Carroll County sheriff renews efforts in missing woman’s case

MOUNT CARROLL — The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office is renewing its appeal for information in the case of a Monticello, Wisconsin woman last seen in Shannon before her disappearance on Oct. 26.

Melissa A. Trumpy, mother of three, was believed to be visiting her boyfriend, Derek S. Hammer, when she went missing. He was at his mother’s house in Shannon.

Green County District Attorney Craig Nolen has told other media outlets that he thinks this is a case of a homicide without a body.

Hammer is not charged in her disappearance.

He is, however, facing multiple felonies involving Trumpy in Green County, among them maintaining a drug house, illegal possession of a firearm as a felon, possession of cocaine, possession with intent, and domestic abuse.

Those charges, filed in September, stem from the time he lived with Trumpy in Monticello. She reportedly is a witness against him.

According to Green County Court records, Hammer was ordered on Sept. 13 to have “no contact with M.T.,” among others.

On Feb 24, that admonishment was repeated, and “no contact with immediate family members of M.T.” was added.

Hammer is in Green County jail on $50,000 cash bond. A jury trial is set for Jan. 24.

Trumpy was charged Oct. 11 with maintaining a drug house, and with possession of drugs, also felonies.

At her initial appearance Oct. 18, she was ordered to have no contact with “D.H.”

A bench warrant was issued for Trumpy on Jan. 12, because she failed to appear at any court hearings from Nov. 15 on.

As a matter of routine, defendants are not allowed to speak with each other, or with witnesses, as a case proceeds.

Trumpy is 37, 5-foot-10, 163 pounds with blue eyes and blonde hair. She was wearing a black sweatshirt, black coat, black pants and shiny boots at the time of her disappearance.

Deputies have conducted dozens of interviews, executed search warrants and gathered evidence over an area that covers multiple counties, including Carroll and Stephenson, Sheriff Ryan Kloepping said in a news release.

Volunteer groups, professional search and rescue teams and members of law enforcement have been engaged in the search. In addition to ground searches, drones, helicopters, off-road vehicles, K-9 units, cadaver-searching K-9s and underwater searches have taken place.

Two vehicles related to the case, a tan Toyota Tundra extended cab pickup and a white Toyota Avalon four-door sedan, were found; the truck was was abandoned on Bolton Road in rural Freeport, officials have said.

Illinois State Police, the FBI, federal Fish & Wildlife Police, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Stephenson County and Green County (Wisconsin) sheriff’s offices, and the Northwest Illinois Critical Incident Response e Team also are investigating, the release said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the anonymous reward hotline, Carroll County Crime Stoppers, at 815-244-7867, or their local police or sheriff’s department.