Colon Twp woman still missing

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - A woman possibly abducted Monday morning from a home in Colon Township is still missing, but police say she is not with her estranged husband.

Venus Rose Stewart, 32, was last seen wearing pajamas on Monday morning. Police believed she may have been with her estranged husband, Douglas Harrie Stewart.

But the 29-year-old man was contacted at his Virginia home and he said he hasn't seen her.

Late afternoon Tuesday, Douglas Stewart spoke with 24 Hour News 8 and said he had nothing to do with his wife's disappearance. He was, he said, out of state.

"I am a good citizen, a good person," he said by phone.

Police had difficulty locating Douglas Stewart, but found him in Virginia. Michigan State Police said they are not clearing him as a person of interest, and are working with Virginia police to confirm his whereabouts on Monday.

24 Hour News 8 also spoke by phone with Venus Stewart's father. He said she was abducted Monday morning when she went to put something in the mailbox.

Court documents show Douglas and Venus had a strained marriage, including a history of domestic violence. Venus had been arrested for hitting Douglas. But in July 2008, she filed for a personal protection order against him, citing sexual and physical abuse.

Then, the couple moved to Virginia.

Venus filed for divorce three times in two different counties and Douglas filed in Virginia, he said, but the couple stayed married.

Recently, she and the couple's two young children moved back to Michigan to live with her parents. Court documents reveal this latest move was sparked by an investigation into the sexual abuse of their 5-year-old daughter.

Douglas Stewart denies that, and said he "doesn't understand what she is doing, or what her plan is."

Venus Stewart is white, 5-foot-4, about 130 pounds and has brown eyes and dark hair. Stewart may have been abducted from her parents' house in the 55000 block of Driftwood Drive in Colon Township. It would have happened between 7:10 and 8:30 a.m., police say.

There are two vehicles police remain interested in finding: 1998 silver Mercury, four-door with Virginia license plate XNP-1453 or a 2005 silver Dodge Ram, full-size, four-door pickup truck with Virginia plate XNP-1301.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the MSP White Pigeon Post at (269) 483-7611 or after hours at the Rockford Regional Dispatch Center, (616) 866-6666.