When they think about the disappearance of their sister and daughter, Abi Smith and Jamie Baum don’t know how to put their feelings into words.
“Regardless of what anyone might think or feel about my sister, this is abnormal,” Smith said. “It’s not like her to walk away from everybody. It’s heavy, and it’s depressing, and it doesn’t give me a lot of faith in the surrounding area.”
Emma Baum, who was nine months pregnant at the time, was last seen in the 2500 block of Connecticut Street in Gary. Her family alleges that the Gary Police Department didn’t issue a silver alert, although they believe Baum qualified as a “high-risk missing person” because she would soon give birth.
In honor of the anniversary of Emma Baum’s disappearance, her family passed out flyers and continued to question Gary residents on whether they’ve seen Emma Baum on Friday afternoon.
“We can’t sleep,” Smith said. “We’ve been nonstop thinking about Emma for a year, and it’s getting harder and harder to function.”
Jamie Baum, Emma Baum’s mom, said family, friends and volunteers have searched throughout Gary for the past year. There have been no leads on the investigation, Jamie Baum said.
“It’s horrible not knowing where your loved one is or what happened,” Jamie Baum said. “It’s bad, and no one should have to go through that.”
It’s frustrating for Smith to not hear anything from law enforcement, she said Friday. Her family has done what they can independently to find her sister, Smith said.
“I’ve been all over Gary,” Smith added. “I’ve been to post offices, bus stops, train stops and gas stations all over the surrounding areas. … I’ve walked so many blocks consistently, trying to talk to as many people as I can.”
A spokesman for the city of Gary was unable to immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
In January, Smith and families of other missing people spoke at an awareness event for Team NWI-Independent Search and Rescue, according to Post-Tribune archives.
“We just want to know that she’s OK,” Smith said at the time. “We’re not trying to force her to come home, but we are worried. … So many of us are nonstop, continuously on the phone, talking to everybody, being traumatized by people that think this is a game.”
At the time, Gary had 82 missing people, according to the Indiana Missing Person Bulletin.
Gary Police Chief Derrick Cannon said in a statement in January that the department was aware of the missing persons list, which he claimed was inaccurate due to outdated information.
“We take every missing person case seriously and dedicate all necessary resources to locate the individuals and bring them back safely to their families,” Cannon’s statement said. “It is our goal to work with the families of missing persons to protect their privacy and ensure the integrity of each case.”
