The description of events is based on a July 1st press release from the Cape Girardeau Sherrif's office.
The case began on May 19th when the 20-year-old Jessi Wilfong, talked to Teresa Baumgartner to get a ride to Cape Girardeau County. Teresa Baumgartner and her romantic partner Lawrence Schanda (Jessi’s Uncle) drove to pick her up and brought her back to Millersville Missouri. Later on May 25th, Wilfong’s Mother reported her missing. When contacted by police Baumgartner stated “she, Schanda, and Wilfong had spent the night of May 19 sitting around a bonfire at her residence, drinking and talking. [...]" The account continues to describe the series of events. "At some point, Wilfong requested to be taken back to Fredericktown, but Baumgartner and Schanda refused."
Teresa Baumgartner told law enforcement that Wilfong must have left her residence after she went to sleep, sometime during the early morning hours of May 20, 2022, between 4:00-6:30 am“. She never reported Jessi Wilfong as missing in the following days.
While checking security cameras at the couple's residence, law enforcement discovered Jessi Wilfong was last seen alive at 1:09 am on May 20th in the company of Lawerence Schanda. When interviewed later Schanda stated that there had been an argument with Wilfong before her disappearance
In later interviews with confidential witnesses, police state that one witness spoke with Baumgartner about the disappearance and she alluded to Schanda assaulting Wilfong following an argument.
In an interview with another confidential witness, Baumgartner told said witness “ Wilfong had been murdered by Schanda inside the Baumgartner/Schanda residence" and that "Wilfong would be found on some property that Baumgartner and Schanda had considered buying.” This led police to execute a search warrant on property within 2 miles of the Baumgartner/Schanda residence.
At this property, the couple had been seen in and around the barn area on the property. When the property owner was contacted by law enforcement the owner directed officers to the barn structure where the owner had seen Schanda on May 24th “ sweating profusely that day, not wearing a shirt, and having mud on his boots.” When asked what he was doing in the barn Schanda and Baumgartner were supposedly cleaning out the barn area.
When executing the search warrant on the barn structure law enforcement officials discovered a “clearly disturbed area of ground inside the barn. Also located were shovels, a sleeveless men's shirt, and an auger (a piece of equipment used to dig into the ground).“ Inside the disturbed area, the officials found the remains of Jessi Wilfong.
The case is ongoing and more updates are to come.
