Woman still missing four years after vanishing near Sturgis

STURGIS, Mich. — It's been four years since a St. Joseph County woman mysteriously vanished after crashing into a ditch outside Sturgis.

Around 1,500 missing posters for Brittany Shank, or Brittany Wallace were printed to be handed out across St. Joseph County Wednesday.

"I feel I can awake from this nightmare any day but it just hasn't happened yet," Wallace's mother Jessica Rolfe said.

The 23-year-old mother was last seen in the area of Fawn River Road near Workman Road in Fawn River Township around 9 p.m. Nov. 30, 2018, according to the St. Joseph County Sheriff's Office.

Wallace emerged from a minor car wreck bloodied without a coat or socks when she used a neighbor's phone to call 911 before she was last seen, according to investigators.

The area is approximately seven miles east of downtown Sturgis.

Michigan State Police launched a task force to investigate Wallace's disappearance before it handed the case of to the St. Joseph County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies have searched for Wallace in wooded areas near the crash scene on numerous occasions, including in recent months, according to St. Joseph County Sheriff's Office Det. Sgt. Jason Auton.

No evidence has emerged to indicate Wallace was killed by anyone, according to investigators.

Wallace's family has believed someone was responsible for her disappearance and possible death.

"I think it was people relatively close to her that she knew about," Rolfe said.

Wallace's disappearance has gained national attention following the release of season 3 of the true crime podcast series, "Hide and Seek."

Season 3 launched in April, features 24 episodes on Wallace's disappearance and includes interviews from over 200 people, according to Baysinger.

"I continue to build new episodes while we're investigating and get new leads," Hide and Seek creator James Baysinger said. "It's a very messy case, but we've spent the hours trying to untangle this and we're looking forward to sharing more."

Baysinger and a team of his podcast researchers have shared information with detectives who have been working on the case, he said.

"Someone who is calling 911 isn’t looking to run away. She's leaving the scene for a reason." Baysinger said. As we dig into Brittany's case, we begin to find out the reasons why."

Detectives interviewed over 100 people connected to Wallace and have chased down many rumors that never panned out, according to Auton.

• Previous coverage:Sturgis mother remains hopeful that missing daughter will return home

Rolfe said she believes the spotlight on her daughter's case will lead to answers she's searched for.

"Awareness of this is crucial to keep her face in the public," Rolfe said.

Investigators haven't ruled out that Wallace may have succumbed to the conditions in the wooded area near the crash scene, according to detectives.

Anyone with information can contact the St. Joseph County Sheriff's Office at 269-467-9045.