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Police, Family Lead Biggest Search Yet For Stebic

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Jul 7, 2007 8:04 am US/Central

Police, Family Lead Biggest Search Yet For Stebic

Hundreds Expected To Comb State Park

 SLIDESHOW: Openly Gay Celebrities
by Mai Martinez
YORKVILLE, Ill. (CBS) ― More than two months after she disappeared, another massive search for a missing Plainfield mother is underway Saturday morning.

As CBS 2's Mai Martinez reports, hundreds of people are expected to help search Silver Springs State Park in Yorkville, hoping to find some sign of Lisa Stebic, who has not been seen since April 30.

It is the biggest search for Stebic since she disappeared more than two months ago. Craig Stebic, Lisa's husband, has not spoken with police since the ninth day after her disappearance. When he did speak to authorities, he never mentioned Silver Springs State Park in Yorkville – one of the reasons, CBS 2 is told, a search will take place there.

Lisa was known to visit the 1,300-acre state park on a regular basis. Previously, a psychic's advice spearheaded four smaller searches there. One search turned up bones, but they turned out to be from a deer.

But Plainfield police believe the state park is worth revisiting.

"Let's go through the park with a fine-toothed comb and either dispel it or prove that there's something out there," said Plainfield Police Department Operations Commander Mike Altenhoff.

Lisa Stebic's friends are encouraged that police and a large number of volunteers will be helping with the search on Saturday.

"If she is there, I'm sure with all the volunteers, thank you, I'm sure we will find her," said Stebic friend Kim Young.

Police plan to divide the park into grids. They hope to search the entire park before wrapping up at two o'clock. Professional searchers will be using horses and dogs.

"We're working on two to three cadaver dog teams to stand by," Altenhoff said. "You know, it's been eight weeks. A reasonable person will tell you that Lisa's probably not going to walk out of that park."

One person not expected to help with the search is Craig Stebic. Plainfield police say they are not surprised.

"He says to media outlets, he says to his family that he's cooperating and yet he hasn't appeared," he said. "He appeared at one vigil and, from my understanding, that's at the prodding of some of the family and friends to get him to go to that. He hasn't attended any of the searches. He doesn't appear to be a man that's really interested."

Plainfield police said Lisa Stebic's credit cards and cell phone have not been used since her disappearance, and the case remains a missing persons case.

Recently on a blog about Lisa Stebic, an anonymous poster wrote of a development that will generate headlines next week.

CBS 2 asked Altenhoff about the chances that Craig Stebic will be named a person of interest in the disappearance of his wife. Altenhoff said it was "something we continually talk about."

Any decision will be based partly on the result of forensic evidence currently being tested in the state crime lab.

(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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