Psychic brought in to help find missing man
By Nancy Needham nancy@hotmail.com

Jeffrey Howard

Jeffrey Howard's family, left without a clue as to how he disappeared in the early morning of Dec. 21, has hired a psychic to help them find the 40-year-old man.

"There's still nothing. It may take awhile," said Capt. Ron Nelson, Ventura County Sheriff 's Department spokesman. "The family gave us a tip from a psychic."

That tip prompted sheriff's deputies on motorcycles and in a helicopter to search around the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, but they found no sign of the missing man, Nelson said. The department also searched the Wildwood Park area in Thousand Oaks, along with a few other sites the psychic seemed to suggest.

Arizona resident Stan Howard, the missing man's father, said he paid $1,000 to psychic detective Noreen Renier of Virginia to help find his son.

"She's going to stick with us. We have another reading coming up. She has good credentials," Stan said. "What else could we do? We don't have any other clues."

The psychic detective's website states that she's worked on more than 400 cases with city, county and state law enforcement agencies in 38 states and six foreign countries.

The family has also sent information on the case to the TV show "Missing," which they hope will feature Jeffrey. Family, friends and volunteers continue to look for him by searching canyon roads, trails and parks in cars and on foot. The family is also praying for his safe return.

Jeffrey's wife was the last person to see him. That was around 2:30 a.m. on Thurs., Dec. 21, when was up complaining of a headache. The mother of a newborn daughter went back to sleep until around 6 a.m., when she awakened to find that her husband was missing.

"He left the light on the front porch on, something he did when he was expecting to be right back," Stan said.

It was not unusual for Jeffrey to study all night and go out at 5 a.m. when Starbucks at Avenida de Los Arboles and Erbes opened and then come right home, Stan said. The coffee shop is near their home on the 1800 block of Avenida de Las Flores.

Jeffrey left his cellphone at home, another indication he thought he'd be right back, his father noted.

With about $80 in his wallet, he disappeared into the night. The sheriff's department has been monitoring his ATM and credit cards and other financial indicators, and none has been used since his disappearance, Stan said.

Also not seen since that morning is Jeffrey's burgundy 2003 Hyundai Elantra, with license plate 5KRP048. Inquiries made to repair shops about the car, including its VIN, haven't revealed anything either.

"There is still no evidence of foul play," Nelson said.

Detectives have consulted family members, neighbors, clergy and others who know Jeffrey. They've looked inside his computer's hard drive with a forensic computer specialist and couldn't find anything except what a normal, happy man would write or research, his father said.

"He was sending e-mails with photographs of his new daughter to friends," Stan said.

Jeffrey also had a chat online with his dad and his father-in-law the day before his disappearance. He was looking forward to starting a new job he'd just accepted after taking a voluntary year off work to remodel his home.

News of his passing his real estate license test came in the mail after his disappearance, but he'd felt sure he'd passed it, his father said. He was also looking forward to tiling the back patio and making other improvements around the house.

With a new baby, a new job and a remodeled house, the family's dreams were just coming true. Jeffrey was in a happy time of his life. He was very upbeat, his father said.

"My son had been telling his wife 2007 was going to be a great year for their family," Stan said.

Jeffrey Howard is a white male, 6 feet tall, with a medium build, brown hair and green eyes.

Anyone with information about Howard is asked to call Thousand Oaks detectives at (805) 494-8201.