May 24--Four members of a prominent Lake Geneva family who disappeared two weeks ago have been found safe in Georgia, Lake Geneva Police Department announced Tuesday.
Michalene Melges, 40, and her children Hans Melges, 14, Kristian "Max" Melges, 12, and Maverik "Buddy" Melges, 10, had been missing since May 9, after she rented a van in Lake Bluff, police said, who had issued an alert earlier seeking the public's help in locating the family.
Authorities had reported earlier that van rented by Michalene Melges, a well-known real estate agent in Lake Geneva, had been returned to the rental company in Plano, Texas, on May 13, but that the family had not been heard from, and it wasn't clear who returned the van.
A post on the Lake Geneva Police Department's Facebook page confirms Melges and her sons were tracked down in Georgia and safe, but provided no further details on the circumstances that led to authorities locating the family.
Lake Geneva police, who enlisted the help of the FBI and the National Center for Missing Exploited Children, had been investigating the family's whereabouts in several states, including Illinois, Texas, North Carolina and South Carolina, Lt. Ed Gritzner of the Lake Geneva police said prior to the announcement that the family was found.
Michalene Melges and her sons had not been heard from since she called to excuse her sons from school from May 10 to 13 for a vacation, Gritzner said. Earlier this year, Michalene Melges and her sons' father finalized their divorce.
When authorities learned the family was missing, she was in violation of child custody rules, as the boys have missed three visitations with their father, Gritzner said.
Though Michalene Melges and her ex-husband hadn't had any history of police calls at their residence, she had reached out to police in April request "an extra watch on her home," Gritzner said.
On what appears to be Melges' own Facebook, a posting late Tuesday morning said to be from her "social media team" also said she and her children "have been found and are safe. We appreciate all your prayers, thoughts, and support. We have no other information at this time."
Melges' sons are the grandchildren of decorated sailor Buddy Melges, an Olympic medalist who won gold in 1972 and bronze in 1964, Gritzner confirmed.
The Associated Press contributed.
