A renewed search for Lauren Dumolo

There’s been a renewed push to find one missing Cape Coral mother and friend.

It has been more than a year and a half since Lauren Dumolo vanished from Cape Coral. But, her friends and family are holding out hope that they’ll find even a sign of her.

Volunteers were out looking for her this weekend and, they say the search will continue for as long as needed.

In June of 2020, a mother, sister, and friend was reported missing. Now, more than a year and a half later, family and friends are still searching Four Freedoms park for any sign of Lauren.

Lindsey Smith is Lauren’s sister. “We are searching this park because my sister’s purse and her keys, wallet and shoes were found here,” Smith said. “But my sister’s phone was left at her apartment.”

This weekend, the organization Missing in America came to Cape Coral to assist in the search. Joe Fanciulli is with Missing in America. “We came down today to get the lay of the land. We’ve metal detected the sand just in case we would find anything that might belong to her. And we have the underwater drone, just to go off the beach and just take a… take a poke around and see if there might be anything out there,” said Fanciulli.

They said something might pop up that wasn’t there even a week ago, especially after a storm. That “something” is what Smith is hoping for. “Everyone keeps telling me that, eventually, a body will come to the surface. And she still hasn’t been found,” said Smith.

On Sunday, volunteers searched near Four Freedoms Park for any newly emerged clues. Angela Stallkamp is one of Lauren’s friends. “Lauren is a mother. She’s loving kind. She has a heart of gold, and she would be out here helping us look for somebody else. Her family deserves peace and love, and closure. We won’t stop,” said Stallkamp.

David Thomas is a professor of forensic science at FGCU. WINK News asked him how long boots will be on the ground in search of Lauren Dumolo. “It’ll go on until they feel they’ve exhausted, they’ve searched everywhere they can, and then they’ve exhausted that, and then they’re done,” Thomas said.

Thomas believes this search is a community effort and not just something that impacts Lauren’s family. “The finding it is a group effort for every person in the community that wants to participate in every group that wants to participate in help,” said Thomas.

“It’s really hitting home, and it really makes me happy that we’re not giving up on her,” Smith said.

The Missing in America crew says they plan to search other areas as well, including places that haven’t been explored before.