Up to now, investigators have stopped short of naming her estranged husband, Doug Stewart, as a suspect in her disappearance.
Now, they say they've found a major hole in Stewart's alibi for the day she vanished. On Tuesday, they said they have evidence putting Doug Stewart in Michigan the morning of her disappearance, returning to his home in Newport News, Virginia just after 8:00 p.m. that day.
However, for up to 48 hours prior, and possibly during the time he was in Michigan, police say at least on person, possibly more, were travelling around Newport News, claiming to be Doug Stewart.
"We believe he (the imposter) was impersonating Mr. Stewart in a number of different businesses, paying bills, drawing funds, things of that nature," said Lt. Mike Risko of the Michigan State Police.
Now police say they need to know why the imposter was helping Stewart.
If Venus Stewart doesn't turn up alive and well, police say the impersonator who was helping Stewart could be charged as an accessory or an accessory after the fact, depending on why he thought he was pretending to be Doug Stewart.
Investigators have yet to call Stewart a suspect in his wife's disappearance, even though they say his alibi is a lie.