Police seek help in continued search for missing Ferguson Township woman

Jennifer Cahill-Shadle is still missing and Ferguson Township police are still seeking answers.

It has been 21/2 months since Cahill-Shadle, 48, was last seen walking into the North Atherton Street Wal-Mart at 4:51 p.m. That was also the last time she spoke with her daughter. Six days later, her mother, Johanna Zmuida, reported her missing.

Ferguson Township Police Chief Diane Conrad said that her department is exploring all avenues in trying to track down Cahill-Shadle. The department has pulled video from Wal-Mart and other stores in the shopping center. It has ruled out some possibilities, but it’s still no closer to finding the missing woman.

Chasing leads, however, has brought police to a new possibility they are bringing to the public.

On Friday, police released images of a receipt from Champs Sports Grill, showing a $180 charge to an American Express credit card. Conrad said that tracing Cahill-Shadle’s movements in the days before her disappearance led to the restaurant.

Sgt. Robert Glenny said the missing woman was originally there by herself, but later joined a group of four middle-aged Hispanic men. Police want to speak to the men, hoping to find out if anything Cahill-Shadle said that evening could point to what might have happened to her or where she might be.

“It might not mean anything,” Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller said. “They are just chasing down every lead they can.”

Conrad released one new piece of information, revealing that Cahill-Shadle “did struggle with substance abuse.” However, both Conrad and Parks Miller declined to specify what substances were the problem, citing privacy issues. Conrad said it provided a new level of concern because of an increased opportunity to be victimized.

Police and the prosecutors were insistent that the public was crucial to the search.

“Sometimes people don’t realize they saw something or heard something. Any lead, even if people think it’s not important, can help,” said Parks Miller.

Conrad said tips have been coming in since May when the first missing reports were released.

“The information is getting out,” she said.

This story was originally published August 1, 2014 at 1:11 PM with the headline "Police seek help in continued search for missing Ferguson Township woman."