2020 top stories: Most-viewed story of the year involves missing Caruthersville woman

The most-viewed story on www.semissourian.com in 2020 involved the disappearance of a Caruthersville, Missouri, woman.

Three months after Michele Bell disappeared, skeletal remains were found near Joiner, Arkansas, in March next to a purse containing her identification.

Bell, 36, was last seen Dec. 9 at Interstate 55 southbound Exit 34 near her parked, maroon Chevrolet HHR.

The remains were found “a couple of miles” from where Bell’s vehicle was last seen, according to Bell’s aunt Lisa Chandler.

Chandler said the remains were discovered in a muddy field by a local farmer and a purse containing Bell’s ID was found nearby.

An endangered-person advisory for Bell was issued by the Missouri State Highway Patrol on Dec. 10, 2019, and stated a “missing person incident” occurred Dec. 8, 2019, in Caruthersville.

Caruthersville police chief Tony Jones said officers were dispatched to Bell’s address at that time, and the responding officers were told Bell was “extremely mentally unstable, paranoid and hallucinating” but she refused medical attention and left town.