The 18-year-old was reported missing by her mother Sunday morning after she left home to go to a tanning salon but did not return. Her abandoned car was found in a church parking lot.
Ohio authorities are asking the public for help in identifying a man captured in photos they say may have information in connection with the disappearance of Greenfield teen Madison Bell. The 18-year-old was reported missing by her mother Sunday morning after she left home to go to a tanning salon but did not return.
Bell's cell phone was then geolocated to a church parking lot, where it was found inside of her abandoned car with the keys still in the ignition. It is believed that the teen never showed up to the tanning salon.
The photos were released Thursday by the Highland and Ross County Sheriff's Offices. They show a white man with light brown hair, thin mustache and short beard and wearing a white, plaid button-down shirt. There appears to be a gas pump in the background. Two other images show different angles of the man's car, a white, four-door Nissan sedan.
Authorities believe the car in the photos may have been in the church parking lot where Bell's car was found, the Chillicothe Gazette reported. The man in question was connected to the car through the photos taken at a nearby business, according to police.
"This guy is attached to this car, and this car is believed to have been at the location Maddie left her car at," Highland County Chief Deputy Brandon Stratton told the Gazette.
The night of Bell's disappearance, hundreds of community volunteers gathered to search for the teen, pausing overnight and resuming the search Monday morning. Bell's mother Melissa Montavon gave an emotional plea for her daughter's return in a video taken by the Scioto Valley Guardian and posted to Facebook.
"I am asking you, Maddie, if you are watching, please come home. We have the whole community here looking for you," Montavon said.
Bell is 5'6" tall with brown hair and brown eyes and also wears grey contact lenses. She has a cross tattoo on her neck and a ghost tattoo on her side.
Anyone who recognizes the man or vehicle in the pictures or has information about Bell is asked to contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 or through Ohio Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS. Tips leading to Bell's whereabouts may be eligible for a cash reward.
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