Laynee Westbrook’s family and friends are desperate for answers as his search for the 41-year-old woman in Washington enters the fourth month.
“It’s been 116 days and we still have no answers,” Laynee’s sister-in-law, Emily Pepper, told Dateline. “We have nothing, nothing that can take us to Laynee.”
Laynee has been missing since September 10, 2020. According to her family, Laynee and her beloved dog, a rat terrier called “Precious”, were spotted in a security video at 7:11 pm leaving the San Juan Motel in Anacortes, Washington, and getting into a white Dodge Ram truck with a man she knew. Laynee, who works at Safeway, has lived at the motel for a long time since July, his family said.
She was seen again shortly after, at 7:30 pm, at the Chevron gas station near Casino Swinomish with the same man. Her sister-in-law Emily told Dateline that the man claimed he had picked her up and they went to a nearby camp where he was staying. He reportedly left Laynee between 2 and 3 am at Causland Memorial Park, which is about two blocks from the motel.
On September 13, Laynee’s mother, Barb, received a call from the motel. They were trying to contact Laynee because she didn’t pay the rent and no one had seen or heard her for several days.
“It occurred to Barb that she hadn’t spoken to her in a few days, so she started to panic,” said Emily. “She called her, and we all did, but no one was able to speak to her.”
Laynee’s mother reported her disappearance to the Anacortes Police Department.
Captain Dave Floyd told Dateline that the case is an open and active investigation and that detectives are investigating and following up on any tips they receive.
“We received an impressive amount of tips at the beginning,” said Captain Floyd. “This has decreased somewhat, but we are following the steps and making slow progress. We are always open to tips that can lead us to find Laynee. No matter how big or small … it matters. “
In the days after Laynee’s disappearance, her family and friends began their own investigation by setting up a timeline that would lead to her disappearance. Her sister-in-law, along with her best childhood friend, Michelle Hanson, organized search parties, spoke with witnesses and provided information to detectives.
“Campers who were at the camp the night she disappeared called the ranger to report two people arguing about a missing dog,” said Emily. “Something happened that night. She is missing. Your dog is missing. She never went back to the motel. “
Captain Floyd told Dateline he couldn’t go into detail about what happened on September 10, 2020, but confirmed that there has been no activity on Laynee’s cell phone or bank account since she used her debit card on the day that was last seen.
“At this point, we don’t have enough information to determine that crime is a factor in its disappearance,” said Captain Floyd. “We recognize that circumstances show that this may be a possibility, but we hope that is not the case.”
Laynee’s brother Tom, his sister-in-law Emily and his best friend Michelle, who live in Sedro-Woolley, Washington, continue their search for answers while keeping family members in Colorado informed.
Stephanie Hess, Laynee’s sister, told Dateline that she feels helpless to be so far away, but said she will not stop fighting to find Laynee.
“Our hearts are heavy and broken, but we will continue until we bring her home,” said Stephanie. “We just want to find her.”
Stephanie described her sister as a beautiful person with a cheerful personality and a contagious laugh who loved her friends and family with all her heart … someone who would never want to see her family suffering.
“Laynee wouldn’t just disappear and let no one know,” added her best friend, Michelle. “If she needed a break, she would say that. But she would never let us worry like that. “
As birthdays and holidays passed, Laynee’s family began to lose hope.
“She never stopped calling her mother to say happy birthday to her,” Emily told Dateline. “But Barb’s birthday came and went on November 19th. And no connection. She is devastated. We all are. “
Laynee’s 42nd birthday is approaching January 31.
“We would love for her to just show up and want to celebrate her birthday,” said Emily. “But I think we know in our hearts that this will not happen. Even so, we don’t give up. “
Missing person signs with photos of Laynee and her puppy “Precious” in the small town of Anacortes and the surrounding area offering a $ 10,000 reward for information leading to Laynee’s whereabouts. His family said they hope to encourage someone who knows something to perform.
“We just need answers,” said Emily. “We did everything we knew how to do at this point.”
As they continue to look for Laynee – and hope for a miracle – they keep their memory alive with a candlelight vigil every month on the 10th. The next one is on Sunday.
“Sometimes it seems like her case is unimportant, like nobody wants to help,” said Emily. “She is not a wife. She is not a mother. But she is someone for us. Shouldn’t that be enough? “
Laynee is described as being 5’9 ”tall, weighs 120 pounds and has medium brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a black shirt, jeans and white sandals. Her dog, Precious, is a rat terrier and has a protruding tail.
Anyone with information about Laynee’s whereabouts should call the Anacortes Police at 360-293-4684 during business hours or the APD reporting line 360-299-1985. The case number is 20-A06084.