Relatives of a missing suburban Richton Park woman are making a plea for the community to help find her.
Officials said 54-year-old Tracie Bell was last seen at her home in Richton Park nearly two weeks ago.
Bell reportedly failed to show up at the Cook County State Attorney’s office where she works—that’s when family members said they started to get worried.
"It's totally out of character for her not to report to work or even call," said her cousin Ladonna Iverson.
The day prior to her disappearance however, Bell’s cousins say she had also failed to call in at work and her office asked police to conduct a wellness check.
"When they found her, she seemed a little bit disoriented, so they called the paramedics and they checked her blood sugar because she was recently diagnosed as a diabetic," Iverson said.
Bell’s cousins said she was dealing with other health problems as well.
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"She has rheumatoid arthritis where she needs to take a shot every week,” said Bell’s other cousin Stephanie Thomas. "Now we are not sure if she sees a physician to take that shot, or (if) she administers it herself; so with tomorrow being two weeks, we are not sure if she is getting that medication."
That is why Bell's family is determined to get the word out about her disappearance.
According to Richton Park Police, Bell appeared to have just “walked away.” Officials said they haven't seen any activity on her cell phone nor seen any charges on her credit cards.
Family members acknowledged the fact that there has been tension in the house ever since Bell’s daughter and her husband moved in with her. They said they are primarily concerned with her safety.
"We don’t want to feel or think negatively," expressed Iverson. "We are hoping for the best but because of the elapsed amount of time…we are concerned that maybe foul play could be a possibility."
Bell is 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs about 150 pounds. She was last seen wearing a dark-hooded parka and dark pants.
Police and family members are urging people with information on Bell’s whereabouts to contact the Richton Park Police Department.
