Police Hunt for Missing Family

April 3, 2009— -- Police in two states who were trying to piece together what led to the disappearance of a family of four and whether the husband was holding his wife and two children hostage in the snow-covered wilderness of South Dakota now believe the family has returned to its home state of Nebraska.

Matt and Rowena Schade, both of whom are on probation, and their two young children were last seen March 20, the day police say they responded to a domestic violence call at their Creighton, Neb., home.

Acting on a tip from someone in the family, police in Pennington County, S.D., began searching the Black Hills National Forest, where Matt Schade, 26, had attended a church-sponsored survival camp six years in a row, and where the couple had camped during their honeymoon. Creighton is about 350 miles from the forest.

Sheriff's deputies found Schade's black Ford Taurus Tuesday near the forest, but there has been no sign of the family and there's a possibility they may not even be in the area anymore, authorities say.

Authorities in Nebraska said they received a call Thursday afternoon from the husband's father, Chet Schade, who told them he had made phone contact with all four members of the family. Matthew Schade told his father the family was prepared to wait out the next storm and asked to be left alone, the father told Nebraska authorities.

But that wasn't enough at first to satisfy the Pennington County Sheriff's Department in South Dakota, where officials say they want to see the wife and kids before deciding whether to call off the search. "We're relieved that Matthew made that call," Maj. Brian Mueller said. "Now, we need to confirm that they're all there on their own free will."

Today, however, based on the Nebraska Knox County Sheriff's Office belief that the Schade family used a stolen pickup truck to return to the county area, "all search efforts in the Black Hills [of South Dakota] have been cancelled at this time," according to a statement from the Pennington County Sheriff's Office.

Police said the pickup truck had been reported stolen in Silver City, S.D., Thursday and was found abandoned this morning in Antelope County, Neb., about 35 miles from the Knox County seat.

The Knox County Sheriff's Office today urged Matthew and Rowena Schade to contact authorities immediately to resolve the situation.

Meanwhile, family relatives are distraught. "I just want them to come home," said Sandy Epstein, Rowena Schade's mother, who lives near the Schades. "I hope they're OK."

Epstein said that it's unusual for her daughter not to check in regularly. Her cell phone goes directly to voice mail, she added.

Also suspicious, she said, is the batch of cookies that were left on a cookie sheet in the Schade's house. "They just dumped everything and left," she said Thursday.

A news release issued by the Pennington County Sheriff's Department indicated that the couple were both on probation stemming from a 2006 burglary. A warrant has been issued for Matt Schade for failure to report a change of address and for failure to report to his probation officer.

So far, Mueller told ABCNews.com Thursday, the couple is not facing other charges, although that could change if and when they are found, depending on the circumstances.

"At this point, it is unclear whether the wife and kids are with him willingly," Mueller said. "We believe that when Matthew came out here, his intention was not to be located."

In Nebraska, Knox County Sheriff Jim Janecek Thursday said that there was no cause for arrest when his deputies responded to the domestic violence call March 20. He said his office was investigating abuse allegations, but declined to identify the source of those claims.

Epstein said she doesn't know if her son-in-law has or would hurt her daughter, 29, and grandchildren. "I don't want to speculate on that," she said. "All I want is my kids home."

Members of Schade's family could not be reached for comment.

Concern for the Schade Children

Epstein said she last saw her daughter, the middle of three children, at a family birthday party in Creighton March 20. They were not, she said, planning a trip.

But the Pennington County Sheriff's office said the family had recently purchased more than $1,000 worth of survival-type camping gear that was missing from the house.

And, according to the Knox County Sheriff's office in Nebraska, it appeared the family left in a hurry. The couple, according to the office, had reportedly talked about relocating.

Mueller said their main concern is for the welfare of the Schade's children, Devon, who is either 11 or 12, and Sean, 8.

Among their biggest worries, Mueller said, is "how long they can maintain living in elements like that."

Since the family disappeared, the area has been slammed with two major storms, each dumping about a foot of snow. A similar storm is forecast for tonight into Saturday.

Mueller said police had no idea how much food or water the Schades are carrying.

The children are Rowena Schade's from a previous relationship, Epstein said, although Matt Schade adopted them after the couple married about three years ago.

Epstein said that Matt Schade had pulled the kids out of school a couple of months ago to home school them, saying he wasn't happy about what they were being taught. Epstein described her son-in-law and her daughter as being devout Christians, but wasn't sure exactly what upset Matt Schade about the kids' previous school.

Her daughter, Epstein said, worked for a local insurance marketing company and enjoyed outdoor activities, such as gardening and fishing.

"She's usually a very positive, very happy-go-lucky girl," Epstein said. "The waiting is the hardest part."

Mueller said the search is focused on specific "high probability" areas, including mines and cabins. Most of the searching has had to be done on foot because of the rugged terrain, although a state helicopter was called in to help. The area where the Schade's car was found, he said, is about 15 to 20 miles away from Mount Rushmore.

Police are looking for anyone who might have seen the Schades or their black Ford Taurus. Anyone with information about the family is asked to call the Pennington County Sheriff's office at (605) 394-2151.