Missing and Murdered Children

Original PostUpdated: 11.11.09Sources

There are some stories that come out about missing children that I hesitate to blog about because I can almost feel the outcome is going to be bad. I read the story last night about missing 11-month-old Harmony Creech last night. There wasn’t much information available at that time so I decided to wait.

I read another article this afternoon and I discussed the story with a friend.

Below is what was told to police:

“…Harmony was last seen in her crib in the family’s Spring Lake home, at 1680 Ray Road, around 11 p.m. Thursday. Investigators said Harmony’s mother, Johni Michelle Heuser, claimed to be the last one to see the child after putting her to bed Thursday night.(…)”

“…A pink bed sheet, a few bibs and most of her clothing were also taken, authorities said.(…)”

“…Harnett County Sheriff Larry Rollins said the window in the baby’s room was open. The screen had been removed and was sitting outside of the house…”

The father of the missing child has been deployed to Iraq and was not in the country when Harmony was born. However, he flew into the country on Friday morning and Harmony’s grandmother picked him up at the airport, leaving a sleeping Harmony and the mother behind with her other 3 children.

When I read this account things just did not ring true. The first thing that did not ring true was not bringing this returning soldier’s new baby to the airport to greet her new father. The second thing not ringing true was the grandmother picking him up at the airport.

The last thing that did not ring true was the baby was not discovered missing until approximately 11:00 a.m. after the grandmother and father returned from the airport. Having been a mother I know children just do not sleep in until almost noon at 11 months of age.

So I discussed my misgivings with my friend. She was quick to ask me why I thought the child was dead. What could be the reason for someone killing a baby? Well, my response was of all of the babies and children I have heard of being murdered by someone, there never has been a good reason for the murder – there never can be a good reason to murder a child.

Updates 

Latest Updates

So I just checked for new developments in the story. Harmony’s body was located this afternoon in the attic of the home where she lived. Apparently she has been dead for several weeks. I suppose they needed to come up with a story to explain to the father why his daughter was not there to greet him at the airport.¹

There have been no arrests made at this time. The baby’s mother, Johni Michelle Heuser, told police she discovered Harmony’s deceased body in her crib a few weeks ago and concealed the death out of fear. An autopsy will determine if there was anything the mother should have been fearful about regarding the death of her baby.

I will continue to update this story.

That poor little baby. If she did die of natural causes she deserved to have a decent burial — not stuck up in an attack like an unwanted doll.

After several hours of questioning regarding the death of her 11-month-old daughter Harmony, Johni Michelle Heuser was charged with first-degree murder. She is being housed at the Harnett County Detention Center on a no bond hold.

An autopsy is scheduled to determine the cause of death. Johni told authorities that she found her daughter dead in her crib a few weeks ago and decided to hide the body and the death because she was afraid. News accounts do not elaborate on the cause of that fear.²

September 4, 2008

October 20th will mark the 1 year anniversary of Harmony Jade Creech’s alleged murder at the hands of her mother. At least that will mark the anniversary of the discovery of her badly decomposed body. Harmony’s mother  has yet to be indicted for the crime.

In case you don’t recall Hueser reportedly discovered her baby dead in the crib several weeks prior to reporting her missing. Instead of calling authorites on the day of the discovery Hueser decided to place her dead baby in a plastic bag, place that inside a diaper box and put the box up in the corner of the attic.

She then waited until the day the baby’s father was returning from a tour of duty in Iraq to report the baby missing which prompted the activation of a statewide Amber Alert.

What a piece of work.

In January of this year authorities were awaiting test results from Harmony’s skeletal remains that had been sent to a Texas lab for analysis. Then on March 11 it was reported that the autopsy discovered nicotine in Harmony’s body and there was no way to figure out how that happened.³

On March 18 it was determined that the cause of death was inconclusive. Other tests are being conducted and the investigation is ongoing.⁴

November 11, 2009

Prosecutors have decided to seek the death penalty in the first-degree murder case of Johni Heuser. It has been difficult for investigators to determine exactly how Harmony Creech died in 2007. What they have determined after having Harmony’s remains examined by an anthropologist is that Harmony was starved to death.

Harmony’s remains were found in the attic of her mother’s home on Oct. 20, 2007. Investigators believe Harmony died sometime between August 31, 2007, September 30, 2007.

Sources 

Death Penalty Sought Against Mother in Toddler’s Death, WRAL.com, Last Accessed: November 11, 2009.

1. Missing Harnett County Baby Found Dead in Attic, WRAL.com. [↩]
2. Mom Charged with Murder After Baby Found Dead, WRAL.com. [↩]
3. Autopsy Finds Nicotine in 11-month-old’s Remains, WRAL.com, March 11, 2008. [↩]
4. Infant’s Cause of Death Remains Under Investigation, WRAL.com, March 18, 2008. [↩]

Original Post: September 24, 2009Updated: 10.06.09View Sources

Authorities in Laredo, Texas issued an AMBER Alert yesterday for 12-year-old Karla Victoria Yrigoyen-Rivas of Laredo. According to information I have read she was last seen on Tuesday, September 22 at around 8:30 a.m. It is believed she was abducted by 29-year-old Herman Hernandez Canales. The original AMBER Alert mentioned another individual; however, the NCMEC site has changed the suspect information to Herman Hernandez Canales.

Police believe Karla to be in grave and immediate danger. I have searched the Internet news sites for information about this case and I have only been able to find short blurbs regarding the AMBER Alert. There is no background, no interviews with family members or friends. At this point there is not even a photo of the suspect.

If you have information, please contact Laredo Police Department at 956-795-2800.

Victim: Karla Victoria Yrigoyen-Rivas

Karla is a 12-year-old Hispanic female with black hair and brown eyes. She is 5′ tall and weighs approximately 100lbs. When last seen Karla was wearing a white blouse, blue jeans and black sandals. ¹

Suspect: Israel Blanquel Sotelo; AKA: Jose Martinez Santillan; Giovanni

Israel Blanquel Sotelo is a Hispanic male. He is a Mexican National. There is no other information about this suspect.

Updates 

Latest Update

September 24, 2009: 4:45 p.m. PST

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children the AMBER Alert issued for Karla Victoria Yrigoyen-Rivas has been canceled. There is no further information at this time. I hope she was located safe.

September 24, 2009: 11:45 p.m. PST

I am at a loss regarding why the AMBER Alert was canceled for this girl after reading the story of who this suspect is and what the mother has said about him.

Everything I have been able to find on this story this evening indicates Karla is still missing. According to her mother, Karla refused to go to school the morning of her disappearance. Later in the morning, the youngest daughter came into the mother’s room to tell her Karla was going to the local convenience store and would be home soon. She never came back home.

This mother has two men in the home and they rent rooms from her. Here is what the mother told the media about the suspect, 29-year-old Herman Hernandez Canales:

Karla’s mother had been renting a room to canales about two months. Another man also rents a room in the house.
Karla’s mother says canales visited with them often.
According to the mom, canales had already told her he loved her daughter, but she says he is a drug addict, and according to police, is an undocumented immigrant. ²

I don’t know about anybody else, but if a 29-year-old man told me he was in love with my 12-year-old daughter that would be enough for me to show the guy the door. Forget the added info that he is a drug addict and was deported from California in 2004 because he is undocumented. What could this mother be thinking. I read that quote and the hairs on the back of my head stood straight up.

Police have video from the local convenience store that was taken the morning before Karla disappeared. They are hoping the video will aid in finding the suspect and Karla. Police have stated they don’t believe Canales has crossed the border with Karla and that he is still in Laredo. They are following all leads.

What could that mother be thinking?

September 25, 2009: 10 p.m. PST

I can’t say I’m not surprised but police now say they have video showing the suspect and Karla crossing over the border into Mexico at about 1 p.m. on Tuesday. The news report states the video captured the two crossing at Bridge One. I am guessing that the FBI learned Canales was no longer in this country by following his cell phone signal. I think it was probably at that point they told Laredo police their suspect and victim had fled the country and they had better figure out what border crossing they used. Police have now contacted Mexican authorities and family members to aid in the search.

Now that we know Canales is dumb enough to carry a cell phone that can be tracked, let’s hope he is dumb enough to go back to his family is Honduras so he is easy to find.

September 27, 2009

Karla is still missing and assumed to be in Mexico with Herman Hernandez Canales. What I don’t understand is this new discussion between reporters and police of whether or not Karla went with Canales ‘willingly’:

Now questions are being raised of whether or not the girl went willingly.

Off. Albert Escobedo, Laredo Police Department
“This new information will probably confirm this information we’re still dealing with this as a missing person report and will treat it as such.”
The girl’s mother told pro 8 news earlier this week that she didn’t believe karla would willingly leave with canales.³

I just don’t understand why the above discussion even took place. She is 12. She cannot legally consent to leave the country with this adult male. She cannot even legally leave the country without parental consent.

Over the past 48 hours there has been a very similar case in the news involving 13-year-old Haley Willitt from Owensboro, Kentucky. The man in question, 43-year-old Archie Whalen, had also professed his love for Haley to her mother. Unlike Karla’s mother, Haley’s mother got her daughter the hell away from this guy and made every effort to keep him from contacting her daughter. She even took the extra step of calling law enforcement in the town where Whalen lived to alert them to his attempts in contacting her daughter. Whalen did manage to get Haley to leave her home with him. However, police called it what it was, an abduction, and treated it as such. An AMBER Alert was issued and Haley was located this morning with the suspect in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Whalen is in custody. Whalen’s past criminal record includes rape, assault and sexual contact with a minor. With that new bit of information I am wondering why the authorities in Maine where Whalen lived did not do more to keep Whalen from contacting Haley.⁴

The circumstances of these two cases appear almost identical except for two things: Haley is white and Karla is Hispanic and the suspect in Karla’s case is undocumented. These cases were handled differently. Both suspects have criminal backgrounds. Haley’s AMBER Alert remained active until she was found, Karla’s AMBER Alert was canceled before police even announced she had been spotted on surveillance video crossing over the border into Mexico. I just don’t understand why two cases with so many similarities were handled so differently.

September 30, 2009

There has been a couple of updates in the search for Karla. The first significant update happened yesterday when police revealed Karla’s mother misidentified the person of interest. I have changed the information above to reflect that change. The man who authorities are now looking for is a Mexican National named Israel Blanquel Sotelo. Sotelo sometimes goes by the names Giovanni or Jose Martinez Santillan. I really don’t understand this mother one bit. Also, I am sure I read in initial stories about Karla’s disappearance that Karla’s sister told her mother in the morning that Karla was going to the nearby convenience store and would be back soon. However, Karla’s mother did not report her daughter’s disappearance until 4 p.m. that day. Karla is shown on surveillance video crossing the border into Mexico with the suspect at 12:50 p.m.

Karla phoned her mother on September 29. She said she was in Mexico City. They talked until they got disconnected. I hope they just got disconnected and the man she is with did not discover her calling her mother and hung up the phone. Karla’s mother contacted police and provided them with the number from the caller id. Police are now focusing on that number and what areas it may lead.

October 6, 2009

It’s crap like this that makes the police hesitant to issue AMBER Alerts for missing kids near teen-age years. Karla finally called her mother again on Monday and told her she was ready to come home. She said she had gone willingly to Mexico City to visit family there and the adult male roommate just went with her to make sure she was safe. So investigators met Karla at the same bridge she was seen crossing into Mexico several weeks ago. She was taken to a hospital and examined, she showed no signs of abuse. I guess she had a nice time visiting family in Mexico City.

Police say at this point they are not sure if charges will be brought against the companion. He has not been charged with any crime, although the case is still under investigation. Police say Karla’s mother led them on a wild goose chase. I am glad she is home. What a waste of resources.

Sources 

Police Identify ‘Person of Interest’ in Missing Girl Case, Pro 8 News.com, Last Accessed: September 24, 2009.

Missing Girl and ‘Person of Interest’ Crossed into Mexico Days Ago, Pro 8 News.com, Last Accessed: September 25, 2009.

Mother of Missing 12-Year-Old Girl Misidentified Suspect, Pro 8 News.com, Last Accessed: September 30, 2009.

Phone Home: Missing 12-Year-Old Calls Mother, Pro 8 News.com, Last Accessed: September 39, 2009.

Pro 8 Update: Missing 12-Year-Old Girl Home in Laredo, Pro 8 News.com, Last Accessed: October 6, 2009.

1. AMBER Alert Case: Karla Victoria Yrigoyen-Rivas, NCMEC, Last Accessed: September 24, 2009. [↩]
2. Mother of Missing Girl Speaks About Her Daughter and the ‘Person of Interest’, Pro 8 News.com, Last Accessed: September 24, 2009. [↩]
3. Police Review Video Showing Missing Girl in Mexico, Pro 8 News.com, Last Accessed: 09.27.09. [↩]
4. UPDATE: Teen Found Safe in Wisconsin, WKRC, Cincinnati, Last Accessed: 09.27.09. [↩]

Original Post: August 18, 2009Last Updated: August 19: 12:15 a.m. PSTView Sources

An AMBER Alert has been issued by the New Hartford, New York police department after two children were abducted from their New Hartford home earlier this evening. The alleged abductor is their biological mother, Christin Brown, 24. Brown was accompanied by an unknown male when she allegedly forcibly took the two children from the home of their biological father and fled in a silver sedan.

The target areas for the New York AMBER Alert are the following: Allegany, Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, Otsego, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, Wayne, Yates. If you have information about this case please call the New Hartford Police Department at 866-NYS-AMBER or 911.

Victim 1: Timothy Scott Brown

Timothy is a 5-year-old white male with brown hair and hazel eyes. He is 4’3″ tall and weighs 40lbs.

Victim 2: Carmella Joy Brown

Carmella is a 3-year-old white female with brown hair and blue eyes. She is 2′ tall and weighs 35lbs. When last seen Carmella was wearing a white sundress with red and blue print.

Suspect 1: Christin Joy Brown

Christin Brown is a 24-year-old white female with blonde hair and hazel eyes. She is 5′ tall and weights 130LBS. When last seen Christin Brown was wearing blue jeans and an orange shirt. She has a tattoo of a cross on her back and her left ankle.

Christin Brown has a history of violent behavior, mental illness and drug problems. Police believe she may be armed.

Suspect Vehicle

Silver sedan with unknown Texas plates. Police believe the suspect may be en-route to Texas.

Updates 

August 19, 2009: 12:15 a.m. PST

The AMBER Alert issued last night at around 10 p.m. was canceled by New Hartford police at around 2 a.m. No reason was given for the cancellation and there is no information about recovery of the children.

Sources 

NCMEC AMBER Alert: Brown Siblings: Timothy & Carmella, NCMEC, Last Accessed: August 18, 2009.

Douglass Dowty / The Post Standard, Amber Alert: Woman Sought After Abducting Two Young Children in New Hartford, Syracuse.com, Last Accessed: August 18, 2009.