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FROM STAFF REPORTS

The search for Jodi Sanderholm, who has been missing since Friday, expanded into southeastern Cowley County Sunday as six law enforcement agencies hunted for the missing Cowley student.

Authorities were scouring the hilly and wooded terrain near Grouse Creek where a car or body would be hard to spot.

Sanderholm's car was last seen Friday around 1 p.m. heading east on Kansas Avenue near the Ark City Middle School.

The 19-year-old was last seen at Subway wearing cutoff grey sweats and a black leotard. Sanderholm is 5 ft. 3 in. and weighs 105 lbs. with brown hair and brown eyes.

Anyone who may have seen her or has any information, please contact the Arkansas City Police Dept. at 620-441-4444.

Authorities continue to question a man Ark City Police Chief Sean Wallace described as a "groupie" of the College's danceline team, of which Jodi was a member.

The man is in custody on charges unrelated to Sanderholm's disappearance, Wallace said Sunday afternoon. Police discovered an arrest warrant for the man when they questioned him about the Sanderholm case, he said.

Some people close to Sanderholm suspect the man is involved in her vanishing, Wallace said. But there is no evidence linking him to the disappearance and Wallace asked that his name not be made public to protect his rights and his safety.

"We're not through talking to him," Wallace said. "We want to make sure he had nothing to do with it."

Jodi's mother, Cindy Sanderholm, said Sunday that the man is not a suspect and that rumors about him stalking Jodi are unfounded.

About 50 officers, agents and firefighters are involved in the search, including following up leads of possible sightings of Jodi's black Dodge Stratus. One Ark City officer was sent to Kay County, Oklahoma to help field leads there.

Others are searching the Grouse Creek area near U.S. 166 by four-wheel vehicle and helicopter.

Jodi was last seen heading east in her car on Kansas Avenue, apparently headed to a friend's house just outside town. She never arrived at the friend's house.

Grouse Creek is much further east than the friend's house, but a car or body could be hidden in the hilly and wooded terrain there, Wallace said.

It's also possible that she had a car accident and the vehicle fell into a hidden area.

Authorities don't have leads on where to hunt, he said, but firefighters trained in tracking can find disturbances made by humans and follow that trail, he said.

Wallace asked that rural residents look in structures and abandoned buildings for something unusual.

"If she has met with foul play, maybe somebody is hiding her body," he said.

Hard to believe

Family and friends describe Jodi as very responsible and can't believe she would just run off. But Wallace said he's seen missing persons cases where otherwise responsible people or children take off to escape pressures unknown to friends and family.

"I'm encouraging the family to maintain hope," he said. "They've got a lot of courage."

The outpouring of support and requests to help find Jodi show the best small-town qualities, Wallace said.

"If we get to a specific area that we need searched, we may need help," he said.

Wallace said he remembers Jodi from when he was a school resource officer. Her father, Brian, who owns Ark City Glass, installed the windows in the police department.

"It's personal for us," Wallace said.

Police thought perhaps Jodi had taken off to Dallas to see her boyfriend of five years, who was staying there. They contacted the boyfriend and he hadn't heard from Jodi, Wallace said.

The boyfriend cut his trip short to return to Ark City and be with the Sanderholm family, Cindy Sanderholm said.

Jodi also has a sister in Kansas City who has given birth since Jodi went missing, Wallace said.

Their daughter was a valedictorian in high school and has a 4.0 GPA at Cowley, the parents said. She lives with her parents and they are constantly touch.

"This is completely out of character," Cindy Sanderholm said.

She said the community response has been "absolutely awesome."

She said that Jodi's friends have helped out the most. "They probably put out 20,000 fliers yesterday," she said.

The disappearance

Sanderholm is a member of the Cowley College Danceline team and a pre-denistry major, the college Web site states.

Sanderholm's parents talked to her Friday by phone at about 10 minutes to noon, just before her disappearance. Jodi lives at home with her parents.

The conversation with her mother centered around lunch plans. Jodi decided not to go with her mother to eat because she had just finished dance practice and was dirty and sweaty, Cindy Sanderholm said.

They agreed to see each other later. But she did not come home, nor did she stop by the glass company. They called her several times but received no answer. She was last seen at Subway around 1 p.m. in her Tigerette dance jacket with her name on left side, black leggings, gray cut-off sweat pants and flip flops.

"She's never done anything like this," Brian said. "We've been desperately trying to get a hold of her cell phone."

But the cell phone is now dead. There had been no sightings as of early Sunday afternoon. She hasn't used her credit card, the mother said.

The search for Sanderholm, shown on television, radio and Internet has jarred the whole community and put residents on alert.

The Danceline performed without Jodi Saturday night at Cowley's home basketball games in W.S. Scott Auditorium. Only six of the 12 dancers performed.

A poster saying "We Love You, Jodi" was fixed to the gym wall; pink ribbons were tied to railing around the gym. Similar ribbons now decorate downtown buildings and light posts.

Posters asking "Have You Seen" Jodi are plastered all over Ark City and in surrounding towns, at least as far away as Cedar Vale.

Traveler Correspondent Chansi Long contributed to this report.