As I was packing to leave for vacation last Monday night, I happened to catch the evening news. A teaser caught my eye, something to the effect of "Missing Plainfield man found after two years." My ears perked up. I called my husband in to watch. We were about to finally found out what happened to my former classmate, Brad Hensley.
Brad disappeared from his Plainfield home Jan. 12, 2006, sometime after 6:15 a.m. For two years, his wife, family and friends desperately searched for him, but never found any clues. His cell phone and bank accounts were never used after that date. His 2005 red Jeep Wrangler had never been found.
Then, last Monday, just a few blocks from his home – still within his own subdivision – they found him. Firefighters probing a retention pond near his home hit metal and soon brought his Jeep to the surface.
He was inside.
The driver's side window was half-way down. This horrible vision of him trying to get out of a sinking Jeep keeps haunting me. What a horrible, horrible tragedy.
Exactly what happened that dark and cold morning might never be known. There were no tire tracks in the grass leading to the pond. No oil or gas were obvious on the pond's surface after the accident. No one saw anything happen.
And his wife lived the next two years just a few blocks away from her husband...without having a clue.
I knew Brad. He grew up in Danville, just like I did. When you grow up in a small town, you know everyone, and it's funny, but I can still hear his voice. We weren't close friends, but we had many classes together over the years, and we got along just fine. It's eerie to think that something this tragic could happen to someone I know. I thank God that it wasn't my husband or any family of mine - but I can't stop thinking about his wife, his mother, his family.
All we can do now is pray for his family. May you rest in peace, Brad.
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