An Ohio woman vanished four months ago after dropping her youngest child off at school, and for the first time since her disappearance, police say they have a suspect in mind who may have played a role in her disappearance.
WHIO 7 reports that 46-year-old Cheryl Coker was last seen on October 2 after dropping her teen daughter off at a Riverside, Ohio, school. According to Detective Travis Abney of the Riverside Police Department, Coker dropped her daughter off at around 7:30 a.m., but never made it work at KLD Associates.
Cheryl’s car was reportedly seen in her driveway after returning home that morning, along with her husband’s car, who she had recently filed for divorce from. According to family members, Cheryl’s husband, Bill Coker, still lived in the home.
The following evening, Coker’s 2016 Toyota Highlander was found at a strip mall parking lot by a local Kroger grocery store, around half a mile from her home. Her driver’s license, phone, and purse were located inside the locked vehicle. Security footage showed someone pull into the parking lot at around 10:45 a.m. but investigators have not yet indicated who was inside the vehicle.
“The pit of my stomach, something hurt, and I knew something wasn’t right,” her sister, Margie Keenan, told the outlet.
Cheryl’s mother, Mary Carroll, said she would never leave voluntarily, especially without contacting her 15-year-old daughter.
Find Missing Cheryl Coker! https://t.co/5328CuFNpy pic.twitter.com/qxLZz3k1nC
— Lisa DeSherlia (@AllTheMissing) October 10, 2018
Family members said Cheryl filed for divorce from Bill on September 21, and sought custody of the 15-year-old, along with spousal support. Keenan told police it was a “messy” divorce. Detectives spoke with Bill Coker and his new girlfriend, and both have been mostly cooperative so far throughout the investigation.
The same day, Cheryl reportedly sent a co-worker a text that read, “I will be in tomorrow if I’m not dead.”
Cheryl had just began dating a new man she met at a nightclub. Police said the man has also been cooperative throughout the investigation.
Police said that while they have a suspect in mind, they can’t share any additional details yet.
“We do have a suspect in this case. However, we are not really going to comment on that right now,” Abney explained.
Investigators did say, however, that the suspect likely knew Cheryl. Authorities scheduled a news conference for 1 p.m. Tuesday EST for an update in the case.
Cheryl Coker is described as white female standing five-feet-three inches tall and weigh around 135 pounds. She has green eyes and strawberry blonde hair. Anyone with any information on Cheryl’s whereabouts is urged to contact Detective Travis Abney with the Riverside Police Department at 937-681 2301.
[Feature Photo: Cheryl Coker/Handout]
