Michelle Sigona » abducted

POLICE: Barista, Samantha Koenig, Abducted In Alaska

Michelle Sigona — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:16:18 +0000

POLICE: First Grader Abducted, Beaten, Sexually Assaulted and Murdered

Michelle Sigona — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:15:13 +0000

: Jorelys Rivera (police issued photo)

Jorelys Rivera, 7, was outside playing with her friends on Friday, Dec. 2 when she vanished. Police say Jorelys was on the playground at the River Ridge at Canton Apartment complex when someone abducted, beat, sexually assaulted and murdered the child. An intense search took place throughout the weekend, but there were no clues that led to Jorelys.

On Monday, Dec. 5, authorities removed a trash dumpster on the property and hauled it to a nearby open field. They sifted through the garbage until they reached the bottom of the container. It was there that Jorelys body was discovered.

A press conference later today will determine her official cause of death. Authorities continue to set up road blocks in the area, stopping every car that enters and exits the complex. They’ve also been going from door-to-door interviewing residents. The River Ridge At Canton has 356 apartments on site and it’s possible someone saw something last Friday. Jorelys was last seen around 5 p.m. Grief counselors remain on site at her elementary school to help classmates deal with this tragic loss.

If you have any information in this case, please contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigations.

TENNESSEE ABDUCTION: Nursing Student Holly Bobo Taken Outside Her Home

Michelle Sigona — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 10:12:38 +0000

Holly Bobo (missing)

Investigators say Holly Bobo, 20, was abducted from her home in Parsons, TN last week, and she hasn’t been seen since. Hundreds of volunteers from her community joined forces with police over the weekend to comb the wooded areas and roadways throughout her town. Authorities say Holly was outside her house on Swan Johnson Road April 13, between 7:40 – 8 a.m. when an unknown man approached her. Holly’s brother told police the suspect looked similar to her boyfriend from behind and he was not worried until he walked outside and noticed blood. That’s when he contacted police. Authorities say Holly’s brother and boyfriend are not suspects.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigations confirms they found Holly’s lunch bag a few miles away from where she went missing. Sunday, TBI announced they want the community to take notice of anyone who’s whereabouts were unaccounted for Wednesday morning and also to pay attention to changes in behavior since last week. It’s also possible the suspect may have missed appointments or canceled them unexpectedly. Police say he may also have cleaned, sold or reported his car or ATV stolen.

At this point over 250 leads have been called into authorities and the community is offering a $25,000 reward. If you have any information, please contact: 1-800-TBI-FIND

UPDATE: Body Found In California Canal Is Abducted 4-Year-Old Juliani Cardenas

Michelle Sigona — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 20:54:31 +0000

Juliani Cardenas (MISSING)

UPDATE: Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christensen confirms the body found today in a Central California canal is 4-year-old Juliani Cardenas… Suspect has not been located. Story developing…

BACKGROUND: Police say Juliani Cardenas, 4, was abducted from his grandmothers arms on January 18. Juliani’s grandmother, Amparo Cardenas, told police Jose Esteban Rodriguez abducted her grandson and took off. Rodriguez is the child’s ex-boyfriend.

The official Amber Alert indicated Juliani was taken from Patterson, California and the suspect was last seen traveling in a silver Toyota Corolla with CA license plate: 6HBW445.

The vehicle is known to have oversized aluminum wheels. One of the left wheels is a spare wheel and is smaller than the others.

ABOUT JULIANI:

Eye color: Brown

Hair color: Black

Race: Hispanic

Height: 3’6”

Weight: 40 pounds

Last seen wearing: Dark pants and a light blue shirt

ABOUT THE SUSPECT:

Name: Jose Esteban Rodriguez

Age: 27

Eye color: Brown

Hair: Color: Black

Race: Hispanic

Height: 5’9”

Weight: 180 pounds

Last seen wearing: White and black shirt, checkered shorts and a beanie hat

If you have any information, please contact: Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department at (209) 380-6015

Cold Case Feature: Morgan Harrington Murder Investigation

Michelle Sigona — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 11:40:33 +0000

Police sketch

Investigators say Morgan Harrington was only 20-years-old when she vanished from a concert outside the John Paul Jones arena in Charlottesville, VA on October 17, 2009. She was separated from friends around 8:30 p.m. when she walked out of the front entrance of the Metallica concert. Authorities say Morgan called her friends inside and told them she was finding a ride home, and that they shouldn’t wait for her. State police officials report Morgan was last seen by the ticket office on the University Hall side of the building and witnesses report seeing her hitchhicking close to the arena exit road.

In January 2010, three months after she vanished, Morgan’s body was found on a farm in Albemarle County, Virginia. Investigators told me her body could have been on the farm as many as 100 days.

Over the summer, investigators released shocking information. They said the man who may have killed Morgan could be the same suspect that committed a sexual assault against another female in 2005. Virginia State Police officials confirm there is a forensic link between the 2005 assault and the murder. It is interesting how the connection was made, police spokesperson Corinne Geller told me that the Virginia Department of Forensic Science processes and analyzes all of the evidence and lab work for every department and they randomly came up with a hit in their internal database. At that point they notified the Virginia State Police of the link in the cases. The authorities from the state police contacted the Fairfax City Police in Virginia and took a couple of days to compare notes. It appeared the cases stacked up, and this latest development was released to the public a few months ago.

Geller said, “It’s one of those things, you never know what the next phone call is going to bring.” She added, “We know he (the man in the sketch) had contact with her (Morgan) the night of her disappearance, but they don’t know if he is responsible for her death. We are looking to identify and question him, and put the next pieces of the puzzle together.” Within 24 hours of releasing the sketch, the state police had 50 leads. Right now their time is spent eliminating duplicates between the departments and prioritizing the tips.

In the September 2005 incident, police say a female was walking along Rock Garden Drive in Fairfax City from the Giant when she was attacked from behind. Authorities say she was dragged to a park and sexually assaulted next to a pool. I spoke with Sgt. Pam Nevlud with the Fairfax City Police department and she said, “We’ve gotten quite a bit of calls. That is very inspiring and we are hoping this leads to something.” As far as someone recognizing the sketch, Nevlud said, “People have little things that happen to them that they think are odd and that they don’t report to the police.” There’s a chance that there could be more victims who haven’t come forward, or others who have crossed his path, but haven’t called.

A few months ago, Alvin T. Daniels, 51, from Alexandria, Virginia was convicted of obstruction of justice in this case. Investigators say he called in a false tip to Virginia State Police and accused another man of kidnapping Morgan. Authorities checked out the lead, and determined the man accused of the kidnapping was not involved.

BACKGROUND OF MORGAN’S DISAPPEARNCE: According to a Virginia State Police press release: “During the course of the investigation, police have been able to establish a timeline of Miss Harrington’s movements once she ended up outside of the arena at approximately 8:30 p.m. After talking to her friends on her cell phone, she then walked through the parking lot of University Hall and was also seen in the Lannigan Field athlete parking lot, which is also used for RV parking. At around 9:30 p.m., she was seen walking on the Copeley Road bridge near Ivy Road.”

According to Virginia State police, based off independent witness accounts, investigators believe on October 17, 2009 (the night Morgan Harrington went missing) that she was hitchhiking along Copeley Road Bridge. Investigators are now searching for a vehicle they believe stopped in the middle of the bridge and possibly picked up Morgan. Also, investigators need the public’s help in finding a young woman the night of the Metallica concert that may have loaned her cell phone to Morgan.

ABOUT THE FARM: I spoke with Nancy Bass, owner of the Anchorage farm for more than 30 years, and she says the area where Morgan’s body was found is not accessible by vehicle. Nancy and her husband David have an SUV, and there’s no way they could get down there. If it wasn’t for David on the tractor yesterday checking fences, Morgan may have never been found. David spoke out and said as soon as he saw the remains he instantly thought of Morgan. I asked Nancy about the hunters on her property, and she says when they first moved on the farm they did not allow hunting, but because of the trespassing, they decided to allow hunters assigned to different areas hoping that would keep an eye on things. Nancy says the main gate on the property is always open, it is never locked, but the pasture where Morgan was found is closer to a subdivision, only about 30 feet away. However Morgan got to that location may have been through the housing development, which isn’t too far of a walk. The Bass family owns more than 700 acres total, and the farm is only a few miles away from interstate 64. Police say the hayfield was cut in August, and Morgan’s body could have been there any time after mid-October when she went missing. Although investigators say they have not searched this area because they didn’t have a need to, I spoke with the CUE center for Missing Persons and they had a search scheduled with Morgan’s family and 1,600 volunteers at the end of this month.

The State Police told me the red digital camera Morgan was carrying the night she went missing still hasn’t been found. It is a Sony or Kodak. The suspect was described as a black male, between 25 and 35 and around 6 feet tall. In the 2005 attack, he was wearing a black pullover sweater with a zipper and light-colored pants.

On the FindMorgan website, her family posted this: “ We continue to work diligently with Law Enforcement to find justice for Morgan Dana Harrington and apprehend her killer(s). This is a difficult task during our worst nightmare with our limited energy and abilities. We will be successful though because of the strength we derive from the outpouring of love we have received from across the nation and beyond. Your support carries us as we continue to fight for Morgan and other precious children. We are so grateful to each of you. 2 4 1 The Harrington’s”

Virginia State Police have a tip line, please call them with any information: (434) 352-3467 or send them an e-mail: bci-appomattox@vsp.virginia.govor for to give information on the sexual assault, please contact Jefferson Crimestoppers: (434) 977-4000.

Remembering Morgan (family photo)

WHO KILLED NORMA LOPEZ?

Michelle Sigona — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:18:08 +0000

: Norma Lopez MISSING (photo of the shirt she was wearing the day she vanished)

Time is ticking on and one month has passed since teenager Norma Lopez was abducted and killed in Moreno Valley, California. Since then, regular classes have resumed at Valley View High and the hunt to find her killer is still active. Police told me Norma left her summer school classes at Valley View and was supposed to meet her sister, but she never made it to the location. Investigators believe she may have taken a short cut from Dracaea Avenue leading out to an area on Cottonwood Avenue, but somewhere in between authorities believe she was kidnapped. In fact, some of her personal belongings were found in a field, and there were signs of a struggle. Investigators believe she was taken against her will and may have been thrown into a newer model green SUV. That vehicle was seen fleeing from the area at a high rate of speed. Deputy Nieburger told me that that vehicle may not necessarily be connected to the murder, but the driver may have seen something. The area where Norma’s body was found is about three miles away from where she went missing, and her remains were in an open field on top of the ground.

I spoke with Elisabeth, Norma’s sister, early on. She said Norma was one of seven children, and since June 25^th had been attending summer school. Norma usually arrived to Valley View each day around 7:10 a.m. and her classes started at 7:30 a.m. Her classes usually ended a little before 10:00 a.m. The day Norma went missing, she was supposed to meet her sister at a nearby home. When she didn’t arrive, her sister went out looking for her and that’s when she found Norma’s back pack on the trail. A neighbor called 9-1-1. Elisabeth says the trail is big enough that a car or a truck can drive on it.

Take a look at this picture of Norma with the striped shirt on. Her family believes this was the exact same shirt she was wearing when she was taken. She was also wearing skinny jeans that day, but without the holes. Norma is petite, but tall. She stands 5’7” and weighs 110 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes. If you have any information, please contact Sergeant Jamie Briones: (951) 247-8700 here: findnormaskiller@riversidesheriff.org

BIZARRE TWIST IN MISSING MOM ABDUCTION

Michelle Sigona — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 20:39:51 +0000

: Venus Stewart (police issued photo)

Domestic violence is a vicious cycle, a cycle that many victims cannot pull themselves out of because of children, their safety, or just plain fear of being alone. It appears Venus Stewart was pulling herself out of a violent relationship. She packed up her children and moved to Michigan to get away from her husband, and now she is missing. Lt. Risko with the Michigan State Police says Venus was snatched from the front yard of her parents’ home on April 26, 2010 as she went to mail a letter.

Her husband, Doug Stewart, denies any wrongdoing. He initially provided an alibi, which is not solid, and investigators consider him the only person of interest. In a bizarre twist this week, Lt. Risko told me today he believes there was an impersonator running around pretending to be Doug Stewart in his hometown of Newport News, Virginia. The same hometown Doug Stewart claimed to be in the morning his estranged wife vanished.
Lt. Risko says, “We know Doug Stewart was in Ohio at a Wal-Mart buying a shovel, hat, gloves and tarp at 6:45 p.m. on the 25th,” the night before Venus went missing. This Wal-Mart is only two hours away from where Venus was staying with her parents. Doug Stewart’s alibi stated he was in Newport News, but Lt. Risko can now say for sure he knows this isn’t true. “We put him from Ohio to Michigan,” but he couldn’t say how they know that information for sure. “He was not in Newport News, and we need the impersonator to come forward,” Risko says.
Risko told me there was someone resembling Doug Stewart visiting a variety of places in the area the morning Venus went missing. “This person may not have known what Mr. Stewart was up to.” The impersonator visited Stewart’s law office, and paid a bill for his civil custody case. The employees behind the reception desk did not know for sure what Stewart looked like in person, and the guy had on a hoodie and dark glasses. To them it appeared to be Doug Stewart, and to investigators, it appeared to be a solid alibi. That is until authorities started digging deeper. They have the impersonator on video at Stewart’s apartment complex, and visiting other businesses in the area.

Recent court records show Venus Stewart feared her husband so much that she filed three orders of protection against him over the course of their marriage. In court documents Venus writes, “I am scared to death and every day I live in constant fear and I am constantly looking over my shoulder wondering when he will appear again.” Venus and her husband, Douglas Stewart, were married in 2002 and lived in Newport Beach, Virginia. Doug Stewart filed charges against his wife as well. In domestic violence cases, the back and forth accusations are very common.

In February 2010, Venus packed up her children and moved with her family to Michigan.
This is a bold move for any victim of violence because the attacker no longer has control, not to mention one week prior she was granted full custody of her children. A little more than a week ago, Lt. Risko says his team served a search warrant on Doug Stewart’s parents’ home. They aren’t revealing what they seized, but they did take evidence from the home. As far as the impersonator, Lt. Risko says, “they could be dragging themselves in a hole for accessory after the fact.” We need to figure out who this guy is because he could hold the key to information leading to Venus.
“We would like to find Venus – We would like to find the impersonator,” Risko says. As far as Doug Stewart, he is considered a person of interest, and only a person of interest until an arrest warrant is served. There are two children without a mom right now, and a family that wants to find their loved one. We need to help bring them the answers they deserve.
Police ask that anyone who may have seen Venus Stewart or the vehicles to call the State Police post in White Pigeon at 269-483-7611.

CHRISTMAS MIRACLE RECOVERY

Michelle Sigona — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 00:15:45 +0000

Natalie Rose Flores - MISSING

UPDATE: Great news this holiday, authorities say Officer Mike Burns spotted the abductors vehicle and chased the driver down. The officer alerted his department that he was onto the suspect, and spike strips were put across the roadway. When the suspect drove over the strips, his tires went flat. He bailed out of his truck and ran on foot. Officers caught up to him about a block away, arrested the man, and he’s being held on charges of kidnapping, aggravated assault on a police officer, and felony pursuit. Natalie was found alive, and well, and returned to her family this holiday. Normally in stranger abduction cases, you don’t see this kind of happy ending — and it’s even better that this miracle occurred on Christmas. Great work Officer Burns — Thank you for all you’ve done.

There’s an active amber alert this Christmas for a 5-year-old girl believed to be abducted by a stranger in Phoenix, Arizona. Police say Natalie Rose Flores was snatched by a stranger this afternoon near 19^th and Cactus. She’s a beautiful Hispanic female, with shoulder-length red hair, last seen wearing blue pants, gray shirt, and pink and white shoes. The alleged abductor is described as a white male, with grayish hair around 5’8” and 180 pounds. He was driving a brown or gold Ford truck that has a ladder rack with a possible license plate of 3HG774. Reports say the suspect was taking pictures of children in the area earlier before he took Natalie. If you’ve seen Natalie, her abductor or this vehicle, please call 9-1-1 right away.

Help Find Jean Paul Lacombe

Michelle Sigona — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 21:34:36 +0000

Jean Paul Lacombe

Jean Philippe Lacombe

Investigators say Jean Paul Lacombe was abducted by his non-custodial father, Jean Philippe Lacombe, on October 15, 2009 in San Antonio, Texas. Lacombe allegedly gave the court invalid Mexican Documents to overturn the case, and the judge gave him custody. Lacombe was supposed to show back up for a court hearing on Monday, October 19, 2009, but instead he fled with his son.

HISTORY OF CUSTODY:

Cliff Herberg with the Bexar District Attorney’s office in Texas says there are 1,400 pages pertaining to this case that have accumulated over the years in Mexican court. He has not had a chance to review every single page, but Mr. Herberg was able to provide a timeline and background of custody between the parents.

I spoke with Jean Paul’s mother Berenice Diaz early on, and she says her son likes to go by the name Paul only. He loves to play soccer, and he’s a very good student in school. When Paul grows up, he wants to be a pastry chef. Paul speaks English, Spanish and French, and was last seen with his father, Jean Paul Lacombe. Prior to October, it had been nearly two years since Paul last saw his father. Berenice says her son did not want to talk to or see his father, and he told her he would let her know when he was ready.

There is a warrant out for Jean Philippe Lacombe’s arrest. He is charged with kidnapping, aggravated perjury, and interfering with child custody agreement. Berenice was married to Jean Philip for seven years before they were divorced in Mexico. She says this is not the first time Lacombe kidnapped their son. In 2005, Lacombe took off with Paul for two years before they were found in France. Later in 2007, Berenice decided to move her family to San Antonio, Texas to give her son a safer environment.

Fox 29 in San Antonio has video of police taking Jean Paul from his bus stop.

If you have any information, please call police.

Candlelight Vigil for Kristi Cornwell

Michelle Sigona — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:37:47 +0000

Kristi Cornwell Missing

On December 20, 2009, Kristi Cornwell’s friends and family are planning a candlelight vigil to celebrate Kristi’s 39th birthday. The community is gathering at Meeks Park, Highway 515, in Blairsville, Georgia. If you cannot attend, the family is requesting the public to stop to pray at 7 p.m. for her safe return. Along with Kristi’s birthday, the holidays are here too. This is an extremely difficult time for those close to her to spend this holiday season without their loved one. My thoughts and prayers to Kristi’s family and friends, and I hope she is found very soon.

BACKGROUND:

The last anyone heard from Kristi Cornwell was on August 11, 2009. Now, investigators say she may have been abducted by the same man who tried to abduct a woman in North Carolina a few days before. Today, investigators released a sketch of a man they are looking for, and a possible vehicle he could be driving.

Authorities say Kristi Cornwell was exercising in Blairsville, Georgia down Jones Creek Road when she was allegedly abducted. Investigators say around 9:00 p.m., Kristi was on the phone with her boyfriend, who was in Atlanta at the time, when a car approached her, there was a struggle, and she was never seen again. A reward of $50,000 is offered for information leading to the safe return of Kristi, or arrest/conviction to the person responsible for her disappearance. Kristi’s family is extremely proactive in this case. They started a website, they have frequent, sometimes daily searches of the area where she went missing, and they even auctioned off the family’s lake house property over the weekend to raise money to help find this missing mother.

Investigators say Kristi’s case could be tied to an attempted abduction that happened in Cherokee County, N.C. just a few days before her alleged abduction. Thankfully, that woman was able to escape. Authorities say they are looking for a white male, in his mid-20’s with dark hair who may be driving a silver Nissan Exterra with tinted windows and a brush guard on the front of the vehicle.

Kristi is a former probation officer who is trained to fight back in situations like this. Her family believes she is alive somewhere, and they will do whatever they can to find her. www.kristicornwell.com