Kristin Westra Missing: Maine Teacher Vanishes ‘in the Middle of the Night’

Kristin Westra Facebook page

Facebook/Eric Rohrbach

An elementary school teacher in Maine is missing with her brother writing on Facebook that Kristin Westra “disappeared in the middle of the night.” Westra, 47, was last seen on September 30 after returning home from a jog in North Yarmouth, Maine, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement. The statement says that Westra is 5-feet, 10 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes. Anybody with any information is asked to call the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department on 207-893-2810 and to press 2 for dispatch. When asked if foul play was suspected in the disappearance, Captain Scott Stewart of the Cumberland sheriff’s office told Heavy, “We are treating this as a missing person.”

Here’s what you need to know:


Westra’s Husband Said He Woke Up on Monday Morning & His Wife Was Gone

WMTW reports that Westra’s husband, Jay Westra, was the first to report his wife’s disappearance. Her vehicle was still at home when she was reported missing. He told police that he woke up on the morning of October 1 and his wife wasn’t home. The WMTW report adds that more than 70 volunteers are working with the Maine State Police, the Maine Warden Service, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department, North Yarmouth Fire Rescue, Chebeague Island Fire Rescue and the Civil Air Patrol. On October 2, search teams were seen in a wooded area close to the missing teacher’s home. In total, 20 miles of area has been searched by authorities. A website, Find Kristin, has been set up to aid in the search.


Westra Lives in North Yarmouth With Her Husband & 2 Children

A profile on the website for the Chebeague Island School Department says that Westra teaches third, fourth and fifth-grade at the school. Westra’s bio says that she grew up in Burlington, Vermont, having moved there from Pennsylvania at a young age. Westra is a graduate of the University of Vermont where she studied Psychology and German. During her time in college, Westra spent time studying in Salzburg, Austria. Westra’s roommate from her time in Austria wrote on Facebook, “I am praying constantly for Kristin. She was my roommate when we studied in Austria together. I am interceding that God will place His loving arms of protection around her and guide her back home. Prayers are going out for you and the entire family.”

Following graduation, Westra went to work as a sales manager for software company Lotus Development in the Boston Area. Westra then went into teaching, attaining a teaching certificate and MS in education from Dominican University in San Francisco. From there, Westra moved back to the east coast to work at the Chebeague Island School. She lives in North Yarmouth with her husband, stepson and daughter. The bio ends with the words, “Kristin’s hobbies include cooking, travel, running, swimming and spending time with her family and friends. She appreciates many things about teaching on the island, including the staff, small class size and the strong community involvement.”


Westra’s Brother Described the Family as Being ‘Emotional & Raw’

Kristin Westra Chebeague Island

Chebeague Island School Department

It was Westra’s brother, Eric Rohrbach, who wrote on Facebook that: “I can’t believe I am writing this, but my amazing sister Kristin Rohrbach Westra disappeared in the middle of the night and is now missing. We are emotional and raw but trying to stay positive… I can’t express how much she means to us, please think positive thoughts.”

Comedian Rob Delaney has tweeted about the search for Westra, calling her a “Friend of a friend.”

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