New search is on for missing Columbia woman

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) – Divers are again searching a river in central Missouri as they look for a Chinese woman who has been missing since October.

The latest search of the Lamine River in Cooper County is scheduled for Tuesday. The Mid-Missouri Sheriff’s Dive Team said in a Facebook post that it also searched the river last week for Mengqi Ji Elledge but didn’t find her.

Her husband, Joseph Elledge, has been identified as a suspect. The couple has a 1-year-old daughter.
He isn’t charged in her disappearance but is jailed on $500,000 bond on charges of child endangerment and abuse. Charging documents say the abuse occurred in February, and the girl’s mother wanted to notify the police at the time, but she gave him another chance after he promised he wouldn’t do it again.