Missing Columbia woman’s parents seek control of her estate
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The parents of Mengqi Ji Elledge, Ke Ren and Xiaolin Ji, are asking a judge to give them control of her property and finances.
They have filed a petition for a limited conservatorship, meaning they could manage her bank accounts, vehicle, credit cards and debts.
Elledge has been missing since Oct. 8, and her husband Joseph Elledge has been in the Boone County Jail since Oct. 29 after he was charged with child abuse.
Mengqi Ji Elledge's parents want to deem their daughter as a partially disabled person due to her disappearance.
"Mengqi Ji has not been missing long enough to file a petition to establish her death so at this point a limited conservatorship is needed to manage her assets," said the family's attorney Amy Salladay.
Mengqi Ji Elledge's parents came to Columbia from China when they learned about her disappearance. They currently have temporary joint custody of Menqi Ji Elledge and Joseph Elledge's 1-year-old daughter.
According to court documents, Mengqi Ji Elledge's mother is on extended paid leave from work in China, and her father is retired. They are in the United States on visas and have the ability to apply to extend them.
A financial statement listed unknown amounts of money for two bank accounts, five credit cards and personal belongings. It listed her vehicle at $2,021.
Mengqi Ji Elledge's parents have requested an interpreter for the hearing. The hearing is scheduled to take place on Jan. 3 at 9 a.m. at the Boone County courthouse.
