Amber Alert: Roji Davenport, Age 3 - Found Safe
UPDATE 5/20/08 - Turns out Roji Davenport was never missing, and the woman who reported him missing may not even be his mother. The child’s identity is in question, but he is safe with “family members”, although police don’t specify who has the child. More details at the bottom of the article.
Smithfield, NC - Siraj Munir Davenport, called “Roji”, is three years old, and he has been missing for almost 24 hours as I type this. Roji was last seen at the Brightleaf Flea Market in Smithfield at about 11:00 a.m. on Sunday. Roji’s mother told police she was loading fruits and vegetables into the family car with Roji beside her. But when she looked down after only a moment, Roji was nowhere to be seen.
Police shut down the flea market when they arrived and searched customer cars. They’ve even checked out the Neuse River nearby. A large ground search was in progress, but had to be stopped at about 6:00 Sunday evening for weather concerns. Searches are resuming today. So far, no evidence or traces have been found of the little boy.
Roji is just three feet tall and weighs about 35 pounds. He has dark brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a light blue T-shirt with a yellow truck on the front, dark blue sweat pants and Adidas tennis shoes when he was last seen.
The FBI is already on the ground and working the case along with local law enforcement. Anyone with any information at all is asked to please call 911 or the Johnston County Emergency Services at 919-934-9411.
UPDATE 5/20/08 - Early this morning, Siraj Munir “Roji” Davenport was found safe and unharmed, although police aren’t saying where.  But as today has progressed, details have trickled out of the Smithfield Police Department, and each update is a little weirder than the last.
The latest news: Roji’s name may not even be Davenport, and his mother may not be his mother at all.  Police Chief Steve Gillikin said in a press conference today that “the child was never at the flea market. We know that for a fact. The child was never here in Smithfield during the incident.”
About the possible family relationship between Roji and Rosnah Thomason, the woman who reported him missing, Gillikin said, “There’s people involved in this… we don’t know, at this particular point, what the relationships are. There is a father somewhere. There is a mother somewhere, and that’s going to be part of the ongoing investigation.”
Some sources close to the family claim that the boy known as Roji is out of the country with his father, and was never in any danger at all. They can’t say why Thomason would have reported him missing.
Interesting….new report on wral says the boys exact whereabouts are not known, but quotes a relative as saying he’s overseas.. Since they said the father was overseas, makes me wonder if the fam wasn’t having probs, the dad went abroad with the boy, and the mom decided to stage this fiasco to get him back here, somehow.
Though it’s not being reported as any sort of abduction. Curiouser and curiouser…
Either that or she had a total break with reality.
better to win fame this way then blowing up people shopping at the mall…
I think this woman will get charged at the end of the investigation - maybe even if it is … inducing panic.
This story is really weird !
Hold up, this lady isnt the mother??? On the news, they had his preschool teacher on there talking about him. At no point did the teacher know that he was out of the country, or that the lady who reported him missing wasnt him mom? This is really bizarre
“Tammy Locklear, 38, a co-worker of Thomason’s at Angel Home Health Care, said she thinks it most likely the boy was abducted. Raji was not the type of boy to wander off on his own, she said. “Even when we went to the movies, he would hold onto his mother’s pocketbook,” she said. “He asks his mother before he does anything.”"
“Davenport and Thomason are not married, authorities said. Although Raji’s last name is Davenport, police said, they are not sure Davenport is the biological father. Davenport has lived off Go Cart Road in Four Oaks for about seven years, neighbors said. Thomason and Raji joined Davenport in Four Oaks in August.”
Hmmmm - from the EcoQuest website -
Kathy Davenport - CEO
With over 14 years of experience in the Incentive Travel and Production Media business and three successful startups of her own, Kathy is a savvy business adventurist. A passionate environmentalist and a curious traveler, she strives to organize the most affordable, socially and ecologically responsible expeditions for EcoQuest Travel. Kathy’s wealth of business background ensures positive guidance and health of the company, and her personable management and networking skills have helped her build a reputation of true leadership.
Dave Davenport - President and Zoologist
A zoologist with degrees from Coe College and North Carolina State University, his research has focused primarily on reptiles, amphibians, birds, and coral reef fish. He has traveled extensively on five continents in addition to his two-year stay in Laos while conducting research on reptiles and amphibians. Naturally, his love, enthusiasm, and in depth knowledge of animals make Dave an excellent guide and his extensive travel experience make him an ideal trip organizer and leader.
It looks like Rosnah Thomason probably IS Roji/Raji’s biomom.
From http://www.theherald-nc.com/front/story/8258.html :
(Rodnah) Thomason lives in her Four Oaks home with David Davenport, a zoologist she met while attending school in another state, Johnson said. Davenport was in Vietnam on a work-related assignment earlier this week when he was notified that his son had been reported missing.
Police in Smithfield confirmed on Tuesday that Siraj Davenport is safe and outside the country. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is probing his whereabouts; meanwhile, Johnson said she knows that the boy can’t be with his father. She said David Davenport left the United States on Thursday, three days before Siraj disappeared.
This is still so odd. So he’s not with the dad, and she still claims Siraj disappeared? Who is it that knows he’s out of the country, who is he with, and why would she not know about it? This case really has me sitting on the edge of my seat.
Anything new on this story? I also am wanting to know what the deal is here. It’s very odd.
Time for a wild guess:
1) Mom(Rosnah Thomason) and dad(David Davenport) are not really that committed to each other.
2) Mom wants dad to have stronger paternal bonds with the child (Siraj Munir Davenport).
3) Mom hides the child with an aunt or other relative.
4) Mom fakes the disappearance, and hopes dad will be in anguish. She hopes dad realizes that he really does want close ties with the child and hopes Dad comes running home frantic to find the child.
5) Once Dad is home, the child magically appears (Aunt Jane borrowed him for a visit, supposedly unbeknownst to mom) and the family has a wonderful reunion.
6) Next, mom thought that dad would decide that he never wants to “lose” the child again, and the three live happily ever after.
Personally, I think mom has watched too much TV (that plan is so crazy, it just might work!)
Anyone have a better scenario?