two year old Aisling Symes is missing *found deceased*

[dawnmpeters]

she is a cutie patootie!

It's every parents' worst nightmare and grave fears are mounting for a missing two-year-old girl.

About 100 people have been scouring the area of the west Auckland suburb of Henderson from where Aisling Symes went missing about 5.30pm Monday.

No stone is being left unturned in the search.

A hundred police and search and rescue officers have been combing their way through five streets surrounding the Henderson house where little Aisling disappeared, and the creek behind them.

A child's t-shirt has been found in the creek on Tuesday. Police can't yet confirm the t-shirt belonged to Aisling.

Inspector Gary Davey of Waitakere police says the girl's disappearance is a very serious concern for police. He says police know that Aisling liked the water.

The two-year-old went missing from the front yard of her late maternal grandparents' home.

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Her parents were inside cleaning it, ready to sell.

"I think Aisling probably went into that house possibly thinking she would see granny and grandpa and they weren't there so she might have gone off," says Ailywn Symes, grandmother.

Her family say she was a typical curious two-year-old.

Dozens of neighbours and locals have joined in the hunt.

It's just sad that there is a little kid out by herself. I've got a three-year-old little brother and he's gone missing before," says a young local.

Aisling's parents, older sister and relatives spent Tuesday at the home she disappeared from praying for her return.

"Our best hope at this stage is that somebody's rescued her and for some reason hasn't come forward," says Aithne Potts, Aisling's aunty.

Police are still waiting to hear from an Asian woman in her mid-thirties seen approaching the toddler shortly before she disappeared.

"She was seen walking up behind her, touching her on the shoulder and walking around the corner. Our hope is that she was trying to help her," says Davey.

Meanwhile, the search continues and police from Whangarei and Hamilton are on stand-by to help if it continues on Wednesday.

But as another cold night fell, everyone was hoping for good news before then.

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/fami...oddler-3050270

[dawnmpeters]

Searchers have been focussing on a near by creek where a child's T-shirt was found, but authorities have not confirmed the T-Shirt belongs to Aisling.

A search was called off around 7pm on Tuesday night but police are meeting first thing on Wednesday morning to decide their next step.

Police still want to hear from the Asian woman, seen approaching the toddler before she disappeared.

The Asian woman seemed to be in her 30s, about 165cm tall with a medium build and long straight black hair.

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/sear...oddler-3050762

[AngelFire]

Oh no, I hope she is alive and well. I will keep my fingers crossed. Please keep us updated.

[dawnmpeters]

The aunt of missing Auckland two-year-old Aisling Symes has issued an emotional plea to the person who might have abducted the toddler.

Family spokesperson Aithne Potts said her family was desperately worried about the little girl, who loves cheese, toast and strawberries.

"If you are the person who has my niece, we don't know why you wouldn't have told us. We don't understand why its been so long and we know nothing, so please tell us where she is.

"We just want her home".

Mrs Potts asked that anyone who may know where the toddler is contact police.

Aisling is a bubbly, energetic little girl who loved to play with her dolls and dance, Mrs Potts said.

The toddler loves to eat, and the family thought she would probably eat any food offered to her.

Aisling is "a social little girl" who came from a big extended family and went to church so would probably be comfortable with other people.

Meanwhile, police have widened their search for Aisling and are now focusing their efforts on the possibility she could have been abducted.

Inspector Gary Davey said earlier today that, given the extensive and thorough nature of the search, he was becoming more and more alarmed that the two-year-old had not been found.

"Police must turn their mind more and more to the possibility that she may have been abducted."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/2938...-Aislings-aunt

[skeptik]

Oh no. Where is this kid?

[scorpiogirl]

i'm having problems posting her pic from that link

[Dakota Valkyrie]

The detective leading the inquiry into the disappearance of West Auckland toddler Aisling Symes has admitted foul play is a likely possibility.

The two-year-old was last seen on Monday evening. Detectives now believe she cannot be in their search area, and have warned the family she may have been abducted.

Police responded swiftly to the call of a concerned neighbour following the sighting of an Asian woman walking a dog, similar to the woman a witness described near Aisling on Monday.

Police had spoken to this woman earlier and ruled her out, but another Asian woman a witness described walking a black and grey dog is becoming increasingly central to their investigation. They say they are surprised they have not yet heard from her.

"We are surprised that we haven't heard from this woman, because if she has nothing to do with the disappearance of Aisling we'd dearly love to talk to her," says Insp Gary Davey, the detective in charge of the inquiry.

Mr Davey told Campbell Live he is now convinced that the toddler could not have walked far without being spotted in traffic, and that she could not have drowned.

"We believe that if she has fallen in within a reasonable distance of the house... she would not have been taken out to sea, and we are absolutely confident that we would have found her should she have fallen in the water."
[...]

So much so that detectives have begun following up reports of suspicious activity in the area in recent weeks.

Police say they have already begun interviewing and profiling some people who have been convicted of, or who have a propensity to, these types of offences.

They do have serious concerns about Aisling's safety, but they are still hopeful they can find her alive.

http://www.3news.co.nz/Aisling-could...4/Default.aspx

[skeptik]

Sweet little thing, her parents must be sick. I hope they find her soon.

[dawnmpeters]

Border officials have been put on alert as fears grow that missing Auckland two-year-old Aisling Symes has been snatched.

Attention is increasingly focused on a mystery Asian woman seen by two separate witnesses holding hands with Aisling. Police say finding the woman is "crucial" to the case.

Distraught family members are begging anyone with information about their "bubbly and energetic" little girl to come forward.

Police said last night that they were now interviewing known child sex offenders and profiling "suspicious people", and were also looking at recently reported suspicious behaviour in the West Auckland area to identify possible abduction suspects.

"There have been some reports of suspicious activity but I'm not prepared at this stage to say that it is linked or could possibly be linked," Inspector Gary Davey said.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/2942...-mystery-woman

[Silvahalo]

So young, my baby boy's age. The mother must be going out of her mind. I hope little Aisling is found soon, but I got to say, I have a bad feeling at this point.

[dawnmpeters]

Meanwhile, a private investigator says if Aisling has been abducted, it would have been an opportunistic crime.

Dan Thompson, a member of the Institute of Private Investigators, says the kidnapper would not have known the little girl would be playing alone at the time.

He says if this is an abduction, taking someone from the street is very rare occurrence in New Zealand.

Thompson says the majority of child abductions in this country are parental abduction where one parent or the other has custody of the child.

He says any normal person coming across Aisling would have informed police by now.

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/poli...isling-3052028

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Meanwhile, a private investigator says if Aisling has been abducted, it would have been an opportunistic crime.

Dan Thompson, a member of the Institute of Private Investigators, says the kidnapper would not have known the little girl would be playing alone at the time.
[...]
He says any normal person coming across Aisling would have informed police by now.

Thank you, P.I. Obvious LOL

[dawnmpeters]

Police searching for toddler Aisling Symes are going to an address in Henderson after a possible sighting of the two-year-old, TV3 has reported.

Police earlier said they had been looking into reports of suspicious behaviour in the area over the past few weeks, particularly involving child-related offending.

As the search for the 2-year-old intensified yesterday, police confirmed they believed she had been abducted.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10601990

[dawnmpeters]

Known child abusers and sex offenders are now being targeted by police in West Auckland as fears grow missing toddler Aisling Symes may have been abducted.

The two-year-old disappeared from Longburn Rd in the West Auckland suburb of Henderson on Monday night and in spite of an intense police air, ground and water search no sign of her has been found.

Police area commander Inspector Gary Davey said police were visiting known sex offenders or anyone with a criminal history of kidnapping or child abuse.

Reports of suspicious activity, including people approaching children in the area in recent weeks, were also being followed up.

"There have been some reports of suspicious activity ... I am not prepared at this stage to say it is linked or could possibly be linked but we are looking through all those."

Police have also yet to find a mystery Asian woman seen with Aisling moments before she disappeared.

With all the publicity surrounding the case it was unusual the woman had not come forward, Davey says.

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The woman was in her 30s, about 165cm tall with a medium build and long straight black hair.

She was wearing a black crew neck top, with three-quarter length sleeves, three-quarter length blue jeans, black leather sandals and black socks, and had a black and grey medium sized dog on a lead.

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/focu...isling-3053925

[koochie]

sooo sad, shes so sweet...i was hoping they had found her already..it seemed promising when they said they saw the asian lady talking to her i thought maybe she just took her home for safety!...8(

[skeptik]

Still no Aisling?

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Police are looking at increasing numbers in the hunt for missing toddler Aisling Symes which is now being treated as a kidnapping.
[...]

As the search entered its fifth day today Inspector Gary Davey said police had about 40 people on the investigation team, a number which could increase as time progressed.
[..]

He could not rule out that she may have been stolen to order.

"That is a possibility. What I am trying to do is to convince the public to keep an open mind."

He said if she was taken to order it would be a very, very rare occurrence.

"We don't have any evidence to suggest any scenario. Some are more likely than others.

"For example abduction is more likely than her wandering off, given the thoroughness of our search."

It was also a possibility she had been a hit-and-run victim where the driver had panicked and taken her away.

Mr Davey said search and rescue experts believed after studying the creek near her family's house, the rainfall, and the water flows, it was "highly unlikely" she would have been swept down the creek before the police began their intense search of the area.

He said the mystery Asian woman seen with Aisling about 5.30pm on Monday had still to be identified and there was still a possibility she had no idea of the search or the grief of the parents, Alan and Angela Symes.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10602196

In the parents' first public appeal, Mr Symes, a former search and rescue worker and security guard, described the past four days as "the most harrowing of our lives" and said the couple had not slept.

He read from a prepared statement, pausing midway to compose himself, while his wife buried her head in his shoulder.

"We feel like we're barely existing, surviving every moment not knowing where Aisling is," he said. "Is she near us or has she been moved far away? Is she being treated well, things like has her nappy been changed ... these thoughts churn through us as we huddle close as a family and we try to wait to find out if there is anything."

As the couple left the briefing room, police hurriedly shut the door as Mrs Symes broke into wracking sobs.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crim...ters-fifth-day

[skeptik]

Those poor people.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

A couple of sightings with toddlers and Asian women.

A little European girl walking with an Asian woman in the Auckland Domain looked so similar to Aisling Symes the police had to hold a photo of the missing girl next to her face to rule her out.

The incident was one of several false sightings police responded to yesterday, following calls from members of the public.
[...]

More: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10602176

[skeptik]

I really didn't think these kind of things happened in New Zealand. I guess i thought it was all rolling hills, sheep and Flight of the Conchords.

[Silvahalo]

"We feel like we're barely existing, surviving every moment not knowing where Aisling is," he said. "Is she near us or has she been moved far away? Is she being treated well, things like has her nappy been changed ... these thoughts churn through us as we huddle close as a family and we try to wait to find out if there is anything."

I can only imagine.....I hope they get their baby Aisling back safe and sound very soon.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Still nothing. :(

A week on from the disappearance of Henderson toddler Aisling Symes, the man leading the hunt has made a personal appeal to whoever might have taken her.

Inspector Gary Davey urged the person responsible either to contact him or drop the 2-year-old at a hospital.

"Whoever you are, you might be scared or intimidated by police activity over the past week. Don't be - call me. We just want to know where Aisling is," he said.
[...]

A team of at least 60 police officers is working on the investigation, and video images of the toddler dancing were released over the weekend.

Police are reviewing CCTV footage from the area.

Mr Davey said police would continue profiling people of interest, and sorting information from the public.

"While several people of interest have been profiled by the intelligence section and suspect team, we have not had any strong information that might lead us directly to Aisling," he said.
[...]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10602701

Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=162636412360

Website: http://www.findaisling.co.nz/
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9Olde74Vm8"]YouTube - Aisling Synes [ ENGLISH/GREEK/DUTCH/GERMAN/PORTUGUESE/SAMOAN/ CHINESE][/ame]

[Silvahalo]

Baby Aisling has been in my prayers and my hopes.... I hope they are answered.

Come home baby Aisling.

The link DV noted, http://www.findaisling.co.nz/ is really nice. you can light a candle as you leave a message. I created a D'D group so if you want to go and light your candle for baby Aisling.

http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/...l=eng&gi=D%27D

[skeptik]

Anything on Aisling today? I googled but didn't see an update.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

The body of two-year-old Aisling Symes was found in a drain last night near the home she was last seen at eight days ago.

Inspector Gary Davey confirmed a child's body had been found just before 8pm. "It is with tremendous sorrow that I report the finding of this young child."

Police were speaking with Aisling's parents Alan and Angela last night. The area where the body was found was being treated as a crime scene.

"It's too early to tell how she got there," Mr Davey said.

Family members had earlier attended a prayer vigil for the missing toddler as police were digging up a property that backs on to the home from where she disappeared.

Firefighters with concrete cutters spent several hours working in Longburn Rd in Henderson, West Auckland, next-door to the home where the two-year-old was last seen.

Police were searching a creek area at the back of the properties about 8.30pm. Searchers were huddled under bright lights near a blue tarpaulin between two neighbouring houses, near the creek bank.

Several homes had been cordoned off and a helicopter was hovering above the property last night.
[...]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post...body-next-door

[thehesbomb]

I am so saddened to hear this. That poor sweet baby.

[skeptik]

My heart dropped seeing this update. I hope her parents can some day recover this horrible loss. I cannot fathom the pain they must be in.

[koochie]

oh Lord, rest in peace sweet baby Aisling, you were an angel
healing vibes for that poor family...so sad...

[Deep down fear]

Damn it, for once wouldn't it have been nice to hear that they found this beautiful baby safe and sound instead of dead in some damn ditch! People are such monsters...babies are made to love, not to be killed. God save us all. Ey question for all, are the police hinting that the area where this baby was found had been searched so someone must have carried her body back to this area? Little confused on this.

[Marv]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...-in-drain.html

Police in New Zealand investigating the disappearance of two-year-old girl Aisling Symes have found the body of "a young child" in a drain.

Aisling went missing from outside a house in Auckland a week ago, and detectives believed she had been abducted.
[...]

Inspector Gary Davey, heading the investigation, said it was "with tremendous sorrow" that he had to announce the discovery of the body on a property very close to where Aisling was last seen.

He said it was too early to say how the child had got into the drain or how long the body had been there.

"The immediate scene has been cordoned off and treated as a crime scene," he said. "I know you've got a lot of questions and so do I."

He made no mention of any arrest or whether police were questioning anyone.

The blonde-haired, blue-eyed toddler was with her mother Angela and sister Caitlin, 5, when she disappeared on Oct 5.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...breaking23.htm

The body was found in the Auckland suburb of Henderson, just a few hundred metres from the house formerly owned by Aisling's deceased grandparents. Aisling was with her parents, Alan and Angela, who were tidying up the property in the Auckland suburb of Henderson, when she disappeared about 5.30pm on Monday.

Fire officers and police, using concrete cutters, spent two hours today digging land which backs on to a creek and the house.

The property had been cordoned off and is being treated as a crime scene. A house which backs on to the property where the body was found is also under police guard.

Up to 60 police officers had been involved in a week-long intensive search for the child. New Zealand Police said in a statement: “Clearly the team investigating the disappearance of Aisling Symes is heavily involved in tonight’s events and staff from the investigation are with the Symes family tonight.

“It’s too early to know how long the child has been in the drain or how it got there. The child has not been identified nor can we confirm what gender it is at this stage.”