Charlotte And Owen Schilling Missing: Nebraska Mother And Son Disappear

The FBI has gotten involved in a search for a 41-year-old mother and her 10-year-old son who disappeared Thursday morning.

Charlotte and Owen Schilling were last seen in Plattsmouth, Neb., when Charlotte picked her son up from school, according to the Journal Star.

Police used sonar equipment to search Lake Manawa but came up empty.

The World Herald reports that police don't have evidence of any foul play, but they're treating the case like a kidnapping.

"At this point in time we are erring on the side of caution because we don't know exactly what is going on," Plattsmouth Police Chief Steve Rathman said. "We have no doubt [Owen] is with the mother, but we're treating it just like any other kidnapping so we don't miss any step in the investigation, so that we don't forget something, saying, 'Oh, he's just with his mom.'"

WOWT reports that family members are trying to stay optimistic as the search continues.

"If they're out there I know that Owen is safe," said Nora Schilling, Charlotte's sister-in-law. "We just want them home, we miss them, we love them, we're worried sick."

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Comments

[dontwatch]

02:11 PM on 05/22/2012

They have confirmed the bodies found are the Schilling's. They report that no outside foul play is suspected.

[Aomaha]

06:50 PM on 05/16/2012

Here's what we know, that the news doesn't divulge. The father IS in the picture. She headed out of Omaha possibly by train or bus with assistance. It is believed she may have a different identification with her. She was headed to California. Anyone on a train or bus headed out of the Midwest towards California who may have seen a small, petite woman with a young boy (he looks 8) on a bus / train or in a bus / train station over the past five days is encouraged to contact the FBI. She has had some depression issues recently. It is necessary to find them. Some people have suggested she wanted to "run away and start a new life", well then leave the boy behind. I am her sister. Southern California area is where I believe they would have headed. This lead is being followed up on, but we need people who may have seen them.

[jgfsmf]

10:58 AM on 05/17/2012

Wow, you're her sister. Good luck to you. Hope things work out well.

[stellablu]

12:01 PM on 05/17/2012

Sorry that your family is going thru this! There was stuff going on in her life that caused the depression to want her to run away and start a new life! Behavior changes might hold the key in addition any new people in her life! There is a pattern throughout that you need to piece the puzzle together and each piece is significant no matter how small or not valid you may think! There are signs and clues even if we ignore them and do not find them significant! Good luck!

[jld426]

04:01 PM on 05/16/2012

I just read this article which gives a little more information...but not much: http://www.ketv.com/news/local-news/Police-family-continue-search-for-missing-mother-son/-/9674510/13359564/-/item/1/-/b4wyea/-/index.html

One thing that concerns me is that they found her abandoned car with her wallet and cell phone inside. That's a little weird. I pray that they are both found safely and can return to their family.

[lharwood34]

01:12 PM on 05/16/2012

My daughter is missing and the FBI told us that they don't get involved unless there is a ransom note....and since there wasn't they said " Sorry , there's nothing we can do for you." Was there a ransom note in this case? Nothing mentioned about one . So I want to know why they will get involved with this case and won't help us at all?.....I feel the pain the family members are feeling....I can't imagine anything worse than the loss of a family member. The unknown has to be worse than knowing!

[Terri Knoll]

02:39 PM on 05/16/2012

I am so sorry to hear your daughter is missing. praying for her to be found soon!

[lharwood34]

05:31 PM on 05/16/2012

Thank You so much.....All prayers are appreciated

[sassiestkat]

04:39 PM on 05/16/2012

I am so sorry to hear that, I cannot imagine the pain you must be going through. It was my assumption that the FBI gets involved when a child is missing, at least in the intial investigation. I base this on recent cases, such as: Lisa Irwin, Isabel Celis, Haley Dunn, Ayla Reynolds, Sierra LaMar, Jhessye Sockley, Shaniya Davis, and slew of others, none of which had a ransom note.

[lharwood34]

05:35 PM on 05/16/2012

Thank You! Maybe the fact that she is 22yrs old is the reason.....but she's my baby and she would not have gone this long without talking to someone....nobody she has ever known in her entire life has heard from her.....I fear the worst

[dmoongo]

01:06 PM on 05/16/2012

Is the mother the child's legal guardian? Was she supposed to pick him up from school, or was there a custody situation in place? Too few facts presented.

[rav1267]

12:35 PM on 05/16/2012

Hope they are alive and well.

[Louie Rey]

11:02 AM on 05/16/2012

It's official, we've reached the epidemic stage. Is it just me or does it seem that each and every day there's another story of a member or two or three of a family suddenly disappearing for no apparent reason? Instead of shipping all those American jobs overseas why can't we just ship the overwhelming number of psychopaths in this country overseas? Give us a break!

[dontwatch]

02:10 PM on 05/22/2012

The more we watched TV and the more horror we saw, we became more used to it. Horror became more of an option for some people. Now we have opened the internet, and yes it is probably reaching an epidemic stage. The ancients wrote about Pandora's Box ... once opened, you could not put the evil back. I can only foresee those who want to spare their family this, will need to abandon society's modern communication and live away from others.

[Louie Rey]

02:42 PM on 05/22/2012

Modern technology is a wonderful thing but just like anything else, it has a downside too. You could be clear across the country (I'm in New York) and we're communicating like you were next door but by the same token, it's these types of social media that result in some tragedy. How many times have men convinced young girls to cross state lines for sex or whatever and sometimes they're never heard from again?

[Jan Niles]

10:48 AM on 05/16/2012

Not enough information but don't we hear these stories almost every day? What is going on with the nuclear family and why do people choose doing away with others (not saying this is the case here) so much?

[smokeedaclown]

12:27 PM on 05/16/2012

huh?

[betopless]

03:32 PM on 05/16/2012

lol....I think what they're saying is, why are people killing family members, and for what reason. Also, they're no implying that this story is not that kind of situation.

[PiperSniper]

10:32 AM on 05/16/2012

Just above the comments box under "Around the web", the first headline says "car found but ... still missing".

[Kellycart]

04:09 PM on 05/21/2012

HP has some crappy writers, reporters or whatever.

[Unknown10148]

10:31 AM on 05/16/2012

Here is a link to the local news stories....http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/Disappearance_of_Mother_Son_Treated_As_Kidnapping_151456205.html, the family is worried sick about her and believe she may have traveled by bus or train across country to meet up with some individuals who believe they are helping her but are in turn making it worse. PLease just help this family find Charlotte and Owen.

[ejljr]

10:27 AM on 05/16/2012

Kidnapping? Who? IS the mother kidnapping the son? Or do they think someone kidnapped both mother and son? Family says they miss both. So, what's missing here? Not enough info here. Terribly written article! Something Huff Po does all the time.

[allthegoodidsweretaken]

09:56 AM on 05/16/2012

For such a headline, this is totally a non-article; which is a shame...

[Cindy Russell444]

09:31 AM on 05/16/2012

Not enough details in the story to make a comment one way or the other. Come on HuffPoof, start giving your stories some teeth.

[elvirawalker]

08:54 AM on 05/16/2012

This country is going back to the wild, wild west era. Killing and kidnapping is becoming a common thing. Our criminal justice system is part to blame.

[jumbo247]

10:09 AM on 05/16/2012

C&J Department to blame??? Not the people performing the violent acts? You are making no sense. Quit with the blame game and get real about what is really happening in the world!

[Lacey Epperson]

10:43 AM on 05/16/2012

jumbo, perhaps elvira meant that the criminal justice system is partly to blame because they continually release dangerous criminals back into society.

[Ke French]

08:42 AM on 05/16/2012

Treat it like a kidnapping? This is another issue with America, My kids, I can not kidnap my children they are mine, not the governments. That ends that. Now, treat the case as two missing persons last seen together, mother and son. Idiots.