MANSFIELD – The mother of a missing Shelby woman continues to search for her daughter after she was allegedly spotted in the Mansfield area.
Jennifer Goff, 26, of Shelby was reported missing by her mother, Lynn Shafer Caudell, on Friday, Dec. 9, according to Mansfield Detective Bill Bushong. Goff was reportedly last seen after being discharged from the Emergency Department at OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital at around 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 6.
“In this particular case the mother is alleging she (Goff) went to the hospital and hasn’t been seen since,” Bushong said.
On Monday, Dec. 12, a Richland County Sheriff deputy reported to Bushong that Goff was seen withdrawing money at a Mansfield area bank on Monday, Dec. 12. Bushong said the Mansfield Police Department has relayed this information to Goff’s mother, Caudell.
“At this point we are trying to get video from the bank to confirm, and we will go from there,” Bushong said. He declined to name the bank Goff visited.
For Caudell, a possible sighting of her daughter isn’t good enough.
“She may have been seen, but we don’t know if she was safe,” Caudell said. “She is still considered missing and should be considered missing.”
On Dec. 9, Caudell made a post on Facebook notifying friends and family of Goff’s disappearance. Since then, the post has been shared more than 15,000 times.
Caudell stated that upon speaking to Bushong, it was explained that a bank employee saw Caudell’s post on Facebook and remembered recognizing Goff.
“It stood out because she withdrew a very small amount of money, all she had left, and left,” Caudell said.
Three missing persons groups have contacted Caudell offering help to search for Goff – Locate The Missing, Bring Our Missing Home Inc. and Missing Pieces Network. These groups expressed concern for Mansfield being a host to human trafficking; in Ohio there are more than 1,078 victims of human trafficking per year.
Caudell expressed frustration with the Mansfield Police Department’s investigation thus far. She stated she feared the police department was treating Goff as “just some addict.”
“Even our addicts deserve to be saved,” Caudell said.
Caudell also noted though Goff was discharged from OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital on her last appearance, her hospitalization was not related to drug use. She has also since received a tip that when Goff left the hospital on Tuesday, she was seen leaving with a man.
“She’s been clean, she’s been doing very well,” Caudell said. “She’s been in a solid recovery program and has been working the program, so for her to just disappear like this was incredibly alarming.”
Goff was last seen driving her grandparents’ red Chevy Equinox with Ohio plate number GBX9579. The car has not yet been accounted for and does not have a navigation system, and it is believed that Goff does not have a cell phone with her.
Goff is described as 5’4″ tall, 170 pounds with blue eyes and blonde hair. Anyone with information on Goff’s disappearance is asked to call the Mansfield Police Department at 419-522-1234.
“That’s my child, and she is missing,” Caudell said. “I appreciate the reach my post got, and I want people to keep looking for her. Because I’m not giving up.”
