NASHVILLE, Ill. – Nearly six months after her daughter’s disappearance, a rural Illinois woman is asking that more deputies be hired to help cover all cases, routine and out of the ordinary.
Brittany Moeser was last seen on April 13, 2024, when she left her home in Washington County to take her dog for a walk that afternoon. The 36-year-old never returned home.
Moeser’s mother, Debra Wilkerson, discussed her frustrations with local newspaper The Morning Sentinel. She said the initial large-scale response to Brittany’s disappearance, with drones and K9s, quickly dropped off. She described having to repeat her story multiple times to different members of law enforcement and potential leads went unchecked for months.
Wilkerson said her family has struggled since Brittany’s disappearance, and their woes are made worse with rumors that she may have met her end via foul play. But no one is talking.
Washington County Sheriff Ross Schultze said the county had no detectives at the time of Moeser’s disappearance and is often limited to just one deputy to cover the entire county on the first shift of the day. The county now has a detective but is still lacking in deputies on the staff.
Sheriff Schultze has requested the Washington County Board allow him to hire additional deputies. Wilkerson spoke before the board’s joint personnel and finance committee on Sept. 26. The county board’s next meeting is Oct. 8.
Moeser is 5’7″ tall, weighs approximately 130 pounds, and has light red hair. Anyone with information surrounding Moeser’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Washington County Sheriff Office’s dispatch at 618-327-8274, Ext. 4.
Washington County is located approximately 55 miles southeast of St. Louis.
