SYKESVILLE, Pa. --
It has been more than four years since a fire gutted a Jefferson County home on Dr. Fugart Drive. In the years that have passed, residents and people across the country still wonder, "Where is Joey Lynn Offutt?"
On July 12, 2007, the Sykesville Fire Department responded to a blaze at Offutt's home in Sykesville. Inside, they made the gruesome discovery of Offutt's 6-week old child's remains. However, Offutt herself was nowhere to be found.
Days later, police found Offutt's car 85 miles away in State College. Her red Saturn with its Virginia license plates was found on Waupelani Drive, where Offutt used to live.
It has been four years since she disappeared, and many still wonder, "What happened?"
Local television stations, radio stations, newspapers and television networks have tried to look into her mysterious disappearance.
Offutt's disappearance was shown on an "America's Most Wanted" segment in 2008.
Recently, the Discovery Channel has made its way to Sykesville in hopes of featuring the 2007 investigation on an upcoming show.
Sykesville Fire Department representatives told WJAC that they were contacted by the Discovery Channel requesting to be taped for its show, "Disappeared," which airs on Investigation Discovery.
Firefighters said that for three days they worked with crews of the network portraying events that happened, or were believed to have happened, four years ago.
For neighbors, they said they will never forget what happened that early morning in 2007.
"We were sleeping, and we heard a glass break. We thought there was a car accident out here, and my wife came down to look. I got dressed, and she said, ‘The neighbors house is on fire!,'” said resident Terry Laukitis.
Laukitis told WJAC that he called 911 dispatchers the morning of the blaze. He, like many residents, will never forget July 12.
"At the time, it was actually the first fire I had ever been inside of. It was difficult to go through that fire and everything that went on with that," said firefighter Michael Yamrick.
Looking back at it years later, Yamrick, along with his fellow firefighters, had the opportunity to act during the tapings of the investigative show.
“It was pretty cool. They even had an actor come in. It is neat to see something like this happen in our small town," said Yamrick.
Sykesville Fire Chief Kevin Yamrick said that they were told it would take the Discovery Channel three to four months to edit the video. They said that what was recorded will appear on "Disappeared."
As for Offutt and her disappearance, her family is still offering a $25,000 reward. Anyone with information should call 877-440-JOEY. There is also a website, FindJoey.org, with more information on Offutt and her disappearance.
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