FOUND: Brazil woman lost in Florida

SUBMITTED PHOTO - Late Tuesday evening (Dec. 6), the family announced on social media that Amy Hensler was located, and she was talking with the family about getting stuck in her vehicle in a wooded area and had been trying to get out for three days. To the amazement of family and friends, Hensler plans to continue her vacation to Florida. She had been missing for more than three days.

NOTE - Late Tuesday evening (Dec. 6), the family announced on social media that Hensler was located, and she was talking with the family about getting stuck in her vehicle in a wooded area and had been trying to get out for three days. To the amazement of family and friends, Hensler plans to continue her vacation to Florida.

Family and friends of a Brazil woman are concerned about her whereabouts since she has not been heard from during an unscheduled trip to Florida.

“This is just not like her,” said Cheryl Basch about her free-spirited friend Amy Hensler. “I hope she’s ok. She would never go away like that. She would never let her kids worry like that.”

Hensler notified a few friends that she would take a much-needed trip to Florida to relax. However, they found it odd that Hensler was experiencing trouble with her van, which needed fixing.

Although Hensler contacted a few people while traveling, the last contact they found so far was at 11:47 p.m. Saturday. Hensler stated during a text message that she would spend the day at the Apalachicola National Forest and visit a friend living in Alabama.

“It’s so uncharacteristic of Amy,” said Teresa Childers, who had told Hensler she could visit the Childers’ home in Lillian, AL, anytime. Hensler always said she wanted to “See the ocean again, dip her toes in the sand.”

On Thanksgiving, Childers and Hensler spoke on the phone. Hensler surprised Childers by telling her she was in Florida then, and the (1987-1992)Ford van was in the shop to fix the radiator leak. A few days later, they spoke again; that’s when Hensler said she was going to Childers home to open and clean it before they arrived.

“I haven’t spoken to her since,” said Childers. “I know she had two cellphones, so one was always charged, but now all the calls go straight to voicemail on both phones. No one has talked to her since Saturday. It’s just strange.”

Hensler’s children, Josie and Nick, are trying to find their mom. Nick was driving through the remote campgrounds at Apalachicola National Forest Tuesday. Josie, who left on vacation for Hawaii last weekend, was answering phone calls. Josie said her mother always checked in daily “because she didn’t like me worrying about her.”

“She knew I was going to Hawaii. She was going to watch my dog for me,” said Josie. “This is so unlike her. She would never do this. She always checks in.”

A missing person report was filed for Amy Hensler in Leon County, Florida, because the panhandle area was the last place she was known to be.

The Brazil Police Department is aware of the situation. Still, Assistant Police Chief Dennis Archer confirms missing person reports are handled at the last location a person can be verified they were at.

“That is where the investigation starts,” Archer said, adding that local officers have been to Hensler’s home to confirm she was not there, and everything was secure. “All missing person reports are sent to a nationwide data center called NCIC, the National Crime Information Center.”

The criminal records database allows law enforcement to enter or search for information about stolen property, missing or wanted persons, domestic violence protection orders, get criminal histories, and access the National Sex Offender Registry. This way, officers nationwide can look for a missing person.

Archer said there is a difference between a missing child and an adult. Children, when found, are placed in protective custody while their families are contacted and come to pick them up. An officer can contact adults, but an officer does not detain them because they have a right to be where they want, even if that means they do not want to talk with family if they choose not to.

“However, an officer will report on the database a missing person has been verified ok, and their name will be removed from the list,” said Archer. “The reporting agency will also be notified.”

Amy Hensler is approximately 135 pounds, 5’9, blonde, with green eyes.

Her last known location was on Interstate 10, driving from Jacksonville through Tallahassee to the Florida panhandle.