Kidnapped Children

Woman Charged with Murder of 12 Yr Old Texas Boy

2010-12-30T06:07:00.000-08:00

A woman is expected to be charged with capital murder in connection to the disappearance of a 12-year-old boy, MyFoxHouston.com reported late Wednesday.

The Harris County District Attorney's Office accepted the charges against Mona Yvette Nelson, 44, after burned remains found Tuesday were positively identified as Jonathan Foster’s, the site reported.

Investigators say Nelson is a family acquaintance. Detectives questioned her throughout the day and, police say she admitted to being with Jonathan but has not confessed to killing him.

No motive has been released.

Earlier in the week police questioned Jonathan's mother and stepfather, Angela and David Davis, which is standard procedure.

"I never pointed the finger at anybody. I just said there's a time frame people came by and that's the people that came by," the mother said. "My husband took a polygraph, and he passed. He is not in it at all. He's innocent. He is just as distraught and upset as I am.”

Foster was last seen Christmas Eve at his family’s apartment in northwest Houston. He had been left home alone while his mom was at work, and his stepfather was the last to report seeing the boy alive when he checked in around 1:45 p.m.

Texas Equusearch stopped looking for the boy on Tuesday after the body was found.

Police say evidence suggests that the body was burned at another location and then dumped in a ditch.

From the start detectives got conflicting statements from family and neighbors, which is why they say they didn't issue an Amber Alert until Monday night.

The DA's office is requesting Nelson be held without bond. She has a criminal record dating back to 1984, including aggravated robbery, making a terroristic threat, marijuana possession and theft.

Anyone with information is asked to call Houston Police Homicide at 713-308-3600.

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12 Year Old Boy Missing from Texas

2010-12-29T06:48:00.000-08:00

The investigation into the disappearance of a 12-year-old boy intensified Tuesday as both of his parents were taken in for questioning and their car was towed by police.

A 1990's model tan colored Mercedes-Benz was towed away by the Houston Police Department just after noon from the home where Jonathan Foster lives with his mother and step father.

The missing boy's parents were driven away by HPD detectives in separate units just after the Mercedes was towed.

There was no indication the parents were taken into custody.

Foster, described as 4-feet-8-inches with red hair and an overbite, was last seen Friday afternoon at the Houston apartment complex wearing a tan colored shirt with a picture of a guitar, blue jeans and white sneakers. His mother says when she last called the house an unknown woman with a raspy voice picked up the phone then hung up.

At a press conference Tuesday afternoon, police said they could not confirm whether a child's body found in northeast Harris County was Foster’s because it was too badly burned.

"There's no identification so we're not sure if the two cases are connected," Kese Smith with HPD said.

In light of this news, the missing 12-year-old’s family hopes that he will be found alive.

"I believe he is out there," Mary Gifford, Jonathan’s maternal grandmother, said. “Let him come home, please.”

Sgt. Stuart Harris said that the boy's father and other relatives live within walking distance of the complex and he would often visit them. Harris said relatives have been cooperative with investigators. He said Child Protective Services has no history of the boy.

"I don't know if it's an abduction. I don't know if he just walked off," Harris said. "I don't know if there's foul play involved. We have no reason to think he's a runaway. He's missing under suspicious circumstances, which is always a major concern for us."

When asked why it took three days for an Amber Alert to be issued in the case, police said it was because they didn't feel they were getting the full story behind the child's disappearance.

Meanwhile, volunteers from Texas Equusearch, a mounted search and recovery organization, appear to be in standby mode until they hear word from detectives on the case.

Anyone with information is asked to call Houston Police Homicide at 713-308-3600.

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12 Year Old Brittany Smith Found Alive

2010-12-14T09:21:00.000-08:00

ROANOKE CO. - Brittany Smith's father, Ben Smith, spoke for the first time Monday night about his daughter's case.

"Without prayer, I feel Brittany would not be alive today for sure I couldn't have made it."

Surrounded by about a dozen family members, Smith said he originally thought the happiest day of his life was when Brittany was born. That has since changed to the day Brittany was found safe, and brought back to him. "Tonight has taken the number one spot."

Ben thanked law enforcement officers for "never giving up," reporters for keeping his daughter's picture out so people could see it, and his pastor. He had a special thank you for Theresa Shanley, the woman who San Francisco Police say called in the spotting of Jeffrey Easley and Brittany last Friday.

"My hero. It's not anything that I can say to describe to you the way my heart feels about you. A simple thank you and God bless you."

Ben Smith described getting the call that Brittany had been found. He said he asked the girl what his dog's name was, and she replied "Georgia." Ben then asked the girl what her dog's name was, and she said 'dad, it's little man.' Ben Smith said that's when he knew it was his daughter.

Ben Smith and his family said they still need prayers, and then a lot of counseling. Ben Smith added that his immediate plans include a lot of quiet time with Brittany, and then the family will judge what to do next by how she feels.

The family also revealed that the funeral for Tina Smith, Brittany's mother and Ben's ex-wife, will be this coming Saturday, Dec. 18th.

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Stepmother of Slain Children Headed Back to Alabama

2010-12-10T06:39:00.000-08:00

A woman suspected in the slayings of two children who authorities say were buried in the woods was on her way back to Alabama on Friday from a Kentucky jail to face possible charges alongside her common-law husband.

Heather Leavell-Keaton was picked up from a Louisville jail, where she had been held on abuse charges, around 1 a.m. Friday to be brought back to Mobile, Ala., Louisville Metro Corrections spokeswoman Pam Windsor said.

The children's father, John DeBlase, is charged with two counts of murder, child abuse and corpse abuse in their deaths. Skeletal remains found in the woods of rural Mississippi on Wednesday are believed to belong to his 3-year-old son Chase. Authorities are still searching for the remains of 5-year-old Natalie DeBlase.

Police have said she and DeBlase share responsibility for the killings, but each one blames the other.

DeBlase told police he dumped his daughter Natalie in the woods north of Mobile in March. He said he discarded the boy's body, dressed only in a diaper and stuffed into a plastic garbage bag, in Mississippi in June on or around Father's Day. Police say the children were killed separately, then immediately disposed of.

"He didn't keep them around," Mobile Police Officer Chris Levy said Thursday.

Arrest warrants in the case accuse Leavell-Keaton of abusing the little boy and girl.

The documents were prepared before the murder charges were filed and detail the children's mistreatment at the hands of Leavell-Keaton. They say DeBlase allowed her to bind the girl's hands and feet with duct tape, put a sock in her mouth and stuff her in a suitcase in a closet for about 14 hours.

The warrants also detail how Leavell-Keaton duct-taped the boy's hands to the side of his legs, strapped a broom handle to his back and shoved a sock in his mouth. The boy was then forced to stand in a corner all night while the adults went to bed.

The documents don't specify when the abuse occurred, only saying it happened sometime after March 1.

DeBlase and Leavell-Keaton were arrested last week on the abuse charges, and authorities began their search for the children's remains in Alabama and Mississippi over the weekend. Neither child had been seen for months.

An investigation into their disappearance didn't start until late last month after Leavell-Keaton sought a protective order against DeBlase in Kentucky, Levy said. She said in the Nov. 18 filing that DeBlase "may have murdered his children," and that she feared for her life because he was abusive. The couple just had a child together this summer.

"I am afraid that he is going to do something to harm our daughter because of what he has done to the other children," she wrote.

DeBlase pleaded not guilty to the lesser charges Wednesday and is due in court again Friday for a bond hearing on the murder charges. His attorney, Jim Sears, said DeBlase will plead not guilty to those charges, as well.

"He maintains his innocence," Sears said Thursday. "He is terribly upset about everything.

"He maintains that it was his common-law wife" who murdered the children, Sears added.

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Someone Hiding 12 Year Old Virginia Girl

2010-12-08T10:36:00.000-08:00

A police chief in Virginia says he believes someone may be hiding a 12-year-old girl and a man she disappeared with after the child's mother was found dead.

Roanoke County Police Chief Ray Lavinder also said Wednesday morning that a warrant has been issued charging 32-year-old Jeffrey Scott Easley with abduction.

Lavinder said at a news conference that Easley and Brittany Mae Smith seemed to "just drop off the face of the Earth" without much money. That's why he thinks someone is helping Easley evade a nationwide search.

Authorities found the body of Brittany's 41-year-old mother, Tina Smith, at her home in Salem on Monday. Smith was Easley's live-in girlfriend. Authorities have ruled the death a homicide but aren't saying how she died.

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14 Year Old Girl Missing from North Florida

2010-12-07T15:08:00.000-08:00

A statewide alert was issued today for a 14-year-old girl who is missing from a North Florida county.

Estella Acosta Hernandez of Grand Ridge in Jackson County may be in the company of 29-year-old David Cruz.

"They may be traveling in a black 1991 Nissan Sentra, 4 door, FL tag number 334JCC,'' the alert said.

She was last seen wearing a black T-shirt, black pants with stripes, camouflage jacket and white boots, it said.

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12 Yr Old Virginia Girl Missing - Mother Found Dead

2010-12-07T15:00:00.000-08:00

Police continue searching for a 12-year-old Roanoke County girl believed taken against her will after her mother was found dead in their home.

State police issued an Amber Alert for Brittany Mae Smith on Monday.

Roanoke County spokeswoman Teresa Hamilton Hall says Brittany Smith may be with Jeffrey Scott Easley.

Authorities were called to the home in Salem after the mother failed to show up for work.

Investigators say 41-year-old Tina Smith's death is being investigated as a possible homicide. An autopsy is expected Tuesday.

She says Easley was a friend of Tina Smith and may have lived in the home until recently. He is believed to be driving a 2005 silver Dodge Neon.

Smith is described as 5-feet tall, 100 pounds with straight brown hair and brown eyes.

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Dad Tells Police Where He Buried His Missing Kids

2010-12-05T09:37:00.000-08:00

The father of two missing children in Mobile, Ala., told authorities that his children are dead and that he had buried them, according to FOX10 News.

John DeBlase, 27, allegedly made these revelations during a thorough interview with police, leading investigators to search for the childrens' bodies within a 100-mile radius of Mobile, according to FOX10 News.

On Saturday, investigators planned to assemble a massive search party.

"We want to make sure that we find these children and that they're buried properly," said Michael Williams, the Mobile police chief.

The children, Natalie, 5, and Jonathan, 3, were last seen with their father back in July. Since then, no family member came forward to report the children missing. Their stepmother, Heather Leavell-Keaton, was arrested Wednesday in Louisville, Ky.

"We received a call from the Louisville, Kentucky Police Department, stating that a man had walked into the police station up there and told them that there were some kids that were from Mobile that were dead," said Chris Levy, a police spokesman. The man was believed to be Leavell-Keaton’s brother.

While he was being escorted to a police cruiser, DeBlase reportedly told the press that the stepmother did it.

The childrens' biological mother has spoken with FOX10 News within the past few days, but she was too distraught to speak on Friday evening.

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Missing Michigan Boys Feared Dead

2010-11-30T15:59:00.000-08:00

The father of three missing Michigan boys has been charged with three counts of parental kidnapping, authorities announced Tuesday, as hope fades for finding the boys alive.

Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks said John Skelton was arrested by FBI agents after he was released Tuesday from a medical facility in Lucas County, Ohio. He said Skelton has been charged with parental kidnapping in the disappearance of his sons, 9-year-old Andrew, 7-year-old Alexander and 5-year-old Tanner Skelton.

Authorities said earlier that it's looking less likely that the boys -- who have been missing since a Thanksgiving Day visit to their father's home -- will be found alive, though no murder charges have yet been filed. The announcement did not stop searchers from scouring the countryside for a fourth day hoping for a happy ending.

Weeks, looking tired and strained, chose his words carefully as he addressed the efforts to find the children. Skelton, 39, tried to hang himself Friday, and police have determined that he lied about giving the boys to a female acquaintance to pass along to their mother.

"Statements he made to investigators indicate it's not going to be a positive outcome," Weeks told reporters, volunteers and some members of the boys' extended family Tuesday morning.

"He's been forthcoming with some information, the credibility of which we can't verify," Weeks said of Skelton, who underwent psychiatric treatment at a hospital.

Police released Skelton's photo on Tuesday and are looking for anyone who may have seen the boys or the Skeltons' blue, Dodge Caravan between Thursday and Friday afternoon. Police have seized the van, but were trying to determine where Skelton may have taken them before he attempted suicide.

Weeks said their mother, 45-year-old Tanya Skelton, who is Skelton's estranged wife, was told about the search's possible outcome.

Her reaction: "Imagine your worst nightmare come true," Weeks said. "How would you respond?"

For a fourth day Tuesday, crews searched the woods and fields around Morenci, about 75 miles southwest of Detroit and just north of the Ohio state line.

The purpose of the search may have changed, but it will continue, vowed Bill Foster of Morenci, who was wearing the names of the boys on the back of his yellow vest.

"It's not what you wanted to hear," he said. "The whole community had been hoping for a Christmas miracle.

"We're very saddened by the news, but the search has to continue. We won't quit the search until we bring the boys home."

Foster said locals began searching fields and woods on Saturday. They joined police efforts when those started.

Lenawee County sheriff's Corporal Jeff Paterson said woods, ponds, creeks, clumps of trees, tilled cornfields, roadsides and barns in Ohio and Michigan were searched Monday. He expected more of the same Tuesday.

"As long as tips continue to come in, we'll stay on it," he said.

The boys last were seen on Thanksgiving in their father's Morenci backyard.

Tanya Skelton filed for divorce in September. A judge gave her custody of the boys, but she and John Skelton reached an agreement on visitation.

She reported the boys missing Friday.

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Father Lied About Missing Michigan Boys

2010-11-30T06:34:00.000-08:00

Investigators say the father of three missing Michigan boys lied when he said he gave his children to a female friend named "Joann Taylor" before he attempted suicide.

Morenci Police Department Chief Larry Weeks said Monday that there is "no established relationship" between John Skelton and the woman he claims to have left his sons with before trying to kill himself last week.

The children -- 5-year-old Tanner, 7-year-old Alexander and 9-year-old Andrew Skelton -- were last seen Thursday and reported missing the next day by their mother, Tanya Skelton.

A family friend said the boys were with their father as part of a court-ordered visitation and their parents were going through a divorce.

John Skelton, 39, claims that he gave his sons to a friend named "Joann Taylor." He said that he met Taylor several years ago and the two had been involved in an online relationship, and she likely lived in southern Michigan.

But Weeks said Monday that he can confirm that "there's no established relationship between he and the person he described to us as Joann Taylor."

When asked by reporters if Skelton lied about such a relationship, Weeks replied: "Correct."

When Tanya Skelton filed for divorce in September, the father of the three boys picked two of them up from school early and drove out of state.

On Sept. 13, Skelton packed his two oldest sons in the family van and drove to nearby Ohio -- only to return and then take off with them again to Florida.

It was the start of a nasty custody battle and possible precursor to all three boys' disappearance last week before their dad's suicide attempt.

Lenawee County Circuit Judge Margaret Noe told The Associated Press that Tanya Skelton received exclusive custody after John Skelton returned from Florida with the boys, but the couple subsequently negotiated an agreement that allowed visitation.

Authorities resumed an all-out search for the boys on Monday, assisted by fixed-wing aircraft. FoxToledo.com reported that the hunt for the boys shifted to Ohio, where more than 300 volunteers converged on the Lazy River Campground -- just west of Pioneer -- to look for the children.

Weeks said investigators are looking for anyone who saw the three boys in their father's 2000 blue Dodge Caravan on Thursday or Friday along the Michigan-Ohio border. The FBI says there's evidence the vehicle was seen during that time on the Ohio Turnpike.

The vehicle has Michigan license plate number 9JQ H93 and may have been in the Pioneer, Unity, West Unity, Holiday City, Ohio, areas between 2:30 p.m. Thursday and 1:30 p.m. Friday, according to FoxToledo.com.

A prayer vigil was held for the boys Sunday night after the conclusion of that day's search of fields, farmland and wooded areas along the Ohio-Michigan border.

John Skelton, meanwhile, was being treated at a hospital in Ohio for "mental health issues" after he tried to hang himself on Friday.

FBI child abduction teams and behavioral science experts, along with planes and search dogs, aided in the search Sunday.

That night, about 200 people gathered for a prayer vigil at a church in Morenci, a small, mostly blue-collar and farming community just north of the Ohio state line. Lights were strung on poles along the town's main street, and festive decorations adorned windows in some of the shops and eateries in town.

Friends said the Skelton boys also started celebrating the holidays early by making greeting cards. One of the older brothers wrote "Jesus is awesome" on his and drew a Nativity scene, said Kathye Herrera, a friend of Tanya Skelton who is serving as the family's spokeswoman.

"They love church. They love the interaction, and they know all about Jesus," Herrera said.

Herrera said the boys' parents have been married for 10 years but are in the process of getting a divorce. She said that earlier this year, John Skelton picked his two older sons up from school and took them to Florida, but later returned to Michigan.

Custody was awarded to Tanya Skelton, though John Skelton "had been seeing the boys with no issues," Herrera said.

Herrera said Tanya Skelton attends a local college or community college and John Skelton was a long-haul truck driver who hasn't been working in while.

John Skelton's mother, Roxann Skelton of Jacksonville, Fla., told the Detroit Free Press that her son wouldn't hurt his children. She didn't return a phone message from The Associated Press.

"I know my son, he's not a monster," she told the newspaper. "He's a good son and he would not harm his boys. I know those children are, you know, still with us."

The weekend search for the boys extended to an Ohio state park just south of the Michigan state line, according to the sheriff's office in Fulton County, Ohio. The FBI got involved Friday, shortly after being contacted by Michigan authorities, said Andrew Arena, head of the agency's Detroit office.

Many of those who attended Sunday night's vigil tried to hold back tears, though others allowed them to flow freely. As "Silent Night" and other Christmas hymns played, people filed slowly past the altar, lighting small white candles before returning to the pews to continue prayers for the boys' safe return.

"Give us courage to face our fears," church Lay Leader Bob Dister said as part of a short prayer before leading into "The Lord's Prayer."

He wept as the vigil ended.

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Father Attempts Suicide - Amber Alert Out for 3 Boys

2010-11-28T08:21:00.000-08:00

Police and neighbors were searching for three young Michigan boys Saturday who have been missing since their father claimed he dropped them off with a woman before trying to kill himself a day earlier.

The father survived his suicide attempt and is being cared for in a mental health facility, said Morenci, Michigan, Police Chief Larry Weeks on Saturday.

But Michigan authorities do not know what has happened to his boys -- 5-year-old Tanner Skelton, 7-year-old Alexander William Skelton and 9-year-old Andrew Skelton -- prompting them to issue an Amber Alert on Friday.

Weeks said that the boys' father, John Skelton, told police that he dropped the boys off Friday morning with a woman he identified as Joann Taylor -- in part to ensure they didn't see him while and after he tried to commit suicide.

John Skelton told police that the woman, whom he allegedly met on the internet, was supposed to drop the boys off at their home in Morenci, a southern Michigan town of about 2,400 people about 40 miles west-northwest of Toledo, around 3 p.m. Friday.

But the boys never went home and, Weeks added, authorities still aren't sure if John Skelton's story -- including Joann Taylor's existence -- is true or a fabrication.

"We have not been able to locate a Joann Taylor or confirm that she even exists," Weeks told reporters Saturday evening.

The last non-family member saw the boys at 5 p.m. on Thursday, according to the chief.

Their mother, Tanya, has been with police "virtually the entire day" on Saturday, answering questions and serving as what Weeks called a "valuable resource at this time."

Weeks said Tanya Skelton had "contact with someone alleging to be Joann," adding only that this communication was not necessarily by phone or in person.

According to the Amber Alert, Taylor may have been from Jackson or Hillsdale counties and may be driving a silver van. Still, Weeks reiterated that they have yet to confirm she is real and, if so, if she is with the boys.

Saturday's press conference was crowded with media and residents of Morenci, many of whom have been searching for the young boys. Dozens spent Saturday searching along Bean Creek, Wakefield Park and the Riverside Natural Area -- all in Morenci -- according to Toledo-based CNN affiliate WUPW.

"We just hope they're somewhere safe and warm playing video games," volunteer Carol Garcia told WUPW.

But authorities thus far have offered few tips pointing community members to places where the young Skeltons might be.

"We understand their drive and desire to be out there," said Weeks. "The fact is, I cannot tell the community there's a specific location they should be searching."

The alert notes that Tanner is 3 feet, 6 inches tall, has strawberry blond hair, has blue eyes and weighs about 40 pounds. Alexander is 3 feet, 9 inches tall, has brown hair and eyes, weighs about 45 pounds and has scars on his hairline and chin. The oldest brother, Andrew, is 4 feet, 1 inch tall, has brown hair and eyes and weighs roughly 57 pounds.

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Three Young Brothers Missing from Michigan

2010-11-28T08:16:00.000-08:00

Police were searching Sunday for three young brothers who haven't been seen since their father tried to hang himself, and investigators unraveling the man's strange story fear the boys are in grave danger.

At the heart of the investigation is a perplexing account by the father, 39-year-old John Skelton, who told investigators he'd left the boys in the care of a woman with whom he had an online relationship. Yet by late Saturday, officers had no luck finding the woman.

Skelton was being treated at a hospital in Ohio for "mental health issues" on Saturday, one day after he tried to kill himself, said Morenci Police Chief Larry Weeks. Morenci is about 75 miles southwest of Detroit and just north of the Ohio state line.

Skelton told investigators Friday that he didn't want the boys in his house when he committed suicide, so he asked a woman named Joann Taylor to take them to their mother, who is separated from Skelton. Weeks said Saturday that officers haven't been able to confirm that Taylor exists.

An Amber Alert was issued Friday for Skelton's sons: 9-year-old Andrew, 7-year-old Alexander and 5-year-old Tanner.

When asked if Skelton was a suspect in the boys' disappearance, Weeks said: "We haven't ruled anything out, yet."

Skelton said he met Taylor several years ago and that the two had been involved in an online relationship. She was believed to live in Jackson or Hillsdale counties in southern Michigan.

But officers Saturday had no success tracking down a woman by that name or the silver van Skelton said she was driving.

"The bulk of our action has been putting together a timeline and trying to locate this Joann Taylor," said Weeks, whose agency was joined in the search by Michigan State Police and the FBI.

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Body of Missing Jenni-Lyn Watson Found - Ex Arrested

2010-11-28T06:25:00.000-08:00

Police have arrested the ex-boyfriend of Jenni-Lyn Watson, whose body was found in a storage shed near Clay Central Park, N.Y., Saturday afternoon. Steven Pieper, 21, has been charged with second-degree murder.

Pieper pled not guilty Saturday night to killing Watson and dumping her body in the park.

A prosecutor tells the Syracuse Post-Standard that Pieper, of Liverpool, N.Y., was held without bail because of the seriousness of the charge. It was not immediately clear if Pieper had a lawyer.

Watson and Pieper had an on-and-off relationship over an 18-month period, according to Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick, WSYR-TV reports.

The arrest comes hours after Watson's body was found in Clay Central Park, where the search has focused since she disappeared on Nov. 19.

Watson's family has been notified and will identify the remains. An autopsy is planned for Sunday morning, WSYR-TV reports.

A friend of Watson's, who spoke to FoxNews.com on condition of anonymity, said the young woman had recently broken off an engagement.

"The break-up didn't go as cordially as it should have," the friend said.

Eden Mishler, a dance major who had met Watson three years ago during her freshman year at Mercyhurst College, told The Associated Press that she had met Pieper several times but didn't know him that well.

"She would talk to us, just saying, after they broke up, that he was trying to contact her and friend request her on Facebook," the 21-year-old Mishler said. "She was avoiding him."

But she said the two had a rocky relationship, and there was some jealousy. Nevertheless, Mishler thought he cared for her.

Watson, 20, disappeared a day after returning home to Clay for Thanksgiving break. Undersheriff Warren Darby said Friday that more than 100 people were searching for her.

He said the search expanded from 600 acres to 1,200 acres. Watson -- 5-feet 2 inches tall and 100 lbs. with dirty blond hair and brown eyes -- was an accomplished ballerina and dance major at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa.

Friends describe Watson as a "sweetheart" who excelled in ballet for 16 years, performing with the prestigious Moscow Ballet.

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Memorial fo 10 Year Old Homicide Victim Zahra Baker

2010-11-28T06:16:00.000-08:00

A Celebration of Life Service for Zahra Clare Baker, the 10-year-old Australian girl whose courageous life and tragic death captivated many people in the Greater Hickory Metro area, will be Thursday at Drum Funeral Home.

The celebration service will be in the chapel of Drum Funeral Home, Hickory, at 7 p.m. The Rev. Larry Cooley will officiate. The service is open to the public.

Zahra, who survived a prolonged bout with cancer, was reported missing Oct. 9.

No one has been charged in her disappearance and death, and the investigation led by Hickory police is ongoing.

When Zahra was first reported missing Oct. 9, an Amber Alert was issued. But the investigation into her disappearance was changed to a homicide investigation Oct. 12. Repeated searches by law enforcement personnel covering parts of Catawba, Burke and Caldwell counties resulted in the unearthing of remains thought to be Zahra's.

These sites included Foothills Environmental landfill, woods along Christie Road where a bone and her prosthetic leg was found, and Dudley Shoals Road, where a child's skeletal remains were found Nov. 10. Hickory police confirmed Nov. 12 that the bone found on Christie Road belonged to Zahra.

The date and cause of Zahra's death have not been determined. Investigators are awaiting DNA and forensic information from the state medical examiner's office.

The family requests that instead of flowers, memorials in Zahra's name go to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.

Drum Funeral Home & Cremation Services is at 940 29th Ave., NE.

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Search for Missing NY Girl Turns to Woods

2010-11-27T05:21:00.000-08:00

Police in upstate New York were following up on leads Thursday for any clues in the case of a missing college student who disappeared last week while home for her Thanksgiving break.

Search and rescue teams in Clay, N.Y. -- about 14 miles outside of Syracuse -- have scoured a 600-acre wooded area near the home of 20-year-old Jenni-Lyn Watson, who was last seen Friday inside her Liverpool home.

Kelly Kinahan, a spokeswomen for the family, told FoxNews.com that authorities are focusing on the two-mile stretch of wooded land because that is where Watson's cell phone was last used.

Watson, an accomplished ballerina and dance major in her junior year at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa., was reported missing by her family on Friday. She had returned home from school on Nov. 18 for Thanksgiving vacation.

Her parents and sister reported last seeing her Friday morning, wearing a tan sweatshirt and blue, green and white pajamas. There was no sign of a struggle inside the home, police said.

"This is completely out of character," Kinahan said of Watson, whom she described as a talented and caring young woman.

Kinahan said she was "exhausted" from having just finished final exams and "her plans were to do nothing but rest for two days."

"She's always in contact with families and friends," Kinahan said.

Watson -- 5-feet-2 and 100 lbs. with dirty blond hair and brown eyes -- was reported missing after her family returned to their home Friday afternoon and found her gone. Her Verizon LG enV3 cell phone with a blue cover was also missing, but Watson's purse -- including her wallet and keys -- were left at the home, police sources told FoxNews.com.

Sgt. Robert Marshall of the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office said there are currently no leads or persons of interest in the case.

Marshall also said that police are looking to question the driver of a dark-colored pick-up truck that was seen driving in the area on the day Watson disappeared. He said the vehicle was spotted near the woman's home between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Onondaga County Undersheriff Warren Darby says the search for Watson has expanded from 600 acres to 1,200 acres. He says rescuers will resume searching Saturday.

Friends describe Watson as a "sweetheart" who excelled in ballet for 16 years, performing with the prestigious Moscow Ballet.

A friend of Watson's, who spoke to FoxNews.com on condition of anonymity, said the young woman had recently broken off an engagement.

"The break-up didn't go as cordially as it should have," the friend said.

Approximately 15,000 fliers with Watson's photo have been distributed. As of Thursday morning, a Facebook page devoted to her disappearance had drawn more than 22,000 members.

Family members held a vigil for Watson at a local church on Wednesday.

"Thank you to our friends, family and community for all of their love, support and efforts with posting fliers and raising awareness to help bring Jenni-Lyn home safe and soon," the family said in a statement. "Please continue with your prayers."

Authorities are urging anyone with information on Watson's whereabouts to contact sheriff's detectives at 315-435-3081.

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Two South Carolina Teens Found Dead

2010-11-26T06:57:00.000-08:00

Police are searching for a person of interest who they think might have information in the shooting deaths of two young women from South Carolina.

The bodies of Angela Brooks and Nancy Cushman were discovered in a wooded area by a passer-by early Thursday in Augusta. Brooks was 19 years old from Warrenville, S.C., and Cushman was 17 or 18 and from Warrenville or Beech Island.

The Augusta Chronicle reported that each had been shot at least once.

Authorities were searching for 26-year-old Travis Lorenzo Berrian who they believe could have information about the deaths.

Cushman's Cadillac Escalade was found abandoned about a mile and a half away. The women were last seen around 12:30 a.m. in the company of an unknown man.

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ALERT - College Student in New York Missing

2010-11-24T13:35:00.000-08:00

Police in upstate New York are scouring a heavily wooded area Wednesday for any sign of a missing college woman who disappeared while visiting her family for Thanksgiving.

Sgt. Robert Marshall of the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office told FoxNews.com that authorities are searching for 20-year-old Jenni-Lyn Watson, of Liverpool, N.Y., who was reported missing on Friday.

Marshall said the 200-acre wooded area under investigation is in Clay, N.Y. -- near Syracuse and within five miles of Watson's home, where she was last seen on Friday afternoon.

Marshall said police are also looking to question the driver of a dark-colored pick-up truck that was seen driving in the area on the day Watson disappeared. He said the vehicle was spotted near Jenni-Lyn's home between the hours of 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.

"This is abnormal for her," Marshall said of Watson, a ballerina and dance major at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa.

Search and rescue teams from neighboring counties, including the Oswego County Search and Rescue and the Cayuga County Search and Rescue, are assisting Onondaga police with the search.

Watson is described as a white female -- 5-feet-2 and 100 lbs. -- with dirty blond hair and brown eyes.

Police say Watson left her home carrying a Verizon LG enV3 cell phone with a blue cover.

Marshall said Wednesday that police are looking at Watson's cell phone records for any clues in the investigation. He said investigators so far have no leads.

Police are focusing on the wooded grounds near the woman's home because that is where her cell phone was last used, Marshall said. He declined to elaborate further.

A friend of Watson's, who spoke to FoxNews.com on condition of anonymity, said the young woman had recently broken off an engagement.

"The break-up didn't go as cordially as it should have," the friend said.

As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 19,000 people became members of a Facebook page devoted to finding Watson.

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Bone Found in Aruba - NOT NATALEE HOLLOWAY!

2010-11-23T12:28:00.000-08:00

A jawbone found on an Aruba beach does not belong to missing Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway, prosecutors in the Dutch Caribbean island said Tuesday.

The jawbone is human, though it is unclear who it belongs to.

Dutch investigators compared the lone tooth on the bone with dental records supplied by Holloway's family and "it can be ruled out that the bone fragment came from Natalee Holloway," the prosecutors said.

The bone was found recently by a tourist on a beach, and Aruba prosecutors had asked forensic scientists in the Netherlands to analyze it.

They assured that the Holloway case has "the constant attention from law enforcement on the island."

But John Kelly, an attorney for Holloway's mother, Beth Twitty, hinted that the media apparently found out first about the test results.

"Beth accepts the forensic conclusions, is emotionally exhausted from the inexplicably long wait and deeply disappointed in the time and manner in which she learned of the results," he said in a statement. "Apparently Aruban prosecutors were more sensitive to media concerns than the painful vigil of a mother."

It is unclear how exactly Twitty learned of the results. Family spokeswoman Sunny Tillman did not immedately return a message seeking comment.

Tuesday's announcement once again eliminates a hope of evidence about the fate of the Mountain Brook, Alabama, student who disappeared while on a high school graduation trip in 2005, when she was 18.

Aruba's attorney general, Taco Stein, told The Associated Press that officials do not know how old the bone is or where it might have come from.

"It's anybody's guess," he said. "We're a small island."

He speculated that it could even have come from nearby Venezuela or Curacao, given the intense hurricane season that churned the ocean.

Stein said authorities will check with police to see if the jawbone might belong to a missing person or the victim of an unsolved murder, but he said it was unlikely because Aruba only has a handful of those types of cases.

Holloway's parents, Dave Holloway and Beth Twitty, did not respond to calls for comment.

Family attorney Vinda de Sousa told The Associated Press that the family might issue a statement later.

Earlier in the day, Carol Standifer, who said she is a close friend of the teen's mother, told CBS's "The Early Show" that if the bone did belong to the missing teen, "there will be some semblance of closure."

Holloway was last seen leaving a bar with Dutchman Joran van der Sloot, the prime suspect in her disappearance, on the final night of her trip.

Aruba prosecutors have repeatedly said they lack evidence to charge Van der Sloot, who is in jail in Peru on charges of killing a 21-year-old woman last May 30 — five years to the day after Holloway's disappearance. He has denied killing Holloway.

U.S. law enforcement officials have charged Van der Sloot with trying to extort money from Holloway's mother to reveal the location of Holloway's body.

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Aruba Bone Test Results Due in Today in Holloway Case

2010-11-23T04:26:00.000-08:00

The results of the forensic analysis on a jawbone found this month in Aruba will be announced on Tuesday, potentially providing the first piece of concrete evidence in the death of missing American teenager Natalee Holloway.

Ann Angela, a spokeswoman for the Aruba Prosecutor's Office, told Fox News she did not have results of the analysis early Monday. Aruba Solicitor General Taco Stein will make a statement following the announcement, she said.

Dutch forensic experts have been comparing the bone to Holloway's dental records since it was found on the island on Nov. 12. Holloway disappeared during a high school trip to Aruba in 2005 and her remains have never been found, despite extensive police searches. If the bone turns out to be from the missing teen, it would be the first concrete evidence of her death.

Dutchman Joran van der Sloot, who faces separate murder charges in Peru, is the last person seen with Holloway and is suspected in her disappearance.

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Missing MO Teen Accused Ex-Boyfriend of Stalking

2010-11-23T04:24:00.000-08:00

A surveillance video shows 17-year-old Kara Kopetsky walking out of her high school on May 4, 2007, before classes let out.

She was having a bad day. She'd forgotten one of her textbooks, and that morning she called home and asked her mother to drop it off at the school office. She also asked her mother to wash her uniform so she could work the 4 p.m. shift at Popeye's Chicken.

A bad day got worse when Kara had an argument with one of her teachers in class, according to police and her family. Frustrated, she left campus about 10:30 a.m., ditching school for the rest of the day.

When Kara didn't come home from school as usual, her family -- mother Rhonda, stepfather Jim and stepbrother Thomas -- grew worried. They filed a missing persons report later that afternoon. Police told them they believed Kara was a runaway, and that she'd come back on her own in a few days.

More than three years later, no one can say what happened to the high school junior from Belton, Missouri.

The case remains cold, but her parents are now going public with new details about what was going on in Kara's life before she disappeared.

They say she was being stalked by a former boyfriend and had obtained a restraining order against him two weeks earlier. Police confirm that there was a pending domestic violence case and protective order naming the boyfriend, when Kara vanished. The charged were later dropped.

Investigators say the ex-boyfriend is a person of interest in the case, because he may have information as to her whereabouts and the relationship between the two was tumultuous before she vanished.

The boyfriend, whom we're not naming because he's not been charged, did not return CNN's calls seeking comment. A person who answered the phone at his lawyer's office said there would be no comment.

According to family and police and Kara's MySpace profile, the boyfriend lived in her neighborhood, was 18, and attended the same high school but dropped out earlier the spring Kara disappeared. She described their relationship as on and off.

Police say there has been no activity on Kara's cell phone since shortly after she walked out of school. They followed some pings from the phone, conducted some searches, but found nothing significant. Beyond that, they aren't commenting.

Her stepfather says the cell phone's long silence makes him suspicious.

"This doesn't make any sense," said Jim Beckford. "Kara was on her cell phone sending texts constantly. Her cell phone bill was typically 80-100 pages long."

She left behind most of her belongings -- money, clothes, iPod and a new carton of cigarettes. Her bank debit card was left in her school locker and her bank account, with $150 from her recent paycheck, remains untouched.

Initially, the Beckfords said, police told them to keep quiet about the alleged stalking case. But, because three years have gone by without any solid leads, they are speaking about a startling incident they say one week before Kara vanished.

Kara's parents say the ex-boyfriend showed up at Popeye's on April 28, 2007 and was kicked out of the restaurant by a supervisor. But he came back as Kara got off work at 10:30 p.m., parking his truck around the corner and waiting, according to the Beckfords and court documents.

When Kara left work, they say, he grabbed her and dragged her into his truck. A friend called Kara's cell phone and she answered, saying her former boyfriend had abducted her. Soon afterwards, he pulled off the interstate into a parking lot and Kara jumped out of the moving vehicle to safety. He drove off, leaving her behind.

Kara went to the police station the next day and filed charges and her mother filed for a protective order. In the petition, Kara states why: "Because I am unsure of what he will do next, because the abuse has gotten worse over time."

"We were asked by police to not talk about this" Rhonda Beckford said. "We were also asked by the Belton police to drop the abduction charges against Kara's boyfriend, just a few weeks after she vanished, as a strategy. In case her boyfriend did know where Kara was, he might be more willing to cooperate and help in the investigation if he weren't facing criminal charges."

According to police in Belton, the case is being actively investigated. But with no certain evidence of foul play, police continue to characterize Kara's disappearance as an endangered and missing adult case.

The state of Missouri considers Kara Kopetsky to be an adult because she was 17 when she disappeared.

Belton Police Capt. Don Spears said police are looking at several persons of interest, but haven't narrowed their investigation to focus on a single suspect. And, he said, police still cannot rule out the possibility that Kara simply ran away.

Her family says Kara has no history of running away.

"She is a very beautiful girl and so we often warned her to be careful, but like any teen, she had an attitude that she was invincible," her stepfather said.

An $85,000 reward is offered for tips leading to the whereabouts of Kara Kopetsky or the arrest of anyone responsible for her disappearance.

Police and family urge people to call the Belton Police Department's tip-line at 816-474-TIPS. Kara is described as 5 feet, 5 inches tall and 125 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes.

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Ohio Mom, Son and Friend Found Dismembered

2010-11-20T16:54:00.000-08:00

Two women and an 11-year-old boy were stabbed to death and dismembered before their remains were placed in a hollow tree, a coroner said Saturday, confirming the fears of many in this tiny Ohio town where the three went missing.

Preliminary autopsy reports show that Tina Herrmann, her son Kody Maynard and her friend Stephanie Sprang were attacked with a knife and stabbed multiple times in the back and chest, Knox County Coroner Jennifer Ogle said.

"They were then placed inside large plastic garbage bags and later lowered into the hollow of a large tree," Ogle said in a statement.

They died sometime on Nov. 11 and there were no signs of sexual assault, she said.

The search began on Nov. 12 after Herrmann failed to show up for work two days in a row and a co-worker who went to check on Herrmann at home found the place spattered with blood. Three days later, Herrmann's 13-year-old daughter, Sarah Maynard, was found bound and gagged in the basement of a home about 10 miles away.

Matthew Hoffman, an unemployed tree-trimmer, is accused of kidnapping the girl and keeping her for nearly four days in the basement of his home in Mount Vernon, about 10 miles west of Howard.

Hoffman gave information that led investigators to the bodies of the others, Knox County Sheriff David Barber said, and he is the only suspect in the killings. His attorney has declined to comment.

Authorities have said all three were killed in Herrmann's home in Howard, about 40 miles northeast of Columbus, in a lakefront neighborhood called Apple Valley.

Joe Pejsa, 45, said the family was told by investigators that the remains of the family dog -- a miniature pinscher named Tanner -- were found in the tree along with the bodies.

Pejsa, the uncle of Herrmann's former live-in boyfriend, said he was the first person allowed inside the home after investigators cleared the scene. He said he brought bottles of bleach to clean blood from the bathroom so that his nephew wouldn't have to see it.

"It was terrible," he said of the blood. "Everything led back to the bathroom."

Pejsa said the family has been moving some of the furniture out of the home and has hired a company to gut some of the rooms.

"Greg has no intention of coming back to this place," he said of Herrmann's former live-in boyfriend, Greg Borders, who is staying with Pejsa.

Pejsa said the family believed someone was watching them before they were killed. Several months ago, they saw a man in camouflage sitting on a stump across the street watching them, he said.

"There would be knocks at the door and people would take off," Pejsa said outside Herrmann's home.

He said Borders couldn't say for sure if the man on the stump was Hoffman, but he thought it was him.

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Natalee Holloway's Mom Speaks to Media About Bone

2010-11-20T08:26:00.000-08:00

The mother of missing Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway says she is anxious to hear whether a bone found on an Aruba beach belongs to her daughter.

"There is no good answer, whether it is Natalee or whether it isn't. But no answer at all is the most unbearable," Beth Holloway said in a statement to Birmingham's WBRC. "We appreciate everyone's loving care and concern and are anxious about the developments."

Tourists found the bone Nov. 12 on a beach on Caribbean island of Aruba, according to the Dutch daily De Telegraaf. The tourists turned the bone in to the front desk of the nearby Phoenix Hotel. Officials there subsequently notified police of the find.

On Wednesday, Aruban prosecutor Peter Blanken said an initial examination of the bone shows it is human and comes from a young woman. The prosecutor said a forensic expert in Aruba made the initial determination, but that a final determination would be made by the Netherlands Forensic Institute in The Hague, CNN reported.

Natalee's father, David Holloway, told The Associated Press he provided his daughter's dental records to authorities for testing, but has yet to receive any information.

"The authorities haven't confirmed anything with me," he told the AP. "It's pretty much total silence."

Holloway, 18, from Mountain Brook, Ala., disappeared on May 30, 2005, while on a trip to Aruba to celebrate her high school graduation. Her body has never been found.

Joran van der Sloot, a longtime suspect in Holloway's disappearance, is behind bars in Peru, accused of the May 30 slaying of Stephany Flores. The Peruvian business student was found dead in van der Sloot's hotel room in Lima on June 2. Van der Sloot has been charged with first-degree murder and robbery in the case. If convicted of Flores' murder, he could face 15 to 35 years in prison.

Beth Holloway has tried to get information out of van der Sloot on several occasions. In mid-September, she met with Dutch documentary filmmaker Peter R. de Vries in Peru. The two entered Castro Castro Prison, where Holloway was able to briefly confront the Dutchman.

Video footage of a confrontation between Holloway and van der Sloot was broadcast in the Netherlands earlier this month and again earlier this week on CNN's "Nancy Grace."

In the interview, Holloway can been seen sitting across from van der Sloot. According to Boston's Fox 25, van der Sloot was unaware he was being recorded.

Holloway told the Dutchman that she "can't close the book" but also said she did not harbor any hatred.

"I have not any hate in me," she told him. "I have none for you because I don't know you, Joran."

Holloway said she was aware van der Sloot wanted to make a plea deal in the Flores case and suggested she might be willing to help him if he provided information on her daughter.

"I won't do anything unless I get some information about Natalee," she said. "It's too late for Natalee, it's too late for Stephany, it's too late for me, but it's not too late for you ... to get your life back."

Van der Sloot said little during the meeting. According to CNN, he said it was "hard for me to talk to you" and promised to share more details in a letter.

In a recent interview with ABC's "Good Morning America," Holloway said she was prompted to travel to Peru by e-mails she had exchanged with van der Sloot in March, in which he allegedly indicated he would provide her with the location of Natalee's remains for $250,000.

Working with the FBI, Holloway''s attorney, John Kelly, provided van der Sloot with an initial payment of $10,000 in cash and wired him an additional $15,000. Holloway was to pay the remaining $225,000 to van der Sloot upon confirmation of her daughter's remains.

Van der Sloot kept the $25,000 but later confirmed by e-mail that the information he had provided was "worthless," according to federal authorities.

Not long after van der Sloot was arrested on suspicion of Flores' murder, federal authorities in Alabama charged him with extortion and wire fraud.

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Missing Teenager May Be Dead

2010-11-20T08:24:00.000-08:00

Authorities are trying to determine if a mutilated body discovered Monday in an upscale Boston suburb is that of missing North Mecklenburg High School sophomore Delvonte Tisdale.

Tisdale, 16, was reported missing Monday by relatives in Charlotte - the same day police found a body in Milton, Mass., with massive trauma to his entire body.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said Friday the body might be Tisdale, but a positive identification hasn't been made. Family members could not be reached by the Observer late Friday.

Local schools officials said Tisdale, a member of North Meck's Air Force JROTC program, last attended school Nov. 12. He was last seen around 11:30 p.m. Sunday, according to police reports.

Milton police on Wednesday released a photo of a note found in the victim's pocket. The note appeared to be a month-old hall pass with Tisdale's name. It also included the words "A lunch" and a scribbled signature with the date "10/19/2010."

According to stories published by the Boston Globe, Milton police said the victim suffered broken bones and severe trauma, particularly to the head. Additional evidence, including bone fragments, was discovered at the scene Tuesday.

Milton's Deputy Police Chief Charles Paris said officers have conducted numerous interviews, but have yet to speak with a person of interest in the case, the Globe reported.

The victim was described as a black male, possibly a teenager, about 5 feet, 7 inches, 120 pounds, with a slight build. He was found shirtless and shoeless, wearing blue jeans and gray boxer shorts. His fingerprints did not match any in a police database, police told the Globe.

Paris told the Observer on Friday an initial autopsy did not reveal a cause of death because the body had been so badly damaged.

Norman Brown Jr. of Baltimore, who said he is a friend of Tisdale's family, told the Observer on Friday that Tisdale's mother posted information on her Facebook page saying her son had died.

Brown, who asked people to pray for Tisdale on his Facebook page, said the teen had moved to North Carolina with his father a few years ago.

Brown said Tisdale was a respectful young man who made good grades in school.

"He's just an all-around likable person," Brown said. "I just can't fathom what could have happened."

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Mutilated Body Found May be Missing NC Teanager

2010-11-20T08:22:00.000-08:00

Authorities are trying to determine whether a mutilated body found on a quiet residential street in an upscale Boston suburb is that of a missing North Carolina teenager, MyFoxBoston.com reports.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police spokesman Robert Fey said Friday that detectives are working with police in Milton, Mass., to verify whether the victim is 16-year-old Delvonte Tisdale, according to the station.

The North Mecklenburg High School student was reportedly last seen in Charlotte, N.C., on Sunday. A missing person report was filed Monday, the same day the unidentified body was found in Milton.

The victim was not carrying identification.

Milton police began to investigate the link after a call from North Carolina authorities. Police have reportedly found what may be one of the two cars witnesses saw in the area before the body was discovered.

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Bone Found in Aruba is Young Woman's - Natalee Holloway Connection?

2010-11-18T06:44:00.000-08:00

A prosecutor in Aruba said an initial examination of a bone found on an Aruba beach shows it is human and belongs to a young woman, CNN reported. Authorities will now determine if it belongs to missing American teenager Natalee Holloway.

"I'm happy that it's human. And the initial finding is that it's from a young woman, so maybe we will be able to solve this case. I hope so. But we will wait to see what the findings are," Aruban prosecutor Peter Blanken told CNN.

The prosecutor said a forensic expert in Aruba made the initial determination. He cautioned that a final determination would be made by the Netherlands Forensic Institute in the Hague, but he did say the agency is "testing for a DNA match."

Tourists found the bone Nov. 12 on a beach on Caribbean island of Aruba, according to the Dutch daily De Telegraaf. The tourists turned the bone in to the front desk of the nearby Phoenix Hotel. Officials there subsequently notified police of the find.

Photos of the bone, which is believed to be a human lower jawbone, show a mandible with an intact molar, ABC News reported. According to CNN, experts will extract DNA from where the tooth meets the bone and compare it to DNA obtained from Holloway's biological parents.

Joran van der Sloot, a longtime suspect in Holloway's disappearance, is behind bars in Peru, accused of the May 30 slaying of Stephany Flores. The Peruvian business student was found dead in van der Sloot's hotel room in Lima on June 2. Van der Sloot has been charged with first-degree murder and robbery in the case. If convicted of Flores' murder, he could face 15 to 35 years in prison

Holloway, 18, from Mountain Brook, Ala., disappeared on May 30, 2005, while on a trip to Aruba to celebrate her high school graduation. Her body has never been found.

Inge Oevering, a spokeswoman for the forensic institute, told CNN it normally takes about a week for the agency to conduct a DNA test.

John Kelly, the attorney representing Holloway's mother, Beth Holloway, has not returned calls or e-mails seeking comment.

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