KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The family of a missing Northland mother is making pleas for help as her husband makes another court appearance on an unrelated gun theft charge.
Renee Pernice has not been seen since Jan. 2. In February, Clay County investigators said she is presumed dead because of the amount of time she has been gone without contact to her family.
At Renee’s husband’s court appearance for an unrelated gun theft charge Tuesday, other family members, clad in “Team Renee” t-shirts, pleaded with hunters to call in tips if they notice any evidence of shallow graves or human remains.
“We firmly believe someone has killed Renee and hidden her body,” Renee’s father, Rick Pretz said. “We're asking the public's help in finding her."
Shon Pernice has previously pleaded not guilty in Clay County and had been arraigned for allegedly stealing a pistol from a neighbor's home after his wife disappeared. He was in court again Tuesday for a scheduling hearing.
Pretz' ex-wife, who is Renee's mother, is seeking custody of Renee and Shon's two boys.
Pretz says the grandparents were finally able to visit with the children and have worked out a voluntary agreement to see the boys once a week.
There is a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.
The family asks that if anyone sees anything suspicious in the woods, they should call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS, rather than investigating themselves.
