Search for Isabel Celis Leads To Cadaver Alert In Home And Local Landfill- Family Barred From Home
Tucson, AZ- Missing since Saturday morning around 8 am, six year old Isabel Celis was believed to be taken from the safety of her bedroom sometime after 11PM on Friday evening.
After Isa’s Mother Becky Celis left for work as a pediatric nurse at Tuscon Medical Center her Father told police he went to wake her at about 8am and she was not in her bed. The blinds in her room were askew and her window was open.
The screen to her window had been removed. Sergio Celis’s call t0 911 has not been released.
Early this morning, the FBI deployed a scent tracking dog and a cadaver canine to the Celis home. The family was then asked to make other living arrangements for the near future as the dogs produced evidence requiring further investigation.
Police Chief Roberto Villasenor would not reveal what was found at the home of first-grader Isabel Mercedes Celis.
Police have not said what that is, but sources close to the family not willing to be identified have confirmed to www.blinkoncrime.com that the specially trained cadaver dog alerted to the detection of cadaverine.
The home is now being treated as a crime scene.
Police have not ruled out the parents as possible suspects, nor have they commented on whether or not the residence of a sex offender in the immediate neighborhood has been searched after obtaining new warrants today that have been sealed. Another residence on the same street as the Celis family was searched this morning.
Late this afternoon, investigators headed to the landfill where the trash from the neighborhood was emptied Saturday prior to police having an opportunity to secure the scene.
Isabel’s disappearance is eerily similar to that of 10 month old Lisa Irwin , missing from her home since October 3, 2011 and has not been found.
Becky and Sergio Celis, Isabel’s parents have not spoken publicly about their daughter’s disappearance.
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Sad to say that this doesn’t suprise me. I thought instantly of the resemblance to little baby Lisa. Why did it take so long to bring the dogs in? Seems evidence could have been contaminated by now.
Actually for these canine assets this is a record speed. Once they transport there is an acclamation process, etc on the ground, and of course they sought warrants.
I do not like some of the wording used by the police chief in the conference this afternoon and I have chosen not to highlight it because it could have been a generalization.
Keep in mind BAU is consulting, which is exactly what should be occurring.
Removing a 6 year old child from their bedroom in the middle of the night on that street is about as brazen an act as one gets.
I really want to know the families activities Friday.
I really want to know if Mrs. Celis’s unit lost any babies recently.
All things that are being filtered through the victimology profile no doubt.
B
I was so hoping you’d look into this case. My mind went to Elizabeth Smart’s abduction.
Do we know if Isabel’s bedroom is ground level/main floor?
It is on the first floor Ragdoll. Sadly, I am not reminded of Smart except you could be spot on about someone known to Isa.
I worked on Cantu privately, and wrote on it when I could, but it is uncanny how much Isa looks like Sunny Sandra.
I pray for the day I have nothing to write.
B
Perhaps I could elaborate on my comment just a tad…….
My reference wasn’t the outcome (sadly, it doesn’t look good for this sweetie pie) but rather the ‘how’. My apologies if my comment came across as insensitive.
Thank you for your response, friendLY. This hasn’t been a great week for you. Got you in my prayers <3
I have never heard you utter an insensitive word Ragdoll
Thanks friendLY
B
If the maps are correct, this home is located adjacent to a lot of businesses. There is a huge Macy’s and mall shoping center a block West. The next street North is a major business artery. These houses also have alleyways at the back of the lots.
If the cadaver dogs made a hit inside the house, the perp may have harmed the child in her bed. Could this be her father? If not, we have another abduction through a window that was not secure.
I don’t know for sure if the hit was inside the home or on the property, my source was not that specific.
I can tell you as a point of fact that there is a parallel investigation going on as we speak which is standard of course, but if this child truly was abducted by a stranger via the window, BAU already knows how this is going to end. I doubt anyone wants me to quote my syllabus on pre-pubescent stranger child abductions.
Lastly, does local media never do any statistical and probability homework to ask pointed questions, ever? There is a 6 year old child missing from her bed and all I can think of is my dear little girl in the fuzzy purple hat. Will haunt me forever. She was alive when cops knocked on Cuoeys door.
Hser Moo, the list goes on.
B
The Maceys is East not West. Need to edit before posting.
Blink,
Are you wondering if this could be an act of revenge towards Mrs. Celis or wondering about Mrs. Celis herself?
I think the possibility that an abduction could be revenge or loss-based would be at the top of an investigators list to rule out given Ms. Celis’s profession. Would be very rare though.
At this point I have no suspicions about Becky harming her daughter, no.
B
Blink, you mentioned wondering if the mother’s unit has lost any babies lately. Have you checked the obituaries for the local paper?
We have, nothing overt I could find. Great suggestion though.
B
Blink – one question I’d like answered is if the habit was for Isabel to play in her front yard or back yard? I ask this since there were so many RSO’s in vicinity. If the perp is in fact outside the family, I’m thinking she could have been spotted playing in the front of her home. If perp spotted and took time to stalk her, it would not have been difficult to figure out which room was hers (MOO).
I pray for a quick resolution, regardless of who’s guilty here, we need one of these cases (both Blink’s coverage and the ones she is not able to cover) to be solved quickly and PLEASE – Praise Jesus, let it be one of the ones where the child is found alive!
I’m seriously beginning to doubt our systems these days. What can a concerned citizen (and parent of two) do to help Government, LE, CASA, etc to fix this epidemic? I know we are not able to rehabilitate SO’s (in my opinion), so what is the answer? Death will never be widely accepted unfortunately, but can we afford to contain these sicko’s?…on an island somewhere, FOREVER??? How can we afford not to?
Thanks for your reporting Blink…Isabel’s story needs to be told and discussed.
Etan’s story was so well written and filled with the love and caring heart that is so representative of who you are. I too pray for the day when you have nothing to write about! However, I feel strongly that day will never come until we change the way we handle the SO’s who are convicted and stop being afraid to pursue the likely suspects (i.e. family, friends, parents, nearby RSO’s…when warranted.)
No “red flags” have been revealed here as of yet as far as family history, but so many of these cases involve serious “red flags” that seem to be swept under the rug, ignored, forgiven, etc waaaayyy too often.
We, as women, are told to LISTEN to our built-in warning systems, “that uh-oh feeling” and not be afraid to insult someone by saying we aren’t comfortable or we are scared…but it appears to me LE is often “scared” to make an accusation or an arrest until it’s an open and shut case.
This practice of waiting to be “provable” is allowing too many additional PREVENTABLE missing persons’ cases and deaths.
Thinking of the Powell children especially in how it could have been different…shaking my head and wondering what the H*LL were they thinking?
MOOOOOOO!
After seeing the pictures I must say that if a pedo was studying the habits of this family and little girl the house is situated in a way someone could easily break in. Hard to believe there was no alarm system in that home. Do you know yet if the home searched happen to be friends/social contacts with the Celis’? If no alarm system in home (or if they never used it if they had one)and the 2nd home searched happened to be a friend, then they could have been in the Celis’home at any time and unlocked a window with no one knowing the better!
Sorry for the length, posted on SM:
These windows are the only exposed outer windows in the home not protected by fencing and accessible to the alley, and the adjacent parking lot. It appears that they are also the only windows not protected by fencing along the alley corridor in total.
They are at LEAST 5′ up from ground level if the fence to the immediate right is at least 4′, which is fairly standard. I am presuming these are horizontal sliding windows and not hinged casements.
If they are hinged casements, I would say flat out that window was not used to remove this child without someone assisting on both sides and even then I would be highly suspect.
These windows would lock via the center moving sash and would use one outer screen for both panes of glass.
If someone knew what they were doing, it could be removed fairly easily and quietly, which is what I have been told happened as opposed to it being cut. If they were locked from the inside, there is no way there would not be obvious signs of forced entry to the exterior.
To my knowledge, there was not.
You can visibly see the horizontal blinds in the image, so again, they are not accessible to pull up from the outside- someone coming in from the exterior would need to deal with them, depending upon what they are made of could be a noise factor.
These windows appear to be standard size for the time the home was built, so they are quite small in terms of an adult, let alone an adult and a child getting in and out of them.
I have wood blinds on my first floor and they are LOUD and heavy when adjusting them.
With 2 older brothers, both parents and a dog in the home, I am having a hard time believing someone is getting in and out of that window with a “sleeping” child. There are cinder block and stones below the alleged access point which would have resulted in footprints, etc.
This person, if acting alone would have to be at least 5’9″ -6′tall to clear that opening without any sort of step stool and absolutely need to be thin in build.
If I were a betting person, and one of the reasons why I want to know if the family was away earlier, it is more plausible to me that someone broke into the home via that window, waited inside the home and left via another exit, or that someone accessed the home by some other means and had help removing the child via the window and then exited themselves.
Horrific scenario to my knowledge has not been ruled out- Young Isa was victimized in her room and removed unconscious or worse. (this is even rarer, but not unheard of if the unsub is younger and does not live alone or have access to an alternative location). I do not believe this scenario personally, however.
Last scenario- the scene was staged for some reason by some individual.
The concrete wall which abutts the house does provide an area for concealment, but I counted 6 parking lot lights within a 50 yard radius across the street which are certainly going to provide some lighting to that alley.
It is my understanding the home is being released to the family but Isa’s room and some other areas remain secured.
Does anyone know if the home has a finished basement?
Was a Dog in the house?
I saw a photo of the child with a puppy (NG).
My only question is did they own a Dog?
I am under the same impression SH
B
Did anyone else have a key to the house (house keeper, baby sitter…) or was there a key hidden outside the home?
I have been reading everything I can about this. I just found out they have dogs. I have a very hard time beleiving these dogs would not bark their heads off if someone was entering through a window. I agree with the layout of the house. very hard to break in the window.
Here is the link about the dogs. very strange the dogs did not wake up the parents. My dogs would have barked until we got up.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012/04/24/Dogs-on-duty-when-Tucson-child-vanished/UPI-27851335284902/
ooops forgot the link
I am not sure if you saw the analysis I posted about the windows, but this is getting hinkier by the minute.
B
I just saw your post, Blink over on the SM’s site. There are no basements in the houses built on 12th Street in Tucson. In fact, it is rare to find basements in houses in the desert Southwest.
We lived on 12th Street in Tucson for many years. We raised our daughter there–and she still considers Tucson to be her hometown. We lived in a house on the 4800 block. It’s still not that far from Isabel Celis’ home.
This story is heartbreaking–especially the news that the landfill is being searched. I pray Isabel is found alive, but my gut is telling me that won’t prove to be the outcome in this case, sadly.
Thank you Moonchime. I followed it up with the post about the RSO 3 doors down and his lengthy criminal record. I am very concerned.
B
@Blink,
Bringing this over (trying to) from SM since I don’t post there, but only read,
cw618
Monkey Junky
Online
Posts: 3306
Re: Tucson police search for missing 6-year-old girl – Isabel Mercedes Celis
« Reply #55 on: April 24, 2012, 02:27:34 PM »
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did someone mess up and leave the garage door open
looks like a garage
http://g.co/maps/ma52x
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I looked at the picture on google maps and notice a large garbage can
in the back by the concrete wall, wondering if this is still the normal place to store that, as google is
showing this photo from 2008 and wondering if it could have been used as a step stool of sorts?
I saw that as well, and yes, I suppose it definitely could have. If I had a web cam fixed on me earlier y’all would be laughing your heads off. I was doing some window experimenting on the first floor when the meter reader came around the corner. Oh My.
B
I too wonder about the family’s activities that day. 11pm seems late for a 6yr old to be going to bed, and 9hrs of sleep is not enough for a child that age, either.
To answer your question about a basement. The terrain around the whole Tuscon area has a relatively thin layer of soil overlaying rock. Basements in this area require rock drilling, an expensive operation and are not the normal in construction.
The windows shown in the photo are small sliders. If someone took this child from the home via this window, it would have been very difficult. Your other posible scene is entrance at the window and take the child out another way. This is much more plausible to me.
This had to be someone very familiar with the house layout. Your mention of the RSO three doors down is chilling. I hope LE is working on that angle.
ATG, I featured a pic and data on the window possibilities you may not have seen, may need to scroll down or hit older comments. We agree.
B
Was Blink doing a Valhall with the window? In or out? Forward or backward? I hope you told the meterman that you were working on a film scene.
The height of the windows tells me that it would take a person of near six feet in height and with considerable upper body strength to enter without something to stand on.
I told the meterman I was investigating energy efficient strategies as as human shield, lol.
The last time he was here I was doing free throws in the driveway, I am sure he thinks I am a moonbat.
B
Wait a minute!
CADAVERINE????
according to wiki and other online dictionaries it’s the
putrification of flesh. (the sticky gooey that we heard about in the
CA trial)
Soooo would there have been enough time between say 11pm and 8am
for that to have occured,
or,,,,,
are we to assume its from urine and or semen (and possibly all)?
or,,,
am I confusing myself? lol
Every missing person case I work I start with the RSO list looking for a pattern of behavior. Time and time again it is either one of them or one of their friends. Could even be somebody who has worked on the house in the past who happens to be a RSO or a person who has not been caught yet..
There has been way to many of these lately.
Very sad situation.
Hello again. Another missing child. I have been following this little missing Isabel and am as perplexed at everybody else.
I have read the family consists of mother, father and two brothers and little Isabel. Also the family has dogs that have been reported to be barkers in the neighborhood.
The house is surrounded by fencing and looks like Fort Knox. It is a corner lot and a lot of traffic goes up and down the street.
I wonder at the late bedhour for a 6 year old that has to get up at 8am for baseball the next morning.
Were they home the night before? Did they have guests in the house.
NG showed that the dad did have a drug charge back in 1993. That worries me. I know it was a long time ago but…still.
We have discussed ad nauseum that some dogs bark and some don’t. Evidently one case the dogs hid under the table.
This case if baffling. I wonder why we have not heard a plea from anybody in the family for her safe return.
I also wonder why they are having security for the family? Per NG.
Lots to ponder.
ty for coverage & analysis, Blink & all.
Many of you are questioning the late bedtime. To be honest, society has done a 180 on issues like this in the last several years. Since it wasn’t a school day the next day, it doesn’t surprise me too much. A friend of mine is a manager at a local grocery store chain here in Ohio. He has seen people with young kids at various hours throughout the night when he does 3rd shift.
The RSO a few doors down? Well, yes, they need to look there and look again. But since the RSOs are public info, that might make this house an easy pick because everyone knows that LE will go to the RSO first. Convenient, huh? Just a guess.
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SouthernMom says:
April 24, 2012 at 12:47 am
I’m seriously beginning to doubt our systems these days. What can a concerned citizen (and parent of two) do to help Government, LE, CASA, etc to fix this epidemic?
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Southern Mom, we all wonder that!! My ideas and my opinion-Know what your kids are doing and who they’re with ALL THE TIME. Keep tabs on them. Talk to them. Get an internet filter to protect them from looking at porn and so you can check the browsing history. Don’t let them go places that you don’t know who will be there and if there will be parental supervision. If they break the rules, they lose privileges. Scare the crap out of them. Tell them that they can tell you ANYTHING, and when they do, stay calm!! Show them your love all the time. Invite their friends to YOUR house. Remember, we have to keep our kids from being victims and from being predators.
Man, is this parenting thing hard and time consuming.
All just my opinion.
When my kids were younger I watched them like a hawk, and as you stated communication is a must. My husband used to make fun of me and told me I was paranoid- to which I replied “but am I paranoid enough”.
I found out the family had dogs yesterday, both my dogs would go nuts. They bark at anyone that comes in and if they know them they continue to bark until they recognize them. I am very suspicious of the dogs not barking, or as I stated earlier, they may have and the family is used to hearing them bark over every little thing and is used to ignoring them. I am suspicious of the cadaver dogs hitting in Isabel’s bedroom. I am suspicious of the landfill search in the area the family’s trash was dumped, and I am suspicious of the uncle speaking about Isabel in past tense.
One of the problems I am having is that there is no garbage Saturday, it is Thursday- so what led them to the landfill?
They have found a neighbors video camera pointed at the residence so they might be able to get something from that.
Day six and no plea from the family.
So what time did Becky Celis go to work that morning? Did she not look in her daughter to maybe throw her a kiss goodbye? How old are her two brothers? Isa was put to bed @ 11:00. What time does Becky get up to get ready for work? Was she already in bed when Isa was put to bed, because she goes to work early? Trying to narrow the timing down.
Such a pretty little girl! I pray she is alive.
I wondered about the garbage as well, seemed really odd to have a saturday pick-up, never heard of it!
But,,, sometimes contractors or private citizens take a load diectly to the dump on saturdays.
Is uncle or other family any of these, I wonder?
Blink you have been so busy as of late yet you still had time to add new tricks like a picture in your response “One of the problems I am having is that there is no garbage Saturday, it is Thursday- so what led them to the landfill?” Cool but for a second I thought a flashing sign would let me know I was a winner. 8)
If the trash was dumped on Thursday than I have to wonder if LE think Isabela may have passed away and been put in the trash before Friday?
I believe they are looking in the landfill because of the commercial establishments nearby. There are several resturants in the business area. These establishments have large size trash pickups that are normally handled by a commercial vendor rather than a city or county municipal pickup.
With all the mountains around the area, it is possible a sex offender could have moved the child to a distant area. Highway 77 goes North and West out into the valley towards Biosphere.
@ ATG
agreed but le specifically mentioned that trash was removed from the celis home prior to securing the scene Saturday morning.
.We are just hearing that police have removed what appears to be folded fabric or a carpet & some pillows from the family’s car outside the missing 6-yr-old girl’s home. The car, seen parked outside the home, obviously has drawn the attentio…n of investigators, since we are getting in video showing crime scene techs with gloves on removing items. What did they find inside that car? Is it linked to missing 6-yr-old Isabel Celis? And police “refresh” their search warrant on the family home: what do they expect to find inside? Taking your on-air questions right now: 877-626-2901
I doubt that is anything (the carpet) or police would have been taken that out of the car when they checked it the first time.
someone asked how old brother is. He is pretty old because he has been going store to store by himself asking people did they see anything.
Oh one other thing I read over there was little girl usually sleeps with her brothers, but did NOT that night. Strange.
“Late this afternoon, investigators headed to the landfill where the trash from the neighborhood was emptied Saturday prior to police having an opportunity to secure the scene.” from article above. Was this a mistake in what was reported? Was Isabele in school Thursday and Friday?
No, I heard the chief say this myself.
B
I believe someone was in the home hiding during the day/early evening hours. This is very bold. My family friend was shot 6 times by a stalker many years ago. He snuck into the house while her and her son were at disney on ice and waited for her to go to bed. He then came out of a closet in her room and shot her. It is is a miracle she survived. To this day, she checks her closet and under her bed everynight and I can’t say I blame her.
I think this sort of scenario could be possible. If not, someone must have come into the house if the perp wasn’t a family member through a different entrance other than the bedroom window. Isabel must have been incapacitated very quickly or else someone in the home would have heard something, unless she went with someone she recognized or knew.
IF a sex offender took her, and the dogs hit on cadaverine in the area of the home, aren’t sex offenders more likely to sexually assault the child first and then kill them?
So much stuff is not adding up here.
connie says:
April 25, 2012 at 9:54 am
When my kids were younger I watched them like a hawk, and as you stated communication is a must. My husband used to make fun of me and told me I was paranoid- to which I replied “but am I paranoid enough”.
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I like that, Connie. I will be using this one on my kids and husband. Thanks!!
As for checking on Isabel before leaving for work, I do find that odd. I don’t work outside the home, but if I did, I’d be checking!! If I am out late for some reason, I ALWAYS check on my crew before I go to bed. But not every parent does this and it doesn’t say, to me anyway, that the mother was involved. Had she checked, would Isabel be at home sooner? I don’t know.
Bringing this over from SM
Blink34
Monkey Junky
Online
Posts: 2382
Re: Tucson police search for missing 6-year-old girl – Isabel Mercedes Celis
« Reply #84 on: April 25, 2012, 03:39:14 PM »
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I guarantee that the statement was prompted by suggestion from the FBI BAU. It is standard protocol. Y’all remember the infamous only joint Horman press conference?
This is largely for observation and/or lead generating purposes.
Janet- you are correct that everyone has been reporting there was a Saturday trash pickup because I heard the chief say that was well, however, there was not.
If something left that area or residence and was transported to the landfill it was done by an individual, not the trash service.
I have the feeling this case is going to come to conclusion sooner than later
I just watched the live conference. I might actually be speechless for once.
B
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Video of parent’s:
http://www.kvoa.com/videos/raw-celis-parents-plea-for-daughter-s-return/
Most disturbing, imo.
I would suggest that the FBI got their money’s worth on that one.
Not a LEO in sight.
I don’t know what happened in that home, but I do know they are hiding something.
Tell us your demands, tell us what you want?
There is no way those people think that. No way.
B
I shouldn’t be so judgmental – I know this in my head, but my gut is screaming Dad was inappropriate with Isabel and couldn’t hide what he had done/was doing, anymore. Watching the conference – I won’t guess what mom knows or doesn’t know – but my skin crawled when I watched Isa’s dad. Are my thoughts far fetched or cruel, I don’t think so. Not with the incidence of incest in this country and how many kids live with it and often the other parent or siblings are unaware or simply overlook the signs. I hope I’m wrong, I hope she had a perfectly delightful life up until this nightmare.
Completely agree with you, Blink.
A family turning down the naturally expected offering of direct personal religious prayers with and support from the Padre of the Church . . . huge sigh.
The first statement of the father’s tells me everything I need to know.
“We are cooperating fully in the investigation”.
I do not know what happened in that home, but I do know that those parents do not believe their daughter was yanked out of a 13″ window over 5′ off the ground for some sort of ransom, and neither does LE.
I just watched the live conference. I might actually be speechless for once.
B
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Laughing hysterically!
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The first statement of the father’s tells me everything I need to know.
“We are cooperating fully in the investigation”.
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First statement made me shake my head, NO, NO, Please not
another parent AGAIN!
Where are the tears, trying hard to make them flow didn’t sit well
with me.
UGH!
Horrible accidents happen. I am thinking this too much, but can you image a pediactric nurse and a dental hydentist (misspelled) sorry their careers over or in jail whatever and could not face people if a careless accident happened.
It was stated on Nancy Grace father real protective of daughter and he walked up to grandparents with girl on his shoulders.
Has it been confirmed he is a dental hygenist?
B
Interesting how the brother (at the store, asking about Isabel), put this:
“We were all sleeping and we didn’t hear anything and the next thing you know she’s gone.’ He asked me once again, ‘we were sleeping and we didn’t hear anything and she’s just kidnapped.”
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Are we looking at an older brother/dad harming her and this family covering it up?
I am concerned over the repeated “we didn’t hear anything”.
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On Saturday morning, about an hour after the 6 year old’s father called 911 to report his daughter missing, Emily Collins says Isabel’s brother walked into a nearby store searching for his sister.
“He came in and he asked did you hear anything,” Emily Collins, who works at the store, told ABC News. “‘The little girl was last seen around 11 p.m. Friday, when she was put to bed,’ he said. ‘We were all sleeping and we didn’t hear anything and the next thing you know she’s gone.’ He asked me once again, ‘we were sleeping and we didn’t hear anything and she’s just kidnapped.’”
http://abcnews.go.com/US/missing-tucson-girl-isabel-celis-surveillance-videos-hold/story?id=16210060#.T5iIV9WkCIA
My question would be why would anyone from this family be outside canvassing the hood while LE was responding to the scene.
B
I hate to be judgemental but I did not see tears…I thought of Susan Smith…JMHO.
confirmation of father’s job::Salt Lake City Tribune
“a registered nurse in the pediatrics unit and Sergio Celis is a dental hygienist”
On the Jane V. Mitchell show one of her guests said reasons to be taken are they owe a large amount of money for drugs or debt. She said sometimes they watch you and then come and take a child away.
During the game, maybe bad man snook in and waited in closet for child.
I was leaning towards the parents there for a while, but now am not. What could have happened between 11 and 800. No accident. Maybe the reason she was not in the brothers room that night was that she was so tired from the game and activities of the night, they just carried her in straight towards her room. Children when half asleep sometimes have eyes open but just fall back down asleep in bed.
It could turn out to be a Jon B. Ramsey case–we will never know and like little guy in Oregon, never find the body.
The plea by the parents is most alarming. Who is covering for who? Could they be invoved in some sort of deviant crime? Drugs, or incest? I know a little off the trail but not totally out of the realm of possibility. Have the family computers been seized? What about the other children and their friends?