Sharon Hopf found in Texas; family en route to bring her home

By DAVID HOTLE

Golden Triangle News Service

WASHINGTON ? Close to two weeks of waiting and worrying ended for the Hopf family yesterday, as Sharon Hopf, 45, of rural Crawfordsville, who had been missing since Jan. 5, was reportedly located Wednesday morning safe.

According to a press release from the Washington County Communications Center, Hopf was found yesterday morning in Fort Worth, Texas. The report said a person found Hopf in a business and said she appeared disoriented. After getting in touch with a relative, the family began making plans to bring Hopf home. Hopf?s brother, Robert Sojka, lives in the Dallas area ? about 40 miles from where Hopf was located. Family members have gone to get her.

At about 10 a.m. Wednesday morning the Help Us Find Sharon Sojka Hopf Website, which is administered by Hopf?s family members, reported ?Wonderful news! Sharon has been found safe! We will update you with details when we can. Thank you for all of your thoughts, prayers, postings! There are no words to express our joy!?

B.J. Franklin of Horizons Survivors Program, who has been acting as a spokesperson for the Hopf family, confirmed that Hopf had been located, but said she wasn?t at liberty to give any details.

The site later asked that Hopf?s immediate family and Hopf ?have a little space? as they are reunited. Over 1,700 people had visited the site since Hopf was reported missing.

On Jan 5, Hopf reportedly left her home in rural Crawfordsville at about 7 a.m., about an hour earlier than normal. At 7:11 a.m., her cell phone was powered down. At 7:30 a.m. a witness reported seeing her buy gas at Ainsworth Four Corners. At 12:30 p.m. Perry Hopf, Sharon?s husband, was informed Sharon Hopf hadn?t shown up to work at Hopf Home Furnishings in Kalona. After looking all afternoon, the Hopf family notified the sheriff?s department.

Over the next few days, various searches were conducted, including aerial searches by local pilots and the Iowa State Patrol Aerial Wing. Cell phone monitoring began immediately and financial tracking of Hopf?s credit cards and bank card was done.

On Jan. 7, the Warren County, Mo., Sheriff?s Office located Hopf?s 1999 Chevy Lumina near Wright City, Mo., a town about 30 miles west of St. Louis. The town is about 200 miles from Crawfordsville. The car was located at an abandoned home at 28566 Highway F, just outside the city limits. A search was conducted on the car and the surrounding area, but Hopf wasn?t located. On Jan. 11, Warren County Sheriff?s Office conducted a 40-man search in a one-mile radius of where the car was found.

During a press conference on Jan. 13, Washington County Sheriff Jerry Dunbar and Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) investigator Jeff Uhlmeyer reported evidence had been found indicating Hopf had left the area of her own accord.

Dunbar said that Hopf had recently undertaken more responsibility at work. Uhlmeyer said that the investigation had uncovered that Hopf had written a business check for $1,000 to herself with ?employee bonus? listed on the memo line two days before her disappearance. He also said that she had deleted all the outgoing e-mail from her work computer the day before she disappeared.