Police ID ‘strong person of interest’ in search for missing Miamisburg woman

Miamisburg police say they have a person of interest in the case of Chelsey Coe, missing since 2017, as investigators returned to the property Thursday, two days after a 14-hour search.

• Police: "Strong person of interest" identified in Coe's disappearance
• Police declined to identify the person by name
• Chief Sedlak: 'We're still very hopeful she's all right and will be found'

UPDATE @ 11:50 p.m.: After spending all day and much of the night Tuesday looking for any sign of Chelsey Coe, investigators were back at it Thursday morning.

“We did not come up with anything of real evidentiary value today,” Miamisburg police Chief John Sedlak said. “I think, the reality is we were planning on coming back out here, either way.”

There was a heavy presence of law enforcement in the area. They searched a yard, past a treeline in nearby woods, shoveled and raked. K-9 teams were added as well.

Neighbors said they are shocked by the police activity and that it is connected to the case of a missing woman.

“I can’t understand how anything like this would ever happen — here,” Josh Tincher said.

Sedlak said Miamisburg police do have “a strong person of interest” in Coe’s disappearance.

But he would not identify that person, whom he described as “not specifically” cooperating with the investigation.

When asked whether law enforcement believes Coe may be buried on the property, Sedlak responded: “We’re still very hopeful that she's all right and will be found, and will make herself known, you know, in the days ahead.

“But nonetheless, without any contact, at this point we’re doing our due diligence.”

UPDATE @ 1:07 p.m.:

Authorities don't have solid evidence that the body of Chelsey Coe is on the property they are searching on Lower Miamisburg Road. Police "don't have any specific knowledge that Chelsey is there," Miamisburg Sgt. Jeff Muncy told this news organization.

FBI and Miamisburg police talked in the street blocked to traffic around the scene, 551 Lower Miamisburg Road.

A Bobcat backhoe arrived shortly after 12:30 p.m. Canine units are a part of today's search, Muncy said.

CONTINUING COVERAGE OF CHELSEY COE’S DISAPPEARANCE: 

• NEW DETAILS: Investigators seal records in Chelsey Coe disappearance after 14-hour search
• Who is Chelsey Coe, missing woman at center of FBI, BCI search in Miamisburg? 
  
• Local women keep going missing: 6 cases you need to know about
  
• Mom of missing Miamisburg woman wants closure, 'to say goodbye the right way'

UPDATE @ 12:05 p.m.: 

Miamisburg police have a person of interest in the investigation into a missing woman.

Sgt. Jeff Muncy told this news organization authorities have “a strong person of interest” into the investigation on the whereabouts of Chelsey Coe, who was reported missing in September 2017.

Muncy said the person of interest is a male, but declined to give more details about why that person is of interest.

UPDATE @ 11:50 a.m. (May 4): 

Authorities were on the scene when longtime Lower Miamisburg resident Connie Boomershine said she got home about 10:45 a.m.

Boomershine said a man has lived at the home at 551 for about three years.

“He seems to be a very nice, very calm person. His mom is absolutely a sweet lady. “I personally don’t think they're going to find her," Boomershine said of Coe. “Because I don’t think (the neighbor) had anything to do with it”

FIRST REPORT (May 3):

Investigators have returned to the 500 block of Lower Miamisburg Road two days after a 14-hour search at the same property in connection to the disappearance of Chelsey Coe.

Crews on scene are using hand tools in areas of high grass and weeds, according to our photographer on the scene. Investigators are also searching around a barn on the property.

Additional details were not immediately available.