Snow may hamper search for missing Neb. family

SILVER CITY, S.D. – Authorities say they're not sure whether Friday's weather will permit
them to resume searching the rugged Black Hills of South Dakota for a family of four not
seen since a sheriff's deputy interviewed them two weeks ago about allegations of abuse.

Authorities said the Schade family could ride out the expected snowstorm by taking shelter
in one of the many abandoned mining tunnels through the area and hunt for their food.
Matthew Schade, 26, has attended a survival camp in the same area for years.

The family's car was found Tuesday and authorities searched Thursday for Matthew Schade,
his wife Rowena and their children, Devon, 11, and Sean, 8, in the rugged terrain near
the Pactola Reservoir and the village of Silver City.

The search was scaled back to about a dozen people, down from 25, after Matthew Schade told
his father by phone Thursday that the family was fine and wished to be left alone.
The search stopped entirely at nightfall because it became too difficult to navigate the
loose rock and melting snow nearly 5,000 feet in elevation.

There are few level spots in dense forest to pitch a tent, but the steep terrain is sprinkled
with abandoned mine tunnels that would make a warm, safe place for the family to wait
out the storm, sheriffs Lt. Jay Evenson said. There are deer and mountain lions that could
be hunted for food.

Because of the snow forecast for Friday, Evenson said he didn't know whether the search
would resume.

The family was last seen March 20 at its home 400 miles away in Creighton, Neb.
All four were interviewed that day by a Knox County deputy sheriff about allegations
of abuse, according to statements from Nebraska and South Dakota law enforcement agencies.

The deputy "made an offer of help and counseling. No arrests were made and no injuries
were observed," Knox County Sheriff Jim Janecek said in a release. He did not comment
further.

Matthew Schade is on probation in Nebraska for burglary, and an arrest warrant was issued
after he failed to notify a probation officer of his whereabouts, the statement said.
Rowena Schade, 29, was also on probation but authorities did say why.

Investigators said the Schades, who spent their honeymoon in the Black Hills, had talked
about relocating. It also appeared they left the house in a hurry with more than $1,000
worth of "camping survival type gear" they had recently purchased.

"We believe their intention is not to be found so we have to structure our search teams
differently to make sure we have law enforcement on them. It's pretty rugged terrain in
there," Maj. Brian Mueller of the Pennington County Sheriff's office told The Associated
Press.

For six straight years, Matthew Schade attended a survival camp in the search area through
his church and "expressed he would like to live like a hermit in the mountains," Mueller
said in news release.