UPDATE: Investigators say a person of interest in the Alisa Maier abduction shot himself yesterday when authorities closed in on him. Police were tipped off to convicted sex offenderPaul S. Smith’s whereabouts when a relative told them where he was staying. Reports are conflicting, but now indicate that Smith has died at the hospital. Investigators are searching for physical evidence to positively link Smith to Alisa’s abduction. More details to come on this case…
Stranger abductions are not as common as we think, but when they happen it feels like the entire nation knows about it through the news and social media. If there is a car description, an Amber Alert is usually attached to the announcement along with a suspect description. That was the case with little Alisa Maier from Missouri. She is only 4-years-old and investigators say she was snatched from her front yard two days ago by a stranger. Alisa was playing in her front yard with her brother when the abduction occurred, and their mother jumped into her vehicle and tried to chase the abductor down. The FBI from St. Louis and investigators from surrounding counties quickly joined forces to create a command post and follow up with every lead to help find Alisa. Members of the community met at the local Elk’s Lodge and volunteered their time going door-to-door passing out fliers with Alisa’s face and information on them. The first 48 hours in an abduction arethe most crucial. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, since 1997 the Amber Alert program is credited with the safe recovery of 502 children. There are 120 active amber plans in check across the country.
This swift effort by the community and the authorities in and around Louisiana, Missouri should be commended, because their efforts worked. I received an e-mail around 3:45 a.m. this morning from FBI S.A. Rebecca Wu that said Alisa was found late last night wandering around a car wash in Fenton, Missouri. Someone saw a small child, they believed to be a boy, and made contact with “him.”
Stranger abductions are not as common as we think, but when they happen it feels like the entire nation knows about it through the news and social media. If there is a car description, an Amber Alert is usually attached to the announcement along with a suspect description. That was the case with little Alisa Maier from Missouri. She is only 4-years-old and investigators say she was snatched from her front yard two days ago by a stranger. Alisa was playing in her front yard with her brother when the abduction occurred, and their mother jumped into her vehicle and tried to chase the abductor down. The FBI from St. Louis and investigators from surrounding counties quickly joined forces to create a command post and follow up with every lead to help find Alisa. Members of the community met at the local Elk’s Lodge and volunteered their time going door-to-door passing out fliers with Alisa’s face and information on them. The first 48 hours in an abduction arethe most crucial. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, since 1997 the Amber Alert program is credited with the safe recovery of 502 children. There are 120 active amber plans in check across the country.
This swift effort by the community and the authorities in and around Louisiana, Missouri should be commended, because their efforts worked. I received an e-mail around 3:45 a.m. this morning from FBI S.A. Rebecca Wu that said Alisa was found late last night wandering around a car wash in Fenton, Missouri. Someone saw a small child, they believed to be a boy, and made contact with “him.”
3:52 a.m. - Great news this morning…. I just received word from the FBI that Alisa was found alive a few hours ago. The child was wandering alone at a car wash in Fenton, Missouri. She was reuinted with her family a short time after midnight. There is still a manhunt to find the suspect who snatched Alisa from her home… more to come later this morning on this case.
I spoke with S.A. Billy Cox with the St. Louis FBI, and he confirms that the Amber Alert to find 4-year-old Alisa Maier is still active. He said the child was playing with her brother in the front yard of her Louisiana, Missouri home when she was snatched around 8 p.m. last night. Right now the FBI has a command post set up to assist the police department with fielding important leads. I spoke with Sally Hunt who lives in the area and is volunteering at the local Elk’s Lodge in Louisiana, Missouri. She said there are 130 volunteers in the field searching and passing out fliers right now. “There is a tremendous outpouring of support,” said Sally. Many of the volunteers are also going door-to-door.
I spoke with S.A. Billy Cox with the St. Louis FBI, and he confirms that the Amber Alert to find 4-year-old Alisa Maier is still active. He said the child was playing with her brother in the front yard of her Louisiana, Missouri home when she was snatched around 8 p.m. last night. Right now the FBI has a command post set up to assist the police department with fielding important leads. I spoke with Sally Hunt who lives in the area and is volunteering at the local Elk’s Lodge in Louisiana, Missouri. She said there are 130 volunteers in the field searching and passing out fliers right now. “There is a tremendous outpouring of support,” said Sally. Many of the volunteers are also going door-to-door.
The official autopsy report for 7-year-old Aja Johnson was hand delivered to her biological father J.J. Johnson on Friday. Six months after the little girl went missing, the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s office lists the child’s official cause of death as “violent death with possible neck injury.” The bodies of Aja Johnson and Lester Hobbs were located in a rural area in Norman, Oklahoma nine weeks after he abducted her. A law enforcement source on the ground told me that because of the decomposition, Hobbs and Aja most likely died about a week after the initial murder of Tonya Hobbs in January. “He got in that area, probably to lay low for a few days, got in there with the storm and maybe got trapped. One thing led to another, couldn’t get the vehicle out, and would have to walk out on foot… he chose to stay.” My source says Aja’s body was found outside the vehicle and Hobbs was found inside the car. The medical examiner’s report indicates Hobbs died from drinking antifreeze, and there were not any signs of antifreeze in Aja Johnson.
Shaniya Davis is one of those cases that comes up in conversation frequently. I am often asked how a child could allegedly be sold by her mother as a sex slave to pay off a debt. If Shaniya was never passed off to Mario McNeill like a piece of trash, she may still be alive today. Test results show Shaniya died from asphyxiation, and McNeill is charged with first degree murder and first degree rape. He is being held without bond and is currently behind bars. Shaniya’s mother, Antoniette Davis, is charged with child abuse in the form of prostitution, human trafficking, obstructing an official investigation and filing a false police report. Unfortunately, Davis is out on bond, and has been roaming free since February 21st. She is scheduled to appear in court on June 3, 2010 to face charges.
Bradley Lockhart, Shaniya’s father, is taking a proactive approach to combat child prostitution and crimes against children. This is why he created Shaniya Speaks. The organization says the goal is, “to bring voice to Child Exploitation and Sexual Crimes against Children.” Bradley will tour the country and be the voice for his murdered child. He will use his personal experience to educate the public on these types of horrific crimes against children.
There is an active Amber Alert in Austin, Texas for a teen abducted by a man. Police say Angel Rojas, 25, was seen taking Karen Anastacio, 13, in his brown Ford Expedition or Explorer from her school. The alleged abduction took place at the Bedichek Middle School in South Austin. Investigators say Karen’s family was about to file criminal charges against Rojas for a previous attack onthe teen, but he was able to get to her first. The fear is that Rojas will take Karen over the border into Mexico, and then itwill be extremely difficult to find her.
Karen weighs 115 pounds, and she is 5’2.” She was last seen wearing a black shirt and pants and carrying a pink back pack. Rojas is only 135 pounds, and short at only 5’3.” If you have any information, please call: 512-974-0911
I spoke with Deputy U.S. Marshal Arthur Templeton this morning, and he told me he was processing a crime scene in Norman, Oklahoma where it appears the bodies of Lester Hobbs and Aja Johnson have beenlocated. The vehicle Hobbs was driving was found in a very rural area, off Southeast 108 Street and Highway 9. Templeton says a surveyor was doing a survey of property in the area when he spotted the vehicle. He went up to the car, saw the bodies, and called police.
A law enforcement source on the ground told me because of the decomposition that Hobbs and Aja most likely died about a week after the initial murder of Tonya Hobbs in January. “He got in that area, probably to lay low for a few days, got in there with the storm and maybe got trapped. One thing led to another, couldn’t get the vehicle out, and would have to walk out on foot… he chose to stay.” My source says Aja’s body was found outside the vehicle and Hobbs was found inside the car. At this point, it appears to be a murder-suicide. Hobbs’ body wasn’t as badly decomposed because he wasn’t exposed to the elements. We are still waiting for the Medical Examiner to confirm the bodies and how they died.
It’s been 60 days today since Aja Johnson was abducted and her mother Tonya was found beaten to death inside an RV. Since then, investigators in Oklahoma have issued a warrant for Lester Hobbs arrest charging him with first degree murder and kidnapping. I spoke with Deputy U.S. Marshal Arthur Templeton out of the Lawton office again today, and he said there has been no activity on the case. A couple of weeks ago he stated that they have, “not had anything viable on the vehicle, Aja Johnson, or Lester Hobbs,” and sadly that is still the case today. Templteton did mention that he has a meeting with the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigations later today, and they have plans to discuss new ideas to keep this case in the spotlight.
When this case originally broke, there was a massive ice storm that swept through most of the state of Oklahoma. The storm paralyzed the region for 8 – 14 days. During that period, many folks were without power, so some have not even heard about the Amber Alert or the murder. That ice storm is long gone, and there are still no signs of this child.
Morgan Lockett (left) Brandon Lockett (right) - mugshots
Aveion Lewis mother, Morgan Lockettand her husband, Brandon, were indicted this week and charged with second degree murder and child neglect and cruelty. Police say a hoax abduction report was filed by Brandon Lockett, Aveion’s step-father on January 15, 2010 claiming the toddler was abducted by masked men who broke into his home. Sadly, the 2-year-old was found dead in a nearby landfill 12 days later. Police said they tracked the trash collected along the 2100 block of King Charles Avenue, and that is what led them to the discovery of the body. Thankfully, the trash company keeps very good records, and police were able to locate the truck in route to the landfill before it made a deposit. The truck emptied its contents in an isolated area at the landfill, and investigators sifted through the garbage.
Early on, investigators charged Brandon Lockett with improper disposal of a human body, obstruction of justice, and felony child neglect after the false report was filed. Police canceled an Amber Alert for the child after Lockett admitted Aveion was dead before the bogus abduction took place. Although conflicting statements were given to authorities early on, they were still able to come to this conclusion in a timely manner.
Michelle Sigona is a crime fighting, victims advocate extraordinaire, but for Michelle -- the good fight doesn't stop there. In her spare time, she is a volunteer firefighter -- and now, she is tackling the issues and cases that mean the most to her....
