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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Neighborhoods Employment Guide Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend November 9, 2006 Karina Marshall, Candy Burke�s mother, holds her son�s daughter, Shyanne Marshall. (Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell) Burke Family Photos: Click on a thumbnail to view the full size image. Anxious family fears worst White City woman missing since last week had troubles with husband; dad, 3 sons also missing By chris conrad Mail Tribune Candy Burke's family regrets the day six years ago when she met her future husband at a bus stop at the Rogue Valley Mall. At the time, Ryan Scott Burke, now 38, was living in a tent near Agate Lake. Candy, who suffers from Friedreich's ataxia, a devastating genetic disease that has ravaged her nervous system and made movement impossible without a walker or wheelchair, thought she had finally found someone who would accept her, family members said. "She was already so sick that she didn't think she could get anyone," said Candy's sister Melanie Dame, who lives in southern Georgia. It didn't take long for their relationship to sour. Ryan was arrested in 2000 at the couple's home on Peach Street in Medford. He tried to strangle Candy with a telephone cord, Jackson County sheriff's Detective Sgt. Colin Fagan said. The charges were later dropped. Candy could never bring herself to prosecute Ryan, said Dame, formerly of the Rogue Valley. Advertisement "I actually tried to talk her into moving to Georgia with me, but she wouldn't go," Dame said. "I don't know what kind of spell he had over her." Candy, 24, has been missing since late last week. Ryan, too, has disappeared with their three boys, Dodge, 4, Thomas, 3, and Harley, 2, in the couple's white Ford station wagon, family members said. Candy's brother, Steven Marshall of White City, last saw Ryan on Friday afternoon. Marshall approached Ryan in the driveway of the couple's home in the 7900 block of Ajax Avenue in White City to tell him that he had called the police over concern for his sister. "The last we saw of her was 9:15 Thursday night," Marshall said. "As soon as I told (Ryan) the cops had been notified, he took off. He does meth and looked spun-out when I was talking to him." There was no sign of Candy in the house. Her walker and wheelchair had been left behind. More mysterious was the sudden disappearance of her favorite chair from the living room. The chair was there the day before, Marshall said. "She wouldn't have left her house without her wheelchair or her animals," Marshall added. Candy had birds, dogs, kittens and two Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs, family members said. Investigators are hoping the family will turn up, though they have been unable to contact Ryan. "We have interviewed a half dozen people and are still looking for that chair," Fagan said. The family, including Candy's mother, Karina Marshall, and Steven's brother, Gary, spent Wednesday spreading fliers around White City, hoping someone has seen some sign of Candy and her children. Considering the couple's background, they fear the worst, they said. "We last talked on Monday, and the last thing she told me before my cell phone cut out was, 'Ryan wants me dead,' " Dame said. "In my heart of hearts I don't think they'll find her alive." Anyone with information is asked to contact sheriff's detectives at 774-6815. Reach reporter Chris Conrad at 776-4471, or e-mail [email protected] . Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Men's Clothing GMAT Prep Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Discount Hotel Reservations Send Flowers Casinos Canada Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com