F.T. Norton/Nevada Appeal
On Wednesday, Charlie Shirley maneuvered his Jeep through the hills between Silver Springs and Fernley with one mission in mind, to find a woman missing since her grandson was arrested 11 days ago in Sacramento with her car, credit cards and jewelry.
Shirley, along with some 15 others, answered the pleas of Lethea Love and Doug Masterson to help look for their mother, 73-year-old Peggy Herlacher of Silver Springs, feared dead after she was last heard from July 22.
"If I would have known a little farther in advance, I would have gotten my quads and my family to help," said the Carson High teacher from Stagecoach who heard about the search party Tuesday night. "I imagine the not knowing is the worst part for the family."
As he drove slowly along a dirt road that runs parallel to Highway 95 Alternate, Shirley searched the cheatgrass for tire tracks and the ditches for a blue and white afghan missing from Herlacher's living room.
Six miles down the road, he found a blue and white afghan discarded near some abandoned sofas. When he met back up with Love and the other volunteers, a picture of the afghan caused Love to panic. But a Lyon County lieutenant who compared the picture with a photo of Herlacher's afghan determined it wasn't a match.
Still, for a fleeting moment, Love thought she had an idea of where to find her mom.
With her nephew James Masterson, 22, jailed and not talking, Love and the rest of the family can only imagine. All they want is to find her mom and give her a proper burial, said Love.
Dwayne Braswell also met up with searchers Tuesday morning at 7 a.m. at the intersection of Highway 95 Alternate and Highway 50 East
"If I was in this situation I would hope somebody would help me," said the Fernley father of four who came equipped with his truck, trailer and quad.
Scott Carr of Fernley brought along his trusty hunting partner Missy, a yellow Labrador.
Kevin Tennant of Reno said he decided to help after seeing Love's tearful plea.
"I pick up litter for DOT along the highways in my spare time for free, so I figured if I volunteer for that, I can do this," he said.
As she stood looking out at the expanse of hills in Silver Springs, the magnitude of the search hit Sarah Messer, Love's manager at the Fernley Walmart.
"There's a lot of ground out here. It's just so much area," she said.
Lyon County Lt. Brian Veil said the investigation into Herlacher's disappearance is moving slowly.
What's known is that James Masterson arrived at his grandmother's house on July 17. On July 24, Doug Masterson reported his mother missing after he went to her house on Tamarack Street and found neither his mother nor nephew there and Herlacher's car and jewelry missing.
On July 25, James Masterson was arrested in his grandmother's sedan in Sacramento after a traffic stop for erratic driving, according to investigators. He was allegedly found in possession of heroin and Herlacher's credit cards and jewelry.
Sacramento Deputy District Attorney Kerry Blackburn said Wednesday a hearing is set Aug. 10 to determine if there is enough evidence to try James Masterson there on felony charges of possession of stolen credit cards, possession of a stolen automobile and possession of heroin.
According to Lyon County District Attorney Bob Auer, two warrants await James Masterson here - grand larceny of a motor vehicle and obtaining a credit card without cardholder's consent. Masterson is fighting extradition back to Nevada, said Blackburn. Auer said more charges against Masterson in Lyon County are likely.
Though Lyon County Search and Rescue searched a 10-mile radius around Herlacher's home, along Ramsey Weeks Cutoff and Damon's Curve where Love and her searchers gathered Wednesday, Love said she felt that by organizing her own search she was being more useful than sitting at home waiting for the inevitable.
"I have to do something," she said. "I just want my mom home."