Deputies search for missing grandma in lake behind her Liberty County home
Cadaver dogs are being used to search the property after evidence suggested something was dragged into a nearby lake.
CLEVELAND, Texas (KTRK) -- A search resumed Sunday morning for a Liberty County woman who has now been missing for nearly two weeks.
The Liberty County Sheriff's Office said they're searching Horseshoe Lake behind the home of the missing woman, 57-year-old Sheryl Siddall.
Authorities said murder charges could be filed, although a body hasn't been found.
Siddall's family said they last heard from her on Sept. 11. When deputies arrived at her home for a welfare check, they were instead greeted by a 52-year-old Donald Lee Hassler, who investigators said had been friends with Siddall for years.
Deputies said they immediately suspected foul play after they found a bloody knife and human bloodstains in her home.
Investigators also found blood inside a boat that appears to have been dragged from her home to the lake. Hassler was arrested due to these findings.
"Mr. Hassler is on parole, and I believe the parole is for burglary or habitation. He has several burglary charges on his record, and we confiscated or seized numerous weapons that he states belong to him," Capt. David Meyers said.
RELATED: Murder charges may be filed as search for missing grandma continues in Liberty County, deputies say
On Sunday, Sidall's family joined deputies as the search for Siddall resumed at Horseshoe Lake.
"The water is more shallow than normal, so it's more of a drop-off. It's not just a push-off. It is about a five-foot drop-off down to the water," Meyers said. "At this point in time, we're treating this as a missing person, with a possible foul play, and it could turn into murder."
Meyers said the plan is to search the lake using sonar technology and cadaver dogs.
Horseshoe Lake is 4 feet deep and 100 feet wide, so this is a large-scale search.
Editor's note: The Liberty County Sheriff's Office previously reported that Siddall had been missing since Sept. 12. In an update, they corrected the date to Sept. 11.
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