CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — A letter that was sent to local news media, as well as law enforcement purporting to be from a local woman whose remains were found earlier this week is a fake, according to her family and law enforcement sources close to the investigation.
On Friday, the Guardian published a story that the news outlet received a letter in the U.S. Mail allegedly written by Lindsey Schobelock. Her body was found earlier this week after several months of her missing.
In the letter, the author claims that Schobelock conspired with others to fabricate charges against a former educator who was sent to prison on charges he had sex with students. The letter went on to claim that Schobelock took her own life as a result of guilt of the incident and that the letter, along with two purported cell phones mailed to police would prove the letter’s allegations to be true.
When the Guardian received the letter and it became apparent that the five-page document was what it claimed to be, law enforcement was immediately notified, who responded to the post office and took the envelope and contents as evidence.
The Guardian requested an interview with Schobelock’s family to discuss the letter and its contents, who declined. Law enforcement said they could not go on the record about the case because Schobelock’s disappearance, her death, and now the letters were ongoing criminal investigations.
However, on Friday, after the Guardian’s article on the letter, Schobelock’s father posted to social media on behalf of his family saying the letter was not authentic and that his daughter did not author it.
“To the jackass writing letters and pretending to be Lindsey, first: Lindsey’s grammar and punctuation were flawless. You write like an 8-year-old texts,” her father, Jon posted. “You claim that there would be a video on a phone to prove it was her. The phone was received. There was no video. Third: your focus is on things that have nothing to do with her. You have used her tragedy to try to advance your own cause. Fourth: if you did have a video and did nothing about it, you are more guilty than anyone you mentioned in your letter. Fifth: if you had anything of value to say, or a shred of truth, you would not submit the letter anonymously. You are an illiterate coward ….”
While law enforcement sources would not go on the record with the Guardian on Friday to confirm they received similar letters, as well as the phone alleged in the letter and one that Schobelock’s father mentioned, three law enforcement sources spoke on conditions of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the ongoing cases, and said the letters appear to be a distraction from an unrelated matter. Similar letters were also mailed to the Chillicothe Police Department and Ohio’s BCI.
All three law enforcement sources from two different-involved agencies told the Guardian that they do not believe the letters to be authentic, however, they have been sent off for DNA processing, as well as trace evidence collection to see who may have written them and more importantly, why. It could take weeks, if not months before the tests are completed, they said.
BCI said on Friday that they are working with the Ross County Sheriff’s office on Schobelock’s case, which has three different angles: the disappearance, the death, and now, the letters. If it is found that someone fabricated the letters, the law enforcement sources said charges will be brought against those who can be identified as having been involved.
Meanwhile, Schobelock’s family grieves her loss and said that there are no plans for a funeral.
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