all accounts, is a loving mother and a caring person who, like so many others in the county, fell victim to the opioid epidemic. She became a drug addict and turned to prostitution to finance her addiction. In doing so, Megan became a pawn in this marginalized community. She likely didn't know how her combination of good looks and drug dependency would lead to complications with enforcement and criminal elements. We now know how deep these complications grew.

As members of a community in which the drug trade devastates lives and families, we all are responsible for seeking answers to the epidemic of drug abuse. No judgments should prevent us from this task; it is a basic duty of our humanity and a fulfillment of our commitment to love and kindness.

But still, some view addicts as second-class citizens, expendable victims who brought any ill treatment – including abduction and murder – upon themselves. Don't you wonder to what great lengths an investigation into the disappearance of a prominent citizen's addicted daughter might go? I do. Megan's disappearance deserves unending, thorough investigation, something many think is lacking.

Still, there is another reason that the disappearance of Megan Lancaster is critical to the well-being of the area. Something or some person(s) from within the enforcement and justice communities has left an indelible stench that permeates the halls of judicatory integrity. It is a malodor originating somewhere between the obvious and the guarded. Many area residents have questioned its rank existence before and wondered why it hasn't been eliminated.

The “use” of Megan Lancaster – whether as an informant, as a prostitute, as a dancer – must be further investigated, no matter the collateral damage to those who employed her services. How can any of us feel transparency is being pursued when bad behaviors of lustful users are being protected? This has too long been a policy of Good Old Boy government. Was Megan an instrument of a system that protects its own at the price of innocent human life? Suspicions endure, and for good reasons.

I, for one, believe drugs, prostitution, and human trafficking are married in a large, coordinated system fueled by financial interest 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.

A beautiful young woman, sex, drugs, personal contact lists, informants – clues to the disappearance of Megan Lancaster, last seen on April 3, 2013. This case is a concern for everyone in our small community. It may also be a link in a much larger conspiracy of abuse. Solving the case will give much needed closure to a wonderful local family. Solving the case may reveal connections that threaten the future of our closest loved ones. And, solving the case may save countless lives of those trapped in a corrupt system of use and abuse.

I haven't given up on you, Megan. I pledge to keep on keeping on. 

 

Lead Us to Megan Lancaster

25-year-old Megan Lancaster has been missing since April 3, 2013. Her car, a Ford Mustang, was found on April 5 abandoned at the Portsmouth, Ohio, Rally's Restaurant on 1111 Monroe Street. The family reported Lancaster’s wallet was found in the passenger seat of her car. When they've tried to call her, Lancaster’s phone goes to voicemail.

Some employees at Rally's report a white Chevy pulling in behind Megan's parked car on April 3. These reports say she got into the car with an unidentified subject somewhere around 10:00 P.M. that night. Employees are said to have copied the license number of the suspect Chevy and reported it to the local authorities. They even claim to have seen it "stalking" the lot days later.

One later sighting of Megan on April 3 was reported to have occurred at a convenience store/gas station in Wheelersburg around 1:00 A.M. Megan appeared to be in distress at the time.

Our Facebook group, Fix the Scioto County Problem of Drug Abuse, has received numerous other unsubstantiated tips and clues concerning Megan's disappearance. All have been duly reported. New information surfaces almost every day; however, numerous family search efforts and inquiries with the aid of the public have yet to be successful in leading to discovering Megan's whereabouts.

"Tips come from all sorts: from somebody questionable who might really know something to something being found," said Joanna Krohn of SOLACE Ohio, an organization that helps families of drug addicts form support groups. " What's a legitimate tip?"

"We need search dogs. We need helicopters," said Megan's sister-in-law, Kadie Lancaster. "We need stuff to try, because Scioto County is very large."

Meanwhile, although detectives are busy investigating Megan's disappearance, they have told Channel 13 WOWK News they cannot do large-scale searches on a whim; they need a viable tip. Yet, tips keep pouring in concerning Megan. We know we can start with Megan's last know appearance, her abandoned car, and credible sightings -- why can't officials work from these leads?

Friends and family have been placed identification/information flyers in the immediate area and in many places in the Tristate. So many people know Megan. It is hard to believe someone doesn't know about her present whereabouts.

Megan Lancaster has a 7-year-old son who stays with her parents. Her parents acknowledge she has had have drug problems, and they’re afraid these activities may be connected to her disappearance.

"She just got mixed up with the wrong people," her father Charles said. "I loved her, even though I didn't like what she’d done. She's still my daughter.”

 My Take

Megan has been missing now for over 50 days. Was she abducted by those from Detroit, Dayton, or Columbus who deal in the heroin trade? Was she "picked up" by a person intent on using her sexually and ending her life? Did she owe some debt she was unable to pay? Did she fall victim to someone's senseless, serial rage? Was she an informant who lost her value to her employer? Or, did some other cruel fate befall her? I and the family strongly believe Megan did not disappear of her own will.

At this point her family doesn't know much. They pray for the safe return of their daughter but fear the worst. They understand the longer the case goes unsolved, the more likely it will be filed under "cold investigation." This cannot happen. It must not happen. Enough talk, clues, and leads exist to help investigators find pertinent information that will lead to Megan Lancaster. Someone "out there" in the community knows more about her disappearance; they are likely too intimidated by evil fiends to come forth. 

Megan's family has been relentless in their search for her. Prayer services, candlelight services, numerous searches, individual investigations, distributions of information, canvasing of neighborhoods, working closely with enforcement and media, requesting much-needed outside help -- they have tried so hard to find Megan through all available resources and they continue to do so.

Consider the truth. Megan is yours. She is mine. 

She is a vital missing part of our community family, 

an innocent victim of something that has gone terribly wrong. 

We must work to find her and uncover the mystery of her disappearance.

I am certain the story of Megan's life is both typical of those fallen into hard luck, yet it is surprising in that her connections, her circle of friends, and her influence run deep. I honestly believe substantial people who reside here know more about her fate than they wish to divulge. I can speculate why this might be.

After all, Megan is a young, attractive girl who is intelligent and "street wise" yet chemically dependent upon an element who would use her for their own advantage. Some look "down" on her for her drug abuse and related negative activities. Yet, some of these same people apparently "use her" themselves for their own satisfaction because they know they can, and they know they can likely continue to get away with it.

I just want to say this to those hypocritical bastards, many with money and evil power, who roam our streets and believe they are "above the law":

"F _ _ _  you all! You are the root of darkness in our area. I get so sick of cover up and inexcusable, deviant behavior, especially from those of you with position. You know exactly the harm you do, but, guess what, so does the entire community. You are not fooling one other soul. We will work diligently to bring you down."

I, personally, am sick of the indifference and outright offensive comments about Megan made by some who know better and who are in positions to help. Your judgment is an impediment to justice for all. Megan's disappearance has helped focus needed light on some very big areas of concern we must address. Something "more" is wrong here. And, some of you know exactly what that "more" is. 

We need to find Megan Lancaster, and we need to do this together with the highest transparency. We need to do this for Megan, for her family, for her friends, and for ourselves. She has been missing far too long. Each new day that she remains missing weakens us all -- please understand that predators on the loose are going to continue their deadly games. You may become a future victim.

I am confident if we work together to "lift up some rocks" and reveal the "insects" beneath, we will discover Megan danced too close to some of their attractive, deceitful webs. I urge detectives and all enforcement to pull out all stops to find this girl, even if it means shedding light on some "fine" characters with substantial standing. I urge all citizens to ask that the case be solved.

Let's welcome a prodigal daughter who once was lost. Megan, you are wanted at home. We vow to find you. We love you. We pray you are still alive... somewhere.


"Prodigal Daughter" partial lyric by Michelle Shocked

"Look here comes a prodigal son
Fetch him a tall drink of water
But there's none in the cup because he drank it all up
Left for the prodigal daughter

"What's to be done with a prodigal son?
Welcome him home with open arms
Throw a big party, invite your friends
Our boy's come back home
When a girl goes home with the oats *he's sown
It's draw your shades and your shutters"

 * (yes, he's sown)

"Prodigal Daughter"

By The Work of the People

 

http://www.sermonspice.com/product/12740/prodigal-daughter