PPD explores connection to missing woman

By Frank Lewis

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Portsmouth Police Chief Robert Ware says he is going to Chillicothe later this week to attempt to learn if there is an actual connection between a murder case there and a woman missing from Scioto County.

“I have not had any conversation at all with the sheriff up there,” Ware said. “I’m going to talk to them to see what it is they’re talking about.”

Early reports were that Jason McCrary, 36, a registered sex offender, was taken into custody for failing to update his address information, but that he was also being looked at in connection with the death of Timberly Claytor, 38, and the disappearance of Charlotte Trego, Wanda Lemons and Tiffany Sayre, as well as women from Columbus and Scioto County. However, a Ross County investigator does not know where the Scioto County connection started.

“I don’t know where you got that information,” Lieutenant Mike Preston told the Daily Times. “I haven’t heard that.”

Preston said McCrary’s status remains the same as it was last week.

“Right now he (McCrary) is just our main suspect. We have him in jail on unrelated charges, failure to register as a sex offender, and we’re waiting on forensic evidence from BCI (Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation),” Preston said.

Ware says he has not been told anything about a local connection.

“They have not said, and I don’t know what they have that would link anybody to anyone down here yet,” Ware said.

Ware said the only communication he has had with Ross County authorities was a message he received asking if he wanted his department to be part of a task force investigating the case. He said his response was to tell them he needed to come to Ross County and talk with officials there before committing his officers to a task force.

“If it is something that would benefit us all, by all means,” Ware said.

Social media has seen much speculation as to who the missing Scioto County woman is, if any, but neither the police department nor the Scioto County Sheriff’s Office has that identity. Ware said there are two women missing locally. He identified them as Megan Lancaster and Karen Shepherd, but said he does not know if either one is tied to the case since he has not been notified what the Ross County authorities are speculating.

“We’re going to go up and talk to them and see what they’ve got,” Ware said. “and to see if there is anything connecting them other than being in the same lifestyle and maybe sharing some travels in the same general areas.”

Reach Frank Lewis at 740-353-3101, ext. 1928, or on Twitter @franklewis.

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