Missing Woman's Boyfriend: 'We Don't Believe She's Around Here'

CREST HILL, IL — During his first interview with Joliet Patch, the owner of Crest Hill's Pizzas By Marchelloni wants to spread the word that he also established a reward in hopes of finding his missing girlfriend, Wendy Gessing.

She disappeared from Crest Hill on June 12 —two months ago — and hasn't been seen alive since.

Gessing has had no contact with her elderly mother, who lives in the Joliet area, or her sister, who lives in Diamond. She also has not been in touch with her longtime boyfriend, Scott Harris, or her 24-year-old son, Josh.

Back on July 16, Crest Hill police announced there has been no activity on Gessing's credit cards and bank accounts since she vanished.

Gessing, along with her adult son and Harris, all shared a house in the 1900 block of Crest Hill's Hosmer Lane. Driving from their house to the Pizzas By Marchelloni where the couple work only takes about two minutes.

During this week's interview on his front porch, Scott Harris told Patch he set up his own reward back in June, offering an undisclosed amount of money. Harris said the other reward, offering $2,000 cash, was put up "by her family."

"There's two of them," Gessing said of the missing person rewards. "I had mine before they had theirs."

He said that "some cop friends of his" advised him not to disclose the reward amount, that way, people won't speculate whether the reward seems too low.

Harris, who has owned Crest Hill's Pizzas By Marchelloni for about 20 years, said it's his understanding that his girlfriend vanished during her Saturday evening work shift.

The carryout restaurant is near the corner of Raynor Avenue and Theodore Street.

Harris said he has "no idea" what happened to her or where she may be.

Harris said he learned from his niece that Gessing came into work as expected that Saturday in mid-June.

"She started at 4 p.m. Four to 10 p.m. was her shift," Harris said.

According to Harris, he learned from his niece that Gessing said she was leaving the pizza place around 6:30 p.m. to give someone a ride.

"Someone needed a lift, an acquaintance," Harris said.

Harris said Gessing never returned to work that night.

Harris, who is the Pizzas By Marchelloni owner and manager, told Patch he didn't work that day. He usually takes off Saturdays, he said.

Harris said it's his belief that his girlfriend drove to the Motel 6 on Joliet's McDonough Street. He said several witnesses saw the couple's Honda CRV in the Motel 6 parking lot that weekend.

On the other hand, Harris said the supposed sightings of Gessing on the Joliet Motel 6's outside video surveillance cameras do not appear to be legitimate. Harris said he told Crest Hill police several weeks ago that he did not believe the woman seen on the Motel 6 video cameras was his missing girlfriend.

Harris said the woman on the Motel 6 video cameras looked to be around 20 years old.

Gessing turned 50 years old this year.

During the middle of Tuesday afternoon's interview on Harris' front porch, Gessing's grown son returned home.

Josh Gessing indicated he didn't have much to say at the moment regarding his mother's disappearance. Patch asked Josh Gessing and Harris if they could think of anything else the Crest Hill Police Department should be doing to find Gessing.

Both men said they couldn't think of anything more the police should be doing at this stage.

"I think they're doing fine. I have no complaints," Harris remarked. "They're trying to do everything they can. I think they're doing everything they can. I'm not a policeman, so I am not sure what else they should do. They still tell me that's their top priority. Is there anything new? Not really."

Harris told Patch he's about to turn 65. He said he is the younger brother of retired Plainfield High School athletic director Chuck Harris. Before purchasing the Pizzas By Marchelloni restaurant, Scott Harris said he worked in retail store management with Carson Pirie Scott.

Harris said he has no idea why his Honda CRV ended up along the dead-end stretch of a Joliet street in the 400 block of Buell Avenue. The gray car was left parked across the street from the house belonging to the man who bought Molly Zelko's house earlier this year.

Harris said Crest Hill police have continued to impound his gray Honda CRV. He said it's his understanding the police "are still waiting on the lab work to come back" at this stage of the missing person's investigation.

Harris said an old Motel 6 room key card, perhaps two to three years old, was found inside the abandoned car, as was Gessing's wallet along with her credit cards. Harris believes the ignition key for his Honda CRV was not found on Buell Avenue.

Regarding the vehicle found on Buell Avenue, "it's my pizza van and my dog car," Harris said.

At the time of his girlfriend's disappearance, Harris said they were raising a 9-week-old puppy.

Harris told Patch that Gessing has no prior history of running away or disappearing for an extended period of time.

"I've never been through this before," Harris said. "We work all the time. We don't have time for much."

Harris told Joliet Patch he's certain that his girlfriend is not living on the streets in the Joliet area.

"We don't believe she's around here, in the (Joliet) area," Harris said. "The notion that she's on the street somewhere, no, she would have got a hold of me by now."

Harris said he remains in regular contact with Crest Hill's lead detective, Investigator Conor Sweeney. Harris said he gets along well with Sweeney. In fact, Sweeney stopped by his house to ask him a couple more things this past weekend, Harris said.

At the time of her June 12 disappearance, Gessing worked several days per week helping Harris manage the Pizzas By Marchelloni. Harris said she also volunteered at a local food pantry a few days per week to help the Will County Substance Abuse Coalition.

The top of Wendy Gessing's now-dormant personal Facebook page highlights four words: Happy. Sober. Engaged. Mama.

Prior to interviewing Harris, Patch interviewed Crest Hill Chief of Police Ed Clark on the phone. Patch inquired whether Crest Hill believes Gessing is dead or alive at this point.

"I don't want to speculate on that," Clark answered.

Patch also asked if Crest Hill police have determined why Gessing's abandoned vehicle ended up on Joliet's Buell Avenue and why her cell phone was found in Romeoville, in the vicinity of Taylor Road. Both discoveries occurred within days of her disappearance.

"That's not anything we're releasing yet," Clark said.

Crest Hill's chief said the investigators have focused on locations in the Joliet area as well as "outside the area."'

"We are actively investigating it," Clark said of Gessing's disappearance, which is now entering its third month.

Clark said that Harris "still remains cooperative."

After interviewing Harris at his house on Hosmer Lane, Patch circled back to Crest Hill's chief. Patch asked whether Harris has been cleared by police in connection with the disappearance.

The chief did not respond to Patch's question seeking a yes or no answer.

In any event, Harris said the Crest Hill police, notably Investigator Sweeney, continue to do a great job conducting the investigation.

"I'm letting them do their job," Harris said.