Meaghan McCallum Disappeared And Left Her Beloved SweetPea Behind.

Meaghan Elizabeth McCallum

"One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain."

-Bob Marley

She was a free spirit and a very special person. If you were a part of her life, she really touched you in a way that you would not forget. She was fun, smart, and most noticeably, unabashedly kind, always eager to listen and help when someone needed it the most. Meaghan was also a a great cook and a great baker. She also was a big Bob Marley fan and loved the outdoors.

Meaghan was born on October 23rd, 1984 to Heidi and James McCallum. She volunteered for City Green, a non-profit organization focused on building urban farms and gardens in Northern New Jersey, and Eva's Kitchen, a program to feed the homeless. 

Meaghan was battling mental illness. She had suffered from bi-polar disorder since the age of 25, and the medication would often put her in a daze. She had breakdowns and attempted suicide.

In September 2014, Meaghan had ceased taking her medication in an effort to reclaim her independence and lucidity. This resulted in a disagreement with her parents and Meaghan moved in with her grandmother, Betty Sidow in Montvale, New Jersey. She took her beloved Sweetpea, a pitbull she had rescued from the side of a highway in South Carolina on the way to a Phish concert, with her.

Meaghan was very close to Betty and would help her around the house. Betty said that on Tuesday, March 10th, 2015, her granddaughter acted different. The previous weekend, Betty wanted to talk with her granddaughter about taking medication again, but Meaghan was out of the house most of the time and then that Monday and Tuesday she was busy at work. She also had stopped on Tuesday night at her parents house to get her phone charger. There is no information about how her parents said that she was acting when she came to pick up the charger or if they were even home at the time.

At around 3:30 a.m., on Wednesday, March 11th, Betty was awakened by SweetPea's barking. She looked in Meaghan's bedroom and it was empty. Meaghan had Betty's front door key, but it was it's  normal place by the door. Meaghan's 1998 black four door Subaru Impreza was gone. Besides leaving behind SweetPea, whom she took every where with her, even to work, Meaghan also left all her clothing and belongings.

On April 11th, her car was found in the parking lot of Edgewater East apartments on Avenel Boulevard in Long Branch, Monmouth County, New Jersey. This is about a 75 mile drive and most likely took her over an hour to complete. 

Investigators reviewed the security cameras from the apartment and watched as Meaghan park the car at 5:30 a.m, get out, and walk out of the parking lot toward the boardwalk. This is the last known sighting of Meaghan. The car was stolen from the lot a week before then and three people were arrested for the theft, but police believe the theft is not related to her disappearance.

Meaghan had left her ID, wallet, car keys, and cell phone in her vehicle. Her cell phone had been turned off before she even left Montvale. Her email has not been used since her disappearance and neither has her social security number. 

"Every day I wake up and I hope this will be the day that Meg calls or that I find out she's in California on some farm or whatever," said her mother, Heidi. "And every day goes by and nothing. It's very, very crushing."

Meaghan's disappearance remains unsolved.

At the time of her disappearance Meaghan was 30 years old 5'5" tall, 210 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. She often would wear soft contact lenses. She had scars on her wrists, a tattoo of a dolphin and a castle on the right side of her lower back, and a tattoo of a lotus flower and a black spider on her foot. She was last seen wearing a light brown shearling jacket, a short-sleeved shirt, a black skirt and boots. Meaghan suffered from bipolar disorder and she has a history of suicide attempts. She had stopped taking her psychiatric medication prior to her disappearance. Her nickname is Meg.

If you have any information reguarding Meaghan's case please contact the Oakland Police Department at 201-337-6171.