Paige Johnson -- Missing 9/23/10

Police want to search websites in case of missing NKY teen Paige Johnson

By Jim Hannah
November 9, 2010

COVINGTON - Social networking websites were initially used to mobilize the community in the search for the missing 17-year-old Paige Johnson of Florence. Now, investigators hope messages sent via the sites will tell them what led to the September disappearance of the teenager.

Investigators have obtained two search warrants for the MySpace and Facebook accounts of Paige and 22-year-old Taylor Mill resident Jacob Bumpass, the last person seen with the teen.

The investigators want to know who created the pair's accounts, a record of every log-in since Sept. 1 and access to the private messages in the users' inbox and sent mail folders.

Covington police Detective Gwen Kelley wrote in an affidavit to obtain the warrants that she thinks the accounts contain information that "a criminal offense has occurred."

Paige's family reported Paige, the mother of a 2-year-old girl, missing Sept. 23. Investigators quickly determined that Bumpass was the last person to been seen with Paige, and detectives say he hasn't cooperated in the investigation.

"Investigators found Mr. Bumpass' limited statements to be untrue or unverifiable," Kelly wrote in the affidavit. "Mr. Bumpass was unwilling to provide an explanation of the whereabouts of Paige Johnson."

Read more: http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20101109/NEWS010703/11100338/Search-for-teen-goes-online

The private chats won't lead them to Paige. Hopefully there will be useful information there for LE to work with to help the investigation.

Missing Teen: Police Keeping Eye On Caleb Bumpass

Updated: 11/11 6:24 pm

it's been six weeks since Paige Johnson's family saw the missing teenager, and they're losing patience with people who are refusing to talk to police. Jacob Bumpass, the last person seen with Paige Johnson, is locked up for a parole violation and won't talk. His brother, Caleb Bumpass, whose car was searched by police after her disappearance, has also hired an attorney and isn't cooperating.

But Local 12's Joe Webb tracked him down today in Elsmere.

Caleb Bumpass was not happy to see us this morning. He said he is displeased with our story yesterday about his brother's criminal history. Bumpass had no comment, but while we were there, we found out police have been back since they searched his car last month. Caleb Bumpass didn't want to talk today and told us his attorney wouldn't talk either. October 8th, police came here with a search warrant for his car, specifically looking for blood and bloody clothing as part of the Paige Johnson investigation. She was last seen with his brother, Jacob, September 23rd.

Police records show they were back here November 1st after the fire department reported Caleb Bumpass burning things in his backyard the night before. Elsmere Sergeant Todd Cummins went out with Covington Detective Gwen Kelly.

"We went over to the address on May Street and spoke to Caleb Bumpass and poked around through the fire to see what was in there."

Read more:
http://www.local12.com/news/local/story/Missing-Teen-Police-Keeping-Eye-On-Caleb-Bumpass/uQjY44JmRU2Vwwo3NabfLQ.cspx

Jacob borrowed Caleb's car that night. The next day Caleb was seen cleaning his car, friends and neighbors called him a "pig" and said that was very unusual. He also had fresh red paint splashed in the trunk of his car.

Former Victim Says Jacob Bumpass Is Violent

Updated: 11/11 5:37 am

~Snipped~

Jacob Bumpass was paroled for two theft charges he pled guilty to in 2008. He was locked up for violating his parole when police arrived to question him about Paige Johnson and found weapons and evidence that he'd been drinking... both parole violations. Next week, the legal process begins to revoke Bumpass's parole. One of his victims says he can be dangerous and at times violent and doesn't want him out.

"He told me he had a knife."

Tyler Lewin thought he and Jacob Bumpass were friends, until a night in December 2007 when he says Bumpass blindsided him and took his money. Police say it all took place at Oakbrook Road and Sycamore Hill in Florence. Bumpass was arrested that night and charged with robbery.

According to Erlanger Police, three days earlier, Bumpass robbed this Ameristop, breaking the ankle of an elderly clerk in the process. He was charged with robbery, again. He pled guilty to lesser theft charges in both cases and was sentenced to a total of 8 years in jail. He was paroled, but locked back up last month.

Rob Sanders, Kenton County Commonwealth's Attorney: "He's still being held on a pending parole violation and the probation and parole department is seeking revocation of his parole. Assuming that his parole is revoked, the earliest he could get out... good time and so forth... assuming he behaves himself behind bars, would be some time late next year."

Read more: http://www.local12.com/news/local/story/Former-Victim-Says-Jacob-Bumpass-Is-Violent/MHXbuawtGkWn1e416ToHDA.cspx

Sonar Finds Underwater Clues

Laney Gwinner, Carrie Culberson, Paige Johnson... They are young women missing, murdered or both, with ties to a local lake or the river. Bodies of water have long been a place to dump evidence, believing it would sink to the muddy bottom and disappear.

Local 12's Deborah Dixon tells us, for the bad guy who believes that, there is some very bad news.

It looks as if grown men are playing a video game on the banks of East Fork Lake.
"It works like a modern video game. A joy stick handles most of the controls."

The joy stick tells the Outland 1000 remotely operated vehicle, or ROV, where to go. But it's what the ROV can see that is a game changer.

John Maske, Outland Technology: "Sonar allows us to see things from the length of a football field, that you would never be able to see as a diver."

Hamilton County Police Association's Underwater Search and Recovery Team is getting trained on their new system, with two cameras and Blue View's multi-beam sonar that delivers crystal clear real time images, even in low visibility.

Read more: http://www.local12.com/news/local/story/Sonar-Finds-Underwater-Clues/rTc7MFi3WEmlWQNAO2kGOA.cspx

Thanks for helping to keep Paige's thread updated, J4A. I hope they find something soon. The same area of the Ohio River also holds the charred remains of little 3 year old Marcus Fiesel. That was a horrible case...

Bumpass could be headed back to prison

By Brenna R. Kelly • bkelly@nky.com • November 17, 2010


Jacob Bumpass, the last person seen with Paige Johnson, a 17-year-old Florence girl who has been missing since Sept. 23, leaves a preliminary parole revocation hearing in the Kenton County Detention Center, Covington. Administrative Law Judge Nancy Barber found there was probable cause for a revocation hearing based on alleged use of alcohol and controlled substances by Bumpass. A full revocation hearing will be held in two to four weeks.

COVINGTON An administrative law judge has found probable cause to send Jacob Bumpass back to prison. His case will now go before the Kentucky Parole Board.

Read more:
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20101117/NEWS010704/311170055/1166/NEWS0107/Bumpass-headed-back-to-prison-

Mom Plans To Share Photos Of Missing Daughter
Images Intended To Show How Daughter Lived

UPDATED: 5:43 pm EST November 23, 2010

FLORENCE, Ky. -- The mother of a missing Florence teen is sharing some never-before-seen photos of her daughter as she questions some of those trying to help in the search.

Donna Johnson said she has 544 photos on her computer of her daughter, Paige Johnson, who disappeared Sept. 23 after a friend said he dropped her off in Covington.

Police said that friend, Jacob Bumpass, has provided misleading or false statements to them, and he is being held on an unrelated parole violation.

Johnson is using the photos to create a video story about 17-year-old Paige that she plans to post online, including WLWT.com, next week.

Read more: http://www.wlwt.com/news/25897944/detail.html

Search for missing NKY teen Paige Johnson takes another twist

By Jim Hannah
November 24, 2010

COVINGTON – A dried red substance found in the kitchen sink of the man who was last seen with missing 17-year-old Paige Johnson was not blood.

Investigators had cited the existence of what appeared to be dried blood near two latex gloves when they obtained search warrants for Jacob Bumpass’ Taylor Mill apartment, phone and two cars he was known to drive.

While Bumpass has never been named a suspect in Paige’s Sept. 23 disappearance, the 22-year-old remained at the Kenton County jail Wednesday night on a parole violation. Authorities are trying to send him back to prison for providing alcohol to Paige, among other things.

Read more: http://news.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20101124/NEWS010704/311240105/Search-for-missing-teen-takes-twist

Blood Found In Car NOT Paige Johnson's

November 24, 2010

Covington Police have received some long-awaited lab results in the case of a missing 17-year-old. Blood recovered from a car, searched last month, was sent to the Kentucky State Crime Lab. Police believe it was the car Paige Johnson was last seen in the night she disappeared.

Local 12's Joe Webb has been following the story.

This is not good news for investigators. Commonwealth's Attorney Rob Sanders says the blood recovered by Covington Police is not Paige Johnson's. It was recovered from a 1999 Mazda belonging to Caleb Bumpass, the brother of Jacob Bumpass, the last person known to be with Paige Johnson on September 23rd. Police think Jacob Bumpass may have borrowed his brother's car that night. Caleb Bumpass is not linked to Paige Johnson. Last month, police searched both men's cars and Jacob Bumpass's home. Today, they released what they found.

On October 4th, police searched Jacob Bumpass's home on Decoursey Pike. Now, we know they recovered some white panties, yellow gloves from the kitchen and some red paint. From the 1999 Mazda, they seized a section of the passenger seat.

Read more: http://www.local12.com/content/breaking_news/story/Blood-Found-In-Car-NOT-Paige-Johnsons/PhNp1a1Q5kGuCsC5ov6rjg.cspx

It's the blood of a female, but doesn't match Paige's DNA. Then who's blood is it? I don't think Paige ran off and Bumpass' actions that night were odd. He hasn't explained why he wasn't where he said he was, unless someone else had his phone. Doesn't make any sense.

Parole Revoked For Man Seen With Missing Teen

Updated: 1/13 12:26 pm

The Kentucky Parole Board has revoked to parole of a man who may have been the last person to see a missing Northern Kentucky teen. Jacob Bumpass is not charged in the disappearance of Paige Johnson but he has been questioned in the case and has been held behind bars since she went missing on unrelated charges.

Today, the Parole Board said Bumpass must serve out the remainder of his sentence on two theft charges for which he was paroled. The board cited use of alcohol and marijuana by Bumpass, who admitted today that he had an alcohol addiction.

Johnson was last seen September 23rd. Bumpass originally said he dropped her off at 15th Street and Scott Street in Covington. He ran from police when they tried to question him about the case.

Bumpass did not testify at his parole hearing in November but several key players in the Paige Johnson investigation did. Paige's mother Donna Johnson took the stand, sobbing through five minutes of testimony about her conversation with Jacob two days after her daughter disappeared. Donna says Jacob told her that he and Paige had a couple of beers on the night Paige was last seen. A Covington detective also testified that Bumpass's cell phone hit or "pinged" off towers near East Fork Lake State Park in Ohio.

Read more:
http://www.local12.com/content/breaking_news/story/Parole-Revoked-For-Man-Seen-With-Missing-Teen/BY1oAKMnr02czJCD-Su57Q.cspx

Paige Johnson disappearance: 6 months later

Posted: 1:16 PM
Last Updated: 43 minutes ago
3/23/11

COVINGTON, Ky. - Teen mother Paige Johnson has now been missing for six months and police continue their search.

“The amount of time that has gone by is very concerning to us,” said Lt. Col. Spike Jones with the Covington Police Department during an interview with 9 News earlier this month.

Johnson, 17, who went missing on Sept. 23, 2010, was last seen by Jacob Bumpass, 22, at 1 a.m. when he said he dropped her off in Covington, at 15th and Scott streets. Bumpass is in jail on a probation violation and is not set for release until at least 2013.

The Covington Police Department has an investigator dedicated to this case, who Jones said works on the case daily.

“It’s not on the back burner,” Jones said.

Read more:
http://www.kypost.com/dpps/news/region_northern_kentucky/covington/paige-johnson-disappearance%3A-6-months-later_6190454

Police Look At New Person In Paige Johnson Disappearance

Published: 4:48 pm 3/23/11

~Snipped~
"We are going through some phone records that we were just made privy to recently. If those phone records point us in the right direction, we may have a new break in the case."

"There is possibly a second person that saw Paige the night that she went missing."

"We believe that person may have been with Paige, along with Jacob Bumpass, and this also may be related to the East Fork area."

Frodge says that person is a man but he has not positively identified him. Until he's found and talks, the case hangs in the balance. And until Paige Johnson is found, a family wrestles with a still mysterious loss.

"It's just been a nightmare and I just want to wake up from this nightmare."

Police and family say there is no longer realistic hope that Paige Johnson will be found alive. She was an avid cell phone user and spent a lot of time on Facebook. The calls and Facebook posts stopped abruptly on September 23rd.

http://www.local12.com/news/local/story/Police-Look-At-New-Person-In-Paige-Johnson/Smh5e08jX06olGwGc9Jfzg.cspx

6 months later, still no sign of Paige Johnson

8:00 PM, Apr. 2, 2011

COVINGTON - After Florence teen Paige Johnson went missing Sept. 22, her 2-year-old daughter Makenzie would cry for her mother every time someone came into the door.

Six months later, Makenzie has stopped asking for her mother.

"She is too young to understand what is going on right now," said Paige's grandmother, Sharon Johnson, 68, of Florence, "but Makenzie will grow up not knowing what happened to her mother."

Paige's family hopes community awareness of the disappearance, brought by events like a candlelight vigil set for 6 p.m. April 8 at the corner of 15th and Scott streets, will help find Makenzie's mother.

Read more: http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110402/NEWS010703/104030321/6-months-later-still-no-sign-Paige

Updated Facebook links:

https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_175624069149778

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paige-Johnson-Endangered-Missing/160017684043260

Sadly, I think Paige will be found somewhere in East Fork State Park. Spring is here, the huge park stays bustling spring and summer with hikers, boaters, swimmers and horseback riders on the trails. I have every reason to believe Jacob Bumpass is responsible for Paige missing, I'm glad he's back in prison for now. Hopefully, someone will find her soon.

Vigil Held To Keep Focus On Missing Teenager

UPDATED: 11:34 pm EDT April 8, 2011

COVINGTON, Ky. -- The family of a missing teenager and police are hoping to generate more interest in her case.

It's been six months since Paige Johnson disappeared. She was last seen in September. Friends, family and complete strangers held a vigil on Friday night at the last place she was seen, the corner of 15th and Scott streets in Covington. That's where police say she was dropped off by Jacob Bumpass.

"I wanna know what happened. Our whole family is just torn apart, we want someone to just please tell what they know," said Donna Johnson, Paige's mother.

Read more: http://www.wlwt.com/news/27485358/detail.html

I thought of Paige as we drove along the Ohio River for miles yesterday. The river has been at flood stage for months but it is slowly receding, debris is littering the banks, giant logs and such. Boaters were out, it was such a nice day. It's very possible he dumped her body in the river. As Covington is on the river, I'm sure he knows the shorelines well and he also had to cross it to get to East Fork Lake in Ohio. It's apparent Paige had a tough life and it appears not much parental guidance, but she was loved. I hope she is found soon. Thanks for posting the vigil, I'm thankful they are still having them to keep her name out there.

This was posted on Paige's FB page this morning, pretty...

♪I wish you out of the woods
And into a picture with me
I wish you over the moon
Come out of the question and be♪