SYKESVILLE - State police and family members continue their search for a Jefferson county woman who has been missing for nine years.
In the early morning hours of July 12, 2007, authorities responded to a fire at Joey Lynn Offutt's home.
After the fire was extinguished, the remains of Offutt's 6-week-old son were discovered. Police said further evidence showed the baby had died before the fire.
That fire was ruled arson. But Offutt and her car, a red Saturn with Virginia license plates, were missing.
Police found Offutt's car four days later in State College, Pennsylvania, parked at the Nittany Gardens apartment complex, where Offutt had previously lived.
Offutt had only lived in Sykesville for six months prior to the fire. Her family lives out of the state.
"If she lived in Virginia or we all lived in Pennsylvania then perhaps we could do more in the community to keep her face out there," Offutt's nephew, Jason Hungerford, said.
Since her disappearance, police said there have been no substantial leads that have helped further the investigation.
"Currently, some new information has come out in reference to the victim, Joey Offutt. She was declared legally dead," Trooper David Ray said. "The family had taken care of that for some reasons for their children but currently the investigation is very active, the same as it was in July when it started."
Offutt's other two children were not home when the fire broke out. Hungerford said they've been living with family since their mother disappeared.
"Life goes on, unfortunately, but there's still a big gaping hole where their mother's presence once was," Hungerford said.
At the time she disappeared, Joey Lynn Offutt was 33 years old. She is described as a petite woman, approximately 5 feet 3 inches tall with a thin build. She has brown eyes and brown or red-brown hair. She may or may not be wearing glasses.
Offutt's family believes Joey would not willingly leave her children, and they fear someone killed her and then tried to destroy evidence by burning the house down.
"We strongly believe she was likely murdered and that the scene of the crime was positioned in a way that would make it look like that she committed the crime and then fled," Hungerford said.
"Currently, there's a $25,000 reward for the resolution of this case," Ray said.
The reward is offered by Offutt's family. They also run a website to help bring public attention to the case.
Anyone with information is urged to call 1-877-440-JOEY (1-877-440-5639) or to contact the Pennsylvania State Police at 814 371-4652.
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