GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The search for a Grand Rapids mother is now a criminal investigation — and police say they’ve been getting more and more good information in the past few weeks.
Latrice Maze, 26, went missing from the area around Division St. and Burton St. on the southeast side of Grand Rapids on March 19.
42 days later, there have been few leads and the family has told FOX 17 throughout that stretch that it’s been frustrating to go days and weeks with no updates.
Grand Rapids Police Captain Jeff Hertel says that’s just what investigators have to do during these cases.
“We try to be really clear right at the initial start of the investigation that there is stuff we’re not gonna be able to tell you right now,” Hertel says, “and you may get upset or you may hear the rumors – call us, talk to us as to what’s going on. We’ll tell you what we can.”
But as days go by, the chance of Maze coming back safe and sounder becomes less likely.
“The family has not seen her for five weeks,” Hertel says. “She was a reliable person before that, so we can make an assumption that the better probability is that she’s not alive anymore.”
Hertel says any suspect involved in Maze’s disappearance probably isn’t a stranger, but until leads become concrete evidence, the Maze family has to wait for answers.
“It’s pretty typical of any criminal investigation to keep your cards close,” Hertel says, “until you’re ready to present the case to the prosecutor and get somebody charged and then sit down with the family and say, ‘This is what we did. This is what we found. This is why we couldn’t tell you back then.'”
But several leads are coming now because of a number of investigative subpoenas.
“Very powerful tool,” Hertel says. “We seem to get a lot more there under investigative subpoena because of the threat of a perjury charge.”
One of Maze’s relatives tells FOX 17 that the family is “ecstatic” about the new developments, but that they’re still “waiting for answers.” The family member also says the family wants to stay quiet until the investigation is over, hoping not to disturb GRPD’s investigation.
Hertel says more investigative subpoenas will be exercised in the case throughout the week. Anybody with tips on the whereabouts of Latrice Maze can call GRPD at 616.456.3400 or Silent Observer at 616.774.2345.
