Silke Jasso
The family of a Springfield woman found dead in a crashed car last week says they have a lot of questions about what caused her death.
Videos by Rare
RELATED: Heartbroken family tragically loses young son to “silent killer” they thought was the flu
Chelsea Marie Dowler, 27, was found in a 1993 Dodge Dakota on Sept. 14. The car left the roadway and struck a tree before coming to rest in Delaware County’s Kingston Twp. north of Columbus, according to the Delaware Post of the State Highway Patrol, but it’s unclear when the crash happened.
She had been missing for nearly four weeks, according to her brother, Tyler Dowler.
“It’s definitely a little bit easier than not knowing,” Tyler Dowler said. “Not knowing was the worst.”
The family had filed a missing person report with the Springfield Police Department, he said, and had handed out flyers and made posts online asking for information about his sister.
“It gives us a little bit of relief knowing that she’s not in pain anymore,” he said. “She’s not suffering.”
But he said he wants more answers.
“Did she wreck? Did someone force her to wreck? Was it drugs? We’d like to know,” he said.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing, said Lt. Bob Sellers with the Delaware Post of the State Highway Patrol.
Chelsea Dowler leaves behind two sons, a 4-year-old and a 6-year-old. Tyler Dowler and his girlfriend are now the guardians of the boys.
“Things are finally starting to come together a little bit. I think they’re happy,” Tyler Dowler said. “They don’t want to go anywhere.”
She struggled with drug addiction, he said, but was a good mother.
“She was loving you know, she had her problems as most of us do,” he said.
He wants the boys to remember their mom for the good times they shared.
[protected-iframe id=”51060426b830936d958525ac460221cf-46934866-50986348″ info=”http://w3.cdn.anvato.net/player/prod/v3/anvload.html?key=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″ width=”640″ height=”360″ frameborder=”0″ scrolling=”no” webkitallowfullscreen=”” mozallowfullscreen=”” allowfullscreen=””]
“The times where their mom did nothing but make them smile,” he said, “because she would, she would do anything in her power to make them smile.”
RELATED: A relaxing rest in a hammock put a woman’s life in grave danger
The Springfield Police Division has closed its missing person investigation, according to Capt. Mike Varner.
The family is still in the process of making funeral arrangements.
