Essex, Vermont - June 10, 2011
The Vermont State police mobile command center looked out of place pulling down a quiet suburban street in Essex Friday morning. Investigators are looking for any clues into the mysterious disappearance of Bill and Lorraine Currier. And police aren't saying much.
"Again, we're preserving details for the obvious reason we want to preserve the integrity of the investigation, verify information as it comes along with details that are not public," Essex Police Capt. Brad LaRose said.
The biggest break-- the couple's dark green Saturn sedan has been located in Vermont. Police are not releasing a specific location or saying if anything in the vehicle indicated foul play.
"We need to process the vehicle," LaRose said. "It will take us some time to secure a warrant and we want to preserve that area as much as we can."
Inside the couple's home, however, police say there are some troubling details. The couple seems to have left in a hurry and without critical daily meds. The window to the garage is broken and they're not answering their cell phones.
"I'm nervous. I don't know about everyone else on the street," Jennifer Roberge said.
Roberge lives down the street from the Curriers. She says she wishes she paid closer attention to her dog's behavior the night the Curriers may have disappeared.
"Very unusual," Roberge said. "When she was in the house she kept going to the door and she was just acting really weird."
Police think the Curriers vanished sometime between 5 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. Thursday. By all accounts they were a typical couple; neighbors said they kept to themselves, maintained their home, had family gatherings and allowed neighborhood kids to play in their pool.
"Nothing adds up," Roberge said. "It's weird. I never thought anything in this little neighborhood would happen like that."
Neither did Bill Currier's employer at the University of Vermont.
"Obviously this whole thing is really troubling and scary for all of us here," said Ruth Blauwiekel, a veterinarian at UVM.
Bill Currier has been a contracted animal care technician with UVM since 1986, making a living caring for lab animals. His boss says not showing up for work is completely uncharacteristic for the man she describes as "quiet and unassuming."
"He just sort of went about his business and did his work well and I don't think anyone saw anything like this happening," Blauwiekel said.
Police say they'll spend the night following up on leads and trying to connect some of the dots.
Police would not comment on why the couple may have vanished; whether this may be a domestic, or robbery gone wrong, or if anything was missing from the home. But we'll continue to follow the developments as they unfold.
Jennifer Reading - WCAX News
Related Story:
Police: Missing Essex couple's disappearance suspicious
