DOWAGIAC, Mich. -- Two young sons wonder why their mother hasn't come home in six days. Rose Morris, 24, of Dowagiac went missing July 24 after going out with some friends. Now police are following up on every lead they can, but are hitting some dead ends.
Dowagiac is a small community in Cass County with a population of about 5,000. Morris's family said Rose walked everywhere in town and went to North Side Food and Liquor at least two to three times a week. One of the last times she was seen was on the store's surveillance cameras. The family last saw her that day when she left the house about 7 p.m.
"She said she was going to go to a friend's house to have a drink for a couple hours," said Rose's mother Trella Fay, "but I got worried when she didn't come back, because she didn't call me or anything,"
Trella Fay is taking care of Rose's two children for now.
"We kept waiting as long as we could, but finally we couldn't wait any more, and Sunday morning we reported it," she said.
Trella Fay said she is losing hope. She says every minute that goes by, she is more assured something has happened to her only daughter.
"Rose please come home," she cried. "We love you. Your babies need you. I need you."
Rose has two sons, a 3-year-old, and a 6-year-old. Rose's older brother, Cory Gallimore, gives them a reminder every day.
"She's coming home. We tell them what they need to hear. The kids need to hear that mom is coming home," he said.
Riley Morris is Rose's oldest son, and he says his favorite thing to do with mom is go to the park. "I love her and she's nice. That's all," he cried.
Cory and Trella Fay say sitting at home waiting for Rose to walk through the door, is too hard.
"It's just hard being strong period. Her kids are here, and they ask for mommy," said Cory.
So they decided to start a search group, and hand out flyers, by going door to door. They hope they will find any lead, detail, or information they can get.
"I just pray that someone will return her. Please bring her home," said Trella Fay.
Police had dogs out today to track her scent. It led police to a few apartment complexes and to North Side Food and Liquors. Police told Trella Fay not to get her hopes up, because sometimes the dogs can track places she had been weeks before. Police also searched abandoned apartment buildings in the area.
