Charges coming over recent Amber Alert?

That's what KSHB is reporting.

Independence cancels Amber Alert

From Independence PD: Please cancel the Amber Alert re: Makenzie R. Green. Independence Police in conjunction with the St. Joseph, MO Police and the KCMO Police Career Criminal Squad located Makenzie coming out of a house in St. Joseph about 0535 hrs. this morning. Additional information to follow.

Hiker found, alive, but missing teeth

From the Salt Lake Tribune:

A hiker missing in Washington County since Sunday afternoon was located Tuesday on Red Mountain after falling.

Search and rescue crews found Jim Williamson, 49, of Salt Lake City, about 8:45 a.m. Tuesday off the Gunsight Trail where he had fallen in a brushy area, said Washington County Sheriff's Lt. Cory Pulsipher.

It was unclear how badly Williamson was injured but he did take a "pretty good tumble" and "knocked most of his teeth out," Pulsipher said.

Williamson went hiking Sunday morning and was reported missing about 4:45 p.m. when he didn't return, Pulsipher said.

Crews spotted him Tuesday morning and were trying to reach Williamson on foot to move him and fly him to Dixie Regional Medical Center by helicopter about 11 a.m. today, the Spectrum newspaper reported.

|Meredith Rodriguez

Rapper C-Murder found guilty of second-degree murder

Under Louisiana law, he's going to get a mandatory life sentence.

AMBER ALERT: Poplar Bluff kids might be with Dad

Police are looking for two Poplar Bluff children, Crystal and Edgar Langley Jr., who were allegedly taken by their father, Edgar Langley. Crystal is 6, little Edgar is 5. Authorities are concerned because their dad allegedly made a threat against their lives, as well as a threat against law officers. More details here.

UPDATED: It's been canceled. Dad's in custody, and the kiddos are OK.

UPDATE: Teacher allegedly sends kid home with bag of fecal matter

Shirley Riggs pleads guilty

From Mark Morris:

An Independence woman who prompted a long Amber Alert in September and was arrested the next month in Washington state pleaded guilty today to four felonies and received probation.

Shirley Riggs appeared in Jackson County Circuit Court for a pre-trial hearing that soon morphed into a guilty plea. Judge Stephen Nixon cleared the courtroom, saying he was concerned that details about the children and a related custody matter would come out during the plea hearing.

Afterward, lawyers confirmed that Riggs had pleaded guilty to four counts of interference with custody. Nixon also ordered her to keep a job, attend vocational rehabilitation and not to have contact with her four children, who remain in foster care.

Where is Allyson Corrales?

They haven't found her yet, but the Amber Alert is ending because of time factors, police say.

From KCPD: The Kansas City Missouri Police Department is cancelling the Amber Alert for Allyson Coralles. The department will continue searching for Allyson and her father Luis but the alert has been lifted. Anyone with information regarding either Allyson or Luis is asked to call the Tips hot line at 816.474.8477.

The alert is being lifted because it is believed that it loses effectiveness if it is kept in place for more than 24 hours. The lifting of the alert does not affect any of the investigation that is still ongoing.

Amber alert for missing 4-year-old, Allyson Corrales

The little girl's mother was found dead in her apartment near I-70 and Sterling Avenue this morning.

Police also are looking for the girl's father, Luis F. Corrales, who is a person of interest. An order of protection was filed against him in November, The Star reports.

The family’s car, a red 1999 Kia Sportage, with Missouri license plate PB1 R3R, is also missing.

|Meredith Rodriguez

AMBER ALERT: Where is Cheyenne Ross?

UPDATED: They've found the kiddo, and she's OK.

PREVIOUSLY: Ross is a 3-year-old girl from Cameron, allegedly abducted early this morning by her grandmother, Carla Kay Bell, 48. Police are worried that Grandma has mental-health problems. Bell is 5-7, 180 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes. Authorities believe the two are driving a white 2006 Kia Sedona, with Missouri plates reading 005WRR.

Here's a link to the Amber Alert page.

Should police have called an Amber Alert for this girl?

Case is from Texas, where an 11-year-old girl reportedly ran off to Mexico with her alleged "boyfriend," a 23-year-old guy who plays soccer with her dad. The state, however, refused to issue an Amber Alert because she didn't go unwillingly and wasn't with a stranger.

Authorities say they want to make sure cases comply with the Amber Alert guidelines so that it doesn't get overused and become ineffective.

Amber Alert: Southeast MO woman dead, foster kids missing

From The AP: Police are investigating the shooting death of a southeast Missouri woman and are looking for two foster children in a possible kidnapping.

Bollinger County sheriff-elect chief deputy Leo McElrath said the woman's husband arrived home from work at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday to find his wife dead. McElrath said the couple's home in Patton did not appear to have been burglarized or ransacked, nor was there sign of forced entry.

The Southeast Missourian reported that two foster children -- aged 9 and 17 -- were reportedly at home with the victim at the time. McElrath said the youngsters and the woman's Gold Yukon sport utility vehicle are missing.

***

More from the SE Missourian: According to the Amber Alert website, Jacob Humphrey (9) was abducted by John Wilfong (17) from a residence on Hwy. 51 in Patton where his foster mother was found dead. The subjects, who were both foster children under the care of the victim, then left in a 1999 gold GMC Yukon, Missouri license plate No. 557NAN. The direction of travel was not known.

***

Aaaand now, the Amber Alert say the two of them have been recovered, though no details are available yet.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Linda!

Why Amber Alerts are like barbecue

Because every state has their own way of doing it, and everybody thinks their method is best, The AP reports. Federal law says that all Amber Alerts are supposed to be based off a common set of guidelines, but the wire service found that nobody does -- the AP found states that don't even keep a record of past alerts.

Others will issue alerts in custody cases/family abductions, while others won't. One interesting point: Amber Alerts won't do much to stop abductees from being killed, experts say, because most kidnappers -- if they're going to kill the hostage -- do it within the first six hours. Which is how long it takes many alerts to be issued.

Is the Amber Alert being overused?

Kevin Hoffmann had an interesting story this morning about the Amber Alert and how, locally, it's been issued even though it didn't meet the official standards. Local LEOs are getting together today for an annual review of the system.

On the one hand, you've got officers who say the Amber Alert is one of those tools that should be used in only the most dire situations -- otherwise, people might not pay attention to it. Others say it should be issued whenever a kiddo goes missing, even if kiddo is probably just with a noncustodial parent.

UPDATED: Kevin has more from today's meeting ...

The meeting was led by U.S. Congressman Dennis Moore who asked the group how the system was working and whether changes needed to be made. The group reached a consensus that all local Amber Alerts should be cleared by the Metropolitan Police Chiefs and Sheriffs Association before being broadcast.

The chiefs and sheriffs group still has to approve this, though.

AMBER ALERT: Where is Leilah Arriaz?

From Meredith Rodriguez:

The McDonald County Sheriff’s Department in southwest Missouri has issued an Amber Alert for a 3-year-old girl reported missing in the Kansas City area earlier today.

Leilah Arriaz was taken from a temporary custodian south of Longview Lake by her non-custodial father, according to amberalert.com.

Her father, Julio Arriaz, is 21 years old. He was described as being 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighing 240 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. Leilah was described as being 2 feet tall, weighing 32 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair.

They were last seen in a reddish- or peach-colored 1995 Ford F150 pickup truck with a camper shell and Missouri license plate number 838-XC7.

KSHB: Could Amber Alert teens have been found sooner?

Interesting followup to those two Clinton County teenagers who went missing and were later found near Omaha. (Paige Alley and Levi Carlson are now safe, sound and back home.) As it turns out, their car was towed by police the day after they went missing -- but Omaha police apparently didn't notice, despite the Amber Alert and other warnings. Alley's family is annoyed. They say the kids could've been found a lot sooner if Omaha PD had caught this.

Paige Alley speaks

Alley and her boyfriend, Levi Carlson, were the subject of an Amber Alert several days ago, until they were finally located in Council Bluffs, Iowa. She gave an interview to KSHB, and while the whole thing is interesting, I especially like the part where they met two helpful hobos, Yard Sale and Cricket.

Amber Alert kiddo found safe in KCMO

From KCPD: KCPD Police Officers have found three parties, two of which are those listed in the Amber Alert issued by Independence Police Department (on today’s date) in an orange colored vehicle about 8:03am this morning at 1301 East Armour Boulevard.

All are subjects are uninjured and safe. Further Information can be obtained from the Independence Police Department.

AMBER ALERT: Where is Navailynn Andrews?

Andrews, who is 1 year old, went missing yesterday afternoon, Independence police say. More from their release:

Kee'Arra Hill left the address on Brookstone Village (listed below) with the Navailynn Andrews (with mother's permission) to get the child's hair cut driving a 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt MO license 2CT-36Y.  Kee'Arra telephoned Ms. Shaunice Hill at 4:00 PM to advise she and the child were on their way back to the Brookstone Village address from Raytown and have not been seen or heard from since.

Navailynn is a boy, African-American and about 28 pounds. Hill is 18, a black female who is 4-11 and 125 pounds. Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (474-8477).

 

UPDATE: Missing teens Paige and Levi are safe!

They were in the last place anyone looks from anybody, Iowa. From Meredith Rodriguez:

The two Missouri teen-agers who disappeared after a high school football game more than a week ago were found this afternoon in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

“Paige and Levi have been found!!!!” read the Web site that Christina Paige Alley’s parents launched to help find her and her boyfriend, Levi S. Carlson.

... They were spotted under an interstate overpass, according to Major John Farmer of the Clinton County Police Department. They had left their car in Omaha and had only sleeping bags with them. Farmer said both were healthy, albeit cold and hungry. Police placed them in a juvenile detention center, where they were waiting for their parents to pick them up.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Keith G in PV!

Where are Paige Alley and Levi Carlson?

Still no joy, but the Cameron paper has an update -- police think the kids are headed to Colorado.

AMBER ALERT: Where are Christina Alley and Levi Carlson?

UPDATED: The families have put together a Web site about the case. We had a question earlier -- is this being treated as an abduction? The Amber Alert site below lists Levi as a suspect, but it doesn't sound like the local sheriff's office believes that's the case. Snip from Fox 4:

Major John Farmer of the Clinton County Sheriff's Department said they asked the Missouri Highway Patrol to issue an Amber Alert for the couple twice, starting as early as Friday night. But, they were denied both times because they couldn't meet an Amber Alert criteria of proving an abduction has taken place.

"We're not holding it as an abduction, that's the way the patrol has to put it out, and we haven't got that far that they have been abducted.  But the problem is, she was just the type of girl that kept in constant contact with her parents when she was out.  If she was going to be late she kept in contact.  And there's been no contact at all," said Major Farmer.

There's an Amber Alert on this case. From Glenn Rice:

Authorities in Clinton County have issued an Amber Alert for two teens who attended a high school football game Friday and have not been seen since.

The teens, Christina P. Alley, 14, of Lathrop and Levi S. Carlson, 16, of Holt, are dating. Parents of both reported them missing just after 10 p.m. Friday to the Clinton Count Sheriff’s Department, said Maj. John Farmer.

Neither teen had done anything like this before, and both left without taking their cell phones, Farmer said. Authorities had requested an Amber Alert be issued on Friday but it was not approved until today by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, he said.

Carlson’s parents said their 1996 Toyota Avalon is missing. It is maroon with Missouri license number PD0-A5U.

Alley is described as a white female, 5 feet 2 inches tall and about 130 pounds. She has brown hair and blue eyes. Carlson is a white male, 5 feet 10 inches tall and 225 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes.

Authorities are not sure if foul play was involved. Persons with information are urged to call their local law-enforcement agency or the Clinton County Sheriff’s Department at 816-539-2156.

From the Cameron paper:

In an update from Monday, authorities stated that information from sources advise that the pair may be headed to Colorado and that Levi had a guitar with him that could be used to pawn for money. Levi was known to have mentioned wanting to live in the wild in Colorado to fish and hunt. Authorities are contacting pawnshops in the area to see if they noticed Levi or Paige selling any items for money.

Google News listing of all articles on the case.
The Lathrop Blog has been following the case, too.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Michelle -- sorry for the delay in posting ...

Where is Cole Puffinburger?

Six-year-old Cole Puffinburger was kidnapped from his Las Vegas home by two men who posed as police officers and tied up his mother and her boyfriend. An Amber Alert was issued, but as of Friday morning, police said they had no solid leads.

Authorities say the boy's kidnapping was connected to a drug deal involving his family members.

| Sara Shepherd

Shirley Riggs speaks

Riggs, who was arrested after failing to return her kids from an unsupervised visit, talked to Marcus Moore at KMBC. Snip:

"What regrets, or do you have any regrets about what you did?" Moore asked.

"You know that's a hard thing to really answer right now. I probably wish I had gone about things in a different way, but I felt like I was protecting my children when I did this," Riggs said.

She never really says what she was afraid of. The story doesn't talk to anybody but her, either.

They've found the Riggs kids

From Sara Shepherd:

A woman who allegedly took her four noncustodial children, triggering a recent Amber Alert, was located Sunday night in Olympia, Wash.

Shirley Riggs is in custody, according to Independence police. Her four children — ages 7, 10, 12 and 15 — are safe and in protective custody.

Police issued an Amber Alert on Sept. 20 when Riggs allegedly failed to return her children to the Division of Family Services.

Authorities said it was the fourth time Riggs had left the state with the children. Police were expected to have more information today.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Golfer!