Community members question police response, search efforts in St. Louis County mom’s disappearance

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Community members have questions and concerns about law enforcement’s response to Marquisha Williams’s disappearance.

Some say their search efforts could have been better.

“A lot of things could have moved quicker and swifter on their behalf,” says JADASA CEO, Cynthia Bennett.

The body of the 29-year-old has not been found and she has not been seen in a week.

Williams’ ex-boyfriend, Trent Ivy, admitted to police that he killed the mother of his four children in St. Louis before fleeing to Wisconsin, according to murder charges filed against him in the case on Wednesday.

“The Gabby Petito case. The search parties -- everything kind of went faster. I know we have had some hiccups, but regardless, whether it’s ethnicity, it’s a human thing,” says Bennett.

St. Louis County Police is the lead agency on the case and confirm they searched for Williams using a helicopter on Saturday and an extensive foot search on Christmas Eve.

“We were in Illinois all day Sunday actively searching the area for Ms. Williams,” Spokesperson Tracy Panus said. “Metro Air Support, our Special Response Unit, Tactical Operations Unit, Canine Unit, Bureau of Drug Enforcement detectives, Intelligence Unit, Crime Scene detectives, and Bureau of Crimes Against Persons detectives were all on foot searching for any evidence or Ms. Williams herself. At this point, we’re still following up numerous leads and attempting to confirm information we have received throughout this investigation.”

“In this case I feel like Sunday was definitely too many days,” says Bennett.

The family says they have been left searching for Marquisha’s remains without police present.

“My sister is missing, she’s in danger, she was kidnapped. This is against her will, and she needs to come home,” says sister, Marnay Williams.

In an interview before the ex-boyfriend’s confession, her sister tells First Alert 4 loved ones told authorities about a history of domestic violence.

“He’s been violent with her around the kids, so I could just imagine what he’d do just with them two,” said Williams.

In the wake of the tragedy, Bennet is asking the community to offer financial assistance and free therapy and social services to her children.

“We forget about the kids. They have to live with this. Their parents. Their life is altered forever.”