The search for missing Ashville mother Corrie Anderson is about to take on a new dimension.
Officials from Texas EquuSearch - a non-profit mounted search and recovery unit from Dickinson, Texas - have been in Jamestown for at least two days and are preparing to begin an exhaustive search for Ms. Anderson, a 36-year-old mother of three who has been missing since late October.
''We certainly don't find every person we're looking for, but we've been involved in more than 900 searches and have worked on some high-profile cases,'' said Michael Ray, an investigator with Texas EquuSearch. ''We're not here to solve the case's criminal aspect. We're leaving that to the state police. We are here specifically to find Corrie. I feel we can do some good. ''
Ray said Texas EquuSearch officials hope to combine their search for Ms. Anderson with a search for Lori Ceci Bova, who has been missing from Lakewood since June 7, 1997.
''Our focus is finding Corrie, but if we can combine both searches, we'll do it,'' he said. ''We want to have the best possible outcome.''
PREPARATIONS UNDER WAY
Texas EquuSearch is a nationally renowned search and recovery group. Since its inception eight years ago, the non-profit organization has participated in high-profile cases such as the search for Natalee Holloway in Aruba and the search for missing toddler Caylee Anthony in Orlando, Fla.
Ray, a Binghamton resident who works with Texas EquuSearch efforts on the East Coast, said he has been in the Jamestown area for ''a couple of days'' and came into the area after working on the search for Caylee.
''The family requested that we come and help,'' he said. ''We will conduct our own search and work with state police authorities in the case.''
A ''core group'' of EquuSeach investigators will soon arrive in Chautauqua County, Ray said, and will set up a command center and begin logistical coordination.
''I'm here canvassing the area prior to their arrival,'' he said. ''I have been working with satellites to do reconnaissance of the area and am preparing for the use of drone flyovers.''
Ray said he could not offer specific details of the area Texas EquuSearch investigators plan to scour. An exhaustive grid search of several different areas in Chautauqua County has already been conducted, he said. Texas EquuSearch will ''focus on areas that may not have been searched.''
''I can't give any specific information,'' he said. ''We don't want anyone out in those areas tampering and we have reason to believe that any suspects police have are closely monitoring news outlets for information.''
While Ray could not specifically identify the search areas, he did say those areas would be determined by ''considering the time frame'' the suspect or suspects had to work with.
Cadaver search dogs were scheduled to arrive in the Jamestown area Monday night, Ray said. A team of cadaver dogs took part in a rescue demonstration Saturday in Rochester, Minn. to see if the animals are capable of tracking scents in deep snow.
''They were able to track through snow, so we'll be bringing a team of them in here and conducting very specific searches with them,'' Ray said. ''The family believes she is still alive, and of course we're operating under that premise. But I have to say that the majority of our searches turn up a body. It's rare - but it does happen - that we find the person. We are just hoping for the best possible outcome.''
Tim Talley, a captain with the state police, said he was briefed on the situation Monday morning.
''I'm happy to have folks come in and assist with the search,'' he said. ''They're plugged in and coordinating with us as far as the search areas and any information they discover. We need to work with them and ensure any evidence is handled properly so it's legally admissible. We'll also be working with the group as far as property rights go - if a horse-and-rider or a dog crosses onto someone's property, we need to work out trespassing issues, if there are any. We'll be working with them every step of the way from a coordination standpoint.''
WHAT'S NEEDED
The New York State Horse Council has been working with Texas EquuSearch to provide about 60 horses and riders to participate in the search, Ray said. He also said Texas EquuSearch officials would, when the time comes, be in touch with ATV dealers in the area.
''We may even put our hands out to the Boy Scouts of America,'' he said. ''I know they're big in the Jamestown area. We'd love to have their help - and the help of several other organizations - with our grid searches. Our specialists will take care of designated 'hot spots,' but it would be great to have volunteers out there with us, covering land that may not be covered otherwise. We'll coordinate all that when the time comes.''
Right now, Ray said, Texas EquuSearch investigators need ''community awareness'' the most.
''When we go into various areas and begin searching, we find the community often has a better sense for things than out-of-state people do,'' he said. ''We are calling out to the public - we will need your help. I know there's been a lot of local interest in this case and we know Chautauqua County residents will step up and help when we need them.''
THE SEARCH FOR CORRIE
Ms. Anderson was last seen Oct. 28 after visiting a friend at the Lake County Dodge dealership on Washington Street.
Just a few hours later, Ms. Anderson was reported missing after she failed to pick up her son from school. Since then, state police and a number of other law enforcement agencies that include the FBI and the Pennsylvania State Police, have conducted extensive searches of wooded areas where they thought Ms. Anderson might be located.
Her 2005 Dodge Caravan was found Oct. 30 on an access road off of Kortwright Road - a location not far from her Wellman Road home. The van has since been sent to Batavia where police searched it for evidence.
Last month, a community search for Ms. Anderson was temporarily postponed for safety reasons that included snowfall and the danger of putting civilian searchers into the woods during hunting season.
Ms. Anderson has green eyes and chin-length blond hair. She is about 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 170 pounds. She was last seen wearing black corduroy pants, a black leather jacket and small, wire-rimmed glasses.
Anyone with any information about Ms. Anderson or her whereabouts is asked to call the state police at 665-3113, the Greater Buffalo Metropolitan Crime Stoppers at 856-5600, or the Warren County, Pa. Crime Stoppers at 800-83-CRIME (27463).
All calls will be kept confidential and rewards can be collected anonymously.
''Time is of the essence,'' Ray said. ''The sooner we get going on this, the sooner we'll have Corrie back with her loved ones. It's a very sad situation.''
Robert Rizzuto contributed to this article.
INFO BOX:
* Web site: www.findcorrie.com; established by Ms. Anderson's so the public can sign up to assist in a future search and get updates.
* Family Fund: A fund has been established by Hultquist Library staff members at Jamestown Community College to assist Ms. Anderson's family with ongoing expenses. Donations can be delivered to Cheryl Swart at the Hultquist Library circulation desk or sent directly to Affinity One Federal Credit Union (formerly MRC), 545 E. Second St., Jamestown, NY 14701. Checks should be made out to the Corrie Anderson Family Fund.
* Reward: The family of Ms. Anderson is offering a $15,000 reward for information about her whereabouts or the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for her disappearance. It can be collected anonymously. The reward is in addition to any reward offered by local CrimeStoppers agencies.
* Reward: Offered by the New York State Police in conjunction with the Greater Buffalo Metropolitan Crime Stoppers and the Warren County, Pa., Crime Stoppers. The reward is not a set amount. It can be collected anonymously.
If you have information, call:
* NY State Police: 716-665-3113
* Greater Buffalo CrimeStoppers: 716-225-8172
* Warren County CrimeStoppers: 800-832-7463
* All calls are kept confidential.