ALIAYAH LUNSFORD 3 - Weston, West Virginia (USA) - 24/09/11

**Twiglet** on Wed Sep 28, 2011 9:49 am

ALIAYAH LUNSFORD

Case Type: Endangered Missing
DOB: Jul 29, 2008
Sex: Female
Missing Date: Sep 24, 2011
Age Now: 3
Missing City: WESTON
Missing State : WV
Missing Country: United States
Race: White
Height: 3'0" (91 cm)
Weight: 35 lbs (16 kg)
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown

Case Number: NCMC1180362

Circumstances: Aliayah was last seen at home on September 24, 2011. Her ears are pierced and she is missing her top four front teeth. Aliayah was last seen wearing purple Dora pajama bottoms, a pink princess sweatshirt, and no shoes.

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**Twiglet** on Wed Sep 28, 2011 9:51 am

Aliayah Lunsford

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Missing since 24 September 2011.

**Twiglet** on Wed Sep 28, 2011 9:53 am

Charleston Gazette

24 September 2011

Lewis County officials are looking for 3-year-old girl‎

Lewis County officials are looking for a 3-year-old girl who was last seen Saturday morning at her home near Weston.

According to Sgt. Mike Posey of the Lewis County Sheriff's Department, the little girl was wearing purple "Dora the Explorer" pajamas and a pink princess sweatshirt.

The girl, Aliayah Lunsford, is approximately 3 feet tall and weighs about 35 pounds. She has shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes. She also is missing her top four front teeth.

She was last seen at her home in the Bendale community at 6:30 a.m.

If anyone has information, please call 304-269-8245. This non-emergency number for the Lewis County 911 center is answered 24 hours a day.

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**Twiglet** on Wed Sep 28, 2011 9:55 am

The Republic

26 September 2011

3-year-old Lewis County girl missing, K-9 unit leads searchers to West Fork River‎

Authorities continued to search Monday for a 3-year-old girl who went missing from her Lewis County home over the weekend.

Police say Aliayah Lunsford's family reported her missing from her Bendale home just 150 yards from the West Fork River on Saturday morning. Her mother, Lena Lunsford, told WDTV-TV that she went to wake the child at 9:30 a.m., and she was gone.

Lena Lunsford's last contact with her daughter had been about three hours earlier, said State Police Sgt. C.M. Alton. Other siblings were in the home at the time, and authorities said the family is cooperating with investigators.

"Right now there are no clues leading us anywhere," said Sgt. Mike Posey of the Lewis County Sheriff's Department. "No clues."

About 300 people helped authorities search the area near the home, and a K-9 unit led them to the river. Dive teams searched it Saturday and Sunday.

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**Twiglet** on Wed Sep 28, 2011 9:57 am

Daily Mail - Charleston

27 September 2011

Search for missing girl enters 4th day‎

Authorities searched again Tuesday for a 3-year-old Lewis County girl in what a national expert called an aggressive and extraordinary four-day effort.

Aliayah Lunsford vanished from her home in Bendale Saturday morning, and hundreds of people have been helping local, state and federal authorities try to find her.

FBI investigators have gone door to door. Dive teams have searched an underwater grid in the West Fork River. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children dispatched a member of Team Adam, retired investigators who advise local officers.

"The level of response has been extraordinary," said Ernie Allen, president of the national group. "There have been massive resources devoted to this.

"There's no doubt in our mind that the sheriff's department, the State Police, the FBI and we are doing everything possible to find this child and bring her home," he said.

Lena Lunsford told police she'd checked on her daughter around 6:30 a.m. Saturday, then discovered her missing three hours later.

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**Twiglet** on Wed Sep 28, 2011 10:01 am

KTLA

27 September 2011

3-year-old Wearing "Dora" Pajamas Disappears From Bedroom
‎Aliayah was last seen in pajama bottoms featuring the TV cartoon character Dora, a pink princess sweatshirt and no shoes.

K-9 dogs and hundreds of volunteers have joined authorities in West Virginia to look for a missing 3-year-old girl, but a sheriff's department lieutenant said in the two days since she was last seen that "we haven't come up with anything."

Aliayah Lunsford's mother and 9-year-old sister told police they saw the girl around 6 a.m. Saturday in a bedroom in their home in Weston, West Virginia, located between Charleston and Morgantown. The mother said she returned about three hours later to see the girl -- who had been sick the night before -- and take her temperature, but Aliayah wasn't there, Lewis County Sheriff's Lt. David Parks said Monday.

By that time, the girl's stepfather had already been picked up and left for work. The mother got in her car and drove around looking for the child, at one point running out of gas, said Parks. She called police to report Aliayah missing around 11:30 a.m.

A sheriff's deputy arrived within 10 minutes and a larger crew by noon, according to Parks. About 100 volunteers were on scene by the end of the day, alongside local, state and federal law enforcement agents.

The investigation so far has included search teams diving in nearby waters, interviews with relatives and neighbors, and a door-to-door search. That's in addition to searches conducted by volunteers. A bloodhound did detect Aliayah's scent in the vicinity of a nearby river, with a dog handler saying the girl likely had been in the area in the last three to seven days.

"We are still on it right now," said Parks of the search and investigation.

According to a poster from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Aliayah was last seen in pajama bottoms featuring the TV cartoon character Dora, a pink princess sweatshirt and no shoes. The girl is white, weighs about 35 pounds, stands 3 feet tall and has brown eyes and hair. She has pierced ears and is missing her top four front teeth.

The center characterized Aliayah as "endangered missing." But no Amber Alert has been issued for her, in part because authorities do not have a name or description of a suspect who might have taken her.

Parks said there were no signs of forced entry in the home, which the girl shared with four other children, her stepfather and her mother, who is pregnant with twins. There is a screen door, which does not have a handle, and a regular door, which doesn't shut very well, the lieutenant said.

He added that authorities have checked with "just about every sex offender in the county," getting alibis for them and not having indications that any were near the girl's residence at the time she went missing.

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**Twiglet** on Wed Sep 28, 2011 10:02 am

Examiner.

27 September 2011

Aliayah Lunsford's Search Continues, With or Without a Psychic
‎
I've just returned from Weston, where the search for 3-year-old Aliayah Lunsford continues to expand, evident in the number of police vehicles in the town and beyond.

With everyone worried about the little girl, her disappearance was a natural topic of conversation in the line at the Post Office this afternoon, where several of us were waiting our turn with letters and boxes. Someone who claimed to be a friend of the family divulged that they had called in a psychic to aid in the search.

Reaction was mixed, and someone speculated that the self-proclaimed 'psychic' was a fraud, arriving just in time to turn a family's despair into ready cash. Personally, I couldn't help thinking that small-town West Virginia was the last place any self-respecting criminal would go expecting a large cash handout ... so I hoped that the psychic was genuine. Any help would be welcome at this point, surely?

"Right now there are no clues leading us anywhere," Sgt. Michael Posey told reporters earlier. A police investigation of sex offenders in the region, and days of door-to-door interviews, have turned up nothing.

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**Tezza** on Thu Sep 29, 2011 10:50 pm

CNN

West Virginia Authorities Say Missing 3-Year-Old May Still Be Alive

September 28th, 2011

04:54 PM ET

Four days after a 3-year-old West Virginia girl disappeared from her home, local authorities were working with federal and state agencies Tuesday to determine what the next steps in their search should be.

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**Twiglet** on Mon Oct 03, 2011 4:50 pm

Daily Mail - Charleston

28 September 2011

Officials still hoping to locate missing W.Va. girl‎

A couple thousand volunteers and several law enforcement agencies have been involved in the search for a 3-year-old girl who turned up missing from her family's home on Saturday morning.

Officials remain hopeful they will find Aliayah (uh-LEE-uh) Lunsford, who was last seen at her home in the small community of Bendale outside Weston at 6:30 a.m. that day.

Although the Lewis County Sheriff's Department is leading the investigation, the FBI is taking a larger role.

The family home on Dennison Road has been declared a crime scene, and FBI investigators were searching the residence Wednesday.

Because dogs tracked the child to the riverbank earlier in the search, divers from various agencies continue to search the nearby West Fork River. Volunteers and law enforcement officers are searching the river's banks.

A pond along U.S. 19 a short distance from the river and about a mile from the child's home also was being searched.

The pond was surrounded by crime scene tape Wednesday, and FBI special agents were taking pictures in the vicinity. Members of the Weston Fire Department appeared to be draining water from the pond.

FBI Special Agent Jeff Killeen would not say exactly what authorities were looking for in the pond.

"This is an ongoing investigation, and we're still very hopeful that we'll find this child and put her back with her family," Killeen said.

However, Killeen said time is becoming very critical.

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**Twiglet** on Mon Oct 03, 2011 4:52 pm

WDTV

29 September 2011

Neighbors Concerned for Missing Girl's Safety; Volunteers Continue to Search ‎

The disappearance of 3-year-old Aliayah Lunsford has turned the small town of Bendale upside down.

"Bendale has never had an incident like this before; hopefully never will again," says Jeanie Stutler, a Dennison Street resident.

The situation is bringing thousands to Dennison Street.

"The volunteers have been around our house, and actually, we've had authorities in our house, coming to speak with us and take statements. They're trying diligently to find her and get to the bottom of this situation," she says.

But for now, they don't have many clues to go on.

"We just cannot discuss any potential evidence. Again, we have law enforcement here, we're looking into the potential of a criminal act," FBI Special Agent Jeff Killeen said Thursday.

Although it's being called a potential criminal act, investigators still believe Aliayah's unharmed.

"The evidence we have right now, it points to we still have hope and until that hope is gone, we're going to continue to carry on with a view towards recovering this child and bringing her back to her family where she belongs," he expressed.

And even after six days of searching with no clues, volunteers say they'll continue in hopes that she's out there.

"We'll walk until we can't walk no more, until we find here," says one volunteer.

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**Twiglet** on Mon Oct 03, 2011 4:55 pm

Examiner

29 September 2011

Aliayah Lunsford: Neighbor says mom never asked about missing daughter

‎Aliayah Lunsford, 3, has been missing since September 28, from her Weston, West Virginia home and the investigation has been very quiet.

News12 has found out some new information about the case and says they have talked to a neighbor that lives across the street and said Aliayah's mom never asked him about her.

The neighbor, Denzil McHenry says he was working on his yard all morning and she never came over and asked him if she had seen her or heard anything going on across the street.

It has also been found that both Lena and her husband Ralph have criminals records. John Wolfe, a Weston Democrat Reporter said he investigated the case and said Ralph was arrested for threatening his niece with an axe, and he also broke out the windows in her vehicle. Lena has been arrested for minor infractions, like lying to police.

The FBI is following up on tips, but are not saying much. The police have stated they have seen no indication that Aliayah has been harmed.

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**Twiglet** on Mon Oct 03, 2011 4:57 pm

WDTV

29 September 2011

Candlelight Vigil Held for Missing Child‎

As the search continues for Aliayah Lunsford, folks met up Thursday night to sing, pray and tell stories. The community and supporters had a candlelight vigil to show her the way back home.

"We were on Facebook Saturday, and about an hour after that we were up here. I just thought it would take, you know, a couple minutes to find her," said Margaret Blake.

"My sister and my family and I have searched the past couple of days, trying to help out as much as we could," Mary Good explains. "I just wish somebody had an answer. I have no idea. My heart aches. I'm a mother and would give anything to find her myself."

"We pray for her everyday, for her safety. And if she's not alive, we pray that someone finds her to give the community closure, let alone the family," explained Marsha Williston.

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**Twiglet** on Mon Oct 03, 2011 4:59 pm

State Journal

2 October 2011

Aliayah Lunsford Still Missing on Day 7‎

Seven days have gone by without locating Aliayah Lunsford, 3. And with the Friday weather cool-down, the search is turning desperate.

"That's a long time for a child to survive in this kind of environment without food, water and shelter and exposed to the elements," FBI Special Agent Jeff Killeen said.

Volunteer search and rescue crews and K-9 units re-combed the West Fork River and its banks Friday. The FBI said law enforcement is surveying the area separately, looking for any clues or evidence.

But the question of what happened to Aliayah remains and the possibility of eventual charges is becoming more probable.

"There's going to be some type of consequence. In all likelihood it's going to be a criminal consequence," Defense Attorney Tom Dyer said. Law enforcement sought legal advice from Lewis County Prosecutor Gary Morris Friday and briefed him on the case.

Defense Attorney Tom Dyer has offered his services for free to anyone who comes forward with information on Aliayah's whereabouts. He said coming forward is in the best interest of a potential perpetrator.

"If you come in now, you are certainly going to be treated more favorably than if this thing continues to drag on and on," Dyer said.

"Surely someone must know something. A person doesn't just vanish out of thin air like this," Killeen said.

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**Twiglet** on Mon Oct 03, 2011 5:01 pm

Examiner

2 October 2011

Aliayah Lunsford: Sibling removed from home of missing Weston girl
‎
The siblings of missing 3-year-old Aliayah Lunsford from Weston, West Virginia have been removed from the family home on Dennison Street on Saturday, according to the State Journal.

The W.VA. Dept. of Health ad Human Resources did not give a reason.

It has been nine days since Aliayah was last seen in her home. Her mother says she was sleeping in her bed and when she went back to check on her she was gone.

A neighbor across the street said that he saw no commotion and Aliyah's mother never came over and talked to him about Aliayah missing that morning.

Authorities are not asking for any help in the continued search for missing Aliayah, although they state that volunteers can organize their own effort as long as they have permission of an owner to search on private land.

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**Twiglet** on Mon Oct 03, 2011 5:03 pm

WDTV

2 october 2011

Day Eight: Search fo Aliayah Continues; Investigators "Not Ruling Out Anything" ‎

Sunday marked day eight of the search for three year-old Aliayah Lunsford, and police say the search is still being considered a rescue mission.

Investigators say the cold weather and rain caused them to scale back their search efforts over the weekend, using mostly law enforcement based search teams. They say the search will resume on Monday in the same place that they left off at on Friday.

The Appalachian Search and Rescue Team is set to be back out as well.

Police say they are concentrating now on a five square mile radius around the home, based on how far they believe Aliayah could have possibly wandered, but say they aren't ruling out any possibilities and will continue to stay hopeful.

"For a child to survive especially with the weather turning cold and rainy over the past couple of days, we're very concerned if this is a walk-off that this child is in great danger. There is every possibility that we're looking at today and we are not ruling out anything and we're ruling everything in till there comes such a time that we can rule out certain things that have happened to this child, but right now it's an open book," says FBI Special Agent Jeff Killeen.

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ALIAYAH LUNSFORD 3 - Weston, West Virginia (USA) - 24/09/11

ALIAYAH LUNSFORD 3 - Weston, West Virginia (USA) - 24/09/11

Re: ALIAYAH LUNSFORD 3 - Weston, West Virginia (USA) - 24/09/11

Re: ALIAYAH LUNSFORD 3 - Weston, West Virginia (USA) - 24/09/11

Re: ALIAYAH LUNSFORD 3 - Weston, West Virginia (USA) - 24/09/11

Re: ALIAYAH LUNSFORD 3 - Weston, West Virginia (USA) - 24/09/11

Re: ALIAYAH LUNSFORD 3 - Weston, West Virginia (USA) - 24/09/11

Re: ALIAYAH LUNSFORD 3 - Weston, West Virginia (USA) - 24/09/11

Re: ALIAYAH LUNSFORD 3 - Weston, West Virginia (USA) - 24/09/11

Re: ALIAYAH LUNSFORD 3 - Weston, West Virginia (USA) - 24/09/11

Re: ALIAYAH LUNSFORD 3 - Weston, West Virginia (USA) - 24/09/11

Re: ALIAYAH LUNSFORD 3 - Weston, West Virginia (USA) - 24/09/11

Re: ALIAYAH LUNSFORD 3 - Weston, West Virginia (USA) - 24/09/11

Re: ALIAYAH LUNSFORD 3 - Weston, West Virginia (USA) - 24/09/11

Re: ALIAYAH LUNSFORD 3 - Weston, West Virginia (USA) - 24/09/11

Re: ALIAYAH LUNSFORD 3 - Weston, West Virginia (USA) - 24/09/11

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