Md. Woman Missing; Foul Play Suspected

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. - The hunt is on for a Maryland woman who vanished from her Upper Marlboro home. It's been almost two weeks since anyone saw or heard from 45-year-old Maris Wilkerson, and police suspect foul play.

A couple of days ago, neighbors who live on Meadowlark Avenue held a candlelight vigil in Maris Wilkerson's front yard. It's been 12 days sense anyone has seen her, and based on her daily routines, police say she disappeared under some very suspicious circumstances.

• ON THURSDAY, JULY 9, POLICE ANNOUNCED THEY HAD DISCOVERED THE BODY OF MARIS WILKERSON, AND HER LIVE-IN BOYFRIEND WAS CHARGED IN THE CASE.  FOLLOW THIS LINK TO READ MORE ABOUT THE DISCOVERY AND HIS ARREST.

By all accounts, Wilkerson is well-liked by her neighbors.

"Very kind, sweet, generous, thoughtful," said Maurice Davis, a neighbor.

They also say she was extremely meticulous about her lawn.

"She worked in the yard all the time-- cutting grass, putting those bushes up over there," said David Somerville, another neighbor.

Neighbors say she took good care of her four dogs, and if she was going away, she made sure they were taken care of. But on June 25, Maris vanished without a trace. She hadn't been seen for days, and her dogs were alone barking in the backyard.

"She was in love with those four dogs and would never simply leave them there-- that was a big indicator that something was wrong," said Davis.

On July 2, police from several different agencies were called to her home when no one had seen or heard from her in days. Investigators searched the home and even took away her two cars in the driveway. They call her disappearance highly unusual, and they say they suspect foul play.

"Anytime she left home she would leave her dogs in the care of someone else," said Cpl. Erica Johnson of the Prince George's County Police. "She was extremely meticulous about not leaving her vehicle unattended, leaving things in her vehicle. She would also advise her neighbors if she was going to be gone for long periods of time."

"It's very upsetting to know that you have a neighbor that was here one day on the 24th, and now they are not here anymore," said Ayana Brown, another neighbor.

Her friends are just hoping somehow, someway, this is all just a big misunderstanding, and one day they will see Maris back working in her front yard again.

"It has been my hope that I will drive here one day and the whole neighborhood will be here celebrating she has returned," said Davis.

Wilkerson is a black female with a light complexion who is approximately 5'7" tall and weighs about 180 pounds. She was last seen wearing a black and white flowered shirt and blue jeans.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Prince George's County Police.