A 38-year-old Wiscasset woman, reported missing early Friday morning, notified police around midnight Friday of her whereabouts and safety at an undisclosed location.
According to Wiscasset police, Jessica Norris reported that she intended to leave the 314 West Alna Rd. residence where she had been living with Russell Anderson, who described Norris as his fiancée.
According to a statement from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Norris explained to police that she left in the manner she did in an attempt to end her current relationship.
The Lincoln County Communications Center issued an all-points bulletin for Norris on Nov. 7 as Wiscasset police, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Dept., and Maine State Police became involved in an all-out search for her in the vicinity.
Norris reportedly was last seen standing in the driveway of her West Alna Rd. home. Police said Anderson reported Norris was with a black Labrador puppy and her purse as if ready to go for a walk.
Norris told police she did go for a walk after seeing Anderson leave the house and met someone who picked her up, according to investigating Wiscasset Officer Willie Simmons. When Anderson left, Norris felt it was a good time to take off, Simmons said.
Anderson told local police Norris was not around the house when he returned home and he began looking for her off and on when she did not return that evening.
Neighbors saw her walking along West Alna Rd. and Fowles Rd. residents also reported seeing her walking there, Simmons said.
Simmons said sometimes people go to police to locate someone they surmise has left. He said it was strange Anderson left the environs of his home around 3 p.m. on Friday while law enforcement personnel and canine units from both the Sheriff’s Dept. and Maine State Police, the State Police Crime Lab, and two state Fish and Wildlife wardens joined the search.
“At 3 p.m. Friday, he took off for New Hampshire,” Simmons said. “He said my son has a ballgame.”
Anderson reported her missing at 7:30 a.m. Friday from New Hampshire where he and Norris were previously living together. He told police the couple have been together for four years and never had a problem.
Anderson informed police Norris customarily would take a walk on the logging road in the woods along West Alna for an hour or an hour and a half. He said he drove to Portsmouth, N.H. around 5:30 a.m. to pick up his son, Michael, who is familiar with the paths where Norris has taken walks in the past.
Simmons interviewed Anderson at 11 a.m. Friday upon his return from New Hampshire and left immediately after to go with Anderson and his son to the West Alna home and vicinity for further investigation.
Simmons said before the interrogation he had inspected the house two or three times after Anderson reported her missing. Monday he said the house was almost empty since the pair apparently were in the process of moving somewhere else.
Anderson said he went in a vehicle of his and was driving back for questioning in a rented vehicle, according to Simmons. However, he later told police it was the same vehicle, but Simmons and the police were not sure it that was true.
Originally on Friday, Anderson told police he had too many vehicles at the yard at his West Alna residence, Simmons said. He said if any foul play had been suspected late in the investigation the department would have had to obtain the motor vehicle Russell drove to New Hamsphire on Friday morning.
The couple supposedly moved to the current address about a year ago swith plans for a business in the region, according to Simmons.