Alisa Maier -- Found Alive 7/6/10

Police, FBI following several leads in search for 4-year-old Missouri girl taken from front yard

KMOV.com
Updated today at 2:12 PM



KMOV) – An Amber Alert has been issued for a missing four-year-old girl from Louisiana, Missouri.

Police say Alisa Maier was playing with her six-year-old brother in their front yard around 8:00 p.m. on Monday when a black four-door car pulled up and took the girl. The car may have damage to the hood or front end.

Alisa is a white girl about three feet tall, weighs 40 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a white T-shirt and blue jean shorts when she was taken.

The suspect is described as a white man in his late teens or early twenties with dark, curly hair.

Police have called in the FBI for help. According to Louisiana Police Chief Richard Hughes, the police department and the FBI are following several leads in this case.

Hughes also says that investigators are looking at surveillance tapes from area businesses to help in their search.

Volunteers are gathering at the Elks Lodge at 5th and Georgia in Louisiana, Missouri. So far, dozens of people have turned out to help search for Alisa. Volunteers are going door-to-door looking for the little girl.

Hughes says police believe the kidnapping is a random act. The family says there are no family members or friends who they suspect would take Alisa.

Alisa's grandfather Roy Harrison says he believes that the suspect was just waiting for an opportunity to snag Alisa. Neighbors reported seeing the black car drive down their street several times before Alisa was taken.

Harrison says that Alisa and her brother were only outside alone for 10 minutes when the little girl was taken.

Family members are concerned that a recent carnival in town had brought outsiders into their small community.

Anyone with information about Alisa is encouraged to call police. The direct line for investigators is 573-754-4021. You can also call 314-612-3000 or e-mail stlouis_tips@ic.fbi.gov if you have any information in this case, or contact the Missouri Amber Alert here.

Louisiana, Missouri is about 80 miles north of St. Louis.

http://www.kmov.com/news/local/4-year-old-girl-taken-from-front-yard-97826599.html

Amber Alert Issued After Mom Chases Car Carrying Abducted Daughter
Girl Snatched While Playing in Front Yard Outside Missouri Home, Mom Gives Chase, Police Issue Amber Alert

By RAY SANCHEZ
July 6, 2010



Alisa Maier's mother made a desperate but futile attempt to catch up to the car carrying the man who abducted her 4-year-old daughter in Louisiana , Missouri, according to a neighbor.

"She got in her van and took off up the road in the direction that her son pointed but the car got away," neighbor Anita Mcklevis told ABCNews.com.

Authorities issued an Amber Alert for Alisa, who was apparently abducted Monday evening while playing with her older brother outside the family home on South Carolina Street.

Police met with the FBI to discuss the case as volunteers went door-to-door with fliers, asking for help from anyone who may have seen Alisa.

The girl was playing with her brother in the front yard as her parents prepared dinner inside the home, according to police and neighbors. Her brother told police that a black four-door car, probably a convertible with tinted windows, pulled up to the house and a thin man made off with the Alisa.

At a news conference Tuesday, the missing girl's grandfather Roy Harrison pleaded for her return. "I want this baby back," he told reporters.

"Please, anybody, if you know anything, call this guy back here," he said, pointing to Louisiana Police Chief Richard Hughes. "Call the FBI. Call whoever you need to call."

Harrison said Alisa is "a really good girl, always smiling, happy-go-lucky. We really appreciate everybody getting together to try to help us find her."

Police were examining surveillance video from local businesses in hopes of finding some clues in the case.

"We really haven't limited the scope, we're following all leads," Hughes told reporters. "The FBI is here to assist. We do have both state agencies from Illinois and Missouri."

Special agent Billy Cox, a spokesman for the FBI, told The Associated Press that the town is near a bridge that crosses the Mississippi River into Illinois and that law enforcement officers from both states were involved in the search.

"The possibility of her being in Illinois is very real," Cox said.

Alisa has straight brown hair, brown eyes and weighs about 40 pounds. She stands 3 feet tall and was last seen wearing a white-shirt and blue denim shorts.

Mcklevis said her son was standing outside a friend's house near the place of the alleged abduction and saw a dark car circling the neighborhood for hours before Alisa went missing. "He didn't pay too much attention and went inside the house," she said.

"When my son came back out, he said Alisa's brother was saying that a young man who looked to be in his early 20s had grabbed his sister and taken her away," Mcklevis said.

Mcklevis described Louisiana, Missouri, located 75 miles north of St. Louis, as a quiet, safe place.

"We were up all night just thinking about this," she said. "This is kind of town where you don't have lock your doors. You know everybody. The kids play outside all the time." Mcklevis said her son gave a statement to the police Tuesday.

Alisa's brother described the alleged abductor as a thin white male, possibly in his late teens or 20s with dark, curly hair. He was driving a black or dark-colored four-door sedan with possible front end damage, according to authorities.

Alleged Abduction Surprises Louisiana , Missouri

"These kinds of things don't usually happen around here," Mcklevis said. Anyone with information can call the Louisiana Police Department at (314) 754-4021 or the Pike County Sheriff's Department at (573) 324 3202.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/mom-futile-chase-car-carrying-man-apparently-abducted/story?id=11095298

I'm already heartbroken about this one, especially after reading about the mom jumping in the car and taking off after the sicko and being unable to catch up with him. I pray that this ends well, but it doesn't look good with it being a stranger abduction. I am totally sickened that there are so many predators in this country hunting our children.

Oh, you and me both, J4A..... it seems like every time we turn around, another precious little one is being abducted, molested or murdered..... or even worse..... abducted, molested AND murdered.

I pray this one comes home safe and unharmed..... but I realize that isn't the likely outcome..... even if prayers are answered and this little girl does come home.

I am just sickened about this happening to yet another innocent child.

This is awful, he was hunting her down like she was prey. It reminds me of the Samantha Runnion bold kidnapping from her yard, right in front of her friend with Samantha kicking and screaming, July 15, 2002. The car sounds pretty easy to spot, unless he's already dumped it.

What a beautiful little girl.. God Bless her and her family.... I cant believe that these pigs are so bold..to think he didnt even care if he got caught..just plucked her away from her beautiful life..
And the thoght of another media circus witchunt is unbearable... I read that a carnival had been in town recently... I read that a carnival had been in Portland from May 29 till Jun 2....of course I immediately thought of Kyron...
Its all so sad..

Good news this time!


Abducted 4-year-old girl found in car wash
Missouri girl snatched from front yard undergoes exam at hospital

July 7, 2010

ST. LOUIS — A 4-year-old girl taken from her Louisiana, Mo., front yard has been found alive 80 miles away near St. Louis, NBC News reported late Tuesday.

Alisa Maier was dropped off at a car wash, NBC said. She was being treated at a hospital but there was no word on any injuries or whether she was there as a precaution. Police were looking for a suspect but had only a vague description. They canceled an AMBER alert issued a day earlier.

Her family was en route to the hospital late Tuesday for a reunion, NBC said.

St. Louis County police said they received a call at 9:45 p.m. (10:45 p.m. EDT) for a boy wandering around in the parking lot of a Fenton strip mall near Highway 141 and Gravois Road, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on its website. The "boy" turned out to be Alisa, police said.

Alisa reportedly was snatched at 8 p.m. Monday while playing with her 5-year-old brother, Blake, in their small, quiet, Mississippi River home.

Police searched frantically for a man in a dark sedan suspected of taking the girl.

Alisa's brother told police a man he did not know, driving a four-door car, pulled up and ordered his sister to get in before driving away, police said.

Billy Cox, a special agent for the FBI office in St. Louis, said stranger abductions are rare, but this appeared to be one, The Associated Press reported.

Police had a vague description of the abductor — possibly a white male with dark hair in his late teens or early 20s.

At least 60 police officers and more than 100 residents had joined in the search.

Late Monday at a candlelight vigil in Louisiana, Alisa's father, David Maier, spoke briefly.

"I just want to thank you all for you all's support," Maier said. Family members hugged one another and cried.

Angela Reddick, Maier's great-aunt, said family members inside the house immediately started looking for the girl after her brother said she had gotten into a car.

"No one recognizes the description of the car or him," Reddick said. "It was a stranger."

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for more updates.

The Associated Press and NBC News contributed to this report.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38120690/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

Thank God. I wish the monsters in more cases would just drop the kids off somewhere instead of killing them.

This is wonderful news. kh

Wonderful news to wake up to!!

Now to just get the rest of our kids home safe and sound....

Bless her precious little heart! Thank God she's home and she's going to be okay. I sure hope they find the freak that kidnapped her.

That is great news!!

Oh Happy Day!!! What wonderful news to see 1st thing this AM...God Is Great!!! Many prayers answered...

Estee~ Isn't it great to wake up to good news once in a while? kh

I am so HAPPY right now! This has made my day! Bless that little sweet angel and her family!

Message to her abductor: Even though you're a complete jerk/azzhole/creep/etc for taking her, thank God you cared enough about your own life to let her go!

Such wonderful news......

Who abducted Alisa Maier?

by Russell Kinsaul
Posted on July 7, 2010 at 12:30 PM



Now that 4 year old Alisa Maier is safely back with her parents, investigators are turning their full attention to finding the person who abducted her. The FBI and local police are searching many leads, including the eyewitness accounts of those who found Alisa at a Fenton car wash and were able to give a description of the suspect's vehicle to police. To learn more about who would commit such a crime and the way investigators are going about finding that person, I spoke with a retired FBI agent who was involved with the Michael Devlin case. Devlin was convicted in 2007 of abducting Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby. Here are some insights from that agent.

-There's a strong possiblity that the abductor is from the St. Louis area. It's unlikely that he would have traveled a great distance to find a victim.

- The reason he dropped off Alisa in Fenton is that he's probably familiar with the area and feels comfortable being in that area. He may live nearby or used to live nearby.

- This person may be a registered sex offender. If not, there's a strong likelihood that they may have a record as a peeping tom or as a prowler. The agent said rapists have been caught prowling around homes as they scouted a neighborhood for potential victims. This person may have been caught doing the same in the past.

- Investigators are leaving no stone unturned and probably includes checking for possible links to a series of attempted abductions in the Des Moines area in 2008.

- If not caught, this abductor will strike again. The agent said that this person has some sort of real psychosis that played a role in their decision to abduct a child and even if they lay low for awhile, will drive them to do it again.

- Lastly, their are lessons for all of us to learn from this crime. First of all it was a crime of opportunity. Without the opportunity, there would have been no crime. Because a 4 year old was playing in her front yard unsupervised at the time, a very bad person had the opportunity to grab her. He said parents need to make sure they know where their kids are. And secondly, be aware of anything suspicious in your neighborhood. The suspect's car was seen circling the neighborhood in Louisiana, Missouri before the abduction occured. If you see suspicious behavior in your neighborhood or someone that you don't think belongs, don't be reluctant to report it to police. It's their job to check on suspicious activity and your call might prevent a crime.

http://www.kmov.com/community/blogs/reporters-blog/Who-abducted-Alisa-Maier-97952169.html

Police have good leads in search for man who took Mo. girl, she was found 70 miles from home

By JIM SALTER , Associated Press
Last update: July 7, 2010 - 12:44 PM

FENTON, Mo. - They're calling it another Missouri miracle — a 4-year-old girl abducted from her front yard and found safe 70 miles away more than 24 hours later.

The FBI and police said witnesses late Tuesday saw what they thought was a little boy wandering around a suburban St. Louis car wash. It turned out to be 4-year-old Alisa Maier, abducted Monday night from the yard of her home in Louisiana, Mo.

Alisa was taken early Wednesday to Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital in St. Louis for evaluation. After nearly three hours of examinations, the little girl and her parents left about 7:30 a.m., hospital spokesman Bob Davidson said.

"They all looked really tired, like they'd been through a lot, but they also looked overwhelmingly overjoyed at being reunited," Davidson said. "Alisa was sitting in her mother's lap in the emergency room and her mother had her arms wrapped around Alisa like she was never going to let her go."

Davidson declined to discuss details of the examination but said the family asked him to thank those who helped in the search or prayed for Alisa's return. Police also declined to say if the girl had been assaulted.

Police and the FBI turned their attention to finding the abductor. Soon after Alisa went missing, her 6-year-old brother told police a young white man in a dark-colored car had ordered Alisa to get in.

Witnesses at the Fenton car wash where Alisa turned up reported a similar sighting. Police were searching for a dark-colored, four-door car, possibly a Ford Escort, seen leaving the area of the car wash. A dark-skinned white man in his 30s was the driver. Police believe the car either had a hole in the muffler or no muffler at all, and it was missing the hubcaps.

At a Wednesday news conference, police vowed to catch the suspect.

"We have dozens and dozens of leads, and some of them are very good ones," St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch said.

"We will not stop until we catch the individual that abducted Alisa."

Alisa's grandfather, Roy Harrison, urged the kidnapper to turn himself in.

"I want to tell that man he's done the first step — he's let my granddaughter go," Harrison said on NBC's Today Show. "He has to step up and take responsibility."

Missouri was the site of another miraculous ending a little over three years ago.

In January 2007, 13-year-old Ben Ownby was abducted after getting off the school bus near his home in rural Franklin County. Four days later, police made a startling discovery: Ben was alive and being held captive in a St. Louis County apartment complex. Even more amazing, police found Shawn Hornbeck with him. Shawn had been missing for 4 1/2 years after being abducted while riding his bike in another rural area.

Michael Devlin was convicted of kidnapping and abusing the boys, and is serving several life sentences.

In the small Mississippi River town of Louisiana, Alisa and her brother were playing in the front yard while their mom was in the house making dinner. The boy told police a man he did not know pulled up and ordered the girl to get in, then drove away.

A neighbor said the frantic mother called police, then took off in a van to search for her daughter.

More than 100 volunteers joined at least five dozen police officers in the search for Alisa. Tuesday night, several hundred people gathered for a vigil in a park in the quiet town of about 4,000 residents.

Around the same time the vigil was breaking up, dozens of miles away in the St. Louis County town of Fenton, witnesses noticed a car with a noisy muffler — or no muffler at all — at a car wash in a strip mall. Later, the witnesses thought they were seeing a boy wandering around the car wash, but it was Alisa.

Fitch he confirmed the girl's hair had been cut short after she was abducted. He declined to say if the kidnapper cut her hair or speculate about if it was an effort to conceal her identity.

For now, her family is ecstatic to have her back.

"They were just so happy, hardly any words were spoken" Harrison said of the family seeing Alisa for the first time. "There was a lot of smiling."

http://www.startribune.com/nation/97927974.html?page=1&c=y

Missing 4-year-old girl found alive, police search for suspect

By the CNN Wire Staff
July 7, 2010 1:23 p.m. EDT



(CNN) -- Police in Missouri are working with other law enforcement agents in their search for a man suspected of abducting a 4-year-old girl who was later found at a gas station, St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch said Wednesday.

Fitch said Alisa Maier has since been reunited with her family, after she was kidnapped from her home in Louisiana, Missouri, while playing outside with her 6-year old brother on Monday.

"She's been released from the hospital and she's with her family. ...As best I can tell, she's in good shape," Fitch said during a news conference Wednesday.

Authorities issued an Amber Alert Monday after the young girl was abducted. She was found alive Tuesday at about 9:45 p.m. in Fenton, Missouri, about 70 miles from her home in Louisiana, Missouri, police said.

She was discovered near a gas station car wash after witnesses saw her walking away from a car described as having "a very loud muffler,"

Alisa -- who witnesses first thought was a boy -- was taken to a hospital after police interviewed her and identified her as the missing 4-year-old, Fitch explained. He would not comment on whether the child's appearance was altered to make her appear to be a boy, and authorities said doctors would determine whether she had been injured or abused.

The chief told reporters that witnesses described the man driving the car as "a white male, possibly a dark-skinned white male, (with) short dark hair, (in his) early 30's."

"He was in a black or dark-brown, mid-size four-door vehicle, possibly a Ford Escort," he added.

Fitch said witnesses saw Alisa walking around the car wash after hearing the loud muffler on the suspect's vehicle, which was also missing wheel covers on the driver's side.

Alisa's grandfather, Roy Harrison, told CNN affiliate KSDK that Alisa was smiling Wednesday morning. The family is asking t he suspected kidnapper to turn himself in.

"We tell him that he did the first step. That's what I tell everybody, he's done the first step," said Harrison. "He needs to step up and admit he has a problem and turn himself in and be accountable for what he has done."

Alisa was snatched from the front yard of her home in Louisiana, Missouri, on Monday evening while she was playing with her brother, police there said.

Anita McKlevis, who lives across the street from the family, said Alisa's mother was "just beside herself" and tried to pursue the man who abducted the girl.

"She jumped up and went across the street, got into her van and took off," McKlevis told HLN's "Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell."

She said the children were regularly supervised by parents or grandparents while playing outside: "I never seen this little girl without her parents," McKlevis added.

Louisiana is about 80 miles north of St. Louis.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/07/07/missouri.abducted.child/index.html?video=true&hpt=T2

Hi Blake! You brave little fella! You are the world's best big brother. So bright and intelligent for such a little guy. You paid close attention and remembered vivid details to help find the man that took Alisa. He will be found. And Alisa is home safe. 8) You rock!

Breaking news..........

Alisa's hair was cut off to make her look like a boy.

Sources: Maier Kidnapping Suspect Shoots Self After Confrontation With Police

FOX2now.com
6:34 PM CDT, July 7, 2010

 

Clayton, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com) - Sources in Lincoln County tell FOX 2 that the suspect in the kidnapping of four year old Alisa Maier has killed himself after a confrontation with police. It happened in the Hawk's Point area off Highway D just west of O'Fallon. Sources say officers received a tip that the resident of that Lincoln County home might be responsible for Maier's kidnapping. When police arrived at the scene, we're told there was some kind of confrontation, then the man turned the gun on himself. There is no confirmation as to whether he's dead or alive.

Wednesday morning, St. Louis County Police detailed the on going investigation into Alisa's abduction at the St. Louis County Justice Center. Police and the FBI were still searching for the kidnapping suspect that left Alisa late Tuesday night at a car wash in old town Fenton.

Commanders say they're still following up on over one-hundred tips from the public, since Alisa's abduction. Several witnesses spotted Alisa last night wandering around the car wash with a possible suspect. The suspect's car is described as a black or brown four door car, possibly a Ford Escort, with no hubcaps on the driver's side. The car also had a loud muffler, police caution that the suspect may have changed cars and/or their appearance.

When St. Louis County Police arrived on the scene, an officer asked the child if she was a boy or girl. The child answered a girl. At first the officer thought Alisa might have been the child of a worker at a near by Mexican restaurant. But when she gave her first name, he call dispatch to confirm her identity as the child abducted from Louisiana.

Both Alisa and her parents are resting in St. Louis County. Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of $2000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the kidnapper.

http://www.fox2now.com/news/ktvi-police-detail-investigation-alisas-abduction-070710,0,5704085.story?track=rss

Wow! Thanks for the update Piper.

"Person of Interest" in Maier Kidnapping Shoots Self After Confrontation With Police

FOX2now.com
8:08 PM CDT, July 7, 2010

Clayton, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com) - A man police wanted to talk to regarding the kidnapping of four year old Alisa Maier shot himself when officers came to his door. The shooting happened about 4:30 Wednesday afternoon on Highway D in Hawk Point, Missouri, west of O'Fallon. Police would not say the man, was the primary suspect in the case. In fact, they say they're not stopping their investigation despite the development. Police couldn't confirm if the man was dead or alive.

"Everything is still on the table," Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Al Nothum told reporters Wednesday evening. "We're not saying this is a suspect. He's a person of interest."

Police do confirm a dark colored car matching the description of the kidnapper's vehicle was located on the property.

The incident in Lincoln County took happened at a home listed as the address for a man with a long criminal record.

Paul S. Smith, according to various state websites, has a record that includes at least one attack on a child.

Smith is listed on the Missouri sex offender registry as having sodomized a ten year old boy back in 1995 in Rolla.

Smith, who is now 38, is also recorded on the Missouri Department of Corrections site as having served time on charges of tampering with a motor vehicle and first degree receiving stolen property.

Smith has been listed at at least two St. Louis area addresses prior to what happened Wednesday. The sex offender registry lists him on Weil Avenue in St. Louis. That's in south city near Chippawa. Corrections listed him as living on South Lindbergh at one point.

He apparently had relocated to the property in Lincoln County where the incident happened.

Wednesday morning, St. Louis County Police detailed the on going investigation into Alisa's abduction at the St. Louis County Justice Center. Police and the FBI were still searching for the kidnapping suspect that left Alisa late Tuesday night at a car wash in old town Fenton.

Commanders say they're still following up on over one-hundred tips from the public, since Alisa's abduction. Several witnesses spotted Alisa last night wandering around the car wash with a possible suspect. The suspect's car is described as a black or brown four door car, possibly a Ford Escort, with no hubcaps on the driver's side. The car also had a loud muffler, police caution that the suspect may have changed cars and/or their appearance.

When St. Louis County Police arrived on the scene, an officer asked the child if she was a boy or girl. The child answered a girl. At first the officer thought Alisa might have been the child of a worker at a near by Mexican restaurant. But when she gave her first name, he call dispatch to confirm her identity as the child abducted from Louisiana.

Both Alisa and her parents are resting in St. Louis County. Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of $2000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the kidnapper.

http://www.kplr11.com/news/ktvi-police-detail-investigation-alisas-abduction-070710,0,7880571.story

Upon reading the news I see that the perp expired...He just brought himself justice for the crimes he committed...Saved the taxpayers a bunch of mulah...I hope and pray little Alisa can overcome the trauma she sustained...

Hi Estee, I saw on some other blogs people questioning if he actually died from shooting himself, and you're right he died.

Cops: 'Person of interest' in abduction dies
Man shoots himself as police close in; 4-year-old girl reunited with family

updated 2 hours 31 minutes ago

HAWK POINT, Mo. — Police say a man considered to be a "person of interest" in this week's abduction of a 4-year-old Missouri girl shot himself after authorities went to his home.

The man later died from his wounds, police said.

Read more:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38120690/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

Alisa Maier reacts to seeing suspect's photo on News 4

KMOV.com
Posted on July 8, 2010 at 11:03 AM

KMOV.com) -- According to authorities, 4-year-old Alisa Maier's appearance was changed when she was abducted from her Louisiana, Missouri home.

Investigators say that Alisa's hair was cut during her ordeal, but authorities would not say why.

A family member tells News 4 that when Alisa saw Smith's photo during our extended coverage of this story, she said, "He cut my hair."

http://www.kmov.com/news/local/Alisa-Maeir-reacts-to-seeing-suspects-photo-on-News-4-98032634.html

I heard her hair was cut like a boy's. That is why the caller told LE there was a little boy walking around at the car wash. When the first responder arrived, he asked her if she was a boy or a girl. She told him a girl and when asked what her name was, she said Alisa.

Cops: Suspect in child abduction kills self
Girl, 4, reunited with family; Missouri man was convicted sex offender

updated 31 minutes ago

HAWK POINT, Mo. — Police say the man who shot himself as officers approached him about the disappearance of 4-year-old Alisa Meier was almost certainly the man who abducted her.

Authorities on Thursday said 38-year-old Paul S. Smith of Hawk Point, Mo., was the suspect in the case. He died late Wednesday at a St. Charles hospital.

Smith was a convicted sex offender.

Police tracked him down after noticing new clothes Alisa was wearing after she was recovered. Officers determined those clothes came from a Wal-Mart store in Troy and surveillance video from the store pointed them to Smith.

Alisa was snatched from the front yard of her Louisiana, Mo., home Monday night and was found Tuesday night after she had been dropped off at a car wash about 70 miles away.

Officers went to the man's home in Hawk Point on Wednesday afternoon. Hawk Point is about halfway between where Alisa Maier was taken from her front yard Monday night and the St. Louis suburb where she was found late Tuesday wandering around a car wash.

Meanwhile, celebratory messages graced church billboards and an electronic bank sign as Alisa Maier's hometown celebrated her safe return.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38120690/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

I think her big brother is a HERO - he amazingly recalled vivid details that turned out to be 100% correct (except maybe the man's age, but kids normally can't judge age very well anyway...) he is an amazing kid and should be highly commended - he certainly helped to save his sisters life. I'm sure there will always be a very close bond between the 2 of them - of course, I also hope that she has no recollections of what just happened to her. I remember when my middle daughter was 3 - she had loooong hair down to her little rear end - and while i was on the phone one day - her brother (4 at the time) cut it all off!!! in less than a 5 min phone call he had cut it to the scalp - so at the bottom, it had to be shaved a little - but i wanted to share that story because the haircut alone traumatized my daughter - to this day she HATES to get her hair cut - and she's almost 9 now - of course, my reaction to the haircut was crying and screaming cause her hair was SO gorgeous - it was traumatic to me too lol... I picked up hair out of the living room for the next 6 months lol...
I'm SO SO SO thankful that this little one was returned safely, I wish more perps would do that instead of kill them. me and my husband watched this one so closely - in part because our little one turns 4 this weekend and both of us talked about how when we were looking at Alisa's picture, it was like looking at Sarah, not that that they resemble each other, but you can relate to the child in that way, and the parents as well...

Alisa's big brother Blake is a hero Tish. He did a very good job recalling details given his age.

Check out the following video report from the Today Show. They reported that when Blake saw Smith's photo, he said "that's the man who took Alisa." When Alisa saw the photo, she said "that's the man who cut cut my hair, daddy." Police said Paul Smith was spray painting his car when officers approached.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

What a mircale and what a sharp little boy! These 2 kids are so special.. They both won and so did society!

These high risk pigs need to be stopped.. This is the type who is so determined. he wud take a child out of their own bed, or school... He didnt care.. he saw what he wanted and took her...if there was no one on the lawn that day, it didnt matter .. he was going to get someone! I wonder if he was in Portland in June.. Also, Im not sure if there is an answer byut do pigs have a preferance male of female?????????????? Great LE work.. too bad the pig ever had the luxury of walking the streets.... maybe someone like Hope Sykes was taking up a spot!!!

AJ, Hope is not a Croslin is she? She is Ron's cousin, but I don't think her last name is Cummings. I don't remember what it is.

Hope Sykes is the one who got sentenced to 15 years.

Thanks J4a. We can always count on you. You are a good boy.

lol SIte... I always refer to the entire pack as either cummings or croslins lol... she is Rons cousin ! I corrected my post..thnx!

St. Louis County Police officer recalls finding missing Missouri girl

Friday, July 9, 2010 | 11:13 a.m. CDT
BY The Associated Press

FENTON — St. Louis County Police officer Sean Becker first thought the child wandering around the car wash in Fenton was from the neighborhood. But aware that a girl had disappeared in Louisiana, Mo., some 70 miles away, the officer asked, "Is your last name Maier?" She nodded yes.

Becker recalled finding 4-year-old Alisa Maier during an interview in the Friday edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

It was Becker who responded about 9:45 p.m. Tuesday to a report of a small child, thought to be a 6- to 8-year-old boy, wandering alone at the car wash.

Becker found a child younger than that, wearing a T-shirt that read "Missouri Rocks," boys gym shorts and new gym shoes.

"Show me where you came from," the officer said. The child did not respond. "Show me where Mom and Dad are."

Finally, the child pointed to a street and said, "Brown car."

Becker took the child to his patrol car and she seemed hesitant, nervous, scared. Eventually, she felt more at ease and began to talk.

"Are you a little boy or a little girl?" he asked. "A little girl?"

She confirmed she was a girl. The officer drove to a street thinking the girl lived in the neighborhood, then pulled over to see if she could walk in the direction of her home. She walked a short ways, then stared blankly at Becker.

"Do you know where you're at?" he asked.

She nodded no.

That's when it occurred to him that it could be Alisa, kidnapped a little more than 24 hours earlier from her front yard.

A convicted sex offender, Paul Smith of Hawk Point, Mo., fatally shot himself on Wednesday as police approached him. Police think he was the kidnapper.

Becker contacted a dispatcher and asked for the Louisiana girl's name.

"Is your last name Maier?" he asked her.

She nodded yes.

Becker checked her for injuries, found none, then took her to St. Clare Health Center. Nurses gave Alisa a blanket and a drink. Someone at the car wash had given her a stuffed animal, and she continued to clutch it.

Becker used his cell phone to take pictures and sent the images to the FBI command post in Louisiana. FBI agents showed the pictures to Alisa's parents, who confirmed it was her, though her hair had been cut, apparently by Smith in an effort to conceal her identity.

"It was an emotional experience," Becker said. "To be that lucky was amazing. I'm happy she's back with her family."

http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2010/07/09/officer-recalls-finding-missing-girl/

Wow. What an experience for that police officer. One of the happy endings he gets to be involved in rather than all the awful things he sees that people do to one another....

Thank you, God, for answering so many prayers and bringing Alisa home safe.

How Can Children Recover From an Abduction?

FOX2now.com
July 9, 2010

(KTVI - FOX2now.com) - Alisa Maier is home again. The town of Louisiana, Missouri and the nation excited she is safe and sound. To Alisa, it may be liked it never happened. When something so traumatic happens to a young child, how do they move forward? Child psychiatrist Dr. Eleatha Surratt from Hawthorn Children's Psychiatric Hospital explains more.

 

http://www.fox2now.com/news/morningshow/ktvi-recovering-from-kidnapping-psychiatrist-070910,0,4508223.story

Gun found at kidnap suspect’s home tied to killing

HAWK POINT, Mo. | Authorities in northeast Missouri say they’ve linked a gun found at the home of a suspected child kidnapper to the killing of an auto shop owner.

Convicted sex offender Paul Smith fatally shot himself Wednesday as police approached him at his home in Hawk Point.

Police believe Smith kidnapped 4-year-old Alisa Maier on Monday night outside her home in Louisiana, Mo. She was found unharmed Tuesday night outside a car wash in the St. Louis County town of Fenton.

KSDK-TV reports a second gun was found at the suspected kidnapper’s home. Police said Friday it appeared to be the gun that killed Jeff Smith at his Hawk Point shop, Smitty’s Garage, on July 3. More tests will be done.

Police believe he was killed after interrupting a burglary.

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/07/09/2073460/gun-found-at-kidnap-suspects-home.html

Was Jeff Smith related to Paul Smith?

I don't think they were related mama, but I don't know for sure.

Police: Girl's Kidnapper Also Murderer of Business Owner

Murder Weapon From Friday Murder Found In Paul S. Smith's Home After His Suicide

By George Sells
FOX2now.com
10:04 PM CDT, July 9, 2010

 

ROY, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com) - It seemed like too great a coincidence to nearly everyone involved: a murder and the suicide of a kidnapper in the space of five days. At least it was too great a coincidence in a town with fewer than 500 residents. So when Major Case Squad detectives announce Friday that they believed there was a connection between the two cases, not too many people were surprised.

It was last Tuesday night that little Alisa Maier, who had been kidnapped from her Louisiana home the day before, was dropped off at a strip mall about a hundred miles from her home.

The next day Paul S. Smith was confronted at his home in Hawk Point. Police approached him, and he shot himself.

Among the officers there were Major Case Squad investigators working the murder five days earlier of Jeff "Smitty" Smith less than a mile away. Smith had apparently interrupted a burglary at his auto repair shop and was killed.

After Paul Smith's suicide, police got a search warrant, and they say it was in his home that they found the gun that killed Jeff Smith.

"An additional handgun besides the one he shot himself with was located," Deputy Commander Mark Schimweg said. "At the time the weapon was believed to be the same type and caliber of the one in the murder of Paul Smith."

Ballistics tests confirmed it was the gun.

It ends a week in Hawk Point where residents have been living in fear.

"It's just been hectic," area resident Ben Merckling told FOX 2. "Everybody's scared. People aren't letting their kids out to play. They're sleeping with shotguns next to their beds. They're scared to death about what's gonna happen."

Lincoln County Sheriff Mike Krigbaum says residents can now exhale.

"I believe those folks can rest easy tonight," he says. "No, as far as if we have a mass murderer running around, there's no worry of that in my mind. I think we're safe."

Krigbaum wouldn't go so far as to say it's all over. There are loose ends to tie up.

"We're gonna wait until all the evidence is back before we rule out anything. The case is still open."

There are other questions left unanswered. Investigators wouldn't say if they thought the burglary that led to Jeff Smith's murder was any sort of prelude to the Alisa Maier kidnapping.

They also wouldn't discuss whether there was any motive to the killing of Smith other than a simple case of a burglar being caught in the act.

This major break in the case came on the same day "Smitty," as most in town knew him, was buried.

A procession of hot rods, including one he had rebuilt himself, wound their way from the funeral home to the cemetery.

One long time friend said it was a hard day for this tiny town.

"I've seen a lot of broken hearts here," James Smith, Jr. said. "I imagine it's gonna take a lot of time to heal because he's gonna be missed very much."

http://www.fox2now.com/news/ktvi-smith-murder-solved-hawk-point-070910,0,5911053.story

Alisa Maier's Family And Town Celebrate Return

Roche Madden FOX2now.com
4:55 PM CDT, July 9, 2010

 

Louisiana, MO (KTVI-FOX2Now.com) - Alisa Maier's family is preparing for Saturday's big family bar-b-que to celebrate the kidnapped girl's safe homecoming. Townspeople are planning a party on the riverfront in about a week to give thanks for Alisa's safe return. She spent her first night home last night and seems to be doing well.

It's a wonderful outcome. A little girl kidnapped Monday night only to be found Tuesday night alive. The horrifying ordeal seems to have had little impact on Alisa. Her first night home was last night.

David Maier said, "She slept til 8 or 9 o'clock this morning slept great no problem. She didn't' get up in the middle of the night she's home she's happy to be home."

Buffalo Christian Church Pastor Terry Cook led the prayer service for Alisa's safe return Tuesday night and only hours later she was located. Pastor Cook will be preaching about the power of prayer on Sunday.

On July, 17th 2010 area church leaders are planning another prayer vigil on the Louisiana riverfront.

http://www.fox2now.com/news/ktvi-alisa-maier-louisana-mo-return-celebrate-070910,0,6528521.story

Mo. dad says daughter who was abducted doing OK

Posted: Sunday, July 11, 2010 8:49 pm

The father of a 4-year-old eastern Missouri girl who was grabbed from her front yard last week and found 26 hours later says doctors did not find any physical evidence of an assault.

David Maier told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that his daughter has been happy since her return home in Louisiana, Mo., north of St. Louis. He previously had not spoken publicly about Alisa Maier's abduction.

Alisa was grabbed from her yard last Monday night. Police found her Tuesday night wandering around at a car wash.

The man who authorities said abducted Alisa fatally shot himself Wednesday when confronted by police.

David Maier says his daughter has not talked about what happened during and that he and Alisa'a mother won't be pressing her for details.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/us/article_10235302-b612-5a89-a44e-5f4b6aba510b.html

Abducted girl’s father: ‘I was expecting the worst’

Family ‘overjoyed’ at 4-year-old’s safe return: ‘It’s been a roller coaster’

by Mike Celizic
TODAYshow.com contributor
July 13, 2010

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The little girl with the big brown eyes that seemed on loan from a Margaret Keane painting hugged her teddy bear while the big people around her talked about how happy they were that she was alive and well and apparently unharmed.

Alisa Maier didn’t seem to be listening to what the big people were saying; she’s heard it all before. Ever since she was snatched from her yard and then found more than a day later some 70 miles away, people have been fawning over her and smiling at her and telling her parents what a miracle it is that it all turned out well.

And not just in her home town of Louisiana, Mo. Even in New York City, where she was Tuesday morning, sitting in a television studio with her mom, dad, grandpa and brother, TODAY’s Meredith Vieira wanted to know how the 4-year-old was.

‘Bits and pieces’
David Maier and Kimberly Harrison affirmed that Alisa appears to be fine and shows no signs of being harmed during the more than 24 hours she was held captive by a convicted sex offender and suspected murderer.

The kidnapping happened on the afternoon of Monday, July 5. Alisa was found alone at a car wash near St. Louis late at night on Tuesday, July 6. On Wednesday, July 7, police identified a suspect, Paul. S. Smith, but when they confronted him at his home, where he was repainting the car believed to have been used in the kidnapping, he shot himself dead.

Alisa hasn’t spoken much about the day she spent with Smith, and her parents, on advice of therapists, haven’t pushed her to talk about it. She seems unruffled by it all, delighted to be back together with her best friend and big brother, Blake, 6, and behaving as if nothing happened.

“It’s bits and pieces, but nothing significant,” David Maier said of the child’s recollections of her ordeal. “We’re not going to force anything. She’ll come out in her time.”

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/38221197/ns/today-today_people/

wow - it's amazing that she wasn't harmed, but I'm so grateful for such an uncommon outcome! so many times all we have is bad news and this time, it's wonderful to get GOOD news - that she's alive, and even more that she's unharmed.

Alisa Maier's family explains why they did "Today" show interview

July 14, 2010

Louisiana, Mo (KSDK) -- Alisa Maier and her family are heading back to Louisiana, Missouri.

The family spent the past few days in New York City. The Maier's chose the "Today" show for their first sit-down interview since Alisa was kidnapped and then found last week.

NewsChannel 5's Ryan Dean traveled with the family to New York. The family tells Dean they were not paid for the interview and they were approached by other national outlets to tell their story. They chose the "Today" show because of the bonds they made with some of the staff in Louisiana. Also, they liked how the segment was pitched to them, show the world Alisa is okay.

After the show, the Maier's spoke with Dean about how the family is handling the experience. Both Alisa's father and grandfather say they're still numb and haven't had a chance to sit down and think about all that has transpired in the past 10 days.

Traveling to New York was a thrill for the family. Kim Maier and her three children had never flown before. And only David Maier had been to New York City.

"Yeah, the Today Show! That's uh...once in a life time opportunity. Kind of crazy...and New York City...you never...you know...what a world we live in," Alisa maier's Father David said.

"We're poor country folk, you know? We're kind of like Green Acres in the Big City," grandfather Roy Harrison said with a laugh.

Photos: Alisa Maier's family trip to New York City

The family says they are excited to return to a quitter life in Louisiana and try to find some normalcy they had before Alisa was abducted. But, they're grateful for all the help they received in finding Alisa.

KSDK

http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=207233&catid=3