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Family and friends of Tanner Ward gathered at C.F. Russell Stadium Saturday evening to pray for the safe return of the Trenton teenager, who was last seen on Wednesday, June 7. Pictured are, from left, Tanner’s girlfriend, Megan Knutter holding the couple’s one-year-old daughter, Sophia, and his sisters, Kelsey Ward, center, and Katie Ashworth.
Where is Tanner Ward?
That’s the question that has been asked across north Missouri since he was reported missing on Friday, June 9, two days after he last made contact with family and friends. On Saturday evening, that same family and friends gathered at C.F. Russell Stadium to pray for the Trenton teenager’s safe return and to plead with anyone who has information to come forward.
Katie Ashworth, the oldest of the four Ward siblings, said the family doted on the youngest of the bunch, whom she described as “very sarcastic,” but a “good kid.”
“Tanner has a lot of spirit,” she said. “He is a good kid. He is a great dad.”
Katie went on to discuss the relationship the siblings have, joking with each other and scaring each other for fun. She told those gathered that Tanner’s one-year-old daughter, Sophia, talks about him all the time and wants to see her daddy.
Tanner’s parents, Lisa and Curtis, are living every parent’s nightmare. Curtis, who has been deployed with the National Guard’s 548th Transportation Company in Kuwait, was scheduled to return home over the weekend to be with his family as they wait for answers to where Tanner might be. He left his mother’s house on Wednesday, June 7 and was last seen by friends as he left their house later that day. While the Trenton Police Department has followed many leads, his whereabouts remain a mystery.
The family has acknowledged that Tanner has made some bad choices, but there were signs that he was trying to turn his life around. Erin Ferguson, a youth pastor at the First Assembly of God Church, said Tanner had been a part of their youth group when he was younger and had recently been making contact again.
“He had been part of our youth group and then he met some different people,” she explained, saying that she and her husband, Micah, would see him out on his bike and always wave. Tanner, she said, would act like he was surprised they would still wave at him.
Mrs. Ferguson said Tanner came to church on Easter Sunday, bringing his daughter and girlfriend, Megan Knutter. On June 4, the Sunday before his disappearance, Tanner came to church and the Fergusons were going to have lunch with him. Tanner, however, said he would have to postpone lunch until the following Sunday. By the next Sunday, he had not been seen for four days. Two more Sundays, including Father’s Day, have now passed with no word.
Trenton Police Chief Tommy Wright said his department has followed up on close to 100 leads, conducted numerous interviews and reviewed hours of video tapes from various places. Still, there is no good news to bring to Tanner’s family.
On Saturday night, Mrs. Ferguson pleaded for the community to come together in prayer for Tanner and to come forward with any information.
“This is a small community, but it is great in heart,” she said. “We pull together and work hard. Tonight, we’re going to pray hard.”
Katie said family members have changed the privacy settings on their Facebook accounts so information can be shared with them. Anyone with information on Tanner’s whereabouts since June 7 or with information that might be helpful to the investigation is urged to contact a family member or the Trenton Police Department at 359-5557.
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Where Is Tanner Ward? Family Seeks Answers
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