The family of a woman who has gone missing and whom the police have continued to search for, has raised concerns over activity on her Facebook page.
The Williston Police Department said that Breeanna Ward was last seen in the city on February 25. Three days later, her disappearance was reported—though her family remained uninvolved. It’s unclear who originally reported her as missing.
According to Chelsey Francis, Ward’s sister from Jamestown, “You will always see these types of things on TV, and you’re like, ‘Well, we’ll never have to go through that. And you never realise just how difficult it is until you’re thrown into the situation.”
According to Francis, Ward had a troubled history that included problems with the law, substance misuse, and hanging around with the wrong set.
“I may not agree with the choices that she makes and the people she hangs around with,” stated Francis. “That does not mean I love her any less or that I don’t want her back.”
Worse yet, Ward’s Facebook page strangely stays live even though she vanished, adding even more stress as they wait for positive news.
“Her boyfriend is operating that account and is posting as her at this time,” Francis said.
According to Francis, the man in question is Joseph LaChance, who is also from Williston. Additionally, the account comments reveal that the operator is actually Ward’s boyfriend.
The account has made assumptions about where Ward could be in several of its posts.
Images of the account chatting with others and inquiring about the woman’s location are also included in the screenshots shared in the comments. In one post, the person operating the account said they had a fight with Ward, and they think she’s angry and hiding.
According to Francis, Ward’s family does not approve of the person’s actions on Ward’s Facebook.
“It’s causing a lot of confusion,” Francis said. “People are thinking that she’s posting and that she’s OK. And it’s really taking away from the investigation, because people don’t know what to believe at this time.”
“You always hear those first 24 to 72 hours are the most important,” Francis said, “and we’re well past that right now. So, we just want to do anything that we can to help this go faster or to bring her out of hiding if she’s hiding or just get more answers.”
Police in Williston have stated that they are making every effort to investigate tips. They are also asking anyone who knows where Ward could be to contact them.
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