Missing and Murdered Children

Date: May 18, 2008
Amber Alert Issued for: North Carolina
Victim’s Name:Siraj “Raji” Davenport
Suspect’s Name(s): Unknown
Siraj Davenport was with his mother at the Brightleaf Flea Market on Brightleaf Boulevard in Smithfield, North Carolina on the morning of Sunday May 18. According to Siraj’s mother, Rosa Davenport Rosnah Hassan Thomason , Siraj accompanied her to the Flea Market to purchase some fruit. When they were finished with their shopping they returned to the car. Rosa Rosnah only looked away long enough to place her packages in the car; when she turned around her son was gone.
There have been a few different accounts regarding how long Siraj was missing before police were called to aid in the search.
This account from The News&Observer:

He was last seen around 11:45 a.m.
She and others at Brightleaf Market, 2320 South Brightleaf Boulevard, searched for the boy for about an hour, and then called the police.¹

However, local ABC affiliate WTVD Raleigh-Durham, NC reports the following:

Detectives tell Eyewitness News that the boy was at the Brightleaf Flea Market with his mother around 10 a.m., when she says she turned to load her car with groceries and turned back around to find the boy gone.
Investigators say the mother and other customers searched for two hours on their own before calling police around noon.²

I hope this little guy is found alive. Police are not sure if this is a stranger abduction case at this point, but the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has classified it as such.
The is also the problem of the steep, 20-foot drop-off into the Nuese River that borders one side of the flea market.
The police performed an exhaustive search of the area including closing the open-air market and searching the cars as they left.
Siraj goes by the name ‘Raji’ and he speaks both Malaysian as well as English. He is 3 years of age. He stands 3′ tall and weighs 35 lbs. Raji’s hair and eye color are brown. When last seen Raji was wearing a light blue shirt with a yellow truck on the front, dark blue sweatpants, and blue Adidas tennis shoes.
If you see Siraj ‘Raji’ Davenport or have information regarding his disappearance please call 911 or the Smithfield North Carolina Police Department at 1 (919) 934-2121.
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1. Sam LaGrone, “Amber Alert issued for Johnston child“, The News & Observer, May 19, 2008. [↩]
2. WTVD-TV, “Police search for missing 3-year-old”, May 19, 2008. [↩]

News reports have indicated that authorities have searched the area around the Brightleaf Market, the last place 3-year-old Siraj Davenport was seen by his mother. There is also concern about the river that runs next to the shopping area.

I was wondering if there are any registered sex offenders living in the area. There was a really nice picture of the market posted on the  WDTV-Raleigh-Durham NC web site. The area looks relaxing. I would imagine that most people living in the area shop at the Brightleaf Market.

I visited the North Carolina Sex Offender Registry and did a search for registered sex offenders within a 3-mile-radius of the market. Below is a screen shot of the search. ¹

There are eleven registered sex offenders living within area. Note the yellow-colored square - that is the location of the Brightleaf Market and two registered sex offenders live in close proximity to the market.

Could one of the registered sex offenders have been on a shopping trip and set his sights on Siraj? The news accounts for today indicated that mothers in the area were searching for Siraj, including talking to people living in a close-by trailer park.²

I wonder if those women know that most likely several of the men then spoke with are registered sex offenders. Most have convictions for lewd acts against children.

I also performed a search of the area for RSO’s within a five-mile area and that search picked up an additional 7 more. At least one of the RSO’s live in the same town as Siraj. What if he followed mother and son to the store knowing the husband and father are out of the country? Mrs. Davenport may have even seen him or recognized him from her town and thought nothing of his appearance at the market. She may have even said ‘Hello’ in passing;

The other alternatives for Siraj’s disappearance is he did fall into the river or his mother is not being totally honest at this point and she harmed her son before she arrived at the market. My guess is this is not a possibility because people who know the family have spoken to the media and police and have never mentioned not seeing Siraj at the market.

1. North Carolina Sex Offender Registry, May 19, 2008. [↩]
2. Peggy Lim & Jordan Cooke, “Moms assist search for 3-year-old“, News & Observer, The Herald, May 19, 2008. [↩]