10/20/2025
UPDATE - LOCATED SAFE
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🚨 MISSING MOTHER & DAUGHTER - VEHICLE FOUND ABANDONED IN FENTON, MISSOURI 🚨
The search continues for 59-year-old Deanna Messenger and her 20-year-old daughter, Susan Messenger, who has developmental disabilities. The two were reported missing from Vienna, Illinois, after their SUV was found abandoned in Fenton, Missouri, about two and a half hours from Vienna.
Family members have expressed growing concern for their safety. Deanna suffers from mental health problems, dementia, and paranoia. She and her daughter Susan left their home in Paducah, Kentucky, in May 2025 without informing anyone.
Deanna's daughter, Sarah, states her mother reached out to her two days later, saying she had left and wasn’t coming back. That was the last time she saw or heard from her. The family later learned that Deanna and Susan had been living out of their Ford Explorer at various state parks. They resurfaced in Vienna, Illinois, on September 9, 2025, when Deanna experienced a mental health crisis and was taken to a facility by police. They were later released but never returned for a follow-up appointment as expected.
The Johnson County, Illinois Sheriff’s Office then issued a missing persons alert. On September 15, 2025, a license plate camera detected their vehicle in Arnold, Missouri, and five days later, a St. Louis County police officer made contact with them at Wally’s in Fenton. A police spokesperson said they did not appear to be in distress and answered all Crisis Intervention Team questions appropriately. However, authorities noted Deanna was exhibiting signs of paranoia, though not to a level that required hospitalization.
Only days later, the mother and daughter were seen again in Fenton. An employee at a Krispy Kreme reported seeing them park their SUV, sit in a grassy area to eat, and then walk toward a nearby QuickTrip store- leaving their vehicle behind. After sitting abandoned for three weeks, the SUV was towed. The women have not been seen since.
Deanna and Susan’s family are pleading for the public’s help. Anyone who may have seen them or has information about their whereabouts is urged to contact local authorities immediately.
Please share this post to help bring Deanna and Susan home safely. 💙❤️🧡💛
