An Indiana woman was nine months pregnant when she… disappeared more than three months ago, and her family has suspicions about her last whereabouts.
Mother of three Emma Baum, 25, went missing in Gary, Indiana, on October 10 and was about to give birth to her fourth child.
Baum was last seen being dropped off at her boyfriend’s house, her sister Hailey Baum-Waddell told Fox News Digital.
“The search for Emma has been very difficult for everyone, mentally, physically and emotionally… but we will not stop looking for her,” Baum-Waddell said. “I think if people keep shouting for something to be done and keep shouting her name… just get the word out because a lot of people know, but not everyone knows.”
MOTHER 9 MONTHS PREGNANT MISSING FOR ONE MONTH, LAST SEEN WITH BOYFRIEND, FAMILY SAYS
Emma Baum, 25, disappeared on October 10. She was nine months pregnant when she was reported missing. (Facebook/Missing People in America)
Authorities received a missing person report for Baum from her family on Oct. 28, Gary Police Cmdr. Jack Hamady told Fox News Digital.
“A few days went by. We all started messaging each other: ‘Hey, have you heard from Emma? Has anyone seen her? Can you message one of her friends to reach her friend?’ And it’s been kind of a circle with everyone and everyone’s just trying to figure it out,” Baum-Waddell said.
“Then we say, ‘Okay, this is not normal.’ … Then my mom really started to panic,” she added. “Then my mother finally went to the police station.”
Emma Baum was nine months pregnant when she disappeared in October. (Hailey Baum-Waddell)
Officers with the Gary police have used K-9s in several searches in the area, and the Lake County Sheriff’s Department has assisted in some of the searches, Hamady said.
“We searched a house, apartment, recreational vehicles and one other property,” he added.
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In addition to the police investigation, Baum-Waddell said she and other relatives of Baum organized a widespread search after a social media post from her attracted hundreds of willing participants.
“There have been a lot of people who have offered to come find her,” she said. “We talked to other search groups about it. I posted online saying, ‘The question is how many people would be willing to come out,’ and I posted it in multiple groups.”
Baum lived in Portage, Indiana, but was visiting her boyfriend in Gary when she was last seen.
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Emma Baum’s family said she was last seen being dropped off at her boyfriend’s house in Gary, Indiana. (Hailey Baum-Waddell)
Baum-Waddell said her sister didn’t have a working phone when she disappeared and that while her sister might have gone “to do her own thing” for several days at a time, she would never disappear for that long. .
“That day she was supposed to go to the phone store with her boyfriend to get it activated, but she never got the phone activated,” she said. “She’s been completely silent about everything, and now that’s not her thing.”
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Baum-Waddell also mentioned her sister’s dedication as a mother and the close bond she has with her eldest son.
“They have a crazy, unbreakable bond,” she said. “That she wouldn’t be here to see him for Christmas, Thanksgiving, or… New Year’s. It’s unreal. She couldn’t possibly do that to him.’
Emma Baum was about to give birth to her fourth child when she disappeared. (Hailey Baum-Waddell)
Baum-Waddell believes her sister’s boyfriend is “hiding something,” she told Fox News Digital, and Baum’s mother believes the boyfriend had something to do with her disappearance, WGN9 reported.
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“We have not charged anyone for the disappearance of Emma Baumand she has not been located yet,” Hamady said. “We continue to seek and interview individuals who may be connected to this case.”
Baum’s friend, who was originally in custody in an unrelated case, was released from the Lake County Jail and is awaiting trial on the separate charges, Hamady added.
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Emma Baum, who was nine months pregnant at the time, went missing in October and has not been seen or heard from since. (Hailey Baum-Waddell)
Baum is about 6 feet tall, weighs about 136 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. She has several scars and tattoos, and she often wears colorful wigs.
“Emma gave everyone everything, gave them all the love she could,” Baum-Waddell said emotionally about her sister. “She has big brown eyes and she always wanted to make everyone laugh, feel good about themselves, or make them feel included.
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‘It’s very difficult because now it’s not just her who is missing. It’s her baby. And you don’t want to think about the worst, you know, because who would want to, you know, hurt a girl and her baby?’ she added. “We just hope she’s safe.”
Anyone with information regarding Baum’s disappearance is asked to contact Gary police at (219) 881-1209.
