Relatives- Missing woman is native of Cape

It's been nearly a week since Michael and Rebecca Hargon and their 4-year-old son, James Patrick, vanished from their home in Vaughan, Miss.

The young mother was born in Cape Girardeau, say relatives.

Authorities are still treating the disappearances as missing person cases, but evidence points to it being something more. Through the house, investigators found dried blood droplets, bullet holes and shell casings.

Rebecca Hargon's parents, Bill and Linda Hirtz of Poplar Bluff, Mo., appeared on several network morning news programs, including Good Morning America, hoping to draw attention to the case. The Hirtzes lived in Cape Girardeau in the late 1970s to early '80s on Revlon Street, said Rebecca Hargon's uncle, Dave Fuemmeler, superintendent of Nell Holcomb School.

"Bill was a sales rep for AB Dick Products -- which was one of the earlier copy machine and office supply companies in Cape," he said.

Linda Hirtz went into early labor with Rebecca, said the Rev. Daniel Hirtz, another uncle.

"She was born right there on the living room floor," he said.

The family moved soon after to Poplar Bluff when Bill Hirtz was transferred to another office branch. By the time then Rebecca Hirtz entered the seventh grade, they had moved to Jackson, Miss.

Fuemmeler spoke with relatives in Mississippi on Friday and learned a special scent-tracking dog was brought in to assist investigators.

"They tried to determine when they left the home which way they went or if they were close by, like maybe in the woods," he said.

"We're just trying to keep it in the public eye, in case someone may have seen something," Fuemmeler said.

There was no sign of robbery or forced entry to the home. Rebecca Hargon's wedding and engagement rings were left behind. Dirty dishes were left in the sink. The family's three vehicles have been accounted for.

Now, searchers are combing roadsides and wooded areas in Vaughan, about 40 miles north of Jackson, for even the smallest of clues.

The FBI has joined local authorities and the Mississippi Highway Patrol in investigating the disappearance.

Blood found at the crime scene has been sent to the Mississippi state crime lab for processing. Theft is not considered a motive and the case is still under intense investigation, authorities said.

Ten years ago, Michael Hargon's father was slain on the same property, when it was a convenience store. Three men are serving prison sentences for that crime.

The Rev. Hirtz said Hargon's mother has suffered other recent setbacks, including a battle with cancer and the unrelated death of her brother-in-law.

"It's hard to imagine what a parent feels going through that," he said. "It's one thing after another for them."

Staff writer Mike Wells contributed to this report.