Johnson County
Sheriff's Office
Clarksville, Arkansas
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05/03/2012

Search Underway For Missing Camper

A search is underway for a Lamar resident who went missing on a camping trip to the Haw Creek Falls campground in northern Johnson County.

 On Wednesday afternoon, family members reported that Michele D. Goodin, age 37 did not return home from a camping trip she attended with friends over the latter part of the weekend.  According to witnesses, Goodin and friends had taken hikes on Sunday and Monday and sometime during that time frame she became missing.

 A search was launched on Wednesday afternoon and lasted throughout the night as searchers combed the mountainsides and creeks around the campground. 

 A search team with a local trailing dog followed part of the Ozark Highlands Trail until it branched off onto a 4-wheeler trail where the trail ended.

 Michele Goodin is a white female, 5”7”, approximately 175 pounds with reddish colored shoulder length hair.  She has tattoos, including “Jerry Dale” with a 4-leaf clover on the back of her neck, a music symbol on her back in red ink and shooting stars in blue ink on her ankle.

 Units from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Johnson County K-9, U.S. Forest Service, Arkansas State Police and the Johnson County Office of Emergency Management Search and Rescue are on the scene and will continue the search.

 Because of the remote area, search teams are having to deal with no radio or phone communications with outside agencies and steep terrain.  Snakes are also a problem in the area.

 Witnesses have been interviewed and evidence has been collected at the campground.

 Rumors have been circulating throughout the community that a body has been found in the area.  As of the posting of this press release at 3:30 p.m. the rumor is untrue.

If anyone has any information on this case, please contact the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Detective Sgt. Jeff Wood at 479-754-2200.