Bianca Jones: 2-year-old reported missing after carjacking

2-year-old Bianca Jones was allegedly kidnapped in a carjacking that occurred Friday morning in Detriot, Michigan. Bianca’s father, Deandre Lane, told reporters that he was driving with the little girl to her mother’s house when two men in a red car signaled to him that there was a problem with his taillights.  When he got out of his car, the men turned a gun on him and took off in the car, with little Bianca still strapped in her car seat.

Lane’s vehicle, a 2004 grey Mercury Grand Marquis, was recovered 20 minutes later a few blocks away from the carjacking site. The door was open and the engine was running, but Bianca was not inside, and the car seat was empty.

The carjacking suspects

Lane told police that the two men were driving a red compact car, which has not yet been located.  He described one of the suspects as being a black man, 6-foot-tall, and about 185 pounds. He was said to be wearing a black shirt and black pants. No info has been released about the second suspect.

Below is a police sketch of the first suspect:

As this case begins to make the rounds in the news, many people are questioning the validity of Lane’s story, including members of his own family. WXYZ-TV is reporting that relatives have said that Lane called his live-in girlfriend immediately after the carjacking, even before he called police.

Bianca’s father

According to Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee, Lane’s story is being intensively investigated. Police have searched his house, but have not said if anything of interest was found. On Sunday, Godbee, along with Bianca’s mother, Bonika Jones, held a press conference. Jones pleaded with the kidnappers to please let her daughter go, and Bianca’s 7-year-old sister also begged to have her sister back.

Godbee told reporters that Lane is being held on an outstanding warrant for an unrelated matter in another jurisdiction. He confirmed that Lane was given a polygraph test, but declined to say what the results of that test were.

Detroit’s Action News has reported that he failed the polygraph, although I have yet to read any confirmation of that from a police source.

Lane currently lives with his girlfriend, and they have a 2-year-old daughter together as well. Lane’s girlfriend spoke to reporters and told them she last saw Bianca when Lane left their home with her at 7:30 a.m. on Friday morning. Bianca had been staying with them for the past week, and was expected to stay with them a little longer.

Timeline

Below is a timeline of events the morning of November 2, 2011, as told by Deandre Lane, and as reported by the local Detroit media.

7:30 a.m. – Lane’s girlfriend sees him leave their home with Bianca

9:55 a.m. – Lane is driving to Bianca’s mother’s home when two men carjack him

10:15 a.m. – Lane’s car, a grey Grand Marquis, is discovered a few blocks away

Everyone in the Detroit area needs to be on the lookout for Bianca. She is said to have braided hair and was last seen wearing a pink skirt, pink tights, pink shoes, and a purple coat with gold piping.

There is a $17,500 reward for info leading to her whereabouts.  If anyone has any information regarding her disappearance, they are asked to call 1-800-SPEAKUP (anonymous) or the Detroit Police Department : 313-596-2170.

I will post any updates below.

UPDATE: 12/5 12:40 PM CST

New details about the investigation into Bianca’s disappearance are emerging today, and the news isn’t exactly comforting. According to Local 4 News, FBI investigators searched Lane’s home late last night, and recovered a “significant amount of evidence.” No report on what exactly the evidence is yet, but that can’t be a good thing for Bianca.

Police have also received tips that Lane had been spotted behind Wayne Community College near the Detroit River, sometime in the hours before the alleged carjacking. Lane is also reportedly seen on school surveillance tape dropping off a 15-year-old nephew at approximately 8:10 a.m. Friday. That nephew has allegedly told police that Bianca was in the car when he was dropped off.

A report has also surfaced about investigators interviewing a Wayne County inmate about what he knows about Bianca’s disappearance. Who this inmate could be is anyone’s guess, but my first thought is that it might be someone who has communicated with Lane while he was there over this last weekend.

Police have set up a roadblock in Bianca’s neighborhood this morning, and are questioning any passing drivers about whether they saw anything suspicious the morning of her disappearance.

UPDATE: 12/5 2:55 PM CST

A reporter from Local 4 News is reporting that a police source has told them Lane has hired an attorney, and is no longer cooperating with police.

SOURCES:

– http://abcnews.go.com/US/year-girl-missing-armed-carjacking-detroit/story?id=15083624#.Ttv-8NV7ePV

– http://www.detnews.com/article/20111204/METRO/112040322/1409/metro/Police-question-dad-s-story-in-case-of-missing-Detroit-girl

– http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2011/12/report_father_of_missing_2-yea.html

– http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/Detroit-police-fan-out-to-search-for-missing-girl/-/1719418/4863614/-/cspr2nz/-/index.html

– http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/detroit/detroit-police-investigate-carjacking-and-missing-two-year-old?chief-amber

Suspect named in Michelle Parker’s disappearance

Below is a link to my first entry about Michelle Parker:

• Orlando mom missing after appearing on TV show

Michelle Parker’s ex-fiance, Dale Smith Jr., has officially been named a suspect in her disappearance, according to a news conference police held earlier this afternoon. Smith had argued with Parker on an episode of The People’s Court, which aired on November 17th, the same day Parker disappeared.

According to Orlando Police Chief Paul Rooney, police have asked Smith to take a polygraph and he has refused.  Parker’s mother, sister, and brother also addressed the media and pleaded with Smith to come forward with anything he knows.

Over the weekend, SWAT teams raided Smith’s father’s house, but it’s not known what, if anything, they found in the raid. That house is about two miles away from where Parker’s cell phone was powered off at around 8 p.m. the day she went missing.

When asked by reporters if she had heard from Smith or any of his family members, Parker’s mother said that she hadn’t. I find this to be extremely bizarre. If the mother of your grandchildren suddenly went missing, wouldn’t you call her family to see if you can help look for her? The fact that they seem to be avoiding Parker’s family, along with the fact that police raided Smith’s father’s house, makes me wonder if they could possibly know something about Parker’s disappearance.

Parker’s family also told reporters that they still need help with the search. This is one of those times where I wish I lived close so I could help. If you are reading this and know anyone in the Orlando area, please help to get the word out. Here is the link to the Help Find Michelle Facebook page – http://www.facebook.com/michelleparkermissingperson.

Crimeline is offering a reward of $5,000 for information leading to Michelle Parker. The anonymous tipline is (800) 423-TIPS (8477).

I’ll post any more updates below.

UPDATE: 11/29 6:05 PM

The Florida Department of Children and Families now has custody of Parker and Smith’s 3-year-old twins, and an emergency shelter hearing will take place tomorrow morning at 10:30 EST.

Smith has also retained Mark NeJame, a high-profile attorney from Orlando. If you recognize the name, that’s because he was an attorney for George and Cindy Anthony, as well as for Texas Equusearch, during the Casey Anthony case.

During a press conference earlier today, NeJame noted that Smith has not been out searching for Parker or comforting her family, because he was busy taking care of their twins. Now that he no longer has to worry about that, let’s see if he actually does something, or if that was a line of BS.

Brad Parker, Michelle Parker’s father, called into the Nancy Grace show tonight, and told her that he suspected that Smith was involved in Parker’s disappearance from day one. When asked why he felt that way, he said it was because of the abusive way Smith treated her. According to her father, he was “very abusive.” On the subject of The People’s Court episode, Brad Parker said he heard that Smith was embarrassed about his portrayal on the show.

Nancy Grace also reported that Smith has quite a violent past.

20 years ago, Smith was a co-defendant in a murder case. He and a bunch of friends attacked two guys coming out of a nightclub. One of his friends stabbed and killed one guy, and Smith kicked the other guy in the head. His friend pleaded guilty to 2nd degree murder, and Smith pleaded no contest for attempted aggravated battery. Smith served six months in prison.

A few years after his prison stint, he joined the military and was eventually discharged, due to domestic abuse. It certainly seems as though Smith has some violent tendencies, huh?

Since the children have been taken away from him, I’m thinking there will be an arrest soon.

UPDATE: 11/30 8:15 PM

At the emergency hearing today, the judge ruled that there was not enough evidence to show that Smith is a danger to his children, and ordered that the children be returned to him.

UPDATE: 12/7 8 PM CST

As the searches for Michelle Parker continue, reports surfaced today that Parker’s iphone has been found. No word on where it was found yet, but hopefully this is another step towards finding her.

SOURCES:

– http://www.wftv.com/videos/news/news-conference-police-name-suspect-in-missing-mom/vFLBz/

– http://www.cfnews13.com/article/news/2011/november/350182/Police-name-ex-fianc&eacute%3B-as-suspect-in-search-for-missing-mom

Joran Van Der Sloot’s “Guardian Angel”

File this one under “disturbing.”

Joran Van Der Sloot, the notorious psychopath who confessed to the murder of Stephany Flores in Peru, and who was the last person to see Natalee Holloway alive,  has found an admirer in Dr. Mary Hamer, a Lake City, Florida radiologist. Hamer has been supporting Van Der Sloot for more than a year, and is convinced of his innocence.

In this interview, Hamer claims that Van Der Sloot is the victim of an “international conspiracy” that involves “a lot of people.”  She says that he is a “very genuine and beautiful person” and that he has concern for the Flores family, animals, and the planet Earth.

Hamer goes on to detail how she contributes to Van Der Sloot’s legal fees, sends him care packages, and even visits him every six months.  She even refers to herself as his guardian angel and spiritual guide.

Mmmmmhmmm.

SOURCES:

– http://www.rnw.nl/english/video/joran-van-der-sloots-guardian-angel

Orlando mom missing after appearing on TV show

Michelle Parker, a 33-year-old mother of three, disappeared from Orlando last Thursday, November 17th, just a few hours after appearing on a taped episode of The People’s Court with her ex-fiance, Dale Smith.  She was last seen dropping off her kids at Smith’s house at about 2:30 p.m. According to Smith, she dropped off their 3-year-old twins and then told him she was going shopping.

At 3:30 p.m., Parker’s 11-year-old son from a previous relationship returned home from school to find an empty house. He called his grandma, Yvonne Stewart, to ask where his mother was, and Stewart told him that she should have already returned home.

At about 4:30 p.m., a text message was sent from Parker’s phone to her brother, in response to her brother’s text, asking where she was. The text message simply said “Waterford,” which is a shopping area located across town. Parker’s family became suspicious at the one-word answer, and called the police.

Parker was reportedly due to show up for her bartending shift at The Barn in Sanford at 6 p.m. that night, but never showed up. Stewart told WKMG that police told her they tracked Parker’s cell phone, and it was never in the Waterford area that day. Police say Parker’s phone was powered off in the south Orlando area at about 8 p.m. Thursday night, and has been dead ever since. The phone is still missing.

On Friday, Parker’s Hummer SUV was found abandoned on the west side of Orlando, near a shopping mall that she allegedly rarely shopped at. Decals that had previously been on the car had been removed.

Jhessye Shockley Update: Mother In Custody

Below is a link to my first entry about Jhessye Shockley:

• 5-year-old girl missing from Glendale, AZ

The mother of missing 5-year-old Jhessye Shockley, Jerice Hunter, was arrested on charges of child abuse this morning, and according to a police press conference held this afternoon, the abuse is directly related to Jhessye.

Police also said Hunter is their sole suspect in Jhessye’s disappearance and that they believe it is “highly unlikely” they will find Jhessye alive.

Police served a second search warrant on Hunter’s home early this morning, and arrested Hunter once they got there. They wont say what evidence they collected, or what led to the arrest, but they did say that as of this past week, they are now convinced Hunter is responsible for Jhessye’s disappearance. I’m pretty sure we all could have seen this one coming. This mother is absolutely despicable, and I can’t stop thinking about poor little Jhessye and her siblings, who are now in state custody. The fact that this horrible woman beat her children and then continued to pro-create makes me sick to my stomach. None of those kids deserve the crappy lives their mother has given them so far, and it is truly heartbreaking to think of what they’ve had to endure.

The reward for information leading to Jhessye has now been set at $25,000.

UPDATE: 11/22 2:35 PM

Hunter was in court earlier today, pleading her innocence. She was jailed on a $100,000 bond and I pray to god that no one bails her out.

Shortly after the hearing, police released the Probable Cause Statement, which is their basis for the arrest.  I will link it below, but I must warn you that it is EXTREMELY disturbing.  If you don’t want to read it, I will briefly summarize it by saying that Hunter’s other children ended up talking to their foster families about the abuse that Hunter caused to Jhessye.  All of her children’s stories match, and they are all equally horrifying.

I’m as liberal as they come, but I hope she never sees the light of day again.

Probable Cause Statement

UPDATE: 11/28 8:35 PM

Hunter was released from custody this morning, when police decided not to file any official child abuse charges against her “at this time.” Police say that the decision by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office not to pursue a case right now is so “further investigation can be completed.”

It breaks my heart to type this, but I truly believe that Jhessye is no longer alive, and so I’m hoping that “further investigation” means that they are planning a capital murder case against Hunter.

I can’t believe this woman is free for even another day, but I also believe that everyone deserves their day in court. And if police need a little more time to solidify their case against her, I’m okay with it, as frustrating as it is.

SOURCES:

– http://www.arizonadailyindependent.com/2011/11/glendale-police-arrest-mother-in.html

– http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/LaurieRoberts/149230

Washington Nationals catcher kidnapped in Venezuela

Photo courtesy of espn.com

Major league baseball catcher Wilson Ramos was kidnapped from his home in Venezuela last night by four gunmen. Ramos had just finished his rookie season with the Washington Nationals, and was back in his hometown to play for the Aragua Tigers, in Venezuela’s winter league.

Kathe Vilera, a spokesperson for the Tigers took to her Twitter account last night to confirm the news:

“We are still waiting for any news about Wilson Ramos… all the authorities are working in the case… We need to be patience and pray.”

According to CBS news, Ramos, 24, was approached by four armed men and taken away in an SUV at about 6:45 p.m. last night.

A person close to Ramos’ family, who asked not to be quoted by name out of safety concerns, said the catcher was at home with his father and brothers when several men “entered the house and took him away.”

“As of this hour, there has been no contact” between the kidnappers and Ramos’ family, the person said.

Kidnappings like this in Venezuela are apparently quite common, with kidnappers often abducting wealthy people, and then demanding a large ransom.  The fact that the family has not yet heard from the kidnappers yet is troubling, but hopefully they will hear something soon, and Ramos will be let go.

Updates will be posted below.

UPDATE: 11/10 10:40 AM

The Associated Press is reporting that the vehicle that was used to kidnap Ramos has been recovered from a nearby town. No word yet from his captors.

UPDATE: 11/11 11 PM

Wilson Ramos has been rescued, and is safe in Venezuela, according to CBSNews.com:

The kidnapping ordeal of Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos ended after two days when Venezuelan police commandos swooped in to rescue him in a flurry of gunfire and arrested five alleged abductors.

Ramos said he was happy and thankful to be alive, and that the final moments had been hair-raising as police and the kidnappers exchanged heavy fire in the remote mountainous area where he was being held.

The kidnappers reportedly told Ramos that they planned on asking for a big ransom from his family members, before he was rescued.

I just love a happy ending. 🙂

SOURCES:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-400_162-57322219/nationals-wilson-ramos-kidnapped-in-venezuela/

http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/10/world/americas/venezuela-mlb-player-kidnapped/index.html

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/dailypitch/post/2011/11/nationals-catcher-wilson-ramos-reportedly-kidnapped-in-venezuela/1

Where is Lenny Harris?

Photo provided by City of Alexandria Facebook page

A popular community activist has been missing from Alexandria, Virginia since September 21. Lenny Harris, 53, was scheduled to give a presentation at the Alexandria Adult Detention Center, but he never made it there. He was last seen at the Charles Houston Rec Center in Old Town, where witnesses say he received a call on his cell phone, and then left in his car. Police say Lenny is believed to be in danger.

Authorities found Lenny’s wallet and cell phone the next afternoon on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, after his wife used her computer to track the phone’s whereabouts. Lenny’s car, a 1994 light blue Toyota Corolla, turned up about three weeks later, in the parking lot of an apartment complex, not far from where he went missing.

Police are asking for help identifying a vehicle that was caught on surveillance tape during an attempt to use one of Lenny’s credit cards at midnight the night of his disappearance. The car appears to be a white Dodge Caravan with no front license plates – see below for a photo from the surveillance video. The attempted credit card usage was in Prince Georges County, Maryland.

Another attempt to use Lenny’s credit card came about an hour later at another ATM across town. Police have released the below image of a man at the ATM, as he tries to use Lenny’s card. He appears to be a black male with a mustache and small goatee. He has a muscular build and tattoos on his right and left forearm. Police are saying he is a “person of interest.”

Unfortunately, this isn’t looking like it’s going to have a positive outcome, although you never know in these cases. It’s possible Lenny left on his own accord, and this guy attempting to use his credit cards could have just found his wallet, having nothing to do with his disappearance.  It’s also possible that something horrible happened to Lenny at the hands of this man.  Either way, Lenny needs to be found – he is a husband, a father, and does amazing things for his community.

Lenny is described as 6’1”, 210 pounds and has dark hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a gray sweat top and gray sweat pants.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Lenwood “Lenny” Harris is asked to call the Criminal Investigations Section of the Alexandria Police Department at 703.746.4711 or the non-emergency number at 703.838.4444.

SOURCES:

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Missing_Man_in_Alexandria_Washington_DC-130483913.html

http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/local/after-vehicle-is-found-family-remains-hopeful-in-finding-alexandria-man-lenny-harris-101211

Mystery in Coronado: Suicide or Murder?

On July 11, Coronado police were called to the home of Jonah Shacknai, founder/CEO of a pharmaceutical company, after receiving a 911 call that a little boy had fallen down the mansion stairs. Max Shacknai, Jonah’s 6-year-old son, had been at home with Jonah’s girlfriend Rebecca Zahau, 32, and Rebecca’s 13-year-old sister, when the accident occurred. Max was rushed to the hospital, and was kept there for several days, before tragically passing away.

Two days later on July 13, police received another 911 call from the home, this time from Jonah’s brother, reporting that he had found Rebecca’s body hanging from the upstairs balcony. She was naked, her feet were bound together, and her wrists were tied together behind her back. There was a message scrawled on the bedroom door in black paint that said “She saved him can you save her?”

Police investigated Rebecca’s death, and concluded that Rebecca had hanged herself. Rebecca’s family contends that she would never commit suicide, and cites some unusual circumstances in the autopsy report to prove it. They believe she was murdered.

So what really happened to Rebecca?

Teen Serial Killer in Canada

Cody Legebokoff, now 21 years old

Cody Legebokoff came off as an average, sports-loving, friendly teenager to everyone who knew him. But according to police, Cody is also a serial killer.

When Cody was first arrested late last year and charged with the murder of 15-year-old Loren Donn Leslie, the local community of Fort St. James, B.C., a town of only 1,500, was in disbelief. Now police say they have enough evidence to link Cody to the slayings of three other women, and there may even be more.

Last week, police announced to the media that they are charging Cody with the murders of Cynthia Frances Maas, 35, Natasha Lynn Montgomery, 23, and Jill Stacey Stuchenko, 35. All three women were allegedly escorts that Cody had possibly met online.

Police say Cody started his crime spree in October 2009, when he was just 19 years old. I’m not sure if this makes him the youngest serial killer in history, but it definitely makes him the youngest one I’ve ever read about.

Cody was arrested in November 2010, after being spotted speeding away from a deserted highway. A police officer pulled up to where he had sped away from, and found Loren’s body.

Police aren’t saying much about the victims or how they died, but if you click here, there are more details about who they were.

How Cody Lured His Victims

Police say Cody went by the username “1Countryboy” and used social media and dating sites to meet his victims. They have gone through thousands of text messages, and say the 10-month investigation is continuing.

Does this guy remind anyone of Phil Markoff aka The Craigslist Killer? From the little boy look to the use of the internet to meet his victims…Cody was also rumored to have had a girlfriend at the time he was arrested, just like Markhoff.

Cody will be tried for all four murders under one indictment, at one trial. There is a hearing scheduled for Monday, and I will post updates below.

SOURCES:

– http://www.torontosun.com/2011/10/19/accused-serial-killer-was-a-totally-typical-kid

– http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/tens-of-thousands-of-text-messages-linked-to-accused-serial-killer/article2205888/

– http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/10/18/cody-alan-legebokoff-suspected-serial-killer/#more-101006

– http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/10/26/bc-legebokoff-direct-indictment.html

5-year-old girl missing from Glendale, AZ

Photo provided by the Glendale PD

Scroll down for updates…

I feel compelled to write about this beautiful little 5-year-old girl who, like most missing children, is not getting enough media attention. Jhessye Shockley (pronounced ‘Jess-ee’) was last seen on October 11 at her home in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb outside of Phoenix.  Jhessye’s mom, Jerice Hunter, left Jhessye and her three siblings home alone while she went to run some errands. When she returned home, the front door was unlocked and Jhessye was nowhere to be found. Hunter then walked around to her neighbors’ houses, asking if they had seen Jhessye, before calling 911.

Hunter has a bit of a criminal past, and some of it alarmingly has to do child abuse. Hunter served three and a half years in state prison in 2005, after pleading no contest to abusing her other children. According to the Huffington Post, Jhessye’s father, George Shockley, is a convicted sex offender and is currently still in prison. Some relatives have spoken to the media, saying they suspected Jhessye may have been an abused child, while Hunter says that people need to stop focusing on her past.

Jhessye’s siblings have since been removed from the home by Arizona Child Protective Services, and are now in state custody. The reason for this hasn’t been made public as of this posting, but it sure does raise some red flags. Police say they had nothing to do with the removal of her other children, however, and that Hunter is not a suspect.

Hunter is currently 8 months pregnant with her fifth child, and according to her mother, is now on bed rest.

Jhessye was last seen wearing blue jean shorts, a white T-shirt and pink flip flops. People are asked to call 623-930-Help with any tips. There is an $11,000 reward for anyone who has info leading to Jhessye.

UPDATE: 10/29 2:30 PM

More details are coming out about Jerice Hunter’s prior arrest. Click here to read about it, but I have to warn you that reading about what Hunter and Shockley did to her other kids might make you want to vomit.

After reading that, I think it’s a bit hard to believe that it’s just a coincidence that Hunter spent time in prison for essentially beating her children, and now one of her children goes missing. To beat a child, you have to have some pretty serious anger issues.  I understand that Hunter served her time and paid her debt to society for her crimes, but an anger problem like that doesn’t just go away. It seems unlikely that she would spend four years in prison, and the anger would have just disappeared. Was Hunter angry at Jhessye the day she disappeared?

Jhessye’s relatives say they were convinced that Jhessye and her siblings were being abused. In fact, they even reported their suspicions numerous times to Child Protective Services. My heart is seriously breaking right now, and I want to give Hunter the benefit of the doubt, but it’s hard.

What I would like to know is, how was Hunter allowed to leave prison and instantly regain custody of her children that she had been in prison for abusing? There is something seriously flawed with the system.

Another thing I’ve been thinking about is Jhessye’s father, George Shockley, who is still in prison on the same child abuse charges. Does Hunter still have a relationship with him? Could he be angry with her because he is still serving time while she is out? Did he send someone to kidnap their daughter?

As always with these cases, so many questions…

UPDATE #2 11/3 10:00 AM

Glendale police have come out and said that Jhessye was absent from school for a “period of time” leading up to her disappearance, which now brings into question when Jhessye really disappeared. Residents of the complex where Jhessye lived say they last saw her on the Sunday before she was reported missing the following Tuesday.

Hunter gave birth to her fifth child last week, and the baby was immediately removed by Child Protective Services.

SOURCES:

– http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20111026/ZNYT02/110263013/-1/news?p=1&tc=pg&tc=ar

– http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/25/jahessye-shockley-search_n_1031277.html

– http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/27/us/search-in-arizona-for-missing-girl-jhessye-shockley-leads-some-to-question-her-mother-jerice-hunter.html

– http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/LaurieRoberts/146522

– http://www.azfamily.com/news/New-details-as-search-for-missing-girl-stretches-into-third-week-133044233.htm