CA AMBER Alert: Samantha Mitchell
July 13: Samantha has been located safe
Police responding to an assault call at a home in Novato, California found a female’s body laying in the yard. She was pronounced deceased at the scene. Police believe James Raphael Whitty Mitchell, 27, beat the woman to death and then kidnapped her 1-year-old daughter a little before 7 p.m. this evening. An AMBER Alert is in effect for California – Statewide.
According to news sources, Mitchell has vowed kill law enforcement if they try to stop him. He has two hand guns registered in his name and is believed to be armed and extremely dangerous.
There are currently no pictures available of the suspect or the victim. As soon as they are available I will post them here.
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Victim: Samantha Mitchell
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Samantha is a 1-year-old white female with black hair and blue eyes. When last seen she was wearing a pink and white jumpsuit
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Suspect: James Mitchell
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James Mitchell is a 27-year-old white male with a shaved head and hazel eyes. He is 6’2″ tall and weighs 220lbs. He has a muscular build. Armed and Dangerous
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Suspect Vehicle
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Mitchell is believed to be traveling in a gold and silver Honda Accord with California license plate 5XAT527.
Should you encounter James Mitchell do not approach him. Call 9-1-1 immediately.
I hope this guy gets his wits about him enough to at least put Samantha in a safe place.
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Monday, July 13, 2009: 11 a.m. PST
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There is more information this morning regarding the suspect and Samantha’s recovery. Police located Samantha in the city of Citrus Heights just hours after the AMBER Alert was issued. According to Samantha’s maternal grandmother, Claudia Stevens, her daughter, 29-year-old Danielle Keller, and Samantha had been staying with her for several months. Her daughter’s body was found in the backyard of her home on Sunday evening. It is alleged that the suspect, James Mitchell, beat Samantha’s mother to death with a baseball bat before kidnapping the child.According to Stevens, James Mitchell comes from a family with a checkered past.
Stevens told The Marin Independent Journal that Mitchell is a son of Jim Mitchell, who directed the 1972 porn classic, “Behind the Green Door.” Jim Mitchell was convicted in 1991 of manslaughter and weapons charges in the shooting death of his brother and film-making partner, Artie Mitchell.
The elder Mitchell served half of a six-year sentence and died in 2007.What do you want to bet Mitchell’s defense attorney tries to make something out of the above family history in a bid to save his client from either life in prison without parole or perhaps the death penalty.
I hope prosecutors do seek the death penalty in this case.
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Monday, July 13, 2009: 12:30 a.m. PST
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Samantha was located somewhere within California early Monday morning. Mitchell was detained. Police are not releasing any more information at this time.
Amber Alert: One-Year Old Girl Kidnapped in NorCal, CBS13.com, Last Accessed: July 13, 2009.
AMBER Alert: Samantha Mitchell, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Last Accessed: July 13, 2009.
Amber Alert Cancelled: Abducted Infant Found, Suspect Detained, CBS2.com, Last Accessed: July 13, 2009.
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horrible
Randi James
13 Jul 09 at 6:15 pm
Danielle Keller was my cousin. =(
kaila
13 Jul 09 at 7:09 pm
Kaila,
I am so sorry for your loss. I know that seems like such a hollow response. Poor little Samantha left without a mom. I am assuming from the quote from her grandmother in the news that Danielle was trying to distance herself from James?
I am going to delete your other comment. You probably posted twice thinking the first comment did not go through. The comments are moderated. Since you are a first-time commenter your comment had to be approved.
tabloidtrisha
13 Jul 09 at 7:21 pm
thank you for your response. my mom got a call from my grandma and she told us the news. i am so glad they found samantha. but now she will be left with her grandmother, claudia, (who married my uncle but they got a divorce so she was my aunt) and claudia is no good. she got my cousins into drugs and all that bad stuff. i can't believe that happened. i am out of words. thank you for posting the article, i wanted to find out more in which my family would not tell me.
kaila
13 Jul 09 at 7:32 pm
and yes danielle was trying to get away from him. she shouldn't of been with him in the first place tho.
kaila
13 Jul 09 at 7:34 pm
It sounds like a sad situation for all concerned.
tabloidtrisha
13 Jul 09 at 7:39 pm