Sheriff holds press conference on missing Lomax

CRAIG LOMAX, center, along with his wife, Marianne, right, and El Dorado County Sheriff John D'Agostini, speaks at a press conference at the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office on July 26. Craig and Marianne Lomax are reaching out to the community for any information about their daughter Linnea, who has been missing for a month. Democrat photo by Pat Dollins

On the one-month anniversary of the disappearance of Linnea Lomax, El Dorado County Sheriff John D’Agostini held a press conference to update the community with few new details.

“I called this meeting in hopes of generating public awareness and information,” D’Agostini said. Lomax, 19, went missing on June 26, and little information about her disappearance has come to light.

D’Agostini went over the known facts: She disappeared from the 800 block of Howe Avenue in Sacramento wearing black flip-flops, faded green skinny jeans and a black hoodie with “Sweden” in red letters on it. She had previously been described as a “white female, 5-feet-2-inches tall and weighing approximately 100 pounds. She has long, blonde hair and blue eyes” in a press release from the Sheriff’s Office.

“She was, and still is, considered at-risk and needs regular medications,” D’Agostini continued. “Somebody out there has knowledge of where she is. We just want to make sure she’s OK.”

The sheriff turned the press conference over to Lomax’s father, Craig. He said it was hard “when a daughter goes from a motivated, happy, healthy UC student,” to disappearing. “She doesn’t even check Facebook.” He said the Lomax family has grown “overwhelmingly concerned.”

After thanking law enforcement and the citizens of Sacramento County for their continued search effort, Linnea’s mother Marianne spoke. “It’s a nightmare not to know where my daughter is at,” she said. She mentioned that her daughter “might not necessarily have blond hair anymore.” She, too, thanked law enforcement for their hard work.

D’agostini took over again, saying the Sheriff’s Office is “working the case feverishly.”

When asked whether the two friends that had been added to Linnea Lomax’s Facebook list had been by Lomax’s hand, the Sheriff replied that a search warrant of the social media account had turned up no leads. Nor, he said, had any other social network leads, though an investigator from the detective division had been working with the accounts. A cell phone left behind by Lomax is also being focused on.

No leads turned up from bank account use, either. Her account has not been touched since she disappeared.

D’Agostini still believes the student is alive. “I’ll believe she’s alive until, worst case scenario, we find out otherwise,” he said.

Lomax’s parents are focusing on the search, Craig Lomax said, including the “surrounding area where she could travel to, in case she is in that state of mind. We’re looking into them all.” He called the entire situation “unrealistic.” He also said that the family has not been able to speak with the organizations that were trying to help their daughter with her mental breakdown associated with studying for her finals at UC Davis.

While unsure of Lomax’s state of mind, D’Agostini said the department is “taking the case so seriously. Any contact … we are looking forward to. I hope she hears this plea.”

Anyone with information is encouraged to call the main dispatch line at the Sheriff’s Office at 530-621-6600. Friends and family have set up a Facebook page, as well, which can be found at www.facebook.com/HelpFindLinnea.

Contact Cole Mayer at 530-344-5068 or cmayer@mtdemocrat.net. Follow @CMayerMtDemo. 

Cole Mayer

Cole Mayer started writing for the Mountain Democrat in early 2012. He has written news, features and opinions in the past, and currently works the crime, court and fire beat.

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