CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) -
One year ago Friday, Amy Fry-Pitzen took her then 6-year-old son out of his west suburban elementary school for a two-day vacation, then took her own life. The boy's whereabouts remain a mystery.
Aurora Police on Friday made a renewed appeal for northwestern Illinois land owners and residents to search their properties for several missing items they hope will help them learn what happened to the Timmothy.
His mother's suicide note indicated he was safe, but gave no information about where he was. Her body was found May 14, 2011, in a Rockford hotel, where police said she fatally stabbed herself.
In November 2011, police issued their first appeal based on forensics findings from Microtrace LLC, a private lab based in Elgin contracted to process dust, vegetation and other materials found on Amy Fry-Pitzen's SUV.
The findings indicated the vehicle was stopped for an unknown period of time on a wide gravel shoulder or gravel road and had backed into a grassy meadow or field to a spot that was nearly treeless. Both Queen Anne's lace and black mustard plants grow in a row along the border of the field or road.
In addition, there is no corn growing in or adjacent to the spot where the SUV stopped, nor is there any indication the area had been used for agriculture. Police say that evidence strongly suggests grasses have been the only major plants growing in the area, leading them to believe that it is a meadow and not farmland. Forensic results also indicate the grass was not cut, ruling out a residential lawn or a park. There may also be pond, small stream, or creek in the area.
Scientists think the site is in northwestern Illinois, with Lee and Whiteside counties the most likely locations, though areas in Carroll, Ogle, Stephenson, and Winnebago counties cannot be ruled out.
Police say missing items include Timmothy's Spider Man backpack, several toys and a tube of toothpaste his mother had bought for him before he disappeared; as well as her cell phone and I-Pass transponder. Since there are several state parks and other outdoor recreational areas in the six-county area, police want hikers, bikers, boaters and other visitors to be on the lookout.
Pictures of several of the items are posted on the Aurora city website and on the Aurora police Facebook page. Anyone with information should call Aurora police at (630) 256-5500.
While the investigation continues, police still have no leads into Timmothy's whereabouts or whether he is still alive. The last time anyone heard from Timmothy was on May 13, 2011, when he talked to a relative via his mother's cell phone as thy traveled near Sterling, Ill.
Police still receive periodic tips from people who think they have spotted Timmothy but none have panned out. And they continue to partner with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Police on Friday released the final five clips of Timmothy and his mother, taken from various surveillance cameras, including four from the Key Lime Cove Resort in Gurnee, taken on May 12, 2011; and one taken the next day at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells.
Timmothy Pitzen would now be 7. When he went missing, he was about 4-foot-2 and 70 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.
Aurora Area Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to Timmothy. The phone number is (630) 892-1000.
