Home US Family of missing pregnant mother reveal their dark suspicions about her disappearance as they fight deportation

Family of missing pregnant mother reveal their dark suspicions about her disappearance as they fight deportation

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Emma Baum (pictured), 25, a mother of three, was nine months pregnant when she inexplicably disappeared on October 10 while visiting her boyfriend, Antwon Butler, 29, in Gary, about 10 miles from her home in Portage.

The family of a pregnant Indiana mother who mysteriously disappeared in October believes her boyfriend is hiding something about her disappearance.

Emma Baum, 25, was nine months pregnant when she inexplicably disappeared on Oct. 10 while visiting her boyfriend, Antwon Butler, 29, in Gary, about 10 miles from her home in Portage.

The young mother of three did not have a working phone at the time of her disappearance, and relatives say she had to go to the phone store with her boyfriend – the father of her unborn child – to have it activated. ‘.

Now Baum’s sister, Hailey Baum-Waddell, 23, suspects her older sister’s boyfriend is “hiding something,” she said Fox News digital.

Baum’s mother, Jamie Baum, also believes Butler – who has a lengthy criminal record – had something to do with her daughter’s strange disappearance. WGN9 reported.

Butler has not yet been brought forward as a suspect in her disappearance, and Gary police have not yet charged anyone in the pregnant mother’s unexplained disappearance.

“We have not charged anyone in Emma Baum’s disappearance, and she has not yet been located,” said Police Chief Gary Jack Hamady. “We continue to seek and interview individuals who may be connected to this case.”

Butler, who was taken into custody in an unrelated case shortly after the disappearance of his pregnant girlfriend, was later released from Lake County Jail and is awaiting trial on the separate charges, Hamady said.

Emma Baum (pictured), 25, a mother of three, was nine months pregnant when she inexplicably disappeared on October 10 while visiting her boyfriend, Antwon Butler, 29, in Gary, about 10 miles from her home in Portage.

The young mother did not have a working phone at the time of her disappearance because relatives said she had to go to the phone store with her boyfriend, the father of her unborn child,

The young mother did not have a working phone at the time of her disappearance because relatives said she had to go to the phone store with her boyfriend, the father of her unborn child, “to have it activated.” In the photo: Emma Baum with her three children

Now Baum's sister, Hailey Baum-Waddell, 23, suspects her older sister's boyfriend (pictured) is 'hiding something'

Now Baum’s sister, Hailey Baum-Waddell, 23, suspects her older sister’s boyfriend (pictured) is ‘hiding something’

This isn’t Butler’s first run-in with the law.

In 2019, the 29-year-old had a battery charge dismissed. That same year, Butler pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent charge.

In 2024, he pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance charge. And in 2025, he pleaded guilty to a charge against law enforcement.

The Gary resident has other pending cases – including trafficking cocaine and marijuana – and his most recent charge is possession of a controlled substance – a misdemeanor – for which he was recently arrested.

Now, just months after her disappearance, Baum’s mother faces deportation as she continues the futile search for her daughter and unborn grandchild.

The concerned ailing mother currently provides daily care for her grandchildren and “faces significant financial challenges in paying utilities and rent,” according to a GoFundMe campaign intended to help support her.

‘Jamie is struggling to make ends meet. “She has received a 10-day eviction letter from landlords requesting payment of past due fees and back rent totaling $2,000,” the page reads.

“As a self-sufficient individual, Jamie experiences tremendous stress and hardship as she tries to find her missing daughter every day in Gary, Indiana, in the Northwest Indiana region.”

The 25-year-old mother of three was last seen in a deserted neighborhood of Gary, Indiana, visiting the father of her unborn child

The 25-year-old mother of three was last seen in a deserted neighborhood of Gary, Indiana, visiting the father of her unborn child

A widespread search for the missing mother ensued as volunteers searched through overgrown fields, knocked on doors and handed out flyers and K-9 units were deployed in search of her scent, CBS News reported.

A widespread search for the missing mother ensued as volunteers searched through overgrown fields, knocked on doors and handed out flyers and K-9 units were deployed in search of her scent, CBS News reported.

A second fundraiser was made by Baum’s sister. Between the two, a paltry amount of just $80 has been raised to help the troubled family.

Baum is about 6 feet tall, weighs about 136 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes.

She has several scars and tattoos, and she often wears colorful wigs.

“Emma gave everyone everything, gave them all the love she could,” Baum-Waddell said of her sister.

“She has big brown eyes and she always wanted to make everyone, you know, laugh, feel good about themselves, or make them feel like they belong.

‘It’s very difficult because now it’s not just her who is missing. It’s her baby. And you don’t want to think about the worst because who would want to hurt a girl and her baby?’ she added. “We just hope she’s safe.”

Authorities first received a missing persons report for Baum from her family on Oct. 28, Hamady told the newspaper.

The missing woman’s family said it is likely Baum has already given birth, as she was one centimeter dilated on October 4.

A widespread search for the missing mother ensued as volunteers searched through overgrown fields, knocked on doors and handed out flyers and K-9 units were deployed in search of her scent. CBS News reported.

Baum-Waddell recalled stopping people in their cars and those walking nearby to ask them if they knew where her older sister was.

Hamady said police have interviewed several people in connection with the case, and noted to WGN9 that officers continue to search the area. In the photo: Emma Baum with a young child

Hamady said police have interviewed several people in connection with the case, and noted to WGN9 that officers continue to search the area. In the photo: Emma Baum with a young child

Baum's family is not giving up hope. Pictured: Emma Baum holding a newborn child

Baum’s family is not giving up hope. Pictured: Emma Baum holding a newborn child

“We put our own lives in danger,” Baum’s other sister, Abigale Smith, added. ‘We came across abandoned houses, we dug into piles of sand.

“At this point, we have done everything we can, and now we are asking the public to please help us,” Smith added during a news conference discussing her sister’s unknown whereabouts.

Hamady said police have interviewed several people in connection with the case, and noted to WGN9 that officers continue to search the area.

“Three locations have emerged in the investigation, so we have exhausted those resources and reviewed video footage that may also have been in the areas where she was last seen.”

Yet Baum’s family has not given up hope.

“We always look for her,” Baum’s mother said. ‘I will never stop looking for her. My whole family will never stop looking for you, Emma.”

‘We love you, Emma. And if you can hear us, there’s nothing you’ve done to make any of us stop loving you,” Smith added.

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