Woman vanishes on camping trip with bearded dragon as parents speak of nightmare
A woman who has been missing for more than two weeks after vanishing with her pet bearded dragon spoke to a police officer just days before her car was found abandoned on the side of a road.
Chelsea Grimm, 32, was reported missing on October 4 after not making contact with her parents during a camping trip in Arizona. Her white Ford Focus SUV was found by police one day later on Forest Service Road, Ashfork after it was reported as being suspicious.
The vehicle's tyres were flat and Chelsea's belongings and her pet dragon were not inside the locked car. Detectives have said there has been no activity on her phone, nor has her credit card been used in recent days.
“It’s a nightmare and it’s one that you never could have imagined yourself in and wouldn’t wish on anybody,” Chelsea's father, Stephen Grimm, said on Monday. “But having said that, we’re hanging in there.
"We’re holding on to hope. Putting our faith in the law enforcement professionals. We’ve also hired a private investigator, which hopefully will help.”
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Chelsea had been travelling with her pet bearded dragon, named Roz or Roxy (Coconino County Sheriff’s Office)Chelsea was last seen camping inside her vehicle by a woodcutter on September 30 in the Ashfork, Arizona area. Coconino County Sheriff's Office have now released police bodycam footage of an officer interacting with Chelsea on September 28.
The officer spoke to Chelsea in Williams, Arizona and was checking on her after receiving a call about a suspicious vehicle near a graveyard and war memorial. In the footage Chelsea appears to be upset and explains she was working on a photography project.
Asked if she was doing alright, Chelsea can be heard saying: "Yeah, I just was doing a photo shoot of the lost soldiers and got a little emotional, so I was crying before I got back on the road. If it’s okay with you if I hang out here for another like 15 or 20 and then head on the road, that would be my plan I think."
Chelsea's parents have hired a private investigator to help try and find her (12 News)The cop then asks Chelsea if she has a hotel for the night. “I don’t, I was actually thinking of just camping for the night, but I wasn’t really sure exactly yet. I didn’t plan to be here until sunset,” she says.
“The yellow lights up there, the Loves? It’s the trucker stop. In the gas station area you can sleep there. Nobody will bother you,” the officer says. “Awesome. Yeah, love that,” Chelsea replies.
The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office has launched an investigation into Chelsea's disappearance and images of the photographer have been released to the public in the hope she is found safe and well. The pictures show Chelsea with her pet bearded dragon, named Roz or Roxy.
Her white Ford Focus SUV was found abandoned on the side of the road (Coconino County Sheriff’s Office)"The photos show the shirt she was last wearing, her vehicle, and the face mask she wears. The Sheriff’s Office is asking if anyone remembers seeing or having any contact with Chelsea or her bearded dragon, to please contact the Sheriff’s Office," a force statement reads.
The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office said they do not suspect foul play at this point, with investigators now trying to work out Chelsea's movements from September 30 onwards. It's possible she got into another vehicle or hiked out after her car broke down.
“The car was locked,” her mother Janet Grimm told Law&Crime. “It was neat. So there were no visual signs of a struggle. And, it’s possible that she just decided that she was going to proceed with her camping.” Her father Stephen added: "We are trying our best to hold onto positive outcome scenarios and put our faith in the authorities."
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