An Indiana woman was nine months pregnant when she disappeared more than three months ago, and her family has suspicions about her final whereabouts.
Mother of three Emma Baum, 25, disappeared on October 10 in Gary, Indiana, as she was about to give birth to her fourth child.
Baum was last seen staying 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 searching for her,” Baum Waddell said. “I think if people keep chanting that something needs to be done and chanting her name…just spread the word because a lot of people know it, but not everyone knows.”
Authorities received a report of Baum's disappearance from her family on Oct. 28, Gary Police Cmdr. Jack Hammadi told Fox News Digital.
“A few days went by. … We all started, like, texting each other, 'Hey, did you hear from Emma?' Has anyone seen her? Can you text one of her friends to contact her boyfriend? “It's been like a loop with everyone and everyone trying to figure it out,” Baum-Waddell said.
“Then we say, 'Well, that's not normal.' “That's when my mom started to really panic,” she added. “Then my mother ended up going to the police station.”
Gary Police Department officers have used K-9 aircraft in several searches in the area, and the Lake County Sheriff's Department has assisted in a few searches, Hammadi said.
“We searched a house, an apartment, recreational vehicles and other property,” he added.
In addition to the police investigation, Baum-Waddell said she and other Baum relatives organized a large-scale search after a social media post of hers attracted hundreds of willing participants.
“There were a lot of people who offered to come out and look for her,” she said. “We talked about it with other research groups. I made a post online just saying, 'How many people want to come out,' and I posted it to multiple groups.”
Baum lived in Portage, Indiana, but was visiting her boyfriend in Gary when she was last seen.
Baum-Waddell said her sister did not have a working phone when she disappeared, and although her sister may have “went off and done her own thing” for days at a time, she would never have disappeared for such a long period of time. .
“On that day, she was supposed to go with her boyfriend… to the phone store to activate it, but she never activated the phone,” she said. “She was completely silent about everything, and now this is not like her.”
Baum Waddell also mentioned her sister's devotion as a mother and the close relationship she had with her eldest son.
“They have a crazy, unbreakable bond,” she shared. “To not be here to see him at Christmas or Thanksgiving or… New Year’s. This is unrealistic. “It's impossible to do that to him.”
Baum Waddell believes her sister's boyfriend is “hiding something,” and Baum's mother believes her boyfriend had something to do with her disappearance, WGN9 reported.
“We have not charged anyone with Emma Baum’s disappearance, and her whereabouts have not yet been determined,” Hammadi said. “We are continuing to research and interview individuals associated with or possibly connected to this case.”
Baum's friend, who was originally detained in an unrelated case, has been released from the Lake County Jail and is awaiting his trial date on the separate charges, Hammadi added.
Baum is approximately 5 feet 3 inches tall, weighs approximately 136 pounds, and has brown hair and brown eyes. She has numerous scars and tattoos, and often wears colorful wigs.
“Emma gave everyone her all, she gave them all the love she could,” an emotional Baum-Waddell said of her sister. “She had these big brown eyes, and she always just wanted to make everyone, you know, laugh or feel good about themselves or make them feel included.
“It's very difficult because now she's not the only one missing. It's her baby. And you don't want to think, you know, the worst because who wants to, you know, hurt a girl and her baby? We just hope we find her safe,” she added.
Anyone with information about Baum's disappearance is asked to call the Gary Police Department at (219) 881-1209.
