Kayleah Wilson didn't show up at the birthday party *deceased*

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Four days after a 12-year-old northern Colorado girl disappeared after leaving home to walk to a friend's birthday party, authorities canvassed her neighborhood Thursday and used dogs to help comb medians, ditches and bushes along a highway for clues.

"We're hoping against hope that she's out there, she's safe and she is just a runaway," said Sgt. Joe Tymkowych of the police department in Greeley, about 60 miles north of Denver. "But we have to try to figure all the possible propensities of things that could happen and pursue those leads as well."

So far, he said, authorities have found no evidence that Kayleah Wilson ran away.

Kayleah left her Greeley home Sunday afternoon to go to a party just across a busy highway from her home, but she never arrived. On Thursday, about 60 police and FBI agents aided in the search for the sixth-grader, whom her mother, April Wilson, described as a "good kid."

"She never hanged out with the bad crowds," Wilson said Thursday outside her apartment. "She had her friends. She liked to hang out at the mall, go to the library -- you know, typical kid stuff."
[...]

Police have used dogs to search for Kayleah and have scoured the medians, ditches and bushes along the highway for any sign of what may have happened. Tymkowych said investigators have also interviewed friends, family and acquaintances and have found nothing to indicate she ran away. Police planned to re-interview some of those people Thursday.

Police have contacted the girl's father, who lives in California, and other family members to advise them that she's missing and may be contacting them if she ran away, Tymkowych said.

He says Wilson had a boyfriend, who has been interviewed and is cooperating. He is not considered a suspect or person of interest. April Wilson also spent about 12 hours at the police station Wednesday, but Tymkowych said Wilson was there assisting police in the search.

The middle school student is 5-foot-1, weighs 145 pounds and has brown hair and blue eyes. Authorities say Kayleah has asthma and was believed to be carrying an inhaler. She doesn't have a cell phone.
[...]

http://cbs4denver.com/local/Search.M...2.1603767.html

Greeley Police say they believe Kayleah was going to meet a friend and they were going to walk to the party together. But she never met up with the friend or made it to the party.

There are a few locations left that were being searched by officers on Thursday, including areas around the library or the mall and some alleys around her neighborhood. The large-scale searches have ended.

About 40 investigators are now working the case and they spent much of Thursday re-interviewing a number of witnesses, some for the third time. Sgt. Joe Tymkowych with the Greeley Police department says this is typical in most cases.

Her mother called police around 10 p.m. on Sunday when Kayleah never came home. Investigators initially thought it might be a possible runaway, but when detectives talked to her family on Monday, they found no evidence she ran away. They also cannot say there was foul play, because there is no evidence of that either, including any signs of a possible abduction.

"We're hoping against hope that she's out there, she's safe and she is just a runaway," Tymkowych said. "But we have to try to figure all the possible propensities of things that could happen and pursue those leads as well."

Authorities say Kayleah had a boyfriend and the two of them broke up some time ago. Police do not consider him a person of interest in her disappearance.

http://www.9news.com/news/article.as...=top&catid=188

[totallytoddler]

HLN reported her boyfriend to be 17...she is 12. They recently broke up. Why are they not considering him?

[Dakota Valkyrie]

HLN reported her boyfriend to be 17...she is 12. They recently broke up. Why are they not considering him?

Maybe he has an air tight alibi. They interviewed him and are saying he's not a suspect... but they sometimes don't show all their cards to the media, so who knows. It could have just as easily been some pervert driving by on the street as she crossed. he could have stopped to talk to her, she hopped in is car, and *poof*.

[TwiztidAngel]

this worries me...

Kayleah left her Greeley home Sunday afternoon to go to a party just across a busy highway from her home, but she never arrived

now maybe its cuz i have anxiety issues but I, myself wouldnt cross a busy highway if my life depended on it...why wasnt she escorted across by an adult?

[nicki]

Sounds like the FBI and Greeley Police are holding a news conference at 2:00 Mountain time can watch it live here Http://www.9news.com

[totallytoddler]

this worries me...



now maybe its cuz i have anxiety issues but I, myself wouldnt cross a busy highway if my life depended on it...why wasnt she escorted across by an adult?

I couldn't agree more....12 is too young for highway walking IMO anyway. And I agree anything could have and DID happen to her. Though I think EVERYONE should be a suspect at this point.
Why does it STILL surprise me that parents let kids roam so freely? We don't want to lock our kids up....but Mom or someone couldn't have WALKED her there...I mean if they had no car?
Prevention people...let's protect our kids...obviously there are many sickos out there who want to harm them.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Nothing new released at the press conference. A plea for info and some new pictures.

While making a plea to the public for help on Friday afternoon, the FBI and Greeley Police Department say they do have some leads in the disappearance of a missing 12-year-old girl.

"We have to assume the worst. That's our job. We assume the worst and hope for the best. And that's the way we're proceeding with this investigation," FBI Special Agent in Charge Jim Davis said during a news conference.

Kayleah Wilson has not been since Sunday around 3:40 p.m. when she left her house to walk to a birthday party. The walk was supposed to only be eight to 10 blocks, but Kayleah never arrived at the party.

Investigators say they do not believe this is a runaway situation, but have also found no signs of foul play.
[...]

Davis said while they have some leads, they cannot discuss them with the public.

"There is, at this moment, no higher priority to the Denver division of the FBI. We have significant resources here assisting in this investigation," Davis said. "We're not excluding anything at this time."

Investigators say while they have many leads, they still need more information from the public.
[...]

In addition to releasing more pictures of Kayleah, the FBI also showed pictures of her inhaler. She has asthma and investigators are asking that anyone who has seen a red-and-white inhaler to contact them because it could be a clue.
[...]

Investigators say they have spoken Kayleah's father in California and some other family members in case it is a runaway situation and she tries to contact them. They do not believe she is with her father, but still say it is possible she ran away.

"We have not washed out the possibility that she has left on her own," Davis said.

http://www.9news.com/news/article.as...5843&catid=339

[TwiztidAngel]

i'm hoping she just got a bug up her ass and ran off...especially since she has a 17 yr old bf...this kid is wiser beyond 12 just on that fact...i hope they find her safely hiding out at a friends house the parents dont know or something

[Whisper]

Police on horseback search for missing Colo. girl
GREELEY, Colo. (AP) — Police on foot and on horseback were searching open areas near the home of a 12-year-old girl for any sign of the missing sixth-grader.

Kayleah (Kay LEE uh) Wilson was last seen Sunday at about 3:40 p.m. when she left her home to walk to a friend's birthday party about a mile away, across a busy highway. Police stopped more than 600 motorists passing near the area Friday to ask if they had seen anything Sunday night.

Greeley Police Sgt. Joe Tymkowych says authorities have gone to Kayleah's favorite hangouts, searched along the highway, interviewed friends, family, and acquaintances, and have contacted registered sexual offenders who live nearby.
[...]

http://www.wfaa.com/news/national/89836052.html

[Aslan]

What gets me is that in the first article her mom was already talking about her in the past tense.

"She never hanged out with the bad crowds," Wilson said Thursday outside her apartment. "She had her friends. She liked to hang out at the mall, go to the library -- you know, typical kid stuff."

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Still no sign of her. They searched a shallow pond and wooded, undeveloped areas, Not because they had any tips and nothing was found.

Tymkowych said late Saturday he wasn't sure how the search would progress today, other than saying that authorities are continuing to work round the clock. About 50 FBI personnel have joined in the effort. Searches are planned to continue in the Greeley area by the Weld County Sheriff's Posse and numerous individuals on foot.

He said the search of the ponds was part of a thorough canvassing of the undeveloped areas in the vicinity of Kayleah's home.

On Friday, authorities were scattered along 30th Street, south of the Greeley Mall, stopping traffic and handing out photos of the missing girl. The birthday party Kayleah was supposed to attend was held in that area. About 500 motorists were asked if they'd seen anything on March 28.

“It's just an expanded, selective kind of search to make sure there's nothing there we need to focus on,” Tymkowych said. “Ideally, it would be nice to find her sitting in those trees too scared to go home. That's just not happening yet.”

http://www.greeleytribune.com/articl...ntprofile=1001

[Whisper]

FBI Gets More Than 200 Tips In Search For Missing Girl
GREELEY, Colo. -- The FBI confirmed it has received 254 tips concerning the disappearance of Kayleah Wilson. On Friday, that number was listed at 100.
[...]
On Easter Sunday, investigators went back to the area where the girl lived, hoping to talk to people who may not normally be home during the day.
Later on Sunday night, investigators may search some abandoned buildings on 29th Street, not far from where Kayleah was believed to have been walking.

Now, one week later, some families at the local park said they have to curb the freedom enjoyed by their children and grandchildren.
"Yeah. You get a little bit more leery. Especially, come, when it starts getting dark, keep a closer eye on them. Don't want them to wonder off," said Tim Arguello, a local grandfather.
[...]

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news...88/detail.html

Thats alot of tips for one day,I hope they keep coming

[evervigilant]

Same day as my birthday, Palm Sunday this year. I hope she's just pissed off with her family and hiding somewhere, I did the same when I was 13, came home ten days later. I hope she's street wise and hasn't gotten into a car with someone.

[MC30]

God this reminds me of Lindsey Baum....little girls don't just go *poof*. she has to be somewhere. Come home Kayleah.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads agents to find Kayleah Wilson.
[...]

Investigators still don't have much to go on, despite hundreds of tips to the FBI hot line.

The FBI is offering the reward in the hopes that it might breathe new life or draw new individuals into the investigation.

"We're still out going door-to-door, but probably not in the same volume that you were seeing before," said Jerry Garner, Greeley police chief. "We're kind of filling in the holes where we've missed people in the past."
[...]

7NEWS asked investigators if there are any persons of interest in the case.

"We've got some people that we're looking at and were taking our time in washing those folks out," said James Davis, FBI special agent-in-charge. "We don't have the number of leads that we'd like to have, we're not confident that we've got all the information that's out there, so the whole purpose of this reward is to motivate folks to come forward."

Police are also appealing to Wilson herself, in case she's out there on her own, and has become too afraid to come forward because of all the attention.

"No matter how much law enforcement or public involvement you see in this, you are the person we're trying to help. You're not in trouble," said Garner.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news...96/detail.html

[Whisper]

Tonight she is on our news now
I hope they find her
We dont normally have the kids missing that far away on our news

[angelia]

The mom talking about her in past tense bothers me too. That is always a bad sign.

[misfirefly]

that scares me too. Who in their right mind lets a 12 yr old date a 17 yr old, or walk 12 blocks across a busy highway. They might as well as drawn a map for the pedophiles to find her.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

At what age should one take the bubble wrap of the kids? I know it varies from kid to kid, but saying a general statement like a 12-yr-old can't cross a busy highway is incredulous, to me. (I actually looked on Google maps at the place. The crossings she would take are either overpasses and/or have multiple stop lights.)

At 12 years old my daughters were babysitting other people's children. They could also cook, clean, and sew. Not only did they learn it at home but they took babysitting classes and were certified in CPR. I would certainly let them cross a road or walk a distance without me.

However, there is no way at 12 they would be dating, much less a boy that is 17.


Granting freedoms to ‘tweens' no easy task
Disappearance of 12-year-old Greeley girl sheds light on safety, setting boundaries

[...]
Dealing with the demands of a “tween,” not surprisingly, can be tough as they begin to grow out of the shadow of their parents, according to Fuller.

“When you hit that age you want to be independent — you're starting to want to really separate,” Fuller said.

Teresa McDevitt, a professor of psychological sciences at the University of Northern Colorado, has earned a Ph.D in child development from Stanford University and co-authored the book “Child Development in Education.”

In many cases, she said, the level of oversight parents use over their children of all ages proves to be “practically a daily balancing act.” There are no “fool-proof solutions,” she said, adding that “parents can do all the right things and unfortunately, the kind of world we live in, children can still be in risk.”

Generally, however, studies have shown that highly intrusive parents can instill negative behaviors such as anxiety and depression in children, particularly in adolescents. Be too lax, McDevitt, added, and children tend to be non-compliant, unhappy and not achievement oriented.

“So kids clearly need rules and discipline and structure and so forth, but they also need to be respected and to have some opportunities to make mistakes and to try things out and become their own people,” McDevitt said.
[...]

http://www.greeleytribune.com/articl...ntprofile=1001

[Whisper]

FBI joins search for girl who vanished on way to party
(CNN) -- A $10,000 reward is being offered in the search for a 12-year-old Colorado girl last seen walking to a birthday party at a friend's home.
Kayleah Wilson, who is from Greeley, Colorado, disappeared on her way to the party on Sunday, March 28. The FBI and the Greeley Police Department hope the reward will solve a mystery that began more than a week ago.
[...]
Tymkowych said authorities have received more than 300 tips since Kayleah vanished, including two possible sightings at a mall near her home.
"We feel fairly confident that they may have seen her, and those [tips] are being followed up as well," Tymkowych said. "But that would have been during that time span when she left her house and before she was going to arrive at the birthday party."
[...]
We have a contingent of FBI agents and our own investigators that are working pretty much around the clock," Tymkowych said. Officers are using horseback, all-terrain vehicles, search dogs and an airplane, he said.
Kayleah lives with her mother, brother and grandmother, police said. They also told CNN there is no evidence to suggest any domestic conflicts that would cause her to run away.
Kayleah, who is a student at Brentwood Middle School, was not carrying a cell phone or a bag when she left the home Sunday afternoon for what should have been an eight- or nine-block walk to the party, authorities reported.

"We can't prove what happened to her," Tymkowych said. "We just don't know."
[...]
The case reminded him of another incident that occurred in Greeley a quarter of a century ago.
"About 25 years ago, we had a young lady about the same age that actually disappeared from her house," Tymkowych said. "We knew she was dropped off there after a school event, she was home for a short while ... but we were never able to determine what happened to her."
Kayleah was wearing a white-and-pink shirt, blue jeans and white-and-red shoes at the time she was reported missing.

She is 5-foot-1, 145 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair.
Anyone with information about Kayleah's whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or the Greeley Police Department at 970-350-9600.
[...]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/04/06/...html:stupido3:

[TwiztidAngel]

i have panic issues as i was almost killed at age 11 tryin to cross a five lane highway...i was in the center lane waiting for that side to clear when a van swerved and almost got me, i had to jump back and luckily there wasnt another vehicle coming in the lane i jumped into...that is why i said what i did.. I, MYSELF HAVE ISSUES, that in turn make me more protective of my kids...and to this day i WONT cross more than a 2-3 lane street...and it has to be clear each way before i even attempt to run across it JMT

google map Murchison Rd in Fayetteville NC 28311 (closest intersection to where i was would be Pamalee DR) ...thats the highway i was trying to cross then

[nicki]

Went to the news web page in Denver and found this now another 12 year old girl is missing in Cheyenne only 50 miles away not sure if the 2 cases are related or not

http://www.9news.com/news/article.as...6170&catid=188

Hopefully both of these girls are found safe soon!

[Chaindrive]

Interesting about the second girl.

[nicki]

2nd girl from Cheyenne now home safe

http://www.9news.com/news/local/arti...6326&catid=346

[MC30]

http://www.examiner.com/x-32312-Ambe...-still-missing

It’s been three weeks since Kayleah Wilson disappeared on the way to a birthday party in Greeley, Colorado on March 28, 2010. Search parties and volunteers have combed rivers, ponds, ditches, and conducted door to door searches, yet the clues are slim and the search has slowed.


Over the weekend, rain hindered another search for Kayleah and the search ended at 2:30 p.m., as rain continued to fall. The search has even gone to social media networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Anyone who has tips or information regarding Kayleah’s whereabouts or the events surrounding her disappearance is urged to report the tip.


According to the Greeley Police Department http://greeleygov.com/Police/default.aspx there is nothing to indicate that Kayleah Wilson ran away, while at the same time there is no evidence that indicates she was abducted or that foul play was involved. Police are relying on the public’s help to locate Kayleah and the FBI has offered a $20,000 reward

Kayleah Wilson was last seen wearing a white and pink shirt over a white tank top and blue jeans with white and red shoes. She stands 5’1” and weighs 145 pounds. Her hair and eyes are brown and her complexion is medium. She was born on June 25, 1997. Please report tips to the Greeley Police Department or the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-225-5324

still nothing.. :(

[MC30]

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_14894699

GREELEY — The longer Kayleah Wilson is gone, the more certain police and FBI investigators are that the 12-year-old Greeley girl was abducted.

"Our concern that she is safe increases by the day," Greeley Police Chief Jerry Garner said Thursday.

While not eliminating the possibility that Kayleah left her home and family of her own free will, police are "definitely leaning that this is not a runaway situation," Garner said. "This is something more serious."

Garner said in most cases, runaways call someone a few days after they leave home. But no one has heard from Kayleah since she left her mother's apartment in west Greeley the afternoon of March 28 to walk about eight blocks to a friend's birthday party.


Jim Davis, the FBI's special agent in charge of the Denver office, said Thursday that he would be surprised if the person who took Kayleah is still in Greeley. "We have scoured the area pretty well," he said.
Davis said the number of FBI investigators working on the case has been scaled back as the number of leads has dwindled.


The FBI hopes some psychological indicators developed by the agency's Behavorial Analysis Unit might point them to the person responsible for Kayleah's disappearance.

Since the evening of March 28 the person:

• Could be coming up with excuses to leave the area unexpectedly for what may sound like a good reason (work related, visit a distant relative or friend, etc.)

• May have missed work, called in sick, asked to change shifts, particularly on days close to the night Kayleah disappeared.

• May have unexplained recent injuries (cuts, bruises) particularly on his head, hands or arms.

• May have an unexpected or sudden interest in the status of this investigation.

• May minimize or deny a known acquaintance with Kayleah.

• May display nervousness or irritability.

• May show a recent increase or decrease in expressing religious beliefs.

• May have changed routine sleep patterns.

• May have changed "usual" consumption of alcohol, drugs or cigarettes.

• May have shaved off facial or head hair or started growing a mustache or beard.

• May no longer be driving, or changing the appearance of, his personal or work vehicle for no obvious reason, including suddenly keeping it in a shed or garage, covering it, painting it, selling it, reporting it stolen or giving it away.

[MadmamainNC]

At what age should one take the bubble wrap of the kids? I know it varies from kid to kid, but saying a general statement like a 12-yr-old can't cross a busy highway is incredulous, to me. (I actually looked on Google maps at the place. The crossings she would take are either overpasses and/or have multiple stop lights.)

At 12 years old my daughters were babysitting other people's children. They could also cook, clean, and sew. Not only did they learn it at home but they took babysitting classes and were certified in CPR. I would certainly let them cross a road or walk a distance without me.

However, there is no way at 12 they would be dating, much less a boy that is 17.


Granting freedoms to ‘tweens' no easy task
Disappearance of 12-year-old Greeley girl sheds light on safety, setting boundarieshttp://www.greeleytribune.com/articl...ntprofile=1001

Still catching up on my DD reading...
I think it also depends on the area one lives. While Pedo-Pete could be lurking around any nearby haystack, the more heavily populated an area, the more likely there's a few more haystacks to hide behind.

I know my oldest at 12 was much different than my youngest at 12 which caused many an argument as my youngest grew older. You know how those kids keep a tally sheet on what the others got to do?

It's hard letting go as a parent and our paranoia kicks in about the what-if's. Does that make her a bad Mom because she trusted the circumstance? Who knows. Again, depends on the area and the child's maturity.
At 12, I was beating boys up. At 13, my Dad was chasing them away.

[MadmamainNC]

i have panic issues as i was almost killed at age 11 tryin to cross a five lane highway...i was in the center lane waiting for that side to clear when a van swerved and almost got me, i had to jump back and luckily there wasnt another vehicle coming in the lane i jumped into...that is why i said what i did.. I, MYSELF HAVE ISSUES, that in turn make me more protective of my kids...and to this day i WONT cross more than a 2-3 lane street...and it has to be clear each way before i even attempt to run across it JMT

google map Murchison Rd in Fayetteville NC 28311 (closest intersection to where i was would be Pamalee DR) ...thats the highway i was trying to cross then

I hate even driving in Fayetteville, especially on base.

But under the same circumstances, one would call 87 a busy highway and you and I know differently.

[MC30]

http://www.greeleytribune.com/articl...40/0/FRONTPAGE

Rain hampered already-slow search efforts Saturday for Kayleah Wilson, 12, the sixth-grader from Greeley who has been missing since March 28.

Michelle Thompson, who has organized a Facebook page in support of Kayleah, called off the effort at 2:30 p.m. as rain began to steadily fall on searchers. Even before the rain appeared, Thompson said search efforts had grown “very, very slow.”

In all, 52 people showed up Saturday at Journey Christian Church, 2332 27th St. in Greeley, to search for Kayleah.

“It just seems to be at a standstill,” Thompson said. “I just wish that we could get more people out there so we could cover more area. The police don't have the manpower, and as long as we can have the community help out, that's all that really counts.”



Michelle Thompson, who has organized a Facebook page in support of Kayleah, called off the effort at 2:30 p.m. as rain began to steadily fall on searchers. Even before the rain appeared, Thompson said search efforts had grown “very, very slow.”

In all, 52 people showed up Saturday at Journey Christian Church, 2332 27th St. in Greeley, to search for Kayleah.

Earlier in the week, the Federal Bureau of Investigation scaled back its forces looking for Kayleah, though tips on her whereabouts are still being accepted

On Saturday, searchers scoured from 16th Street to U.S. 34 Bypass between 12th Avenue and 10th Avenue, Thompson said. In addition, searchers on all-terrain vehicles covered an area from 35th Avenue to 65th Avenue and from 37th Street to 42nd Street.

Kayleah's mother, April Wilson, has been “hanging in there,” Thompson said.

“Mom is doing the best that she can,” Thompson said

[MC30]

http://www.examiner.com/x-1168-Crime...-Colorado-girl

Kayleah Wilson: Search continues this weekend for missing Colorado girl

Volunteers continued the search for 12-year-old Kayleah Wilson this weekend, who has now been missing for four weeks.

According to 9 News, both the FBI and Greeley, Colorado police are still unsure whether Kayleah was kidnapped or is a runaway.

Kayleah disappeared on Mar. 28 after heading out to a friend’s birthday party. Law enforcement has already searched the eight to 10 blocks they believe she walked to the party in Evans, but have obtained no new leads.