Sanford police are looking for a family that has not been seen in nearly a week and may be camping in a remote area.
Police first asked for help locating Jill Sidebotham, Nicholas Hansen and their 2-year-old daughter, Lydia Hansen, on Sunday and now are going through tips received about their whereabouts. A detective has been assigned to the case, but so far has been unable to determine why the adults have not contacted relatives.
Jill Sidebotham and her daughter, Lydia Hansen, in an undated photo released by police. Photo courtesy of Sanford Police Department
“The concerning thing is they haven’t really checked in with family. At this time, there’s nothing that gives us any indication that there’s any foul play,” Lt. Matthew Gagne said.
Sidebotham and Hansen were expected to return to the Sanford area last Thursday, but they have not contacted relatives. It is possible that they are camping near the Franklin County town of Phillips, police said.
Police want to verify their location and check on their safety and wellbeing, Gagne said.
Gagne said they were in the Rumford area last Wednesday. Detectives were able to verify a sighting of them on Friday using surveillance footage, but Gagne would not say where they were seen, citing the ongoing investigation.
Sanford police notified the Maine State Police, which is standard procedure, and have asked other police departments to keep an eye out for Sidebotham and Hansen. They also contacted the Maine Warden Service, which is better equipped to look in camping areas or remote parts of the state.
“The areas where they’ve been sighted are remote and it wouldn’t be unusual for there not to be cellphone service,” Gagne said.
Nicholas Hansen Photo courtesy Sanford Police Department
Sidebotham’s family told News Center Maine that it is unusual for her to leave for such a long period. They described Hansen as her ex-boyfriend.
“We’re really scared right now,” Ron Sidebotham, Jill Sidebotham’s father, told the news station. “Not knowing is almost as bad as if something bad did happen. Not knowing is just eating away and eating away.”
Hansen and Sidebotham were last seen driving a silver 2005 VW Jetta with the registration plate 1563VJ.
Anyone who has seen them or spoken with them is asked to call 207-324-9170 and leave information on the tip line.
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