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 search to find a missing 7-year-old is now considered a criminal investigation. Lt. Mary Lindstrand of the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to me that the official search efforts to track Kyron Horman are now shifting. Lt. Lindstrand said, “Although this has been an investigation since day one, it has progressed into a criminal investigation.” Searchers from her department are available to assist in going out on leads, but the immediate area where the child went missing has been covered a dozen times. Right now teams are combing the water and land near Sauvie Island, this is their fourth day in this area. Authorities announced yesterday that there is a $25,000 reward being offered for any information, and this case will not grow cold.
Christian Walker has been missing since Christmas day 2008. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children says he was last seen with his mother in Brockton, MA, and may have traveled to Louisiana.
He could be using the last name Hale or Harris, and is known to have a gap between his top front teeth. This case is considered a family abduction.
If you have any information, please call: 1-800-THE-LOST
This week authorities are searching the St. Johns River for missing Florida child Haleigh Cummings. The mud in this river is described as being like pudding, making these efforts extremely difficult. After more than 15 months, and thousands of cold leads, it appears investigators have solid information leading them to this area. Investigators took Misty Croslin out of her jail cell and brought her to the river scene at one point, thoughno word yet on what she was able to provide while there. Many reports show Misty standing, in handcuffs and plain clothes, pointing to an area in the river. Authorities indicate Misty’s cousin may have more information about Haleigh, and that he was in the area atthe time she went missing, but returned to his home state of Tennessee not too long after.
BACKGROUND: On February 5, 2009, Haleigh Cummings was snatched from her bed in Satsuma, Florida. Since that time investigators say they’ve received thousands and thousands of leads on her case, but there’s been no sign of the child. Haleigh’s father’s girlfriend at the time, Misty Croslin, is the last person to have seen this beautiful child. Early in the investigation,Misty told police Haleigh was not in her bed around 3 a.m. and when Ronald Cummings, Haleigh’s father, came home from work he made a frantic 9-1-1 call.
UPDATE: We are just getting word that Nadia Bloom is found. We will bring you the latest shortly.
The search continues today for a missing Winter Springs child, Nadia Bloom. Investigators say Nadia, who has an autism-related disorder, has been missing since Friday around 3:15 p.m. Her bike was found on its kick stand in a gated Barrington Estates subdivision with her helmet hanging on her handlebars. Sadly there have been no sightings of the child.
According to Police Chief Burnelle, Nadia may have been carrying a book titled Meet Lanie Holland. The child in the story loves exploring wildlife. Orange bows are covering the neighborhood where she went missing. They blow in the wind as a sign of hope to find this missing child. Chief Burnelle told me this afternoon Nadia is, “gifted in verbal communication, but behind in non-verbal communication.” He says the CARD Team is on location as well. There are 10 CARD Teams total serving five regions throughout the United States.
UPDATE / 9:12 p.m. -I just got off the phone with Dave Joly from the Denver FBI, he says at this hour more than 300 leads have come in on this case. Earlier today the FBI announced a reward up to $10,000 for any information leading to Kayleah. Joly also says they have two credible witnesses who reported seeing Kayleah around 4:15 p.m. at the Greeley mall last Sunday. Right now the command post to find Kayleah runs from 8 a.m. – 10 p.m., but if leads come in after the normal hours, investigators will follow up with them immediately. Joly says agents did a search of Kayleah’s mother’s home, “We did a forensic search of the house, went into the home with the consent of the homeowner – we collected DNA samples we felt were Kalyeha’s, and collected DNA samples from everyone in the residence.”
Jarred Harrell, a person of interest in the Somer Thompson murder, is now an official suspect. Investigators in Clay County have charged Harrell with murder, sexual battery and other counts in connection with Somer’s death. Harrell was extradited earlier this month from Mississippi to Florida on 29 counts of child pornography. Harrell formerly resided in the neighborhood where Somer was abducted last fall as she walked home from school. He is set to appear in court on the new charges tomorrow morning.
Earlier today, Chief Bessler spoke out about the incident and charges saying, “158 days ago our community was rocked by the brutal murder of a seven year old child on her way home from school. The randomness of such an act occurring in an otherwise safe neighborhood affected the sense of security for so many and sparked an intense interest in this case around the county and indeed around the world. In the face of such fear and tragic loss a sense of community solidarity emerged as we all wrapped our arms around the family of Somer Thompson and each other to grieve. The outpouring of support and generosity and collective resolve to bring Somer’s killer to justice was the only light in the darkness caused by this tragedy. I stand before you today surrounded by this group of law enforcement professionals we call “Team Somer” to announce to you that Jarred Harrell has now been formally charged with the murder of Somer Thompson. In my 36 years in law enforcement, I have never seen this many agencies work together for this long with such harmony. It is a testament to the professionalism and focus on the mission this team has. Our charges filed today against Jarred Harrell allege that he contacted Somer as she walked home from school on October 19, 2009, passing by the house Harrell lived in on Gano Avenue. We have evidence that will show Harrell assaulted Somer, then killed her and dumped her body in a dumpster which ultimately ended up in the landfill in Folkston, GA, where it was recovered. Harrell’s name first surfaced not long after Somer’s death as one of over 4,000 leads given to Team Somer in the days and weeks after the crime. As we began to scrutinize Harrell and his activities, he emerged as a person of interest. After obtaining a sample of DNA from Harrell, the tedious process of comparison analysis began. If it was apparent the public was impatient with how long the investigation was taking, just imagine the pressure on investigators. But the pressure to work fast never overshadowed the need to do it right and investigators proceeded carefully with their work. While I know there is intense interest in knowing all of the details of the investigation and all of the evidence that has led us to this point, it is still necessary to protect the integrity of the future prosecution of this case. I can tell you that in order to get to this point investigators have relied on statements from witnesses, admissions from the defendant, DNA technology results and evidence that Harrell was at the location on Gano Avenue when Somer disappeared along with other evidence. I will also tell you that based on that evidence, along with our investigation, we are confident Jarred Harrell committed this crime; therefore we are bringing this murder charge today. As a result of the Sheriff’s Office filing an arrest charge on Harrell today, we have now transitioned from a Sheriff’s Office investigation to a State Prosecution. All future public statements specific to the facts of the case or release of documents about this case will come from the State Attorney’s Office, since they now have jurisdiction of this matter. I want to take this opportunity thank the members of Team Somer for their tireless investigation of this case. The dedication to duty, their empathy for the family and their team spirit were all exemplary. Many people have complimented me on the handling of this case and in every case I am quick to remind them it is Team Somer who should be commended and I know you all join me in commending this team of professionals.”
According to authorities, Fidel Nikbakht Acosta was last seen with his mother on February 8, 2009 in San Jose, California. She does not have custody of the child. At the end of this month, Fidel will turn 2-years-old. At this point, investigators believe the mother and son could possibly be in Tampico, Mexico. If you have any information, please contact:
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children needs your help finding Jennifer Melissa Cruz Flores. Our goal is to get leads to bring this teen home. She is classified as an endangered runaway. Although Jennifer is a ten, and she may have purposefully disappeared, she still has family and friends who want to find her. According to NCMEC, Jennifer was last seen in Somerville, MA on August 28, 2008. She is known to go by “Jen,” and there’s a chance she may be using Cruz as her last name. Jennifer is a Hispanic female with brown hair and brown eyes. If you have any information, please call: 1-800-THE-LOST
August 15, 2008 was the last time Giovanni Gonzalez-Colon was ever seen. Giovanni’s mother dropped the 5-year-old off for a weekend with his father, but he never returned the child. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children says the child may be in Puerto Rico.
Giovanni’s case made headlines last year when Giovanni’s father, Ernesto Gonzalez, said he killed his son. Giovanni’s mother, Daisy Colon, doesn’t believe those claims. Police say there is no evidence to prove a homicide took place. Giovanni is known to have a small scar above his eyebrow.
If you have any information on this case, or if you’ve seen Giovanni, please call:
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....
