Power of social media seen as Bloomington woman who disappeared is safe and sound

Posted on December 28, 2017
Carmon Edwards of Bloomington is reunited with family after a Good Samaritan offered her shelter in Mattoon.
(Photo Bloomington Police Facebook page)

By Howard Packowitz

BLOOMINGTON – The reaction among social media users to the Bloomington woman, missing for two days, confirmed a police detective’s faith in humanity.

Bloomington Police Detective Jeff Engle felt great relief when he learned that a Good Samaritan took 53-year old Carmon Edwards to Illinois State Police headquarters in Pesotum.

Engle expected the worst for Edwards, who recently suffered a cognitive decline and faced dangerously cold temperatures.

Edwards left the Twin-Cities Christmas morning, but didn’t show up for family gatherings in Tazewell County.

She wound up in Mattoon, where police say a resident there came to her aid and offered shelter for a couple of days.

Engle said he’s gratified hundreds of thousands of people saw the department’s social media postings, and shared the information to others.

“We’ve had over 800,000 views. I don’t know how many shares on social media between Bloomington PD, Illinois State (Police), Mattoon Police Department, and people just sharing it all over the state,” the detective said.

The postings, according to Engle, were shared by people outside of Illinois, in Florida, Kentucky, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Iowa.

Engle said Edwards’ reunion with her family is his Christmas miracle.

Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected].

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