The identity of a woman found in Joliet's Bicentennial Park on Monday has been determined, but how she got there and where she's been in the roughly three weeks she's been missing remains a mystery.
Amber Gerweck, 32, was reported missing on April 9 by her husband in Jackson Township, Mich. He told authorities that the mother of four had given no indication of plans to leave.
But the next day, her Ford Escape was found abandoned in the parking lot of a Dollar General store in Tunnel Hill, GA, more than 600 miles from home. Her keys and wallet containing her credit cards and identification were inside the vehicle.
Gerweck's parents live about a half hour away from the store, in Calhoun, GA., but they said they had no idea she was visiting.
Stranger still, Gerweck was nowhere to be found, though video surveillance confirms she was there, Chattanooga, Tenn. NBC station WRCB-TV reported.
Then, on Monday, she walked across the Jefferson Street bridge, in Joliet, flagged down a patrol officer, and said she had no idea who she was or how she got there.
Police said she showed no signs of physical trauma or chemical inebriation. And, according to Deputy Chief Mike Trafton, her fingerprints weren't in any national databases.
Gerweck is a data analyst with the Department of Homeland Security, WTVC-TV reported.
"Amber had a very important job and went through a lot of vetting. She would not make rash decisions," Susan Kirkland, a family friend, told the station.
Gerweck is currently at Silver Cross Hospital. Her family is reportedly on their way to see her.
